LATAM Beauty Brands Profile: Inbiotech

Colombian biotech company Inbiotech started up as a biotech research firm back in 2004, but has since expanded with a beauty and personal care portfolio that includes five hair and skin care brands targeting a range of different functions. ​

Cosmetics Design caught up with company founder and general manager, Jorge Mario Girarldo, who is a chemical engineer by profession and passionate by the Colombian biodiversity, research and innovation. ​

We asked Jorge a wide variety of questions about the Bogota-based company, including its philosophy, its evolution, and what kind of vision he has for it in the future. 

How and when did you start the business?​

The business started in 2004 because one of the founding partners was having a hair loss problem and he did not want to use what the pharmaceutical industry had to offer, because of the side effects that hair loss products can cause.  

What is the philosophy behind the business?​

Connect science with biodiversity to bring health and happiness to more people 

Why is the Latin American market important to you? ​

Because all the products that we have developed have been clinically evaluated in a wide variety of Hispanic individuals

And why is the North American market so important?​

Because it allows us to open doors to the world

Why did the company choose to expand beyond research and development and into brands?​

The company began as a research, development and innovation company. In the beginning, we wanted to understand the attributes that plants have developed to survive extreme conditions like lack of oxygen, poor fertile land, and incidence of UV radiation. After understanding and learning about these attributes the company uses of state-of-the-art technologies to bring them to the individual in an effective way. That is how the different cosmetic forms have been derived, effectively. 

What is your approach to both the packaging and formulation of your branded products?​

The packaging must meet the needs of protection and conservation for the antioxidants and active ingredients that meet the value offer. The current products are in the dermatological market.

What have been the main challenges in getting the business to where it is today?​

This response can be neatly encapsulated by eight distinct points, as follows:

1- Credibility towards dermatologists

2- Build a scientific team aligned to a common purpose 

3- Export 

4- Re-launch the brand of the company and the products 

5- Go from scale laboratory and pilot scale to industrial scale 

6- Having two locations in the country 

7- Conquer the local market 

8- Do science for life

What are your ambitions for the future of the brand?​

To each the consumer directly and develop new products that can meet needs in other specialties.

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