ExoLab Italia

What ExoLab Italia does

ExoLab Italia is an Italian biotech company founded in 2020 in L'Aquila that develops and commercializes Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (PDEVs) — nano-sized vesicles extracted from organic Italian fruits and vegetables — as natural delivery systems for bioactive compounds. The company's proprietary PDEV platform includes patented loading technologies using electroporation, chemical gradients, and passive transfer methods (with loading efficiencies of 10–40%), and covers the full industrial stack from extraction and purification through characterization and stabilization. ExoLab Italia operates three commercial lines: the Exocomplex® line of nutraceutical food supplements (seven formulations targeting anti-aging, immunity, gut health, fertility, sleep, prostate, and skin), the Exo Elixir® line of active cosmetic powders for skincare formulations, and a Pharma division developing PDEVs as drug delivery vehicles for regenerative medicine and nanomedicine. The company serves B2B customers across nutraceutical manufacturers, cosmetic/personal care brands, and pharmaceutical companies, selling ingredients and formulations as well as licensing its technology and conducting R&D collaborations.

The company monetizes through ingredient sales (one-time licensing of formulations such as Exocomplex and Exo Elixir), technology licensing and royalties anchored by its 2024 strategic partnership with dsm-firmenich Perfumery & Beauty for global personal care distribution, and collaborative R&D services with pharmaceutical partners. As of early 2025, ExoLab had raised approximately €5.5 million total (€500K seed from Scientifica VC in December 2021 plus a €5M Series A in February 2025 led by DSM-Firmenich Ventures and CDP Venture Capital SGR). The company is actively scaling production capacity from ~1.5 L/day to 6-7 L/day, plans to roughly double its ~14-person headcount, participates in Italy's VITALITY national research ecosystem across regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and food preservation, and is pursuing B-Corp certification to align with sustainability-driven procurement requirements.

Name

ExoLab Italia

Legal name

EXO LAB ITALIA S.R.L.

Website

https://exolabitalia.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ExoLab Italia is an Italian biotech startup that develops plant-derived exosome (PDEV) technology from organic Italian produce, supplying B2B ingredients, formulations, and licensing to nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical companies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-Derived Exosome Ingredients & Biotechnology

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Delivery Systems & Encapsulation (Microencapsulation, Liposomes, Emulsions, Beadlets, Spray-Dried) (AFAJAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Encapsulation & Emulsified Delivery Systems (Spray-dried emulsions, Lipid microencapsulation) (AFAJACAL)

Keywords

• Plant-derived exosomes
• Nutraceutical ingredients
• Cosmetic active ingredients
• Drug delivery systems
• Biotechnology platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

L'aquila

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plant-derived Exosome Ingredients: Sale of plant-derived exosome ingredients for nutraceutical and dermocosmetic products. Ingredients are sold as active powders (Exo Elixir and Exocomplex product lines) to B2B customers in supplements, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors.
2. Technology Licensing and Partnerships: Licensing of proprietary plant-derived exosome technology to major industry players. Strategic partnership with dsm-firmenich for personal care applications represents a key commercial pathway.
3. R&D Collaboration Services: Collaborative research and development projects with pharmaceutical companies to develop new products based on plant-derived exosomes.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ExoLab Italia extracts, purifies, and stabilizes Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (PDEVs) from organic Italian fruits and vegetables, and sells them as active ingredient powders (Exo Elixir® line) and finished food supplements (Exocomplex® line), alongside a pharma platform for exosome-based drug delivery and regenerative medicine applications.

Product overview

ExoLab Italia is a biotech company specializing in plant-derived exosome technology for health and beauty applications. The company offers two main product lines: Exocomplex® food supplements (seven formulations targeting anti-aging, immunity, sleep, gut health, skin health, fertility, and prostate support) and Exo Elixir® cosmetic ingredients (four specialized active powders for skincare formulations). The products are built on a proprietary PDEV (Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles) platform that enables enhanced bioavailability and targeted delivery of bioactive compounds. The company also operates a Pharma division developing exosome-based drug delivery solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exocomplex®: Product line of plant-derived exosome food supplements including Antiage, For Her, Gut Proskin, Immune, Prostate, Skinprobio, and Sweetdream variants
• Exo Elixir®

Products and services

• Exocomplex® Antiage Food supplement in capsule form containing plant-derived extracellular vesicles from a blend of Italian organic fruits with synergistic antioxidant effects; designed to reduce ROS levels, lipid peroxidation, and DNA oxidative stress damage.
• Exocomplex® ForHer Food supplement formulated to promote fertility and support reproductive health, using plant-derived exosomes from Italian organic fruits and vegetables.
• Exocomplex® Gut Proskin Prebiotic supplement that stimulates growth of beneficial gut bacteria, supports the immune system, and reduces oxidative stress, combining plant-derived exosomes with Vitamin E.
• Exocomplex® Immune Food supplement made from plant-derived extracellular vesicles sourced from Italian organic fruits, supporting immune system function and reducing oxidative stress through antioxidant activity.
• Exocomplex® Prostate Food supplement supporting male prostate health using exosomes from Nettle, Broccoli, Tomato, and Watermelon, containing lycopene and beta-sitosterol.
• Exocomplex® Skin ProBio Anti-aging skin supplement combining plant-derived exosomes with prebiotic Inulin to support gut bacteria and skin health, helping natural collagen production and delaying appearance of wrinkles.
• Exocomplex® SweetDreams Food supplement promoting restful sleep using exosomes from Italian organic fruits and vegetables, containing natural melatonin and serotonin precursors for circadian rhythm regulation.
• Exo Elixir® Alpine Rose Active powder ingredient of exosomes isolated from Alpine Rose petals, titrated in L-Ascorbic Acid, offering enhanced stability and water dispersibility for cosmetic formulations with antioxidant properties.
• Exo Elixir® Camellia Sinensis Active powder ingredient of exosomes from untreated Camellia Sinensis (green tea) leaves, rich in polyphenols including EGCG and phyto-melatonin, with encapsulation technology for cosmetic applications.
• Exo Elixir® Liquorice Active powder ingredient of exosomes from liquorice vegetable roots (Glycyrrhiza glabra), enriched with Glycyrrhizic acid, providing superior stability and water dispersibility for cosmetic formulations targeting sensitive and acne-prone skin.
• Exo Skin Cells Regeneration Active powder ingredient of exosomes from multiple fruits and vegetables (Grape, Orange, Pomegranate, Mandarin, Papaya) rich in antioxidants, promoting wound healing and skin regeneration in cosmetic applications.
• Plant-Derived Exosome (PDEV) Technology Platform Proprietary technology platform for extracting, purifying, characterising, and stabilising extracellular vesicles from organic Italian fruits and vegetables, enabling delivery of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. Sold through licensing and ingredient supply.
• Pharma Division – Plant-Derived Exosome Drug Delivery Platform Pharmaceutical platform using plant-derived exosomes as delivery systems for therapeutic molecules, enabling targeted and controlled release for drug delivery, regenerative medicine, and nanomedicine applications; offered to pharma and biotech partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mitochondrial membrane potential increased by 487% in treated cells compared to untreated, promoting rapid wound healing
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and flagship.

• University of MilanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2024PDERNADEL project partner under National Centre for Gene Therapy (Spoke 9). Project develops methodologies for loading therapeutic nucleic acids into plant-derived exosomes for RNA-based medicines and gene therapy applications.
• University of TeramominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024VITALITY Spoke 3 partner for research on PDEVs for food preservation. Project investigated use of plant-derived extracellular vesicles as innovative solution for food conservation and preservation.
• University of Chieti-Pescara (G. d'Annunzio)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024VITALITY Spoke 4 partner for research on PDEVs innovation in regenerative medicine. Project explored plant-derived extracellular vesicles in skin regeneration and cosmetic/pharmaceutical formulations.
• University of Urbino Carlo BominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2024VITALITY Spoke 8 partner for research on PDEVs for nanomedicine. Project evaluated plant-derived exosomes as innovative platform for nanomedicine and drug delivery.
• dsm-firmenich Perfumery & BeautyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2024Groundbreaking strategic partnership to pioneer plant-derived exosome technology in the global personal care and skincare market. dsm-firmenich becomes the first to bring this technology to market through their extensive customer network. Partnership combines ExoLab's exosome expertise with dsm-firmenich's skin biology, claim substantiation, and active ingredient capabilities.
• DompéminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Italian pharmaceutical company partnership for research on plant exosomes for skin diseases. Dompé & ExoLab collaboration exploring applications in dermatological conditions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• ExoCoBio: Korean-founded exosome biotech company specializing in exosome-based cosmetics, regenerative therapeutics, and stem-cell-derived exosome products. Direct peer in the exosome skincare/aesthetic space with overlapping product categories (post-procedure skin repair, anti-aging). Competes head-on with ExoLab's dsm-firmenich channel strategy.
• Benev Company: US-based company producing exosome-based cosmetic and aesthetic products for physicians and skincare professionals. Direct competitor in the cosmetic/aesthetic exosome ingredient space with established B2B distribution to med-spas and dermatologists, comparable in go-to-market and target customer.
• Kimera Labs: US exosome biotech focused on mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome products for aesthetics, orthopedics, and wellness. Direct peer producing exosome-based cosmetic and therapeutic products with similar B2B professional channel strategy.
• RION Aesthetics: US-based exosome skincare company selling platelet-derived exosome topical products (the 'Exosome Regenerative Complex'). Direct peer in the cosmetic exosome space with comparable end-product positioning (anti-aging, skin regeneration) and B2B/professional channel approach.

Broad incumbents

• Capricor Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing cell-derived exosome therapeutics (CAP-1002) for rare diseases and inflammatory conditions. More established player in the broader exosome therapeutics space, competing for similar pharma/biotech development talent and partnership attention, but with a different exosome source (cell-derived rather than plant-derived).
• Codiak BioSciences: Clinical-stage biotech (now operating via subsidiary) pioneering engineered exosome therapeutics (engEx platform) for oncology and rare diseases. Larger, more established player in exosome-based drug delivery; overlaps with ExoLab's pharma ambitions but uses mammalian-cell-derived exosomes at greater scale and capital intensity.

Emerging players

• Vesigen Therapeutics: US-based biotech developing extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics for targeted delivery of RNA and gene editing payloads. Emerging peer in the exosome delivery space with overlapping RNA-based therapeutic ambitions (comparable to ExoLab's PDERNADEL project) and competing for similar pharma collaborations.
• Phio Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage biotech developing RNAi therapeutics using exosome and cell-based delivery platforms. Emerging peer in exosome-enabled drug delivery with overlapping therapeutic areas in immuno-oncology and dermatology, but with a different delivery modality (self-delivering RNAi compounds).

Others

• Lipocine: US specialty pharma developing lipid-based oral drug delivery systems (LPSD platform) for improving bioavailability of poorly-soluble drugs. Adjacent delivery-system peer; comparable in addressing the same bioavailability pain point that ExoLab's PDEVs target in nutraceuticals, though via synthetic lipid carriers rather than natural vesicles.
• Geltor: US biotech producing animal-free proteins (collagen, elastin) via fermentation for cosmetics and supplements. Adjacent biotech-ingredient peer; similar B2B ingredient business model serving cosmetic and supplement brands, with comparable premium positioning and sustainability narrative, though in protein rather than exosome delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ExoLab Italia