KNOW Bio

What KNOW Bio does

KNOW Bio, LLC is a privately held life science incubator headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina (within the Research Triangle Park area), founded and led by CEO Neal Hunter. The company forms and operates wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiaries that commercialize its proprietary intellectual property in nitric oxide release chemistry and precision visible-light (LED) therapy. As of 2026, the portfolio comprises EmitBio (light-based therapies for respiratory infections, including an investigational at-home COVID-19 device), Revian (the FDA-cleared REVIAN RED wireless all-LED hair-growth cap for androgenetic alopecia, sold direct-to-consumer via revian.com and through dermatology/aesthetics providers), Vast Therapeutics (development-stage NO-releasing anti-infectives targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis), Diabetic Health (NO coatings for continuous glucose monitoring sensors and insulin infusion sets, formed via the 2019 acquisition of Clinical Sensors), and Digestive Health Therapeutics (NO applications for gastroenterology). The corporate strategy is to develop each subsidiary to proof-of-concept and then pursue a sale, IPO, or other independent financing event for that subsidiary.

KNOW Bio's underlying technology platform combines two pillars: tunable macromolecular nitric oxide-release scaffolds with controllable payload, release rate, and release location (developed by Chief Scientific Officer Mark Schoenfisch, who has 100+ peer-reviewed NO publications), and patented precision light therapy — most notably EmitBio's U.S. Patent 11,147,984 (issued November 2021, lifetime through 2040, covering oral light devices to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens) and Revian's dual-wavelength (620 nm + 660 nm) LED technology that stimulates endogenous NO production to reduce inflammation, increase local blood flow, and inhibit DHT. In vitro, Revian's combination reduced DHT production by 74% versus 38% for finasteride at 24 hours, and EmitBio's device achieved 99.9% SARS-CoV-2 viral load reduction and >48-hour faster symptom clearance in a randomized Phase I/II trial, supporting an FDA Emergency Use Authorization submission.

The revenue model is currently anchored on direct hardware sales of the REVIAN RED System, with planned future revenue from EmitBio device sales and global technology licensing, plus subsidiary-level exit/financing events. The company employs a small core team (51-100 employees) augmented by contractors and shared services, with Revian now building a national U.S. field sales force (Regional Directors for West, Central, and East regions appointed 2025-2026) alongside its direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel and academic clinical study partnerships with Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Spectrum Advanced Aesthetics. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Total disclosed institutional funding is approximately $55 million, with Reedy Creek Investments, LLC as the sole disclosed investor across a December 2018 $25M corporate commitment and a May 2019 $30M equity round; no subsequent funding events are disclosed.

Name

KNOW Bio

Legal name

KNOW Bio, LLC

Website

https://knowbiollc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KNOW Bio is a privately held life science incubator that develops nitric oxide-based and precision LED light therapies through wholly-owned subsidiaries (EmitBio, Revian, Vast Therapeutics, Diabetic Health, Digestive Health Therapeutics), targeting hair loss, respiratory infections, cystic fibrosis, diabetes device coatings, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device & Biopharmaceutical Therapeutics

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Gastrointestinal & Digestive Health (HLAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Material Characterization & Spectroscopy (NMR/FTIR/MS) (HLAGADAK)

Keywords

• Nitric oxide therapy
• Precision light therapy
• LED hair restoration
• Anti-infective therapeutics
• Life science incubator

Headquarters

HQ city

Morrisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Subsidiary exit / IPO / financing events: KNOW Bio's corporate strategy is to form operating subsidiaries, develop them to proof-of-concept, then pursue a sale, IPO, or other financing around each subsidiary to generate capital for the other operating companies and returns to investors.
2. Direct hardware sales of REVIAN RED System: Sale of the FDA-cleared REVIAN RED wireless wearable LED hair growth cap directly to consumers via revian.com and through healthcare providers for at-home treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men and women.
3. Future drug/device revenue from EmitBio light therapy platform: Investigational EmitBio device and pipeline targeting at-home treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and other respiratory infections; pipeline includes prophylactic and therapeutic applications of visible-light technology. Not yet commercially available pending FDA action.
4. Future drug revenue from Vast Therapeutics (anti-infectives): Development-stage therapies (via Vast Therapeutics) targeting resistant bacterial infections in cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases; intended to be advanced to clinical trials and commercialization via subsidiary financing events.
5. Licensing of EmitBio light technology to global partners: EmitBio explicitly stated its goal of licensing the technology to global partners so that everyone has rapid access to the treatment, indicating a licensing/royalty component to the long-term revenue model.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KNOW Bio, LLC is a privately held life science incubator that forms operating subsidiaries to commercialize proprietary nitric oxide release chemistry and precision light therapy intellectual property across multiple therapeutic areas. Its commercial product is the FDA-cleared REVIAN RED wireless LED hair growth cap (Revian subsidiary); pre-commercial pipelines include EmitBio's handheld LED device for at-home COVID-19 and respiratory infection treatment, Vast Therapeutics' nitric oxide-releasing anti-infectives for cystic fibrosis, Diabetic Health's nitric oxide coatings for CGM sensors, and Digestive Health Therapeutics' nitric oxide compounds for gastrointestinal disorders.

Product overview

KNOW Bio, LLC is a privately-held life science incubator and holding company that forms operating subsidiaries to commercialize its proprietary nitric oxide and precision light therapy intellectual property across multiple therapeutic areas. Its portfolio currently comprises EmitBio (LED-based light therapy for respiratory infections, including investigational COVID-19 treatment), Vast Therapeutics (nitric oxide-releasing anti-infectives for cystic fibrosis), Revian and its FDA-cleared REVIAN RED all-LED hair growth system for androgenetic alopecia, Diabetic Health (nitric oxide coatings for CGM sensors and insulin infusion sets), and Digestive Health Therapeutics (nitric oxide applications for gastrointestinal disorders). KNOW Bio retains controlling ownership of each subsidiary, provides shared capital and operational services, and pursues subsidiary sale, IPO, or other financing events once proof of concept is achieved.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EmitBio: Light-based life science subsidiary developing light therapies for respiratory infections, healing, and bodily defense.
• Revian
• Vast Therapeutics
• Diabetic Health

Products and services

• REVIAN RED System FDA-cleared wireless wearable LED cap that uses patented dual-wavelength (620 nm and 660 nm) LED light therapy to stimulate the body's generation of nitric oxide, increasing local blood flow, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting DHT production to enable hair growth in men and women with androgenetic alopecia. Sold direct to consumers via revian.com and through dermatologists and medical aesthetics providers.
• EmitBio LED Light Therapy Device Investigational handheld LED device that uses precise wavelengths of visible light to release natural reserves of nitric oxide in respiratory tissue and inactivate pathogens (including SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, UK, South Africa, and Delta variants) for at-home treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and broader respiratory infections. Pre-commercial; planned licensing model to global partners.
• Diabetic Health Nitric Oxide-Releasing Coatings Development-stage nitric oxide-releasing coatings designed to mitigate the foreign body response (FBR) to continuous glucose monitoring sensors and insulin infusion sets, addressing long-term wear complications and improving biocompatibility for diabetes patients. Pre-commercial.
• Vast Therapeutics Nitric Oxide Anti-Infective Program Development-stage pharmaceutical program developing nitric oxide-releasing therapeutics to eradicate resistant bacterial infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients with severe respiratory disease, and broader respiratory anti-infective applications. Pre-commercial.
• Digestive Health Therapeutics Nitric Oxide Compounds Development-stage pharmaceutical program using tunable nitric oxide-release scaffolds to treat gastrointestinal and liver disorders associated with nitric oxide deficiency, including modulation of the gastrointestinal microbiome, motility, mucosal function, inflammatory responses, and blood flow regulation. Pre-commercial.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% reduction in average SARS-CoV-2 viral load and accelerated symptom resolution by more than 48 hours vs. placebo in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase I/II clinical trial of the EmitBio device.
• +5 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship clinical research partner, key opinion leader, foundational academic partner, key clinical study partner, minor professional service provider, supporting / cited research institution, supporting clinical advisor, foundational acquisition target and critical but unnamed development partner.

• Wake Forest University School of Medicine (Dr. Amy McMichael)flagship clinical research partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024Two clinical trials evaluating Revian's RED System for Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) conducted by Dr. Amy McMichael, Chair and Professor of Dermatology; findings published in Journal of Investigative Dermatology and presented at the Southeastern Consortium for Dermatology (October 2024). Dr. McMichael joined Revian's Advisory Board in October 2024.
• Dr. Amy J. McMichael (Advisory Board)key opinion leaderStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024Renowned dermatologist (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine graduate, former Chair of Dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine) appointed to Revian's Advisory Board to provide key opinion leadership on hair restoration and scalp disorders; co-editor of 'Hair Diseases' and 'Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, 9th Edition'.
• University of North Carolina School of Medicine (academic affiliations)foundational academic partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 October 2024Mark Schoenfisch (Chief Scientific Officer) is Professor of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill; Stephen DeCherney (Chief Medical Officer) is Professor of Medicine specializing in Endocrinology at UNC School of Medicine; Mike Knowles MD is Professor in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at UNC. These academic affiliations underpin KNOW Bio's nitric oxide research platform.
• Spectrum Advanced Aesthetics (Portland, Oregon)key clinical study partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 July 2022Ongoing clinical study (begun July 2022) evaluating a multimodal aesthetics protocol that includes the REVIAN RED Hair Growth System alongside PRP with microneedling, ultrasound, and Hydrafacial Keravive scalp treatments; led by Selisha Abbas, CAE, Mary Neilsen, LPN/CAE, and Rachel Miller, LPN/CAE.
• Withrow & Terranova; Quinn Emanuel (outside counsel)minor professional service providerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 November 2021Outside counsel acknowledged by EmitBio for advising on the foundational patent prosecution leading to U.S. Patent 11,147,984 covering light-based treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases.
• Yale University (referenced research collaboration)supporting / cited research institutionImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 28 January 2021Researchers at Yale University and other major institutions are referenced for published evidence demonstrating a clear-cut relationship between SARS-CoV-2 viral load measured in saliva and COVID-19 symptom severity, supporting EmitBio's clinical trial design.
• Mike Knowles MD (UNC School of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine)supporting clinical advisorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2021Professor at UNC School of Medicine providing clinical perspective supporting the development of EmitBio's investigational at-home COVID-19 treatment device.
• Clinical Sensors, Inc. (renamed Diabetic Health, Inc.)foundational acquisition targetStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2019Acquired in December 2019 to form Diabetic Health, Inc. (DHI); leverages KNOW Bio's proprietary nitric oxide chemistries to develop advanced coatings for CGM sensors and insulin infusion sets that mitigate the foreign body response.
• Large pharma partner (unnamed)critical but unnamed development partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2019Approximately one year of testing in conjunction with a large pharma partner in both in vitro and animal models of nitric oxide-based gastrointestinal therapeutics, conducted in the lead-up to the formation of Digestive Health Therapeutics, Inc.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Theradome: FDA-cleared laser helmet for hair growth using LLLT technology; another direct at-home light-based hair loss competitor to Revian RED.
• iRestore (Freedom Laser Therapy): Direct-to-consumer LLLT (low-level laser therapy) device for hair loss; the closest device-based competitor to Revian RED using a similar at-home light-based treatment modality.
• Novan, Inc. Neal Hunter's prior nitric oxide-focused pharmaceutical company; shares the same NO-release technology foundation as KNOW Bio and represents the most direct historical comparable for translating this platform into commercial outcomes.
• Hims & Hers Health: Telehealth-led hair loss treatment provider selling finasteride and minoxidil directly to consumers; the most aggressive direct-to-consumer competitor to Revian RED in the androgenetic alopecia market.
• Keeps: Direct-to-consumer subscription hair loss service offering finasteride and minoxidil; competes head-to-head with Revian RED in the at-home treatment segment targeting the same demographic.
• HairMax: Established FDA-cleared laser-based hair growth device company; competes with Revian RED in the LLLT/light-based hair restoration device category.
• Nutrafol: Direct-to-consumer hair growth supplement brand; competes with Revian RED in the same hair loss consumer segment via a different (nutraceutical) modality.

Broad incumbents

• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Dominant cystic fibrosis therapeutics company; the leading commercial player in the same respiratory/CF indication that Vast Therapeutics targets with its nitric oxide anti-infective program.

Emerging players

• Bellerophon Therapeutics: Clinical-stage therapeutics company developing inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) for pulmonary diseases; shares KNOW Bio's nitric oxide therapeutic modality in respiratory indications.
• SaNOtize: Nitric oxide-based nasal spray developer that received regulatory authorizations for COVID-19 treatment; the most comparable nitric oxide COVID-19 therapeutic peer to EmitBio's light-based approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/know-bio-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KNOW Bio