Debut has raised $20m to expand its AI-based ingredient discovery platform, focusing on skin longevity and scaling its formulation business in the US and Asia.
The funding round was led by Fine Structure Ventures and supported by EDBI, Wealthberry, and others.
Debut intends to use the financing to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology in developing effective skincare solutions.
The company’s expansion efforts will commence in Singapore, collaborating with leading brands on longevity-focused skincare products.
Debut founder and CEO Joshua Britton said: “Debut is laser-focused on staying at the forefront of skincare innovation and bringing cutting-edge biotech to every beauty brand with the highest-performing and most differentiated ingredients.
“This funding will enhance our ability to screen upward of 50 billion ingredients to explore the 99.999% of unknown molecules that can optimise skin health and make skin longevity a reality.
“This means we can predict better ingredients faster, with our best-in-class models that we have invested in over several years.”
Debut said the investment will drive the creation of next-generation ingredients targeting the 14 hallmarks of ageing, offering solutions without significant R&D costs.
The company’s in-house skin health datasets have achieved 99% data consistency, surpassing publicly available alternatives.
The advancement supports its strategy to enter the Asian market, known for its demand for advanced skincare formulations, said Debut.
Joshua added: “We are excited to go after novel chemical entities (NCEs), as opposed to chasing existing ingredients in nature, to pioneer skin health innovation and support the growth of beauty brands.
“AI combined with an understanding of skin biology enables the creation of custom formulation solutions for different geographies that has previously not been possible.”
