Debut, a synthetic biology company, has partnered with DIC Corporation to biomanufacture and sell many rare and natural polyphenol ingredients for the beauty industry. The partnership will deliver novel, high-performing, and clinically backed polyphenols that are too expensive or environmentally unsustainable for consumer products. The multiyear agreement focuses on bringing rare naturals made possible through Debut's Bio2Consumer™ platform. This partnership aims to win on cost and performance relative to established cosmetic ingredients, targeting the personal care market valued at $416B, with a 5% CAGR. Debut's platform combines cell-free enzyme catalysis and precision fermentation to eliminate the bottlenecks currently associated with synthetic biology, requiring far less land, water, and energy than traditional manufacturing.
The partnership will see Debut build a commercial biomanufacturing site owned and operated by the company, with construction beginning in the coming months. DIC, whose customers include brand owners that prioritize safety, efficacy, and sustainability, will lead ingredient sales, marketing, and distribution of these ingredients globally. The biomanufacturing site will allow the company to deliver new cosmetic ingredients with revolutionary capabilities to the beauty industry, realizing its goals.
DIC, a fine chemical company with a top global market share for printing inks, organic pigments, and other compounds, is committed to creating new businesses that respond to environmental, social, and health-related issues and social changes. DIC's Managing Executive Officer, Kiyofumi Takano, said, “Debut's vertically integrated synthetic biology platform technology and commitment to transition from discovery to scaled-up biomanufacturing, combined with clinical testing and formulation is a huge leap for biomanufacturing and will allow us to start seeing synthetic biology derived products on shelves in the global marketplace. They are the only company that goes from novel ingredient discovery to commercial manufacturing, clinical testing, and formulation - that's the future.”
Debut’s CEO, Dr. Britton, said, “DIC understands the complexities and demands of the beauty industry. We’re excited to move forward with them to grow and advance new sustainable and high-performance ingredients. Brands need access to new and rare natural ingredients that allow them to win in the marketplace based on their performance and not just a marketing story. Synthetic biology allows access to incredible products found only in trace quantities in nature. To date, consumers have been using traditional active ingredients when better-performing ingredients are available in nature - we just had to work out how to make them for consumers.”
Debut and DIC's partnership aims to create a sustainable future for the beauty industry by offering rare and natural cosmetic ingredients concurrent with constructing a commercial biomanufacturing facility slated to come online in 2024. This facility will allow the companies to provide access to sustainable, natural ingredients that cannot be obtained through traditional cultivation or chemical production, setting a new standard for a profitable business to face an ever-changing world.
