Invity, an inside-out science-backed brand from Singapore-based biotechnology brand incubator Qurio, provides evidence that American beauty consumers are hungry for science-fueled beauty offerings.
After premiering online in the United States in 2021, Invity reports its sales in the country have jumped 300% in the last year. Today, American consumers make up 32% of the brand’s customer base, according to COO Ajish Morris. Buoyed by U.S. demand, its sales are on track to multiply 3X this year.
Invity launched via direct-to-consumer distribution in May 2021 due to the pandemic and spent its first roughly six months sticking to Asia. Not currently in retailers, Morris says any potential retail partners for the brand must be focused on science-centered, clean, premium and sustainable products. At the moment, there are no firm plans to enter American retailers.
Invity’s parent company Qurio, which also has the brands Cerm and QUVO Lab in its portfolio, is backed by Genedant, a Singaporean venture capital firm investing in biotechnology. Qurio’s CEO is Eugene He, who previously led now defunct skincare brand Ceramiracle.
Invity’s bestsellers are the $65 serum Youth Activating Instant Filler, $55 SuperNad Youth Activating Facial Sheet Mask and $59 Youth Activating Eye Serum. Its newest products are Youth Activating Invisible Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 and the supplement NAD+ Booster in energy and calm varieties.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD or NAD+), a coenzyme occurring naturally in the body that’s central to metabolism, is a critical driver for Invity’s products. The activated protein kinase (AMP or AMPK), which is essential for moderating cholesterol, carbohydrate, and fatty and amino acids, and sirtuins or enzymes that control energy usage also play key roles.
In a blog post for Invity, He explains, “An intimate relationship exists between the NAD+ and sirtuins that control energy utilization. Furthermore, this lays a foundation in the process of aging and longevity control in a plethora of organisms…discovered a century ago, NAD+, a hard-working molecule, mediates various reactions inside every cell in our body that create energy. These reactions involve the oxidation of nutrients, commonly referred to as the metabolism. Several studies propose that NAD+ is responsible for extending life span and proven ways such as dietary restrictions for increasing health-span.”
Invity’s team of scientists and physicians, including regenerative researchers, phytochemists, dermatologists and biochemists, have zeroed in on nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a compound that’s converted into NAD+ in the body and may contribute to longevity for its products. It’s in, for example, the brand’s $229 supplement Ultimate NMN 12000.
In another Invity blog post, Niveditha Navin, a clinical researcher and dentist, writes, “NMN can open up a new horizon in modern therapeutics. In human cells NMN is available as the source of cellular energy and is efficacious in suppressing age associated physiological decline…NMN can be considered a promising and fascinating molecule from which we still have lots of potential to learn.”
Mert Burak Ozturk, a biochemist and chief scientific officer at Invity, underscores Invity’s one-two product punch of supplements and topical skincare is more effective than skincare or supplements alone in addressing aging. He shares that the brand’s future research will concentrate on understanding how epigenetics or gene changes due to behavior and the environment impact the human aging process. He expects the result of the research to be new bioactive ingredients to support longevity-related genes.
“Consumers [are] getting more educated through social media and other platforms. So, they want more. They’re not interested in the classical methods like mixing vitamin C retinol or bioactives just with different concentrations,” says Ozturk. “[Consumers] want to see something more innovative and aligned with the latest scientific developments. That’s why, in order to satisfy them and in order to also produce more effective products, we need to update.”
The path to bringing a new bioactive ingredient to Invity’s products isn’t fast or cheap. The brand has both long- and short-track R&D projects. Long-track projects take years and significant investment. They entail discovery, validation, formulation, efficacy testing, regulatory compliance and scaled-up production. Originally, it cost a high six-figure amount to launch Invity. Short-track projects entail idea generation, ingredient research and literature reviews.
“With our vertical integration approach, it’s important for us to implement visibility and transparency in all of our processes. Our in-house research team works independently and in collaboration with our network of scientists and physicians globally to promote science-led discoveries,” says Ozturk. “These discoveries are then transformed into product concepts that are done with our in-house formulation and laboratory. Once the product ideas are tested, stabilized and validated for efficacy, we manufacture them at our own GMP-certified manufacturing facility.”
Morris chimes in, “The investment keeps going as we grow our research team and invest in scientific partnerships.” Encouraged by its reception in the U.S., he adds that Invity has its sights set on expanding to the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany and Middle Eastern countries.
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