Sequential, a genomic testing startup analysing non-invasive human clinical samples, has secured £2.6 million in funding led by Sparkfood and Corundum Systems Biology, with participation from Dermazone Holdings, SOSV, Scrum Ventures and an ex-General Partner at Index Ventures. The raise brings total dilutive and non-dilutive funding secured to date to £5.6 million, including continued support from Innovate UK.
Sequential advances innovation in skin health by quantifying how ingredients and consumer, biotech, and pharmaceutical products alter microbial and host biomarkers using its proprietary non-invasive testing platform. The platform transforms complex biological data into actionable insights by integrating microbial and molecular analyses to support the development of credible and effective products and claims.
It has built a clinical dataset comprising over 50,000 samples, more than 4,000 ingredients and over 10,000 participants worldwide. Newly raised capital will support development of a discovery engine built on Sequential’s proprietary real-world clinical dataset designed to predict, optimise and discover active complexes and bioactive ingredients.
By combining systems biology, clinical research infrastructure and computational modelling, Sequential is expanding biomarker discovery programmes and global partnerships as it builds a scalable discovery engine aimed at advancing scientifically validated complexes for personal care and related health categories.
Our mission is to bring pharmaceutical-grade evidence and computational precision to personal care. By applying artificial intelligence to one of the world’s largest clinical datasets in dermatological health, we can both discover new skin biomarkers, and move beyond incremental formulation improvements and instead systematically design and validate breakthrough ingredient combinations. This investment allows us to scale that vision.
Sequential has built a unique bridge between biology, clinical validation, and consumer product development, linking molecular and microbial biomarkers to real-world product performance. We believe their AI-driven platform will reshape how next-generation personal care products are developed and differentiated. This investment also aligns with Sparkfood’s connected innovation strategy, opening the door to co-development opportunities and commercial synergies in the personal care space.
Sequential’s mission aligns with ours: to transform human health with the power of large datasets, the microbiome, and artificial intelligence. Our continued support in this round reflects our confidence in their vision and our shared commitment to redefining the future of personal care.
