Beiersdorf doubles down on innovation

Despite a slowing skincare market, the German group closed 2025 with solid growth, reporting €9.9 bn in revenue (+2.4%) and an EBIT margin of 14%. Performance was driven by the strong momentum of its Derma division with Eucerin and Aquafor (+11.7%, with revenue of €1.5 bn), while Nivea +0.9%, with revenue of €5.5 bn) is undergoing a strategic recalibration.

At the same time, Beiersdorf is stepping up its innovation push with a new €100 m venture capital fund. Named the Skin Care Innovation Fund, it doubles the initial 2020 allocation and targets high-potential startups in life sciences, sustainability, AI and digital health, with investments ranging from €0.5 m to €5 m per project. Since 2020, more than 15 companies have already been supported, delivering tangible outcomes, particularly in microbiome research – S-Biomedic – and longevity – Vincere Biosciences and Turbine.