The Latvian biotechnology company Alternative Plants has created the facial serum Espréva featuring a unique combination of active ingredients, including the biotechnologically derived active compound CaffiCell from recycled coffee biomass, as well as JuniCell, an active ingredient obtained from juniper plant stem cells.
The Espréva serum developed by Alternative Plants is based on the biotechnologically derived active ingredient CaffiCell obtained from recycled coffee biomass. This ingredient supports skin energy metabolism and positively affects microcirculation, promoting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. As a result, it helps reduce signs of fatigue, improve the skin’s natural radiance, and promote a fresher, more youthful appearance.
The serum formula also includes another active ingredient developed by Alternative Plants and derived from plant stem cells—JuniCell. This ingredient provides antioxidant and soothing effects, helps protect the skin from environmental stressors, and supports skin regeneration processes.
“Espréva serves as a practical example of how biotechnological raw materials developed in Latvia, combined with a scientific approach and sustainable thinking, can be transformed into fully fledged cosmetic products with international potential,” notes Alternative Plants co-founder Anna Ramata-Stunda.
To verify the effectiveness of CaffiCell, the active ingredient was tested both within the company and in collaboration with the University of Latvia. During the testing process, skin microcirculation was evaluated, helping to assess the ingredient’s effect on skin blood flow and confirming its potential in modern skincare.
Bioactive Compounds Hidden in Coffee Grounds
The raw material for CaffiCell is obtained from coffee grounds collected at Virši fuel stations. Alternative Plants uses optimized extraction methods to recover valuable bioactive compounds from this coffee biomass, while simultaneously reducing waste and creating high value-added cosmetic ingredients.
Labs of Latvia previously reported that in 2024 Alternative Plants began cooperation with Virši to jointly develop a sustainable cosmetic ingredient from Virši coffee grounds. In the Alternative Plants laboratory, the coffee grounds were studied in depth to adapt extraction methods in order to obtain as many high-value, skin-beneficial chemical compounds as possible, to investigate their effects on human skin cells, and to identify new applications in cosmetic production.
The results of the initial tests showed that coffee residues are still a valuable source of bioactive compounds. The optimized extraction methods developed by Alternative Plants make it possible to transform these residues—otherwise destined for disposal—into highly effective raw materials. It was planned that the newly developed ingredient resulting from the collaboration would serve as a stimulating component in cosmetic products—and this has now been achieved.
“This is a project that allows us to add a new, sustainable raw material derived from coffee grounds to the cosmetics industry. Our goal is not only to create effective ingredients, but also to promote a full-cycle approach to resource use,” previously explained Alternative Plants co-founder Mārtiņš Borodušķis.
Developing New Ingredients for the Cosmetics Industry
Alternative Plants is a Latvian company registered in 2017, whose core business is the production of active cosmetic ingredients. This is achieved using a biotechnological approach based on the cultivation of plant cells. In 2022, Alternative Plants closed a €500,000 investment round, Labs of Latvia reported. The investors include Buildit Latvia and SOSV, with whom the company had already successfully collaborated at an early development stage, as well as a new investor, Givaldi.
Alternative Plants has developed several ingredients with proven effectiveness in improving skin health and delaying aging, and several products have already been commercialized. The company notes that these ingredients are distinguished by laboratory-tested skin-protective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Compared to competing ingredients, the biotechnological production method used makes these raw materials more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
