Regional Synergy for Shared Success Mainland China Challenge Now Open for Applications SHANGHAI, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At L'Oréal China's 2024/2025 Annual Results Press Meeting, 2025 L'Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program ("BIG BANG") was unveiled, centered around the theme of "Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future". The program, which has now broadened its reach throughout North Asia, continues to encourage startups and SMEs to accelerate their innovative efforts, aiming to catalyze significant advancements in beauty technology solutions and reshape the future of beauty.

Vincent Boinay, President of L'Oréal North Asia and CEO of L'Oréal China, emphasized: "We are enhancing and unlocking the full potential of China's open innovation ecosystem. BIG BANG, a pioneering platform born in China, exemplifies this vision—harnessing innovation to transform our industry." As the first beauty tech open innovation challenge in North Asia, BIG BANG was launched in China in 2020 and has since been expanded to include five markets across the North Asia region. By 2024, the program, had engaged over 2,200 startups and SMEs over the past five years, incubating over 60 market-ready projects. In the 2025 Mainland China challenge that opens today, BIG BANG continues to collaborate with the Oriental Beauty Valley, Business France, and Shanghai Meicifang Investment Co., Ltd (L'Oréal China first regional market venture capital company) with the aim of empowering tech startups and SMEs to harness the transformative power of beauty tech.

BIG BANG 2025 Upgraded : Defining the Future of Beauty 1. Accelerating Sustainability With Innovation Beauty is one of the most consumer-facing industries, and BIG BANG has been driving beauty technology innovation in digitalization, operations, and R&I to help consumers move towards a better life and sustainable future. To further accelerate to sustainable consumption in beauty, BIG BANG has added the "Sustainability" as the fourth independent track for the first time this year, hoping to lead the future of sustainable beauty with innovative and upgraded beauty technology solutions.

2. Synergizing Regional Collaboration: Transcending Traditional Localized Evaluation Mechanism Building on its success in Mainland China, BIG BANG has been expanded to cover all five markets of L'Oréal North Asia, unlocking powerful regional synergies in beauty tech. This year, the competition introduces groundbreaking innovations to its format by moving beyond traditional localized evaluating mechanisms, taking regional collaboration to new heights. First, through the new "Sustainability" track, BIG BANG will showcase breakthrough solutions from beauty pioneers across China, Japan, and South Korea, leveraging the synergistic power of North Asia's beauty ecosystem. Meanwhile, the "Phygital Consumers Experience" track will bring together innovators from Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR for the first time, jointly unleashing the beauty tech potential of the Greater Bay Area. Additionally, Hong Kong SAR has deepened its tie-up with Business France to establish a dedicated French track, creating a gateway for more French enterprises to enter the Chinese market.

3. AI-Powered Transformation Across Four Tracks After five years of continuous refinement and deep insights into industry trends, technological advancements, and market demands, BIG BANG has defined its strategic priorities. 2025 BIG BANG will sharpen its evaluation focus across four tracks, with AI integration as the core enabler: • Phygital Consumers Experience : AI-driven content creation and consumer engagement.

• Future Science : Breakthroughs in AI-powered biotech, longevity science, and other fields.

• Operation 4.0 : AI-optimized production safety and intelligent supply chain operations for higher efficiency in order fulfillment.

• Sustainability : Localized environmentally responsible business models enhanced by AI for beauty sustainability.

BIG BANG ER Community Forum: Empowering Entrepreneurs and Expanding the Open Innovation Ecosystem Beyond the competition itself, BIG BANG remains committed to empowering startup entrepreneurs, jointly advancing beauty technology, and fostering an open innovation ecosystem that connects the entire industry value chain.

At today's "'Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future' BIG BANGER Community Forum", representatives from past BIG BANG participants, the L'Oréal China BIG BANG team and ecosystem partners, including the Oriental Beauty Valley, Business France, government agencies, and VC/PE firms, gathered under one roof. Guided by the concept of "Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future", they engaged in discussions on key industry opportunities and trends, including sustainable beauty, the rise of China's biotech sector, and a 2030 outlook for the beauty landscape.

Laurence Ma, Deputy CEO of L'Oréal China, shared her leadership insights based on personal experience: "Expertise is our foundation, especially in beauty tech, we must play to our strengths. Stay resilient, optimistic, and authentic to build a brighter future with like-minded partners." As the driving force behind this ecosystem, Zhenzhen Lan, President of Public Affairs of L'Oréal North Asia and China, highlighted the significance of open innovation and win-win collaboration: "BIG BANG is not a solo performance, but a symphony of beauty innovators. Together with our partners, L'Oréal aims to stay ahead of emerging trends and make decisive moves, channeling the potential of beauty tech into a thriving destination for high-quality living.'" For the first time, media partners were invited to join the BIG BANGER Community Forum, reflecting the Big Bang's commitment to expanding the ecosystem backed by a growing number of partners.

L'Oréal BIG BANG 2025 – Mainland China Competition Now Opens for Applications, calling all startups with groundbreaking technologies to co-create the future of beauty with innovations.

Four Challenge Topics: • Phygital Consumers Experience: Fueling the future of content creation • Future Science: New ingredients or solutions, sensors or technologies, diagnostics tools or in-vitro models, and sustainable manufacturing processes • Operation 4.0: Innovative and safe production, package design simulation, enhanced operations with RAG, robotic technology in factory and fulfillment center • Sustainability: Business models, products, brands with innovative technology to solve sustainability challenges in beauty industry Four Key Selection Criteria: Solution Innovativeness (25%), Technology Frontier (25%), Scalability in L'Oréal (25%) and Business Impact (25%) Timeline: • As from today – 31 May: Online application • 1 June – 31 July: Shortlist and mentor • 15 August – 15 September: Grand Finale • November onward: Pilot, incubation project and award ceremony Winning Perks : Media exposure + co-created project testing and implementation.

For registration and more information, please click the link: https://bigbang.lorealchina.com/ About L'Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program: L'Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program (BIG BANG) is the first regional initiative focused on driving open innovation, inspiration and co-creation of innovative beauty products and experiences. The program discovers, supports and nurtures promising start-ups and companies with innovative technology that can be scaled regionally and globally.

About L'Oréal Group For 116 years, L'Oréal, the world's leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as essential, inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 37 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L'Oréal for the Future programme, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality.

With more than 90,000 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, perfumeries, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2024 the Group generated sales amounting to 43.48 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team of over 4,000 scientists and 6,400 Digital talents, L'Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom About L'Oréal China L'Oréal, the world's largest beauty company, entered Chinese mainland in 1997. L'Oréal China is headquartered in Shanghai and has five offices across the country. L'Oréal China currently has 32 brands and one R&I center in China, as well as two factories in Suzhou and Yichang, owning more than 15,000 employees. After 28 years of high-quality, steady and sustainable growth, China has become the second-largest market in the world, the headquarter of the North Asia "Beauty Triangle", and one of three Beauty Tech Hubs worldwide. L'Oréal founded the Group's first venture capital firm of regional markets in China, "Shanghai Meicifang Investment Co., Ltd". L'Oréal Group's first self-build smart fulfillment center has been officially opened in Suzhou.. As one of the best corporate citizens in China, L'Oréal China has always implemented and kept the "L'Oréal for the Future Sustainable Development Commitment 2030" in mind. China is L'Oréal's first market to reach 100% renewable energies for its sites, and L'Oréal China actively contributes to the good development of Chinese society through CSR programs.

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