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L’Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program 2025: Innovating for a Smarter, More Sustainable Future

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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 BANGER 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 creationFuture Science: New ingredients or solutions, sensors or technologies, diagnostics tools or in-vitro models, and sustainable manufacturing processesOperation 4.0: Innovative and safe production, package design simulation, enhanced operations with RAG, robotic technology in factory and fulfillment centerSustainability: 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 application1 June – 31 July: Shortlist and mentor15 August – 15 September: Grand FinaleNovember 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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SOURCE L’Oréal

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IIFL Capital’s Maiden Late-Stage Private Equity Fund Announces First Close at ~ ₹500 Crore

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IIFL Capital’s Late-Stage Private Equity Fund targets a final close in excess of ₹1,000 crore within nine months from First CloseTwo transactions have already been committed with a pipeline of seven to eight deals under evaluation

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited, the Asset Management arm of IIFL Capital, today announced that the IIFL Late-Stage Private Equity Fund, the maiden fund of its private equity platform, achieved its first close on 15 September 2026 with aggregate capital commitments of ~ ₹500 crore. The Fund invests in scaled-up, profitable Indian enterprises that are preparing to list on the public markets in the near term.

The Fund is targeting a total corpus of ₹1,000 crore, with a greenshoe option of additional ₹1,000 crore. It will remain open for subscription after the first close and aims to reach its final close within the next nine months. A larger corpus allows the Fund to back high-quality companies operating on a scale, in line with its late-stage, pre-IPO strategy.

The Fund is also evaluating a robust pipeline of opportunities, ranging from term sheet negotiations to transactions under diligence. The pipeline is diversified across integrated security-as-a-service, railway and wind energy components, specialty chemicals, defence equipment, IT-enabled services, pre-engineered buildings and consumer technology.

The Fund follows a clear mandate focused on scaled businesses nearing a public listing. The fund looks at sectors that envisage growth rate of 15%-18% per annum. The investee company should be amongst the top three-five players in its category, should have an EBITDA of at least ₹75-100 crore at investment with the intention to pursue IPO within three years. The average deal size is expected to be ₹50-100 crore per transaction.

Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Deepak Mittal, Chief Investment Officer and Head – Private Equity, IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited, said: “The first close marks the point at which this Fund moves from being a proposition to being a portfolio. We are grateful to our investors for their confidence in a volatile global environment. With two high-quality transactions already committed and a live pipeline of seven to eight opportunities, we believe IIFL’s capabilities give us a distinct advantage in backing scaled enterprises on their journey to the public markets.”

The first close comes in the backdrop of India’s primary market revival. After a subdued April-June quarter, July and August 2026 together saw 35 mainboard IPOs, and foreign portfolio investors returned as net buyers, including through IPOs. Real GDP grew 7.8% in Q1 FY27, with gross fixed capital formation up 11.9%, supporting the sectors the Fund is targeting.

About IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited

IIFL Capital Asset Management Limited (formerly IIFL Securities Alternate Asset Management Limited) is the Investment Manager for Alternative Investment Funds sponsored by IIFL Capital Services Limited. It is registered with SEBI as an Alternative Investment Fund manager (IN/AIF3/19-20/0770, IN/AIF2/21-22/088), Investment Adviser (INA000019956) and Portfolio Manager (INP000009445). Registered office: Ground Floor 01, Hubtown Solaris, Saiwadi, N S Phadke Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400069. Website: assetmanagement.iiflcapital.com

About IIFL Capital Services Ltd

IIFL Capital Services Ltd (formerly known as IIFL Securities Limited) (NSE: IIFLCAPS) (BSE: 542773) is one of the key capital market players in the Indian financial services space. IIFL Capital offers broking services, wealth management, financial products distribution, institutional broking, research and investment banking services.

Disclaimer: This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any units of the IIFL Late-Stage Private Equity Fund or any securities. Investments in alternative investment funds are subject to market and other risks, including loss of capital. Investors should read the Private Placement Memorandum, including the risk factors, before investing. Registration granted by SEBI, enlistment with BSE, and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Past performance of securities/instruments is not indicative of their future performance.

 

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Snapmaker Introduces New Filament Bundle, Expanding Its Full Spectrum Printing Ecosystem

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The Snapmaker PLA Full Spectrum Filament Bundle (White Edition) combines pure-white capability, more saturated cyan, magenta, and yellow filaments, and finely tuned light-transmission properties for vibrant, natural-looking color mixes. It expands Snapmaker’s integrated ecosystem of dedicated materials, Snapmaker Orca software, and U1 hardware.

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Snapmaker has introduced the Snapmaker PLA Full Spectrum Filament Bundle (White Edition), expanding the creative possibilities of layered color mixing on Snapmaker U1. The four-spool set combines semi-translucent cyan, magenta, yellow, and white PLA filaments to produce a broader palette, from vivid color mixes and soft pastels to directly printed pure-white details.

“Together with the reformulated color filaments, the addition of white opens up a broader range of visual styles.” — Blayne Sapelli, Creative Marketing Manager at Snapmaker.

Four Filaments, Beyond Four Colors

Full Spectrum color mixing creates additional perceived colors by alternating thin layers of semi-translucent filaments along the Z-axis. As light interacts with these layers, their colors blend visually, allowing a single print to go beyond the four loaded filament colors.

Snapmaker Orca, Snapmaker’s official slicing software, supports this layered color mixing workflow. Together with U1’s multi-toolhead architecture, it provides a practical foundation for exploring more colors with a small set of materials.

Radu “Ratdoux,” creator of Full Spectrum and now part of the Snapmaker team, said: “Full Spectrum changes the way we think about color in consumer FDM printing. Instead of adding more and more individual filament colors, we can use a small set of calibrated materials together with software and multi-toolhead hardware to generate a much broader spectrum. Our goal is to make that process simple enough that users can focus on what they want to create rather than how to engineer the color.”

Filaments Engineered for Brighter Color

White filament brings two distinct benefits: it enables pure-white areas that layered color mixing alone cannot produce, and it brightens mixed colors while reducing saturation for lighter, softer tones. Reformulated cyan, magenta, and yellow filaments offer stronger saturation, helping deliver more vibrant mixes.

The filaments’ color and Transmission Distance properties are tuned to promote natural blending and help reduce visible horizontal stripes. On Snapmaker U1, RFID recognition automatically loads preset filament information, simplifying setup.

These properties give creators more flexibility to combine vivid accents, gentle shades, and white details in character models, collectibles, home décor, and sculptural artwork. The four-spool approach also reduces the need to store separate filament colors for occasional use.

“Adding white is a meaningful step for creators who want lighter palettes and pure-white details within the same four-spool setup,” said Blayne Sapelli, Creative Marketing Manager at Snapmaker, “Together with the reformulated color filaments, it opens up a different range of visual styles. It also reflects how we are building our ecosystem: developing dedicated materials around real creative needs and connecting them with the tools people use to print.”

An Integrated Ecosystem for Color Creation

The Snapmaker PLA Full Spectrum Filament Bundle (White Edition) joins the Snapmaker PLA Full Spectrum Filament Bundle (Gray Edition) and the SnapSpeed PLA CMYK Lithophane Filament Bundle, expanding Snapmaker’s official lineup to three purpose-designed bundles.

The two PLA Full Spectrum bundles are designed for three-dimensional color mixing. The new bundle enables brighter mixes, softer pastels, and pure-white details, while the Gray Edition offers darker, more muted tones. The CMYK Lithophane bundle is optimized for flat, layered-color printing, including colorful backlit lithophanes made from photographs and illustrations.

Built around U1 and Snapmaker Orca, the lineup connects specialized materials with hardware and software support.

Pricing and Product Information

The bundle is priced at US$89 and contains four 1 kg spools, totaling 4 kg. For product details and regional purchasing information, visit the official product page.

About Snapmaker

Snapmaker makes products that empower everyone to change the world — literally. From 3-in-1 desktop fabrication machines to the Snapmaker U1 multicolor, multimaterial, toolchanger 3D printer, to the software that powers it all, Snapmaker is building an ecosystem that democratizes creation. Snapmaker: Make Something Wonderful.

For more information, visit Snapmaker.com.

Media Contact

Hao Jiang, Snapmaker, 86 13588745216, jianghao@snapmaker.com, www.snapmaker.com

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SOURCE Snapmaker

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Today, Intelligent Legal Solutions (ILS) and Anduin announced a partnership to provide a more streamlined service for both fund managers and law firms

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PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Intelligent Legal Solutions (ILS) and Anduin have announced a partnership to create a more connected fundraising experience for private markets fund managers and law firms.

ILS is the legal technology company behind ProVision, a platform for private investment funds lawyers and their clients, while Anduin provides technology for private markets fundraising and investor operations. Through the partnership, the companies will build an integration connecting their platforms to support a more streamlined, end-to-end fundraising process.

Launched in 2024, ILS works with 89% of law firms ranked in the top three bands by Chambers USA for Private Equity: Fund Formation nationwide. Its technology has supported fundraises totaling more than $825 billion across North America, the UK, EMEA and APAC.

Anduin’s platform has supported more than 1,300 private investment funds, onboarded over 76,000 investors and powered more than $265 billion in capital raised. Its customers represent more than $7 trillion in aggregate assets under management.

Fergus Plant, Co-Founder of ILS, said: “We are hugely excited to announce our partnership with Anduin. They are a mainstay of the private markets tech space, and we are proud to collaborate to bring a more complete solution to our customers. Our recent launch of the Fund Manager Portal for ProVision more closely aligns our customers, deepening the benefits of this relationship.”

Eliot Hodges, CEO of Anduin, said: “Fundraising still involves too many handoffs between systems, teams and advisers. By connecting Anduin’s subscription and investor onboarding workflows with ProVision’s side letter, comment memo, MFN and obligation management capabilities, we can help firms carry data more seamlessly through the fundraising process and reduce the operational burden around close.”

Read more at https://anduintransact.com/blog/anduin-partners-with-ils 

Fund managers and law firms interested in learning more can contact:

About Anduin
Anduin is the leading digital platform for managing fund lifecycles and LP relationships. The company has facilitated $118 billion in global capital and supports 48,000+ investors across 890+ funds. Learn more at anduintransact.com.

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SOURCE Anduin Transactions

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