COMPANY INFORMATION
bitop AG was founded in 1993 by Professor Peter Bartholmes, as a spin-off from the Faculty of Bioscience at the Private University of Witten/Herdecke. The company was founded in order to utilise economically the results of research into the fermentation of extremophile micro-organisms. This was implemented successfully over the past years. Today, bitop AG focusses on the marketing of extremolytes as ingredient in products in the fields of Health Care, Life Science and Cosmetics.
Ectoin®, produced by bitop, is cosmetic ingredient sold by Merck KGaA since 2001.
Beginning of the years 2000, bitop AG decided using Ectoin® as ingredient of medical devices for several indications. 2007 the first Ectoin-containing medical device - a nasal spray - was launched in Germany. Meanwhile, several products were sold by our national, pan-European and international partners in pharmacies, drugstores and at retail chains.
Moreover, various companies are using our Extremolytes and BioStab products for the stabilization of biological substances in assays and for sample storage.
Today, bitop AG is the worldwide only producer of Ectoin®. We have about 35 employees, and our head office is in Witten’s Industry and Technology Park.
We are proud of the public recognition of our achievements in R&D – in 2001 we were awarded the Ruhr Area Innovation Prize for the development of Ectoin®, and in both 2002 and 2005 we were winners of the Ruhr Area Competitor of the Future (Zukunftswettbewerb Ruhrgebiet).
Skin today – care alone is no longer enough.
Extremolytes - the innovative answer.
When we say that something has got under our skin, there is a good reason for it. The skin, our largest organ, is our protective shield against the world outside and it is exposed to many potentially harmful influences. Thus, the skin needs attention and protection, in order to do its job well for a whole life.
The greatest source of stress to our skin is the UV radiation in sunlight. Unprotected exposure leads to premature ageing of the skin, increased pigmentation, dry skin and dangerous skin diseases. Environmental factors are the second greatest cause of problems, causing dry and irritated skin, allergies and skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis. Consumers have become much more aware of the connection between these factors over the last few years, and they have become more demanding. At the same time, more people are suffering from skin problems and are looking for effective but gentle remedies. This creates a constantly increasing demand for high-quality products that will protect the skin, as well as simply caring for it.
