Key Investor Signals
Built prior skin-microbiome startup taken over by Beiersdorf
Co-founder Marc Güell previously co-founded S-Biomedic, which Beiersdorf backed in 2018 before taking 92.53% ownership in 2022.
Secured €2.5M in EU funding to advance Synflora
The EU awarded €2,499,999 to the UPF-coordinated SkinEngineering project, running from May 2025 to April 2028, to advance the Synflora platform.
Demonstrated engineered microbial delivery in mice
A 2024 Nature Biotechnology study showed engineered skin bacteria producing and secreting a sebum-modulating protein in mice.
Team
Nastassia Knödlseder
CEO and Co-founder
- Completed doctoral research in translational synthetic biology at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park from 2017 to 2023.
- First-authored a 2022 PLOS Pathogens paper on changing which Cutibacterium acnes strains bacterial viruses can infect.
- Co-authored a 2019 Microbiome study on modifying the skin microbiome using probiotic bacterial solutions.
María José Fábrega
CSO and Co-founder
- First-authored a 2021 study establishing a cell-free Cutibacterium acnes system for prototyping protein production.
- Published research on anti-inflammatory effects of probiotic bacterial vesicles in a mouse colitis model in 2017.
- Co-authored 2018 research on bacterial vesicles activating immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells.
Marc Güell Cargol
Scientific Head and Co-founder
- Co-founded skin-microbiome company S-Biomedic and served as scientific adviser before Beiersdorf took majority control in 2022.
- Worked in George Church’s Harvard laboratory from 2011 to 2015 and held a Wyss technology-development fellowship in 2015–2016.
- Served as a founding scientist and consultant at eGenesis from 2015 to 2019, applying genome engineering to transplantation.
Product
Synflora modifies Cutibacterium acnes, a bacterium that naturally lives in hair follicles, to produce and secrete active molecules. Its preclinical platform combines strain engineering, local therapeutic delivery and development of manufacturing and safety controls.
Engineered skin-resident bacteria
The platform uses genetically modified Cutibacterium acnes as a living delivery system. Engineered strains are intended to reside in the follicle and produce selected molecules near their target tissue.
A locally produced sebum modulator
A 2024 study engineered the bacteria to produce and secrete NGAL, a protein linked to regulation of skin oil. The work demonstrated delivery in mice and supports an acne-focused preclinical program.
Manufacturing and safety development
The SkinEngineering project is advancing the platform from proof of concept toward preclinical and regulatory validation. Work includes manufacturing, strain refinement and containment measures for engineered bacteria.
Market Overview
Synflora’s initial therapeutic opportunity sits within acne drugs and microbiome-based dermatology products. Patients access acne medicines through dermatologists and pharmacies, while pharmaceutical and skin-care companies develop and distribute products across prescription and consumer channels.
Acne is an established treatment market with topical products and retail pharmacies playing substantial roles. Developers of engineered microbial therapies must compete on clinical benefit, tolerability and practical use. Pharmaceutical and cosmetic partners are relevant buyers of technology and development rights.
Estimated worldwide acne-drug market revenue in 2025, across therapeutic classes.
Topical products accounted for over 45% of global acne-drug revenue in 2025.
Retail pharmacies accounted for over 35% of global acne-drug revenue in 2025.
North America accounted for around 40% of worldwide acne-drug revenue in 2025.
Comparable Outcomes
Dermira
Developed medicines for chronic skin conditions, including an antibody program and a marketed excessive-sweating treatment. Lilly completed the acquisition in February 2020 to broaden its immunology and dermatology portfolio.
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Sources
This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.