PREPARE FOR LIFTOFF

M13’s third company created in partnership with Procter & Gamble was built on truly groundbreaking technology ready to revolutionize the beauty and skincare space. After 10 years of development and 13 patents, the Opte Precision Skincare System combines the best of optics, proprietary algorithms, printing technology, and skincare…all in one device.

Every year, women spend over $100B globally on solutions for their skin – and we understand why. “Spots get in the way of others seeing me the way I see myself”.  But Opte is not a makeup applicator. It’s true innovation lies in its ability to reveal the natural beauty of one’s skin, by helping to correct only the spots that need it, providing both an acute and chronic solution. The Opte wand takes over 200 images per second, scanning your skin to detect hyper-pigmentation, and correcting spots by applying microscopic amounts of pigment for immediate camouflage and serum to fade the spot over time.

That’s why we are eager to help bring Opte to market in 2020. With its innovative approach to skincare proven to provide immediate results for over 98% of the world’s skin tones, it’s time to introduce the world to Opte.

M13’s first company created in partnership with Procter & Gamble began with the insight that the menopause space is due for disruption. Sitting at the nexus point of the burgeoning women’s wellness market and the aging population, menopause is a unique intersection of high-potential spaces aligning with our investment thesis…but beyond that, it is an issue that speaks to us on a human level.

Unlike many other health and wellness concerns, there are very few products and solutions for the specific needs of menopausal women— in fact, menopause is often completely left out of the wellness conversation. The societal stigma associated with many of the symptoms means that women often suffer in silence during a transitional time that can be extremely confusing and stressful, not to mention uncomfortable.

That’s why we were excited to help create Kindra, a direct-to-consumer business offering estrogen-free OTC solutions to alleviate many common menopause symptoms. And it’s also why this business will go beyond just e-commerce, by creating a digital experience that will help Kindra become a supportive resource with content and community tailored specifically for women in midlife.

THE NEXT STAGE
Kindra is based and incubated in our Santa Monica office. Like the other companies we’re creating in partnership with P&G, we’ll be watching the Kindra progress along the way, with the potential to eventually incorporate it into one of P&G’s own business units or spin it off into its own independent entity.

M13’s second company created in partnership with Procter & Gamble Ventures began with the insight that millions suffering from chronic skin conditions deserve a more effective and accessible solution. Aligning with our investment thesis around underserved wellness conditions, the chronic skincare space is ripe for disruption with a modern-age, direct-to-consumer solution.

Simply put, current solutions on the market are failing to address the needs of those suffering from conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Steroid creams are not intended for ongoing daily use, which keeps sufferers in a vicious cycle of flare-up, treat, and repeat. Avoiding triggers and ignoring flare-ups take a mental toll, and we believe there has to be a better way.

That’s why we are working hard to help create Bodewell, a direct-to-consumer business offering an OTC solution with natural active ingredients that effectively treat and prevent flare-ups when used as part of a daily skincare routine. These steroid-free products are gentle enough for everyday use and clinically tested for both eczema and psoriasis—it’s time to end the suffering without the concerns of side effects.

THE NEXT STAGE
Bodewell is based and incubated in our Santa Monica office. Like the other companies we’re creating in partnership with P&G, we’ll be watching the Bodewell progress along the way, with the potential to eventually incorporate it into one of P&G’s own business units or spin it off into its own independent entity.

M13’s first internal innovation plays at the intersection of wellness, beauty, and performance. There is no shortage of serums, supplements, dusts and drops for a segment that embraces alternative forms of health and beauty and the celebration of self-care. The wellness and beauty category is disproportionately serving a more affluent audience—Rae makes this category accessible to all.

In a category that often caters to the 1%, Rae is passionately inclusive. Rae is simple, explicit, clean, and functional. Designed for women, by women, Rae uses powerful ingredient combinations to give women everything they need and nothing they don’t. 

We created Rae, an omni-channel women’s wellness and beauty business that will serve women through direct-to-consumer with a keen focus on retail partnerships. Rae uses high quality, natural ingredients in capsules, powders, and drops, aiding sleep, stimulating metabolism, boosting energy, and more. In a culture that rewards those that have “arrived”, Rae is fueling the momentum of women on their way.

THE NEXT STAGE
Rae is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. M13 will support Rae via both our Launchpad and Propulsion resources to help significantly accelerate the pace of their growth.

The M13 Launchpad is excited to announce a new Founder-in-Residence (FIR) program, with sponsorship from PepsiCo! We are seeking a select group of FIRs to join us in our first cohort as we ideate and build new Health & Wellness concepts targeted towards democratizing access to wellness.

The FIR program provides a unique, accessible pathway into founding your next venture, as we work alongside FIRs on a 3-month journey to develop new concepts and validate propositions in-market as part of our broad ecosystem of support. Founders will be equipped with the resources and talent needed to both strategize and execute on new concept development – with the ultimate strategy and approach to company building resting in the hands of the founders themselves.

As an incoming FIR, you are passionate about health and wellness, and our mission to democratize access to wellness solutions. You’ve developed deep expertise, and have thrived in fast-paced, limited resource environments. A successful cohort will require breadth and depth of expertise across marketing, product design and development, data analytics, operations, finance, and more. We are seeking collaborative founders who will take full advantage of Launchpad’s ecosystem and co-founding teams to build scalable solutions with the potential to have a meaningful impact on consumers’ lives.

Want to learn more? 

Application Link

PepsiCo Signs On to Sponsor New Founder-in-Residence program at M13

Evolving the Venture Studio Model with PepsiCo