Acorn Biolabs
Acorn Biolabs is a Toronto-based biotech (founded 2017) that non-invasively collects and cryopreserves customers' hair follicle stem cells, then produces personalized YOU™ secretome serums for skin rejuvenation and hair growth, selling direct to consumers and through a licensed provider clinic network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Acorn Biolabs does
Acorn Biolabs is a Toronto-based, venture-backed biotech founded in 2017 that has built a hair follicle-derived stem cell banking and secretome production platform. The company's core technical premise is the non-invasive collection of 50 hair follicles in a 15-20 minute procedure, followed by laboratory processing and cryopreservation at -196°C to create a "regenerative reserve" of the customer's own stem cells. From these banked cells, Acorn produces personalized YOU™ secretome serums — full-spectrum preparations containing growth factors, exosomes, cytokines, and peptides — applied during clinical procedures (microneedling for skin rejuvenation; targeted delivery for hair growth support). Initial clinical data reports VEGF concentrations at 20x and EGF at 10x compared to a patient's own PRP.
The company serves three primary customer segments: aesthetic/cosmetic patients seeking skin rejuvenation, hair restoration seekers, and longevity/health-optimization enthusiasts pursuing biological insurance for future regenerative therapies. Revenue is generated through one-time collection and processing fees (~$945+tax), recurring annual or multi-year cryogenic storage fees ($190/year for individuals; multi-year prepaid packages at $1,650 for 5 years and $2,450 for 10 years), and per-treatment YOU™ secretome administration fees (~$945). Distribution operates through a hybrid model: a network of licensed provider clinics that perform collection and administer treatments, a direct e-commerce customer portal, and an Acorn Concierge clinic-matching service. Marketing leans heavily on content/earned media (Forbes, TechCrunch, Goop, Allure, Fast Company) and a referral program offering $190 account credits.
The company is in early commercial scale-up. It has raised approximately $14.3M CAD in cumulative funding (a $3.3M seed in 2019 and an $11M CAD Series A in June 2024 led by Merz Aesthetics), holds under 50 employees, operates dual Canadian and US legal entities, and is expanding into the US market with a clinical trial (NCT07227883) underway for facial skin rejuvenation. The CEO is founder Dr. Drew Taylor, and the Director of Product Development and Innovation is Amatullah Fatehi.
Acorn Biolabs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acorn Biolabs
- Legal name
- Acorn Biolabs, Inc.
- Website
- https://acorn.me
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Acorn Biolabs is a Toronto-based biotech (founded 2017) that non-invasively collects and cryopreserves customers' hair follicle stem cells, then produces personalized YOU™ secretome serums for skin rejuvenation and hair growth, selling direct to consumers and through a licensed provider clinic network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acorn Biolabs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regenerative Medicine
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cell & Tissue Banking (biobanking, cord blood/tissue) (HLAAAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cold Chain, Cryopreservation & Biologics Storage/Handling Technologies (HLAAAJAN), Wound Healing & Skin Regeneration (advanced dressings, skin substitutes) (HLAAAGAG)
Keywords
Where Acorn Biolabs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Acorn Biolabs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Cell Banking Services: One-time collection and processing fees plus recurring annual or multi-year storage fees for cryopreservation of hair follicle stem cells. Collection appointments at partner clinics cost approximately $945+ tax, with storage plans ranging from $190/year to $1,650 for 10 years for individuals.
- YOU™ Secretome Products: Personalized regenerative treatments (skin and hair) derived from the patient's own banked stem cells. These are applied through licensed provider clinics during procedures like microneedling. Initial clinical data shows significantly higher growth factor concentrations (VEGF at 20x, EGF at 10x) compared to PRP.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Collection + 5 Years Storage |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Collection + 10 Years Storage |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Annual Storage |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Annual Storage |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Acorn Biolabs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acorn Biolabs collects, processes, and cryopreserves customers' own hair follicle-derived stem cells at -196°C for lifetime storage, then uses those banked cells to manufacture personalized secretome serums applied during clinical aesthetic procedures (e.g., microneedling) for skin rejuvenation and hair growth. The offering combines an upfront cell collection service with recurring cryogenic storage and downstream personalized regenerative treatments delivered through a network of licensed provider clinics.
Product overview
Acorn Biolabs offers a personalized regenerative medicine platform centered on hair follicle-derived stem cell banking and secretome-based treatments. The core offering consists of Cell Banking (cryopreservation of the customer's own stem cells harvested from hair follicles), paired with two personalized secretome serum products: YOU™ for Skin (for facial rejuvenation via microneedling) and YOU™ for Hair (for hair growth support). The secretome products are produced by culturing and processing the customer's banked cells to generate a concentrated regenerative serum containing growth factors, exosomes, and other bioactive molecules. A Future Pipeline extends into anti-aging, joint repair, and broader regenerative medicine applications. All treatments use the customer's own (autologous) cells, eliminating immune rejection risks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cell Banking Cryopreservation service that collects and stores customers' hair follicle stem cells at -196°C for lifetime preservation, including initial collection of 50 hair follicles, laboratory processing, viability analysis, and long-term cryogenic storage for future regenerative treatments.
- YOU™ for Skin A personalized secretome serum made from the customer's own banked stem cells, applied during microneedling procedures for facial skin rejuvenation. Contains concentrated growth factors and regenerative signals derived from the patient's hair follicle stem cells.
- YOU™ for Hair A personalized secretome serum derived from the customer's own banked stem cells, designed to support natural, long-term hair growth at a cellular level by delivering concentrated regenerative signals to hair follicles.
- Acorn Concierge Provider Matching Personal concierge service that matches customers with licensed clinic providers in the Acorn network based on their treatment goals and geographic location.
Quantifiable outcome
- Growth factor concentrations in secretome show VEGF at 20x and EGF at 10x compared to patient's own PRP
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Acorn Biolabs
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Acorn Biolabs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Acorn Biolabs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Dr. Steven YoelincoreDr. Steven Yoelin is serving as the principal investigator leading the randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial (NCT07227883) evaluating YOU™ secretome product for facial skin rejuvenation. The trial is being conducted at a single investigational site in Newport Beach, California.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Acorn Biolabs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ExoCoBio: ExoCoBio is a South Korea-based exosome aesthetics company producing EXOVEL and other stem cell-derived exosome skincare products used in aesthetic clinics. It competes directly with YOU™ for Skin in the same provider channel.
- Stemson Therapeutics: Stemson is a San Diego-based regenerative medicine company developing iPSC-derived hair follicle therapies for hair loss. It addresses the same hair restoration use case as Acorn's YOU™ for Hair, but via a different (iPSC, allogeneic) technical approach.
- Kimera Labs: Kimera Labs is a regenerative medicine company producing exosome-based products for both aesthetic and therapeutic indications, including skincare and hair restoration. It targets the same physician channel as Acorn with cell-derived regenerative products.
- BENEV Company: BENEV is a US medical aesthetics company that pioneered exosome-based regenerative skincare (Exosome Regenerative Complex) for in-office aesthetic procedures, making it a direct competitor to Acorn's YOU™ secretome microneedling offering.
Broad incumbents
- EmCyte Corporation: EmCyte is an established regenerative medicine device company producing PRP and concentrated bone marrow aspirate systems used in aesthetic and orthopedic procedures. It is the incumbent against which YOU™ secretome competes on growth factor concentration.
Direct peers
- Forever Labs: Forever Labs is the most direct peer to Acorn, offering cryopreservation of young adult stem cells (from whole blood or adipose) for future regenerative use, targeting similar longevity and health-optimization consumers with a comparable subscription-based storage model.
- Cryo-Cell International: Cryo-Cell is a publicly traded cell banking company specializing in cryopreservation of cord blood and menstrual blood-derived stem cells. It shares Acorn's core cryopreservation business model, though it focuses on different cell sources and a more traditional family/newborn banking customer base.
- ViaCord: ViaCord (owned by Revvity/PerkinElmer) is a major cord blood and cord tissue banking service operating the same subscription-based cryopreservation business model as Acorn, although it focuses on newborn cells rather than adult hair follicle stem cells.
- Cord Blood Registry (CBR): CBR, now part of CooperSurgical, is the largest US cord blood bank with a similar recurring-storage subscription model and direct-to-consumer acquisition approach, addressing expectant parents seeking biological insurance for their children.
- StemCyte: StemCyte is a global cord blood and cellular therapy company operating a cryopreservation business closely comparable to Acorn's, including public cord blood banking and regenerative medicine research applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Acorn Biolabs social profiles
Digital presenceAcorn Biolabs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acorn Biolabs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Acorn Biolabs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acorn Biolabs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acorn Biolabs
What does Acorn Biolabs do?
Acorn Biolabs collects, processes, and cryopreserves customers' own hair follicle-derived stem cells at -196°C for lifetime storage, then uses those banked cells to manufacture personalized secretome serums applied during clinical aesthetic procedures (e.g., microneedling) for skin rejuvenation and hair growth. The offering combines an upfront cell collection service with recurring cryogenic storage and downstream personalized regenerative treatments delivered through a network of licensed provider clinics.
Is Acorn Biolabs a public or private company?
Acorn Biolabs is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Acorn Biolabs founded?
Acorn Biolabs was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Acorn Biolabs based?
Acorn Biolabs is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Acorn Biolabs make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Cell Banking Services are the primary driver. The others are YOU™ Secretome Products.
Who are Acorn Biolabs's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ExoCoBio, Stemson Therapeutics, Kimera Labs and BENEV Company. EmCyte Corporation is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Forever Labs, Cryo-Cell International, ViaCord, Cord Blood Registry (CBR) and StemCyte.
Does Acorn Biolabs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acorn Biolabs.
What industry is Acorn Biolabs in?
Acorn Biolabs's product category is Regenerative Medicine. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAGAE, Cell & Tissue Banking (biobanking, cord blood/tissue), with a secondary code of HLAAAJAN, Cold Chain, Cryopreservation & Biologics Storage/Handling Technologies. Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.