Hoxton Ventures backs human hair toothpaste pioneer in $4M round

Hoxton Ventures, a prominent UK-based venture capital firm, has invested $4 million in Eterna Regeneratives, a startup that aims to commercialize a protein derived from human hair or sheep’s wool into a toothpaste. The early-stage VC, known for backing successful companies such as Darktrace and GoCardless, is leading a seed round in Eterna alongside The Venture Collective.

Eterna, a spinout from King's College London founded in 2024, is developing a biomaterials regeneration platform with a primary focus on repairing enamel and bone. The company has devised a method to harness keratin, a protein obtained from human hair or sheep’s wool, for the repair of damaged tooth enamel. Keratin forms a robust mineral coating when applied to the tooth surface and combined with saliva minerals.

Eterna's research suggests that this process could be transformed into a toothpaste or an applied gel for enamel repair, potentially offering superior protection against tooth decay compared to fluoride. Hussein Kanji, co-founder of Hoxton Ventures, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Regrowing teeth and bones. Once again proving that the UK can out-innovate the world!"