Unilever, Arzeda partner to launch AI-designed detergent enzyme in India
The innovation combines deep science and computational design to accelerate development and improve product performance.
INDIA – Unilever is preparing to launch a new Surf Excel Matic Liquid detergent in India, featuring an AI-designed enzyme developed with protein-design company Arzeda.
The enzyme delivers three benefits, powerful cleaning, fabric care, and lasting fragrance, through a single technology.
More than 90% of Indian laundry detergent users want effective cleaning and longer-lasting fragrance.
Providing these benefits alongside fabric care would typically require two separate enzymes and an additional fragrance-enhancing technology, making the formulation prohibitively expensive and complicating its supply chain.
Unilever and Arzeda have instead developed one enzyme that performs all three functions. Incorporated into the forthcoming Surf Excel liquid, it delivered Unilever’s strongest preliminary consumer test results in five years.
Neil Parry, Unilever’s Head of Biotechnology, states, “To deliver these three consumer benefits in one new technology is a major scientific breakthrough.”
“This innovation and others in the pipeline will change how we formulate our laundry liquids in the future.”
Although handwashing and powder detergents remain dominant in India, washing machine ownership across urban and rural households increased from 16% in 2018 to almost 29% in 2025 and is projected to exceed 37% by 2030.
As ownership rises, laundry liquid adoption is growing disproportionately, supported by consumers choosing premium products and more usage occasions.
India’s laundry liquids segment, which Unilever leads, has recorded double-digit growth over the past four years, outperforming the broader detergent category.
Parry said the company’s understanding of Indian consumers positions the Surf Excel innovation to deliver substantial benefits in a key laundry market and become an important growth driver.
Enzymes target specific stains and dirt, helping clothes become cleaner, brighter, and better cared for. However, naturally occurring enzymes do not automatically deliver the required performance in everyday washing conditions.
Scientists must adapt them, navigating an almost limitless number of possible variations.
Traditional development involves producing large libraries of structures and screening millions of candidates, yet promising laboratory results may not translate into effective fabric cleaning.
The Arzeda partnership uses AI to design and select a manageable group of promising enzymes for testing, operating tens or hundreds of times faster than conventional development. Rather than simply testing more possibilities, researchers can identify better candidates from the outset.
The approach designs enzymes around consumer needs and real washing conditions, while learning from every design–build–test cycle.
Parry said Surf Excel demonstrates how biotechnology, computational design, and practical performance can combine to create superior products faster, potentially transforming home care innovation.
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