BryoSphere lands angel backing for its moss-grown skincare ingredients
What's the deal? BryoSphere BiotechnologiesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Vancouver-based, women-led biotech, has raised an angel round led by OKGN WMAN Angel FundsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The startup genetically engineers moss in scalable photobioreactors to produce plant-based bioactive ingredients for skincare.
What's the endgame? BryoSphere's platform turns moss into what it calls "living factories," drawing on 500 million years of moss evolution to target skin concerns including hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and UV damage. Its patented moss lines grow in cost-efficient photobioreactors, enabling commercial-scale production with a minimal environmental footprint.
The first product: BryoBright, an engineered moss extract enriched in aureusidin, a rare aurone flavonoid developed to address dark spot discolouration. Before BryoSphere's platform, the company says, aureusidin was too rare and complex to produce at commercial scale.
Why now? BryoSphere is targeting the $658M hyperpigmentation segment as demand for brightening products rises. It pitches BryoBright as a clean-label alternative to legacy ingredients like hydroquinone or arbutin, "without the toxicity or regulatory baggage," said co-founder Hila Behar.
OKGN WMAN framed the round around consumer momentum. "We see a high-growth opportunity for plant-based ingredients, driven by consumer pushback against synthetic actives and the need for brands to reformulate to meet stricter retailer and regulatory standards," said Camille Saltman, co-founder and general partner at OKGN WMAN.
The signal: The deal reflects a niche investor thesis backing women-led companies, which OKGN WMAN notes receive just 4% of venture capital in Canada — and 1% in the US. For BryoSphere, angel capital marks an early step toward proving that engineered moss can supply the beauty industry at scale.
Read more: accelerateokanagan.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
