Global beauty giant L’Oréal, through its venture capital fund Bold, has recently acquired a minority stake in Timeline, a Swiss biotechnology company specializing in longevity.

Established in 2007 by Chris Rinsch and Patrick Aebischer, as a spin-off from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Timeline develops innovative solutions in longevity for the food, beauty, and health sectors.

Timeline has created an exclusive molecule named ‘Mitopure’, designed to recycle and rejuvenate mitochondria, “the energy powerhouses of cells that tend to malfunction with age,” as explained by L’Oréal in a press release. Timeline incorporates the properties of this molecule into dietary supplements and skincare products.

The investment amount remains undisclosed but will enable Timeline to further advance its technology, expand its operations, and potentially foster future collaborations with L’Oréal.

“Longevity adds a new dimension to beauty by preventing, correcting and even reversing the aging cycle of skin, scalp and hair. We are delighted with our investment in Timeline, which should enable us to apply the key features of longevity to skin health and beauty,” stated Barbara Lavernos, deputy CEO of the L’Oréal group and president of research, innovation, and technology.

Longevity appears to have become the new pursuit for beauty and wellness players. Just recently, the American cosmetics brand Estée Lauder launched Skin Longevity, a platform based on a new product innovation, the formation of a longevity expert collective, and funding for a research program at the Stanford Center on Longevity.

In the first nine months of 2023, the L’Oréal group reported a revenue increase of 9.4%, reaching €30.57 billion.