Arcaea Unlocks Biology’s Power for Beauty Products

Some big beauty brands are betting on a biology-first startup. Founded by MIT Grad and Beauty Industry Veteran Jasmina Aganovic, Arcaea is using DNA sequencing, biological engineering and fermentation to create new beauty ingredients and products.

Aganovic’s vision has captured the attention of some big names in business and beauty. Last year, Arcaea raised a $78 million Series A from Cascade Investment LLC, Viking Global, Chanel, Givaudan and Wittington Ventures.

Aganovic, who founded Mother Dirt, too, says her goal is “developing the cosmetic lab of the future” and building a “biology-first minded beauty company.”

The company notes that today’s beauty products depend on ingredients extracted from petrochemicals, plants, and animals. For the past 200 years, these  ingredients shaped the entire supply chain, including formulation, claims, and marketing, according to Arcaea. Innovation at a large scale will be necessary to solve growing sustainability issues while also facilitating broader definitions of beauty and new product experiences. Arcaea’s approach relies on the power of biology to not only create a non-extractive future for ingredients, as well as access previously unimaginable product potential.

Arcaea’s name comes from the root “ancient” and “to lead the way.” The paradox acknowledges the fundamental premise of Arcaea: To look to nature’s most powerful and primordial technology to engineer a more stable future. Arcaea is also a nod to achaeabacteria, a primary kingdom of life that ironically, was only recently discovered.