HairDAO
HairDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) operating an open-source R&D network where hair loss patients and researchers collaborate to develop treatments, governed by HAIR token holders who vote on research funding and IP management across a portfolio of seven patent-filed therapies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersWest Palm Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What HairDAO does
HairDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that operates an open-source research and development network for hair loss treatments, structured as the HairDAO Association (a Florida-registered entity) with co-founders Andrew Verbinnen and Andrew Bakst. The platform enables patients and researchers to collaborate on developing novel hair loss treatments, governed by the HAIR token held by a community of 358 holders who vote on research funding and IP management decisions across five working groups. HairDAO addresses a documented market failure in hair loss R&D: only ~$5.4M per year (0.004% of early-stage funding) flows to hair loss research, and no new treatment has reached market since Finasteride in 1997, despite 8 in 10 men and half of all women experiencing hair loss.
The platform's technical core consists of a mobile and web application where users anonymously log treatment data (text, bloodwork, images, photos, videos), stored through third-party Courage Research, Inc., and processed by an AI-powered recommendation engine that generates personalized treatment suggestions. The organization holds seven pending patents on topical applications of known compounds (TRH, T3, T4, Naltrexone, Olanzapine, Doxycycline, Farnesol) and is funding active research on Dutasteride delivery vehicles, Twist-1/2i protein inhibitors, and YAP-1 inhibition for scarless hair transplants in partnership with Dr. Taleb Barghouthi and Dr. Blake Bloxham.
The business model is primarily community-governed and non-commercial at the core platform level: the app, community, and governance are free to use, with HAIR tokens distributed as rewards for data and labor contributions. Revenue generation is nascent and occurs through two channels: (1) direct e-commerce sales of the trademarked FolliCool shampoo at $19.99 per unit via shop.hairdao.xyz, and (2) commercialization of patented treatments and trademarked software through sister company Anagen (anagen.xyz). HAIR token holders receive a 25% discount on all products. HairDAO's treasury is approximately $48.4M, held predominantly in HAIR tokens (83.1%), ETH (10.8%), USDC (2.6%), and Uniswap liquidity positions (2.6%), with cumulative organizational spend to date of $661,907.54 (76.73% on treatment R&D).
HairDAO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HairDAO
- Legal name
- HairDAO Association
- Website
- https://hairdao.xyz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HairDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) operating an open-source R&D network where hair loss patients and researchers collaborate to develop treatments, governed by HAIR token holders who vote on research funding and IP management across a portfolio of seven patent-filed therapies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HairDAO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hair Loss R&D Platform
- NAICS
- Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Treatments & Scalp Care (Serums, Oils, Anti-dandruff, Growth) (CRABABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB)
Keywords
Where HairDAO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Palm Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HairDAO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- HAIR Token Staking and Governance: HAIR is the native governance token of the HairDAO. Users earn HAIR by contributing work (posting studies, community participation) or data through the app. HAIR holders can stake tokens to receive 'Alpha' — confidential information including early-access to research data — which enables holders to earn more HAIR. The token is explicitly described as a governance token with no expectation of financial return.
- Product Sales (FolliCool and Patented Treatments): HairDAO sells products including the FolliCool shampoo ($19.99 for 7 FL OZ / 200ml) and patented treatments through its e-commerce storefront at shop.hairdao.xyz and via its sister company Anagen. HAIR token holders receive a 25% discount on all HairDAO products.
- Token-Based Treasury and DeFi Holdings: HairDAO's treasury is valued at approximately $48.4 million, held in HAIR tokens (83.1%), ETH (10.8%), USDC (2.6%), and Uniswap Liquidity Pool positions (2.6%). Treasury growth and management generates value for token holders through governance of DAO assets including pricing of products and IP.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Core Platform — Free to use |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | FolliCool Shampoo — $19.99 per unit |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Patented Treatments — Available via Anagen (sister company) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | HAIR Token — Governance token with staking rewards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
HairDAO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HairDAO operates an open-source R&D network structured as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) where hair loss patients and researchers collaborate to develop new treatments. Members anonymously log treatment data via the HairDAO app, vote on which research projects receive funding using the HAIR governance token, and earn HAIR rewards for contributions. Resulting products, including the FolliCool shampoo and patented treatments developed through community-funded research, are sold direct-to-consumer via shop.hairdao.xyz and through sister company Anagen.
Product overview
HairDAO is an open-source R&D network structured as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), operating across a web/mobile application platform and a product commerce store. The core offering consists of the HairDAO App where patients anonymously log treatment experiences and participate in governance, paired with the HAIR governance token enabling community voting on research funding and IP management. Research programs span multiple drug candidates (TRH, T3, T4, Dutasteride, Twist-1, YAP-1i, Naltrexone, Olanzapine, Doxycycline, Farnesol) at various stages from patent-filed to funded research. Commercial products are sold through the sister company Anagen and the shop.hairdao.xyz store, including FolliCool Shampoo. HairDAO also publishes quarterly content through Hair Cuts. The ecosystem connects patient data contributors, researchers, and product development to accelerate hair loss treatment innovation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FolliCool: A shampoo product designed with molecular biology and dermatology, featuring amino acids, flavonoids, and micro-nutrients. Free from parabens and sulfates, with pH of 5.5.
Products and services
- HairDAO App Mobile and web application where patients anonymously log treatment experiences, access research data, participate in community discussions, and earn HAIR token rewards for contributions. Free to use and serves as the primary on-ramp for community participation and data contribution.
- HAIR Token Native governance token of HairDAO that grants holders voting rights over which research projects receive funding and how IP is managed. HAIR can be earned by contributing data or work, purchased on decentralized exchanges (Uniswap, Coinbase), or staked to access confidential early-stage research data ("Alpha") and earn additional HAIR.
- FolliCool Shampoo Trademarked pH-balanced (5.5) shampoo designed for all hair and skin types, free from parabens and sulfates, formulated with amino acids, flavonoids, and micro-nutrients to moisturize, soothe, and protect hair follicles. Sold directly to consumers through shop.hairdao.xyz at $19.99 per 7 FL OZ (200ml) with a 25% discount for HAIR holders.
- Patented Hair Loss Treatments (via Anagen) Hair loss treatments and trademarked software developed through HairDAO community-funded research, including patent-filed topical applications (TRH, T3, T4, Naltrexone, Olanzapine, Doxycycline, Farnesol), commercialized through sister company Anagen (anagen.xyz). HAIR token holders receive a 25% discount on these products.
Quantifiable outcome
- 0 new hair loss treatments brought to market since Finasteride in 1997, illustrating the market gap HairDAO addresses
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HairDAO
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HairDAO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
HairDAO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Dr. Taleb Barghouthi and Dr. Blake BloxhamcoreHairDAO has partnered with Dr. Taleb Barghouthi and Dr. Blake Bloxham to discover more about YAP-1i (Yes-Associated Protein 1) inhibition, which offers the promise for scarless hair transplants. This is one of HairDAO's actively funded research projects, with the goal of developing novel applications for YAP-1i in hair restoration.
- Courage Research, Inc.coreHairDAO's treatment progress and diary feature uploads user data (text descriptions, bloodwork, images, photos, and videos) through a third-party named Courage Research, Inc. This partner provides the data storage infrastructure for the platform's core treatment logging functionality, enabling both private storage and optional public sharing of treatment data for research purposes.
- AnagencoreAnagen is HairDAO's sister company that commercializes patented treatments and trademarked software developed through the DAO. HairDAO develops and patents treatments through community governance; Anagen handles commercial sales and distribution. HAIR token holders receive a 25% discount on all products sold through Anagen, including patented treatments and trademarked software.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HairDAO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Olaplex: Olaplex is a publicly traded professional and consumer hair-care brand built on patented chemistry; comparable in product format and patent-driven positioning to HairDAO's FolliCool and topical-treatment portfolio.
- Nutrafol: Nutrafol is a clinically-positioned hair wellness supplement brand with established clinician and consumer channels — a meaningful incumbent in the science-backed hair-care category HairDAO is targeting.
- Hims & Hers Health: Hims & Hers is a scaled D2C telehealth and consumer health platform that includes prescription hair-loss treatments as a core category — the largest commercial competitor to HairDAO/Anagen in the same end market.
Emerging players
- Function of Beauty: Function of Beauty is a personalized hair-care brand with data-driven formulation — directly relevant to HairDAO's AI-recommendation angle and D2C hair-care go-to-market.
Direct peers
- ResearchHub: ResearchHub is a token-incentivized platform for peer-to-peer scientific collaboration and data sharing, the closest analog to HairDAO's community data-contribution model.
- PsyDAO: PsyDAO funds psychedelic research through community token governance; structurally identical to HairDAO but in a different therapeutic vertical, making it a directly comparable DeSci peer.
- Molecule: Molecule operates a Web3 marketplace for biotech IP and research funding (IP-NFTs), providing the same decentralized R&D infrastructure HairDAO uses to fund and own hair-loss patents.
- VitaDAO: VitaDAO is a DAO funding early-stage longevity research via the VITA governance token, using essentially the same community-governed IP/token model as HairDAO — the most directly comparable DeSci peer.
- Keeps: Keeps is a D2C subscription service focused exclusively on male-pattern hair loss (finasteride + minoxidil), competing head-to-head with HairDAO's FolliCool/Anagen for the same patient segment.
- LabDAO: LabDAO is a community-governed network for wet-lab experimentation and computational biology, sharing HairDAO's model of distributed, token-coordinated life-science R&D.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HairDAO social profiles
Digital presenceHairDAO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HairDAO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
HairDAO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HairDAO 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 HairDAO
What does HairDAO do?
HairDAO operates an open-source R&D network structured as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) where hair loss patients and researchers collaborate to develop new treatments. Members anonymously log treatment data via the HairDAO app, vote on which research projects receive funding using the HAIR governance token, and earn HAIR rewards for contributions. Resulting products, including the FolliCool shampoo and patented treatments developed through community-funded research, are sold direct-to-consumer via shop.hairdao.xyz and through sister company Anagen.
Is HairDAO a public or private company?
HairDAO is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was HairDAO founded?
HairDAO was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HairDAO based?
HairDAO is headquartered in West Palm Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does HairDAO make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. HAIR Token Staking and Governance is the primary driver. The others are product Sales (FolliCool and Patented Treatments) and token-Based Treasury and DeFi Holdings.
Who are HairDAO's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Olaplex, Nutrafol and Hims & Hers Health. Function of Beauty is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are ResearchHub, PsyDAO, Molecule, VitaDAO, Keeps and LabDAO.
Does HairDAO have an API?
No public API is recorded for HairDAO.
What industry is HairDAO in?
HairDAO's product category is Hair Loss R&D Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABABAE, Treatments & Scalp Care (Serums, Oils, Anti-dandruff, Growth), with a secondary code of CRABALAB, Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments). Its NAICS code is 81211 and its SIC code is 2844.