# Outer Bio

Startup profile on Capital Atlas: https://capitalatlas.ai/startups/outer-bio

- Industry: Biotechnology
- Headquarters: Cambridge, US
- Website: www.outerbio.com
- Total disclosed funding: $23M
- Latest round: Series A (Aug 23, 2026)
- Investors on record: 8

## About

Based in Massachusetts, US and founded in 2022 by CEO Michael Polansky, Stefani Germanotta, CTO Chris Hinojosa, CSO Kyung-Jin (KJ) Jang, CBO Stanley King II and James Coon, Outer Bio operates as a provider of skin bioactives discovery platform that uses living human skin models, machine learning, and data analysis to identify and validate skincare ingredients. In August 2026, Outer Bio raised USD 23 million in venture funding from Wing, Initialized Capital, Sozo Ventures, Hawktail, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Third Kind Venture Capital, Liquid 2 Ventures, and SV Angel.

Outer Bio is a biotechnology company focused on human skin health discovery and bioactive development. Its core product is the YUNA discovery platform, which combines long-lasting full-thickness living human skin tissue, automated in vitro screening, multi-donor biological datasets, machine learning models, and high-throughput compound screening. The platform is designed to discover novel biological mechanisms and active compounds related to skin health, including anti-aging, anti-senescence, regeneration, barrier function, and inflammation. Outer Bio also provides research collaboration services, human skin biology testing, AI-driven target discovery, compound screening, phenotype validation, and access to its human tissue-based research platform for biotech, pharmaceutical, skincare, cosmetics, and ingredient companies. The company partners with organizations seeking to evaluate compounds, answer biological research questions, or de-risk product development using human-relevant skin models.

Outer Bio likely generates revenue through research partnerships and collaboration agreements with biotechnology, pharmaceutical, skincare, cosmetics, and ingredient companies seeking access to its YUNA discovery platform. Additional revenue streams likely include contract research services, human skin testing and validation studies, compound screening services, AI-driven target discovery programs, bioactive ingredient discovery projects, and licensing of novel compounds, mechanisms, or intellectual property generated through its research platform. The company may also generate revenue from commercializing newly discovered skincare bioactives, technology access agreements, joint development partnerships, and milestone or royalty payments associated with licensed discoveries. Its primary revenue model appears to center on platform-enabled discovery services, strategic research collaborations, and eventual commercialization of novel skin-health ingredients and technologies.

The company plans to use the August 2026 funding to expand laboratory automation, grow its machine-learning and computational-biology research teams, and scale its multi-omic skin-tissue response database for internal bioactive-discovery programs.

## Funding rounds

- Series A, Aug 23, 2026, $23M — Lightspeed Venture Partners, SV Angel, Initialized Capital, Wing, Sozo Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures, Third Kind Venture Capital, Hawktail

## Investors

- Lightspeed Venture Partners (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/lightspeed-venture-partners) — Series A
- SV Angel (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/sv-angel) — Series A
- Initialized Capital (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/initialized-capital) — Series A
- Wing (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/wing) — Series A
- Sozo Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/sozo-ventures) — Series A
- Liquid 2 Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/liquid-2-ventures) — Series A
- Third Kind Venture Capital (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/third-kind-venture-capital) — Series A
- Hawktail (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/hawktail) — Series A