Growing demand for vegan collagen: Evonik invests in JLand Biotech

• Chinese start-up specializes in the development and production of vegan collagen
• Cooperation in response to growing demand in recombinant collagen
• Strategic step to build a collagen platform for Evonik’s life science division

Shanghai, China. Evonik is investing via its Venture Capital unit in the Chinese company JLand Biotech, which specializes in the development and production of vegan (recombinant) collagen. With its core technology, JLand focuses on a production process that integrates efficiency and scalability.

“The investment underlines our commitment to both sustainability and innovation,” said Erning Cao, Investment Director of Evonik Venture Capital. “It strengthens our business activities in cosmetic and personal care applications. The partnership also enhances our innovation ecosystem in China.”

The partnership will provide Evonik with the capabilities to market large quantities of collagen for applications in skincare such as anti-aging and hydrating creams, masks, and gels, as well as hair products like masks and conditioners. The investment will help the specialty chemicals group move closer to its goal of creating a platform for recombinant collagen for its life science division. The partnership also builds on synergies with Evonik’s active ingredients and delivery systems portfolios.

“Sustainable beauty is gaining higher awareness among end-consumers, not only around the globe but also in China, driving market demand for more sustainable, high-performing solutions,” said Alix Chen, General manager of Evonik’s Care Solutions business line, Greater China region. “We are excited to work with JLand to develop the science-based, sophisticated beauty solutions. With this investment, we are starting a journey that will see a broader range of markets benefit from vegan collagen.”

Collagen has emerged as a promising bioactive for enhancing elasticity and hydration in skin and hair in cosmetic and personal care applications. Vegan collagen, produced through a controlled fermentation-based process using bacteria or yeast, offers several advantages over animal-derived collagen. It is easier to formulate, better absorbed by the skin, and has low immunogenicity and batch-to-batch variability, ensuring high reproducibility. Moreover, vegan collagen aligns well with the global trend towards sustainability and can help formulators meet the growing consumer demand for effective bioactive ingredients. As the demand for sustainable and effective bioactives continues to grow, vegan collagen is poised to become a key ingredient in cosmetic and personal care products.

“At JLand, we are dedicated to developing safer and more sustainable collagen products,” said Liang Chang, chairman of JLand. "With support from Evonik, we will be able to further drive business development forward. We also look forward to creating synergies in product innovation."

Jland Biotech is a company dedicated to developing and manufacturing the safest non-animal-derived collagen. It was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Jingjiang, China. The company develops collagen for various cosmetic, medical and food applications. The cosmetic range of collagen is fully registered with the Vegan Society.