With a US$25 million investment in Series B funding, Beiersdorf reiterates the growing strategic relevance of AI in dermatology. The round was led by Interactive Venture Partners, with participation from Accel and MSD Global Health Innovation.
Turbine pursues a fundamentally data-driven approach. The company uses a “virtual cell” model to virtualize biological experiments. At its core is an AI-powered platform that digitally replicates experimental assays and enables large-scale simulations. Through a no-code interface (a “virtual lab”), pharmaceutical researchers can computer-test millions of hypotheses before only selected candidates advance to wet-lab validation. The system is based on a unique perturbation dataset and is continuously expanded and used to fine-tune the model in a “lab-in-the-loop” approach. Therefore, AI is not an add-on, but an essential backbone of the technology.
Deep technology that goes beyond just the skin
For Beiersdorf, this investment is strategically sound. In recent years, the group has selectively supported deep technology approaches in skin biology, active ingredient research and digital diagnostics. Investments include data-driven skin analytics startups and biotech platforms aimed at identifying new targets and enabling personalized skin care. Turbine adds technology that can 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 into the pharmaceutical industry. According to the company, it has already partnered with major companies such as: Merck & Co., AstraZeneca and Bayer AG. Virtual assays have reportedly been implemented in more than 30 discovery programs to prioritize drug combinations and streamline experimental design.
Hungarian-British AI powerhouse
With the new capital, Turbine is now expanding its services, previously focused on oncology, into immunology. At the same time, it announced a partnership with an undisclosed top 10 pharmaceutical company. Early beta testers ono pharmaceutical industryAt the time, the Hungarian-founded company had already raised around USD 25 million in its first funding round in several tranches, spread over 2022-2023.
This platform aims to model immune cell behavior based on unique datasets and systematically identify combination therapies whose biological complexity makes it increasingly difficult to address with experimental approaches alone.
For Beiersdorf, the investment highlights how even traditional consumer goods companies are increasingly recognizing AI-driven systems biology as a strategic tool. That applies not only to pharmaceuticals, but also potentially to the next generation of scientifically proven skin care products.
