Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced a significant €100 million investment to establish its own fragrance house, marking a strategic shift in its approach to fragrance innovation and supplier relationships.

Unilever plans to recruit expert perfumers in the United Kingdom, United States, and India to work on its global portfolio of brands. The new fragrance house will leverage advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enable digitally enhanced fragrance design.

This initiative will transition Unilever to a hybrid model, integrating digitally enabled teams in every step of innovation to formulate fragrances that align perfectly with its products. Richard Slater, Unilever’s Chief R&D Officer, stated, “By recruiting expert perfumers and leveraging new capabilities including digital technology and AI, we will help drive unmissable brand superiority in line with Unilever’s Growth Action Plan, developing fragrances that consumers love and enhancing the overall experience of our products.”

In October 2024, Mathieu Lenoir was appointed as Unilever’s Global Creative Centre Director for Fragrance. With over 30 years of experience in the fragrance industry, including roles at CPL Aromas, Givaudan, and Firmenich, Lenoir brings a wealth of expertise to the new initiative.

Lenoir expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I look forward to being part of Unilever’s fragrance transformation journey. My dream, as a perfumer, has always been to be as close as possible to the consumer, and I feel Unilever is the best place to transform this dream into a reality.”

While Unilever will continue to collaborate with external fragrance houses, this new investment underscores its commitment to driving in-house innovation and developing unique fragrances that resonate with consumers globally.