Chando Tests Product Power of Narrative Resource Transformation by Promoting "Reverse Technology Output" at the Space Exhibition | Frontline
In the context of the increasingly fierce competition in the Chinese beauty industry and the continuous upgrading of technological narratives, how enterprises can build a differentiated "moat" has become a core issue. Recently, CHANDO, a Chinese cosmetics group, jointly launched a space-themed science exhibition with the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, providing a sample for observing the balance between scientific research and brand narrative of local brands.
Around April 24th (the eleventh "China Space Day"), CHANDO and the Shanghai Astronomy Museum held a themed exhibition titled "Meet the Universe, Discover More Beauty" in the "Oriental Beauty Valley" park in Fengxian, Shanghai. The exhibition was open to the public for free for a month. Its content covered multiple dimensions such as the origin of the universe, the construction of the Chinese space station, and space life, and interactivity was enhanced through forms such as model displays and VR experiences.
In terms of form, this kind of cross - border activity is not rare in the beauty industry in recent years. However, the "scientific endorsement" it points to is becoming an important part of brand competition. International beauty giants have continuously increased their R & D investment in recent years. For example, L'Oréal Group and Estée Lauder Group have both established long - term investment mechanisms in the fields of biotechnology, skin science, and AI R & D. Local brands, on the other hand, emphasize "independent ingredients" and "upstream supply chain capabilities". Under this trend, CHANDO takes "space technology" as the core of its technological narrative, trying to strengthen its control and differentiated positioning at the raw material end.
CHANDO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by Zheng Chunying. The founder, who was born in Liaoyang, Liaoning, was admitted to Dongbei University of Finance and Economics as the second - ranked liberal arts student in his early years. After graduation, he worked in the Liaoyang Finance Bureau for ten years and then resigned to start a business. The brand name "CHANDO" is derived from the concept of "learning from the laws of nature", and its English name, CHANDO, is a transliteration of "Zen Tao".
It is worth mentioning that from October 2024 to August 2025, CHANDO Group successively introduced L'Oréal and Jiahua Capital as strategic investors. Among them, L'Oréal invested 442 million yuan, and Jiahua Capital invested 300 million yuan. The two major investors held more than 10% of CHANDO's shares before the IPO, and CHANDO's valuation was set at 7.14 billion yuan.
Beyond the exhibition, what is more worthy of attention is a series of R & D paths it disclosed. According to on - site information, CHANDO has participated in Chinese space - related experimental projects since 2013, sending biological skincare research into the space environment for mutagenic breeding. In 2023, some microbial samples from the plateau environment entered the space station with the manned space mission and completed in - orbit experiments. The relevant research was then jointly carried out and transformed by the enterprise and universities.
The core logic of this technological path is to use extreme environments (such as microgravity and radiation) to accelerate the trait changes of microorganisms or plant cells, so as to screen out raw materials with stronger stability or activity. Similar methods have been applied in the fields of agriculture and bioengineering, but large - scale commercialization in the beauty industry is still in its early stage. Therefore, its actual effect and replicability still need to be verified by more long - term data.
From a commercial perspective, CHANDO emphasizes the cost advantage brought by "self - developed raw materials". The enterprise disclosed that one of its core ingredients has been applied to dozens of product formulas and accounts for a relatively high proportion in the revenue structure. At the same time, it significantly reduces costs compared with externally purchased raw materials. This model is in line with the current industry trend of "reducing dependence on external raw material suppliers", that is, by building self - owned fermentation and biological cultivation capabilities, it can improve the gross profit margin and enhance the safety of the supply chain.
However, from a third - party observation perspective, this path also faces challenges. On the one hand, raw material R & D is characterized by high investment and long cycles, and it is difficult to provide stable support for the overall performance in the short term. On the other hand, the premium space of the "space concept" at the marketing level depends on consumers' perception of its scientific nature. In the past few years, the spread of concepts such as "space ingredients" and "polar ingredients" in the market has become normal. How to avoid the generalization of concepts is a problem that the enterprise needs to solve.
It is worth noting that "reverse technology output" was also involved in this event, that is, providing personal care products for astronauts to use in orbit, such as rinse - free cleaning products. This direction logically belongs to the development of products for special scenarios, and its technical threshold is different from that of daily consumer goods. However, if standardized capabilities can be formed, it theoretically helps to improve the enterprise's technical accumulation in the field of functional products.
Overall, CHANDO's case reflects a microcosm of Chinese beauty enterprises' transformation from "channel - driven" to "technology - driven". On the one hand, it strengthens brand recognition by crossing into high - tech fields such as space. On the other hand, it accelerates the establishment of an independent system at the raw material end to cope with raw material price fluctuations and supply chain uncertainties.
However, from the long - term development of the industry, what really determines the competitive landscape is still the sustainable transformation ability of R & D achievements and the actual experience feedback from consumers. Whether space technology can be transformed from a "narrative resource" into "product power" still needs to be verified by market performance in the next few years.