In a booming global beauty and personal care market projected to exceed $750 billion by 2025, consumers are demanding tailored, sustainable, and green formulation products like never before. However, a pressing challenge remains: bridging the gap between meeting consumers’ needs and minimising the carbon cost and environmental risks associated with product development.
Enter HexisLab, a groundbreaking biotech startup founded by a visionary black entrepreneur. Armed with proprietary AI technology, HexisLab aims to revolutionise the beauty, skincare, personal care, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical industries by creating eco-friendly, safe, and natural products.
Excitingly, HexisLab has recently secured a significant funding boost of £490K from Innovate UK, an organisation known for backing game-changing ventures such as Aegiq and more. The grant aims to support HexisLab in developing a scaleup manufacturing process for its novel sustainable and green ingredients. The company, based at The Catalyst within Newcastle Helix, joined forces with Teesside University in a successful collaboration that caught the attention of Innovate UK, a vital arm of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The infusion of funding will propel HexisLab’s research in sustainable ingredients using cutting-edge synthetic biology techniques, enabling the startup to push the boundaries of innovation even further. With this strategic investment, HexisLab is well-positioned to drive the much-needed transformation toward a sustainable future in the beauty industry.
“We are thrilled to have secured this funding from Innovate UK, which will enable us to further advance our research into sustainable ingredients using synthetic biology,” said Dr. Olusola (Sola) Idowu, CEO of HexisLab.
Powerhouse partnership
The collaboration with Teesside University and BiBerChem Research brings together HexisLab’s cutting-edge expertise in the AI discovery process and with Teesside University’s research in synthetic biology. The partnership will enable the development of new biotechnologies and processes to produce sustainable ingredients that meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly alternatives.
The project is expected to have a significant impact on the cosmetics, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries by providing sustainable ingredients that are not only environmentally friendly but also meet consumer demand for natural, safe, and effective products.
“This collaboration with Teesside University, led by Associate Professor Dr. M. Safwan Akram an expert in Synthetic biology and BiBerChem Research led by Professor Bernard Golding a Synthetic Organic Chemist brings together our complementary strengths and expertise, and we are excited to see the results of our joint efforts in this important area,” added Olusola.
“We are delighted to collaborate with HexisLab on this project, which has the potential to revolutionise the cosmetics and personal care industries, it is our moral responsibility to move towards achieving the goal of net zero,” said Associate Professor Dr. M. Safwan Akram at National Horizons Centre, Teesside University. “This project demonstrates the importance of collaboration between academia and industry to develop innovative solutions that can have a positive impact on society businesses and the environment.”
Deploys its own AI discovery platform
Founded by Olusola (Sola) Idowu in 2013, HexisLab researches and develops its own products and provides contract research services for leading global companies. Using its award-winning AI discovery platform, HexisPro.X, the company rapidly identifies novel sustainable ingredients with unique benefits, reducing the time and cost of developing a new product in the cosmetics, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries.
Also, this platform studies biological processes and accurately predict the behaviour of chemicals and ingredients in biological systems. It also helps overcome bottlenecks and find innovative solutions to meet modern consumer demands.
By championing eco-conscious practices and leveraging the power of AI-driven research and development, HexisLab is set to disrupt the status quo and lead the charge in creating a greener, more responsible beauty landscape. Stay tuned as this pioneering startup reshapes the industry and sets new standards for sustainable, green beauty products.
