Atolla
Personalised skin health brand that leverages machine learning to deliver personalised skincare products.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
$2.5m | Seed | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Related Content
Atolla, a skincare company that emerged from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was established to create personalized skincare products by leveraging machine learning. The company was founded in 2017 by Meghan Maupin, who was a graduate student at MIT, along with data scientist Sid Salvi and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ranella Hirsch. Maupin's background in engineering and management from MIT, combined with her previous design work, fueled her mission to find a data-driven solution for her own sensitive skin challenges.
The business operates on a direct-to-consumer, monthly subscription model. For a monthly fee, customers receive the Atolla Skin Health System, which includes a skin analysis kit, access to a skin health tracking app, and a serum with a custom formula. The at-home kit allows users to measure their skin's hydration, oil levels, and pH. This data, combined with lifestyle information, environmental factors, and user preferences inputted through the app, is processed by Atolla's algorithm to formulate a personalized serum. The formulation is designed to evolve; each month, as the user provides new data, the serum is adjusted to address any changes in their skin's needs. This iterative process is a core part of the company's patented technology, allowing for a predictive, rather than reactive, approach to skincare.
The company's journey included a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2018 to validate the direct-to-consumer model, followed by pre-seed and seed funding rounds in 2019 and 2020, respectively, which raised a total of $4 million. A significant milestone occurred in August 2021 when Atolla was acquired by Function of Beauty, another customizable beauty brand also founded by MIT graduates. The acquisition aimed to combine Atolla's patented skin assessment technology and data science engine with Function of Beauty's manufacturing capabilities to enhance their personalized skincare offerings. Following the acquisition, all of Atolla's employees joined the Function of Beauty team.
Keywords: personalized skincare, machine learning, custom serum, direct-to-consumer, subscription box, MIT startup, data-driven beauty, at-home skin test, skin health system, Meghan Maupin, Sid Salvi, Ranella Hirsch, Function of Beauty, skincare technology, custom formulations, dermatological data