What does your business do?

Curie Co is a life science company that engineers enzymes and biomaterials to replace harmful or banned chemicals found in consumer products, such as over the counter therapeutics (OTCs), personal care, and cosmetics. Specifically, we use synthetic biology to create new biological solutions to replace chemicals that have been banned by the FDA in consumer products.

Two regulations enacted over the last 18 months will directly impact consumer products by prohibiting:
Antimicrobials - triclosan and 18 related compounds prohibited from use in hand soap
Microbeads - banned from wash-off products and over-the-counter therapeutics

With the exclusion of antimicrobial actives and microbeads, over 40% of soaps and roughly 18% of OTCs sold in the US must be relabeled and reformulated to comply with new FDA regulations. Curie Co is positioned to address the OTC and cosmetic markets affected by these new FDA regulations.

How would you use the grant money?

We would use the grant to support travel to our contract manufacturers for pilot demonstrations to produce biodegradable, antimicrobial microbeads which are used as exfoliants in consumer soap & shower markets.

What would the grant enable you to do that you can't now?

Our travel budget is very limited. The grant will allow us to travel onsite to our manufacturer's plant and participate in the pilot manufacturing campaign.

If Idea Cafe's Grant helps your biz reach greater success, how will you "pay it forward" to help others in some way?

We participate in incubators in NYC and TN to connect with local talent and entrepreneurs. We share our knowledge of contract manufacturing and FDA regulatory practices (GMP).