Gallinée Ltd., a growing kin care range focusing on the skin’s microbiome, has closed its series A financing round with Unilever Ventures acting as lead investor. The investment is Unilever Ventures’ foray into microbiome-based products, a key beauty trend in 2018.

Launched in 2016 by Marie Drago, a French pharmacist with 15 years of experience working for successful skincare brands, Gallinée was inspired by her history with autoimmune diseases and her desire to create products that support the skin’s good bacteria. Drago’s pharmacy thesis was the basis for the patented combination of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics that are the core of the Gallinée range.

Investment from Unilever Ventures, along with other strategic partners, will be used to develop the Gallinée team, extend the range and finance R&D. Gallinée plans to double-down on e-commerce, hire an experienced head of E-Commerce and expand its global direct retail operation.

“We have been impressed by Gallinée’s level of innovation and consistency. It is rare to find such young brands with the right mix of science and consumer focus. I look forward to working with Marie and her team to build upon the company’s momentum and many growth opportunities” said Anna Ohlsson-Baskerville, director with Unilever Ventures.

The brand has been stocked since April 2016 in Harvey Nichols, and is now available in department stores and pharmacies in France and the UK, as well as online. Gallinée will soon be available on Zalando Germany and QVC France, too.

“I am delighted to welcome Unilever Ventures as an investor,” said Drago. “It is such a great honor for a young company, and their expertise will be invaluable for us. It will allow us to keep innovating in the microbiome field though new studies and products, expand our online business and extend to new territories, especially the US.”