Hydrosome Labs Secures $3.7 Million in Seed Funding to Expand Sales and R&D

Hydrosome Labs, a leader in the nascent field of ultrafine bubbles, has secured $3.7 million in seed funding to scale its operations, expand sales efforts and continue to innovate.

The patented process that creates Hydrosome H2O delivers active ingredients to cells more efficiently and completely. Commercial uses include improving nutrient uptake in skincare, driving more efficient and sustainable processes for precision fermentation, delivering faster, longer-lasting, enhanced hydration in performance drinks and helping plants grow faster and healthier with less fertilizer.

“History is filled with natural substances improved upon for the benefit of society—carbon into carbon fiber, silica into computer chips, and more,” explained Bob Jacobs, Hydrosome Labs president. “What if water itself could be improved naturally and sustainably? That’s what our technology does.”

At its core is a new process leveraging established science to improve the ability of water to deliver active ingredients to cells more effectively and efficiently.

Behind the Hydrosome: ‘Not All Bubbles Created Equal’

A common occurrence in water is the formation of bubbles, which create a structure that traps gases. But not all bubbles are created equal, says the company. Circa 1994, scientists began to investigate the formation of very tiny bubbles in water, sometimes called ultrafine bubbles. These bubbles, invisible to the naked eye and among the smallest ever detected, have unique properties. Hydrosome’s ultra-fine bubbles, “Hydrosomes,” have characteristics no other water technology has.

A significantly higher surface area versus bubbles in regular water (1 trillion fit in a single champagne bubble), making them excellent transporters to cells, says the company.

Products leveraging these so-called “hydrosomes” have a longer shelf life (up to 18 months or more) than any other ultrafine bubble technology. The closest shelf life in the emerging nanobubble category is four to six months.

The process is sustainable, officials say. The patented process does not add chemicals or consumables and requires little energy to operate.

Pharmaceutical Potential

The company is prioritizing the beauty and fermentation verticals. However, it has projects in the pipeline in agriculture and beverages, with future potential in pharmaceuticals with the ability to better deliver drugs to the body.

“We are making changes to the properties of water no one imagined possible,” said Hydrosome Labs’ Chief Scientist Nick Jackowetz. “The possible applications are almost limitless.”

A New Era in Precision Fermentation

Innovation has been slow in fermentation production, a process that involves customizing yeast and/or bacteria to produce specific molecules for use in a wide variety of applications, including food, ingredients, biofuels, industrial enzymes and pharmaceuticals. Hydrosome H2O technology doubles precision fermentation yields and decreases production time. The significant lies in the bottom-line benefits to the industry, which include faster fermentations, higher yields, lower energy and nutrient inputs, lower labor costs, higher efficiencies and no added chemicals. The technology also has the potential to help solve a global industry bottleneck in fermentation capacity and equipment.

Big ‘Break’ in Cindy Crawford’s Meaningful Beauty

Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford is among the first beauty firms to use Hydrosome H2O Technology. Hydrosome H2O technology helps deliver the anti-aging skincare brand’s ingredients deeper into the skin.

“For the first time, it transforms water from a filler to a ‘super-carrier,’ delivering nutrients to hard-to-reach areas with remarkable speed and efficiency,” said Laura Lum, co-president of Meaningful Beauty. “We’re excited to introduce Hydrosome H2O as the latest technology innovation in our hero product, Youth Activating Melon Serum Advanced Formula. Hydrosome H2O combines with Meaningful Beauty’s proprietary Melon Leaf Stem Cell Technology to visibly plump, firm, and deeply hydrate skin and increase elasticity as it helps protect from environmental aggressors.”

Significant Growth Anticipated for 2025

Paul Gadbut, Hydrosome CEO, said that while 2024 marked a pivotal year for the company as it transitions out of “stealth mode,” officials anticipate significant growth in 2025, with 94 deals in the pipeline valued at over $150 million. This includes ongoing negotiations with leading Fortune 500 companies in the beauty sector. Additionally, the seed round brings its total capital raised to $10 million. This technology, officials said, represents a triple-win for consumers, manufacturers and investors.

Innovation Grant Furthers Production Efficiency

The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, an economic development arm of state government, awarded a $71,000 grant to Hydrosome Labs through its Illinois Innovation Voucher Program. The grant will allow Hydrosome to further study and improve the fermentation process to improve nutrient and gas delivery to cells. The grant will aim to increase production efficiency in the fermentation space, which can have significant operational and economic impact across various industries that utilize fermentation.