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One of the most exciting things we get to do at Sweater is announce our investments, and today we’re proud to announce the addition of Parallel Health to the Cashmere Fund portfolio.
Powered by skin microbiome science and genomics, this next-generation skin telehealth company is leveling up skincare. With Parallel Health, consumers and patients can access best-in-class clinical guidance, a personalized genomic assessment to understand their skin microbiome type and skin age, as well as personalized, targeted microbiome skincare products and prescriptions.
Their mission is to help you better understand your unique skin microbiome and find the right products that will help your skin microbiome be as healthy as it can be.
Trillions upon trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and mites, all around us…and on us. Invisible to the naked eye, these microorganisms play important roles in our lives, from fermenting the sourdough starter fueling your pandemic baking craze to treating sewage and keeping you healthy.
Your microbiome is vital to your health and unique to you. It’s the collection of microbes that live in and on your body—approximately 100 trillion (yes trillion) cells, or 10 times the number of cells that make you, well, you. And being the largest organ in your body, your skin is home to many vital microbes.
So with the microscope pointed back on us, Parallel Health set out on a novel journey of research and development on the power of the skin microbiome. Through microbial sequencing, they have discovered how you can optimize your skin health—naturally and effectively.
They’ve compiled the largest database in the world on the skin microbiome, using whole genome sequencing. This includes a bacterial library of over 10,000 strains that are native to the skin, enabling targets to battle skin aging, dryness, redness, discoloration, and even body odor.
When it comes to investing in early-stage startups, the experience and capability of the founding team weigh heavily on the decision of whether or not to invest. So when we met with the founders of parallel health and dug into the details of what they’re building, we knew we had to stitch them in.
Founders, Natalise Kalea Robinson and Dr. Nathan Brown, bring years of extensive marketing and scientific experience to the skincare industry. Natalise brings a strong marketing and branding background having built communities in the past as a former founder and has served in brand and marketing leadership roles across multiple consumer-facing companies. Dr. Nathan Brown is the brains behind the technology with a PhD in Microbiology and has been involved in cutting-edge developments in microbiome skincare treatments. He was previously funded by the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust building microbiome solutions for bacterial illnesses.
Natalise and Nathan are at the forefront of introducing genomic solutions to everyday skincare problems, and we believe the two of them combined can offer a truly differentiated and personalized product that consumers both want and need. Their extensive backgrounds give strong credibility to tackling the biggest challenges in the space—branding and scientific development—while demonstrating a deep understanding of consumer demands.
They are building out a rockstar team of clinical dermatologists and researchers as well as savvy business operators to build out the consumer-facing aspects of the brand.
The team has already demonstrated the ability to execute and capture demand. In just a little over a year since bringing their mission to the public, they’ve grown an Instagram following of over 17k and a waitlist of 3,000 members. And they’ve done this with nearly $0 spent on marketing—one-third of their waitlist was generated through a single 24-hour ad campaign.
We believe that people want targeted and effective skincare that's both accessible and affordable, and that's why this cutting-edge consumer product company makes sense for the Sweater Cashmere Fund's Portfolio.
You can sign up for Parallel’s waitlist and be first to know when they officially launch. We know our team is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to learn more about our personal skin microbiome and how we can live in our best skin.
