Science-Based Entrepreneurship

Designing For Things You Can't See. Microbes aren't easy brand assets to work with. You can't photograph them and you can't point at them. One bad headline has taught most people to associate them with illness, contamination, or something they should scrub harder. Not ideal when the job is building trust around something meant to support human and planetary health. Most people can't picture their microbiome, but they can decide in three seconds whether a pack looks credible. That gap shapes how they read the science and the brand behind it. That's the starting point for anyone designing in this space. Push too far into clinical cues and everything turns cold. Drift too far into lifestyle and the credibility drops out. Neither survives in a category built on evidence, consistency, and long‑term use. The language doesn't help. Strains, metabolites, pathways, gut–brain axis. All accurate, none inviting. The challenge isn't simplifying the science, but organising it so people can grasp what matters without wading through terminology. Packaging has to make sense of an ecosystem no one can see. And because the science is still unfamiliar to most people, the visual defaults carry even more weight. The work converges visually, even as the propositions diverge. Different strains, claims, and applications sit behind packs that resolve in almost the same way. You register the category before the brand. That's the space Seed has worked in for years, and it shaped the brief. As the range grew, they partnered with MOUTHWASH Studio to evolve the identity without losing clarity. The focus stayed on structure rather than surface. With Dinamo, the studio developed Seed Sans, a variable typeface that shifts between precision and expression without tipping into either. The form of Seed's DS‑01 product fed into the type design. Capsules, dots, and symbols sit inside the character set, letting scientific ideas appear within the text instead of around it. The colour system expanded in the same way. Seed's green remained the anchor, joined by tones drawn from Darwin's Nomenclature of Colour, giving the system range without losing its centre. Growth curves under a microscope informed how the system moves, echoing the cycles Seed works with. But movement only matters if the system holds its shape everywhere it shows up. All of this sits inside a framework built to adapt. The brand speaks differently to customers, clinicians, and retail buyers while still holding together across platforms and markets. Taken together, the work points to a broader shift. Seed's evolution shows where this category is settling. Systems that can carry complexity without defaulting to the same visual shortcuts. Work that stays legible as the science expands instead of smoothing into tone. Designing for microbes is less about showing the unseen and more about deciding what earns trust, holds together, and survives first contact with a shelf. 📷MOUTHWASH Studio

A brand’s real R&D happens before marketing gets involved. Most companies get the sequence wrong. They start with:  • a trend report • a campaign idea • a packaging brief • a promise they want to sell And then they ask R&D to make it work. That’s not research. That’s retrofitting. Real R&D begins much earlier. When there is no storyboard, no influencer plan, no urgency to “launch fast.” It begins with intent. With asking: Should this even exist? Not: How will this sell? At Vicco Laboratories, formulation has always come before communication. Because once marketing enters too early, the product stops being the truth  and starts becoming a justification. You see it everywhere today:  Products designed to fit a claim. Ingredients chosen to support a headline. Science adjusted to match a slogan. That may build awareness. It rarely builds trust. When R&D leads, marketing’s job is simple:  Explain. Not exaggerate.  Translate. Not decorate. The strongest brands don’t ask, “Can we sell this story?” They ask, “Will we still stand by this formulation ten years from now?” If the answer is yes, marketing becomes honest. If it’s no, no amount of storytelling can save it. That’s not a creative constraint. That’s brand discipline. — Sanjeev Pendharkar #creativity #research #storytelling #business #communication #marketing

Ingredient-driven beauty is not a trend. When formulation leads, every decision, packaging, messaging, pricing, positioning, aligns with the science. If your hero is a molecule, your brand must prove it. Packaging shows stability, design signals authority, and messaging reflects efficacy, turning every detail into evidence of expertise and chemistry into brand value. Are you into the business? Make the ingredient the HERO. Consumers equate transparency with value, seeing the exact percentage, knowing the molecule, and sensing a clinical tone. Packaging should reflect this with bold percentages, visible INCI names, minimal imagery, and a structured, lab-like layout. Reduce decorative noise; clarity signals expertise, making the formulation a trusted asset and reinforcing scientific authority. +Percentage transparency +Specific molecule naming +Clinical tone TACTICS: +Large percentage typography +INCI names visible not hidden +Minimal imagery +Structured, lab-like layout >>BRANDING<< Use clinical design codes to signal ingredient-driven authority. Muted tones, grid layouts, sans-serif fonts, visible batch codes, and droppers or airless pumps communicate precision and trust. These cues subtly tell consumers the product is tested, controlled, and efficacious, turning design into silent proof of formulation expertise. VISUALS cues from: +Pharmaceutical packaging +Dermatology clinics +Laboratory labeling SIGNALS Key visual: +White, gray, muted tones +Grid systems +Sans-serif typography +Batch codes printed visibly +Dropper or airless pump formats SUBCONSCIOUSLY imply: +Tested +Controlled +Regulated +Efficacious >>PACKAGING<< If your product uses airless pumps, opaque bottles, aluminum tubes, or dual chambers, explain why on the pack. Statements like “Airless packaging protects retinol from oxidation” turn packaging into proof of formulation intelligence, signaling serious, well-engineered formulas and building consumer trust. If you use: +Airless pumps +Opaque UV-block bottles +Aluminum tubes +Dual-chamber systems Consumers interpret: +Technical packaging ⇒ serious formulation +Protection systems ⇒ expensive actives Concluding In ingredient-driven brands, the molecule is the hero, the formula is the story, and the packaging proves it. Every design choice signals formulation intelligence. The goal isn’t to look premium, it’s to make the science visible, building trust, expertise, and performance. Find my curated search of examples, and get ready to succeed. Featured brands: Allies of Skin Belif CeraVe Dieux Skin Good Molecules HBN Skincare Medik8 Paula’s Choice Q+A Skincare Selfless by Hyram SkinCeuticals The INKEY List The Ordinary Typology Versed #beautybusiness #beautyprofessionals #beautyformulation #beautyingredients

Your brand is too important to be managed by a vibe. Marketing analysts often get caught up in the brand's shiny objects (cool ads, sleek product design, and cultural buzz). While vital, these are merely the paint on the house. Without a rigorous architecture, a brand collapses the moment a competitor cuts prices or a crisis hits. To build your brand, you must understand Brand Science. //The Three Pillars Of Brand Science A successful brand rests on three fundamental hurdles: Relevance, Differentiation, and Sustainability. Your strategy for clearing these hurdles dictates your path to profitability: high-margin exclusivity (Burberry) or broad market accessibility (Shein). //Linking Benefits to Market Math Begin by defining your Total Addressable Market (TAM) – everyone who could have a use for your product. For apparel brands like Burberry and Shein, the TAM is universal: "everyone who wears clothes." To capture value in the TAM, a brand must architect a mix of benefits across three tiers: - Functional Benefits (The Relevance Filter – TAM to SAM): These are the rational "Must-Haves" that determine your Serviceable Available Market (SAM). Functional benefits reveal which slice of the market you can actually reach (e.g., consumers seeking warmth from scarves). If you fail to deliver on the basics, you are deemed irrelevant and excluded from the consideration set. - Emotional Benefits (The Preference Engine – SAM to SOM): These focus on how the brand makes a consumer feel (e.g., fashionable, confident). They act as a filter, narrowing the SAM to the Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) where the brand’s "emotional texture" resonates with consumers. - Self-Expressive Benefits (The Margin Driver – Inside the SOM): These let a person display a self-image (e.g., "I am traditional high-class"). This is the primary driver of Differentiation and Irrational Margin – the reason someone pays $1,500 for a Burberry scarf over a $4.40 functional equivalent from Shein. They're not buying warmth; they're buying a status signal. Sustainability results from delivering on these promises while aggressively defending against "reasons not to buy" that could destroy brand equity. //From Theory To Practice To transform the theory of Brand Science into action and drive profitability: 1. Audit the Must-Haves: Ensure your product meets the basic functional requirements with 100 percent consistency. 2. Map the Ladder: Identify key functional, emotional, and self-expressive benefits to move beyond competing on price alone. 3. Verify the Economics: Confirm your current level of differentiation justifies your price premium. Brand Science is the tool that finds the profit inside the brand. Art+Science Analytics Institute | University of Notre Dame | University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | University of Chicago | D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University | ELVTR

Every brand interaction now is a mini life audit 👇🏻 Did this make me smarter? Did this make me belong? Did this prove something about who I am, or who I want to be? What this means for marketers, brand managers, and executives: 1️⃣ Shift from features → identity signals Every touchpoint must answer:  “How does this let someone feel smart, moral, powerful, or part of a crowd?” 2️⃣ Scarcity is dead. Purpose sells decisions Discounts trigger short-term dopamine. Meaning rewires the brain and builds loyalty. Neuroscience confirms: meaning activates reward centers twice as strongly as scarcity. 3️⃣ Small signals are huge Pickleball paddles, Netflix binges, indie playlists, these “tiny choices” reveal deep desires. Track them, understand them, and let your brand reinforce them. 4️⃣ Engagement = insight goldmine Ask, observe, listen. The comments, shares, and saves reveal what people secretly value, and how your brand can amplify it. Basically, ❌ FOMO is history. ❌ SCARCITY doesn’t move brains anymore. ✅ People invest in MEANING, not price or merchandise.

𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐌𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭   Vitafoods closed its doors already one week ago, confirming several major trends shaping the nutraceutical industry. The FoodChain ID team was present to support the market with our scientific and regulatory solutions. Here are some of my main insights from this year’s edition.   🔍 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 🔹GLP-1 positioning is everywhere, confirming the momentum already observed during Supply Side events. Some ingredients highlighted this year: Reducose®, a mulberry leaf extract from Phynova Group Ltd, or CaraP-1(TM) (𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑎 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑎) from 3HLabs. 🔹Collagen remains a flagship ingredient, with increasing diversification of sources and development of alternatives: from eggshell membrane (Eggnovo S.L, Circul'Egg), or a “vegan collagen“ from INNOBIO Corporation Limited.   🧪 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 Clinical studies, proprietary ingredients and scientific substantiation are now central to product positioning. Companies clearly communicate on data quality and evidence-based benefits.   🌿 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 🔹Fatty acids remain highly visible: omega-3 still dominates, but omega-9 and even omega-11 sources are emerging. 🔹Ashwagandha continues to be a major botanical ingredient, despite ongoing regulatory uncertainties in Europe.   ✨ 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 🔹Beauty remains one of the strongest categories, now extending beyond skin toward hair-focused products. For instance, Monteloeder by SUANNUTRA proposed Elissara(TM), or Kyoh®, an 𝐸𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎 extract, from PHARMACTIVE BIOTECH PRODUCTS, S.L.U. 🔹Hydration continues to gain traction. The hydration booth from PharmaLinea was full during the 3 days.   🔹Longevity / healthy ageing is increasingly used as an umbrella concept across many product categories.   📒 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 As a novel food specialist, one interesting observation was the increasing importance of regulatory status as a marketing argument. Companies now actively highlight: 🔹their non-novel status, when possible, 🔹or their novel food authorisations as a mark of credibility and market access, such as EffePharm Ltd. who already communicated during the show on the positive EFSA opinion published this week.   🐾 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 The overlap between food supplements and pet nutrition continues to grow, with many companies developing ingredients for both markets simultaneously. As Vitafoods closes, preparations already begin for the next major event: the NUTRIFORM' Business Days 2026’, taking place in the South of France on 16–18 June. Looking forward to meeting many of you there!  

Science commercialization is often framed as lab-to-market, but the real question is: who funds the “too applied for grants, too early for VC” zone? I've seen it firsthand: a chicken-and-egg problem where VCs want traction before they'll commit, and founders need capital to create the very traction investors demand. Too often, brilliant scientists with world-changing technologies get trapped here. How science founders can navigate this valley: 1. Build your funding stack based on alignment — Grants, philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and venture capital each comes with different north stars and risk tolerances. Understand how your science fits now and in the future and plan accordingly. 2. Approach expert funders — Seek out capital providers who deeply understand your space. They’re best positioned to see the potential and impact of your work before it’s consensus. 3. Stage-gate your milestones — Show a path where $X unlocks validation, $Y proves scale, and later capital accelerates commercialization. Make each milestone reduce one major risk for follow on funders. 4. Activate alternative capital — Donor-advised funds, venture philanthropy, mission-driven corporates, and government innovation programs can back early science that’s obvious to experts but not yet to markets. Use them to build incremental validation. 5. Design for optionality — Build multiple paths forward: non-profit arms for public good research, commercial spinouts for market applications, licensing deals for near-term revenue, and strategic partnerships for distribution. 6. Create urgency — Patent deadlines, grant reporting requirements, and pilot customer commitments can become forcing functions that accelerate decisions. Use them to your advantage in funding negotiations. What strategies have you used to bridge this valley? I'd love to hear examples that others can learn from, especially creative financing structures or unexpected funding sources that worked.

There’s been a lot of heat around the MaxiHealth rebrand. Some people in the Jewish community feel we destroyed a heritage brand. That we stripped away the warm, natural feeling people were used to. That we took MaxiHealth into a world of science that feels colder, more rigid, less approachable. What’s interesting is that this is exactly where the real story begins. In truth, we didn’t impose science onto MaxiHealth. Science was already their language. Science was already their mindset. Science was there from the beginning. The problem was that nobody had ever articulated it clearly. So we went back. Way back. We studied 50 years of MaxiHealth history. Old packaging. Old ads. Old articles. Old brand behavior. We spoke to the CEOs. We listened carefully to how they think, how they develop products, and how they talk about health. And the deeper we got, the clearer it became: MaxiHealth was never pretending to be something soft, earthy, or sentimental. At its core, it was always scientific. Methodical. Systematic. Precise. A brand built on research and formulation. So yes, we took it toward science. Toward laboratory language. Toward pharmaceutical clarity. Toward a more technological and structured future. Because it was their truth. And once that truth became clear, the next move became clear too: Science for Lifelong Wellness. That became the central idea. The conceptual basis behind everything else. If MaxiHealth stands for Lifelong Wellness, how should people actually navigate the line? Because when you’re dealing with 400+ SKUs, packaging can’t just be nice. It has to function. It has to organize. It has to help people understand what belongs where and why. Before redesigning the packaging, we had to redesign the logic behind it. After looking deeply at customer behavior, in stores and online, we found that most people were looking for one of three things: To SUPPORT their health. To RECOVER from something. To OPTIMIZE their health or energy. Three needs. Three functions. Three forms. That is where the system began to take shape. Once we understood that, geometry became the right visual language. The hexagon, with its scientific grounding, became the core motif. And within it we found three essential forms already living inside it: The SQUARE. The CIRCLE. The TRIANGLE. Support. Recover. Optimize. At that point, the system finally had a strategic foundation. Now the brand had architecture. Now the packaging had logic. Now the future had something strong enough to stand on. We deconstructed the full product line and reorganized it around those three functions. And from that point on, it became something you could actually navigate. A life stage. A rhythm. A system. That, to me, is what this project was really about. Helping the MaxiHealth brand become more fully aligned with itself. Form Follows Function. Always. And in this case, function led us all the way back to their core truth.

First time scientist-founder, raising your very first round? Here's a few tips and resources to demystify your journey: 🎯 Find the right fund: Every fund has a certain geography, sector and stage that it is allowed to invest in - this is called an investment mandate. The Dealroom.co Deep Tech Investors List breaks down the mandates, notable investments and ranking of 60+ funds in Europe. Reach out to the ones that are investment-aligned with you, your time is precious. 🏅 Cap tables should not reflect past contribution: Publications, rightfully, acknowledge everyone who has contributed to the result as an author. Your cap table needs to allocate the most equity to those who will build the product and company going forward. Senior professors who will not be operational or incubators/angels eager to write a small first check but can't contribute late should have single digit ownership. Check out Hello Tomorrow Fundraising 1.02 – Deep Tech Valuations and Cap Tables and The Scenarionist video on Cap Table Math for Early stage Deep tech startups 🛡️ Patents alone are not moats: If you publish, you foreit your patentability. If you don't publish, you forfeit your credibility. Decide early what your moat will be, and the mix of trade secrets, patents, proprietary knowledge and execution bias that will give you your edge. Your inability to disclose proprietary unpatented information may limit your ability to apply for or secure grants. On the other hand your co-authors can restrict your ability to license your shared IP if they are not a part of your company. Salil Sethi has an interesting article on "The Deep Tech Moat: Why Time, Not Patents, Wins" 🏗️ Build a company not a product : In the lab, you think of how to fund the science. Most first time founders assume their blind spot is commercial, but it's actually operational. Turning your solution into a commercial-grade product, being seen and heard by the right customers, understanding your financial situation and being able to navigate your future via numbers, and firefighting everyday headaches like delayed deliveries or permits - that's what gets your solution out of the lab. If your boat is leaking, it doesn't matter how fast you row. Ideally you should talk to fellow founders, but Joseph Nathan has a great article on Forbes called "Five Lessons From Building A Deep Tech Company" that's worth a read. What's your best piece of advice for a first time scientist-founder?

How Design, Science, and Branding Intersect in SexTech As SexTech matures, success is no longer driven by any single discipline. Design, science, and branding now work together to define credibility. Science provides the foundation. Materials, safety standards, and research informed development create products that perform reliably and responsibly. Without this layer, trust is difficult to earn. Design translates science into usability. Thoughtful form, intuitive function, and discreet aesthetics make products easier to adopt and integrate into everyday life. Good design reduces hesitation and increases long term use. Branding brings these elements together. It communicates intention, values, and consistency. When branding is calm and clear, it signals professionalism and care rather than novelty. The strongest brands treat these three elements as interconnected, not separate. Each reinforces the other. Brands like V For Vibes demonstrate how aligning design, science, and branding creates products that feel credible, modern, and wellness focused. Communicating this balance requires precision. Agencies such as Preo Communications help brands express complexity in a way that feels simple and trustworthy across digital channels. In SexTech, growth comes from alignment. When design, science, and branding move together, trust follows.