Skin in the AI game: Beiersdorf Ventures invests in AI biology platform Turbine

With its USD 25 million investment in the Series B financing, Beiersdorf underlines once again the growing strategic relevance of AI for skin science. The round is led by Interactive Venture Partners, with further participation from Accel and MSD Global Health Innovation.

Turbine pursues a radically data-driven approach: the company virtualises biological experiments using a “Virtual Cell” model. At its core is an AI-powered platform that digitally replicates experimental assays and enables simulations at scale. Via a no-code interface (“Virtual Lab”), pharma researchers can test millions of hypotheses in silico before only selected candidates proceed to wet-lab validation. The system is based on proprietary perturbation datasets that are continuously expanded and used to fine-tune the model in a “lab-in-the-loop” approach. AI is therefore not an add-on, but the integral backbone of the technology.

Deep tech for skin and beyond

For Beiersdorf, the investment fits strategically. In recent years, the group has been selectively backing deep-tech approaches in skin biology, active ingredient research and digital diagnostics. Investments have included data-driven skin analysis start-ups and biotech platforms aimed at identifying novel targets or enabling personalised skincare. With Turbine, a technology is added that could simulate how active ingredients interact with skin cells, inflammatory pathways or safety parameters – potentially accelerating and refining product development.

At the same time, Turbine is expanding its footprint in the pharmaceutical industry. According to the company, it already collaborates with major players such as Merck & Co., AstraZeneca and Bayer AG. Virtual assays have reportedly been deployed across more than 30 discovery programmes to prioritise drug combinations and rationalise experimental design.

Hungarian-British AI powerhouse

With the new capital, Turbine is now broadening its previously oncology-focused offering into immunology. At the same time, it has announced a partnership with an undisclosed top 10 pharmaceutical company. An early beta tester was Ono Pharmaceutical, at a time when the Hungarian-founded firm had already raised around USD 25 million in several tranches between 2022 and 2023 in its first financing round.

The platform aims to model immune cell behaviour based on proprietary datasets and to systematically identify combination therapies, an area that, due to its biological complexity, is increasingly difficult to address through experimental approaches alone.

For Beiersdorf, the investment highlights how even a traditional consumer goods company increasingly views AI-driven systems biology as a strategic tool – not only for pharma, but potentially also for the next generation of scientifically substantiated skincare products.