Frontier IP buys 25% stake in Des Solutio

Frontier IP has acquired a 25% stake in Des Solutio in exchange for commercialisation services, including contract negotiation, identifying potential industry partners, scaling up technology, and helping with validation.

Frontier IP commercialises university intellectual property (IP), while Des Solutio develops environmentally friendly alternatives to chemicals used in cosmetics products.

Des Solutio was founded to commercialise research conducted by NOVA University Lisbon’s NOVA School of Science and Technology professors Ana Rita Duarte and Dr Alexandre Paiva. Their research has gained interest from major industrial groups, including cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies.

Frontier IP’s CEO Neil Crabb said: “We’re very excited about the possibilities for Des Solutio. The technology being developed by Professor Ana Rita Duarte and Dr Alexandre Paiva has already attracted interest from major multinationals.

“Its incorporation as our second Portuguese spin out is a further sign of our growing strength in the country.”

Des Solutio’s co-founder Ana Rita Duarte said: “We’re delighted to be working with Frontier IP on developing and bringing this ground-breaking science into the commercial world. NADES have huge potential for making a host of everyday products greener and safer for people to use.”

Des Solutio is developing new methods to apply Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) in cosmetics and nutraceutical applications, replacing toxic organic solvents such as ethanol.

NADES provides several benefits over current solvents. Present in a vast range of plants, they are completely derived from natural compounds such as organic acids, amino acids and sugars.

Given that a vast range of NADES has already been identified, they can be matched to particular active ingredients to extract only what is required. Benefits of the technology include greener production processes and better solubility, permeability, bioavailability and biodegradability than organic solvents.