L’Oréal has announced the first 13 “change maker” startups and SMEs selected to join its new €100 million sustainable innovation accelerator, L’AcceleratOR, aimed at scaling breakthrough solutions for climate, nature, and circularity challenges across the beauty industry. The inaugural cohort was chosen from nearly 1,000 applications representing 101 countries, highlighting a broad global pipeline of sustainability-focused innovation. The programme, run in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and spanning five years, offers selected ventures access to expertise, mentorship, and pilot opportunities with L’Oréal, as well as the potential to scale successful solutions across the company’s global operations.

The 13 selected organisations span next-generation packaging and materials, nature-sourced ingredients, and circular system solutions, reflecting core sustainability priorities such as reducing fossil plastic use, advancing low-carbon materials, and turning waste into valuable products. Among them are innovators developing recyclable seaweed-based packaging, low-carbon bio-materials, and technologies that convert organic waste into useful inputs.