- Background
- What we're looking for
- What we can offer you
- Q&A
The scientific community has converged on twelve hallmarks of aging — genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, disabled macroautophagy, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, altered intercellular communication, chronic inflammation, and dysbiosis.
Increasing evidence suggests these mechanisms contribute to changes in scalp barrier function, follicle stem cell behavior, melanocyte stem cell maintenance, and hair fiber quality. Most commercial 'anti-aging' hair actives focus on isolated cosmetic outcomes or a single biological mechanism, limiting their ability to address the multifactorial nature of tissue aging. There is growing interest in approaches that more directly target the biological drivers associated with hair and scalp aging processes.
Advances in topical delivery systems, biomimetic actives, and longevity-associated ingredients create new opportunities to develop interventions capable of modulating aging-related pathways in scalp and follicle biology, enabling more durable improvements in scalp health, hair resilience, pigmentation maintenance, and overall hair longevity.
We are looking for novel topical ingredients and biomimetic actives, suitable for incorporation into human scalp and hair care formulations that modulate one or more of the twelve hallmarks of aging in scalp, follicle, or hair-fiber-relevant biology. We are also interested in enabling delivery technologies that may enhance efficacy, targeting, penetration, stability, or longevity of topical actives.
- Senolytic or senomorphic actives for scalp tissue
- Autophagy-inducing peptides or small molecules
- Mitochondrial bioenergetics modulators
- Follicle stem-cell niche regulators
- Extracellular matrix (ECM), matrikine, and biomimetic peptide platforms
- Sirtuin activators or epigenetic-modulating actives
- Proteostasis enhancers and chaperone inducers
- Topical exosomes or extracellular vesicle technologies
- Delivery systems targeting scalp and follicles
- Mechanism rationale and preliminary evidence (peer-reviewed or proprietary in-vitro data) connected to one or more hallmarks of aging relevant to scalp, follicle, keratinocyte, melanocyte, or hair-fiber biology
- Potential for use in a topical cosmetic/personal care vehicle (aqueous or hydroalcoholic, pH 4.0–6.5), ideally with available information on stability, solubility, or formulation considerations
- Compatible with cosmetic regulatory pathways in the US, EU, and Canada (ingredient is or can be made INCI-listed; no novel cosmetic ingredient blockers)
- Potential path toward commercial supply (target: 50–500 kg/year within 18–24 months of partnership)
- Existing human scalp ex-vivo or clinical data demonstrating measurable benefits
- Biomarker package (e.g., epigenetic age, senescence-associated secretory phenotype, telomere length)
- Vegan, fermentation-derived, or biodesigned origin
- Differentiated IP position (composition-of-matter or method-of-use claims)
- Generic antioxidants without hallmark-specific mechanisms (e.g., commodity vitamin C, E)
- Pharmaceutical/drug development pathways (we are seeking cosmetic-pathway solutions)
- Ingestible-only formats
- Therapies requiring injection, surgery, or prescription delivery
- Engineered nanomaterials (<100nm) subject to regulatory restrictions
The Q&A is now closed.
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