Alternative Plants

Some of the most sought-after ingredients in modern cosmetics originate from plants that are difficult to cultivate at scale or grow only in specific ecological niches. As demand for natural actives increases, manufacturers face growing challenges related to resource availability, supply consistency, and biodiversity protection. Latvian biotechnology company Alternative Plants develops sustainable production routes for botanical ingredients used in cosmetic formulations. Rather than depending solely on agricultural cultivation or wild harvesting, the company applies biotechnology to create controlled manufacturing processes for plant-derived actives. Its activities focus on enabling reliable access to high-value botanical compounds while reducing pressure on natural plant resources.

Technology and Product

Inside a plant, specialised cells produce a wide range of secondary metabolites that contribute to defence, regeneration, and environmental adaptation. Many of these molecules are also valued as cosmetic actives. Alternative Plants develops proprietary plant cell lines derived from selected medicinal and rare plant species and cultivates them under controlled bioprocess conditions. The company combines plant tissue culture, cell line selection, bioreactor cultivation, extraction technologies, and analytical characterisation to produce ingredients with defined compositions. According to Alternative Plants, this approach enables reproducible production independent of seasonal variation and agricultural growing conditions.

Selected plant species used as sources for the development of plant cell-derived ingredients. (© Alternative Plants)

Industrial Fit and Applications

Botanical ingredients are widely used across the cosmetics industry, but conventional sourcing often depends on agricultural production, seasonal availability, and harvesting of natural plant resources. Alternative Plants positions plant cell cultivation as an alternative production route capable of supplying bioactive compounds independent of climate and land-use constraints. The ingredients are developed for skincare, anti-ageing, skin-barrier, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and scalp-care applications. Through efficacy testing, ingredient characterisation, and collaboration with cosmetic manufacturers, the startup supports the development of scientifically characterised botanical formulations.

Alternative Plants' SilvaCell ingredient is developed for cosmetic formulations focused on skin barrier support and antioxidant skincare applications. (© Alternative Plants)

Founding Team

Alternative Plants was founded by Anna Ramata-Stunda (CEO/CSO) and Mārtiņš Borodušķis (COO/CTO), who have been developing plant cell cultivation technologies since 2017. Combining expertise in biotechnology, plant cell culture, cosmetic ingredient development, and commercialisation, the founders established the company to translate plant stem cell research into industrial applications.