BASF strengthens its position in biosurfactants for Personal Care, Home Care and Industrial Formulators with two distinct partnerships

March 10, 2021

BASF has recently signed two distinct partnerships agreements to expand its global leading position in the bio-based surfactants and actives market. The strategic alliance with ACS includes an equity stake and makes BASF the single largest shareholder. It further entails an exclusive technology cooperation, commercial agreement and product development for sophorolipids, one class of glycolipids, to address the ever-increasing needs of consumers for sustainable, natural and bio-degradable ingredients and actives. The partners have agreed not to disclose financial details regarding the investment.

Through the strategic technology agreement with Holiferm, a UK-based start-up company, BASF establishes an exclusive cooperation to focus on developing and manufacturing sustainable, non-fossil based, fermentation-derived ingredients for other classes of glycolipids with potential for application in Home Care, Industrial Formulators and Personal Care products.

“We see strong business potential in these partnerships,” said Ralph Schweens, President, Care Chemicals, BASF. “While BASF already has solid innovation and production capabilities for surfactants, we are always scouting for opportunities to work with partners well-rooted in technologies which add to our strength in order to expand our product portfolio with additional biobased products.”

Collaboration with ACS to meet increasing consumer demands for safe and natural products

In collaboration with ACS, BASF developed a novel sophorolipid-based ingredient, produced via fermentation technology, and launched it in the Asian market under the brandname BioToLife™ in the second quarter of 2020. BioToLife™ has unique properties such as curbing the overgrowth of some harmful microbials and excellent cleansing, hence restoring an environment which supports the formation of a balanced micro-ecosystem in skin, scalp or oral care application. While the first product is already available, ACS and BASF will deepen the collaboration with the focus to develop a range of formulations based on sophorolipids with targeted performance.

“Biotechnology has been an established field in many industries for decades. More recently, it is also being used to develop Personal Care ingredients, predominantly active ingredients with high efficacy. ACS looks forward to a fruitful relationship with BASF,” said Yosuke Yamagata, CEO at ACS.

Collaboration with Holiferm to jointly develop fermentatively accessible glycolipids for Home and Personal Care and Industrial Formulator applications

Holiferm aims to accelerate the transition to circular economy by developing and supplying sustainable, non-fossil based, fermentation-derived ingredients for industrial and consumer products. The recently signed Joint Development Agreement between BASF and Holiferm is aiming at developing different glycolipids outside of sophorolipids for Personal and Home Care as well as Industrial Formulators applications. Combining Holiferm’s unique production technology and process know-how, and BASF’s leading position and knowledge in these industries will enable innovative solutions to be brought to customers even faster in the future.

“We value the collaborative approach BASF takes to strategic development and believe this partnership allows both partners to leverage their key innovation strengths. We look forward to working together to develop these further,” said Ben Dolman, CEO at Holiferm.