innovators who transform cameras into powerful measurement tools to deliver unparalleled mobile and e-commerce solutions
first to enable smartphones to measure color and materials properties without any additional hardware
global leader in mobile skin imaging and analysis, delivering accurate and consistent data on skin tones and condition
transform the way cameras see the world to deliver better data, better AI, and better outcomes
empower consumers and commercial partners with high-value data, apps, SDKs, AI algorithms and services
enhance the ability of cameras and AI algorithms to serve people of color
PhD in spectroscopy/ microscopy. Science & tech entrepreneur and investor. 20 years of experience managing startups & large companies
experienced in branding, marketing, and go-to-market strategy. 10+ years in cosmetics & skincare, including LVMH, L Catterton, and MBX
15+ years in beauty, including M.A.C, MBX, bareMinerals, Becca Cosmetics
25+ years of VP, GM, EVP & CEO experience for Fortune 50 & private tech companies
PhD in high power plasmas. Former CTO of Lumileds, Inc. 25 years of VP/GM, CTO & CEO experience. CEO & Co-founder of Scion Photonics
15+ years in SaaS, Cloud & SW Engineering
co-Founder and creative lead at BeautyCounter
what is an ‘active illuminant’?
‘active illuminant’ is our proprietary technology that synchronizes a known illumination source with the camera’s image capture sequence to enable accurate and consistent color and reflectivity measurements.
what problem does our active illuminant address and how does it help?
Cameras cannot distinguish if the light captured by the image sensor is due to the reflectivity of the objects in a scene or is from the lighting in a scene – e.g., is the person in the image standing under a yellow light or is their skin yellow? White balance techniques are used to estimate lighting conditions and adjust image color, but these techniques “guess” based on indirect cues.
Our ‘active illuminant’ serves as a reference light which allows our proprietary algorithms to measure both the reflectivity of objects and the illumination present in a scene – e.g. we can tell if a person is standing under a yellow light or their skin is yellow. Unlike flash photography, we do not attempt to overwhelm the lighting in a scene but instead work in combination with the ambient light to revolutionize the way cameras see the world.
how do we enable conventional cameras to measure color?
For example, photographs at sunset soften details while highlighting skin and warm color tones, while midday sunlight reveals details and highlights whites and blues. The color that cameras perceive is a product of the lighting in a scene and object reflectivity. Auto white balance techniques help, but fall woefully short of providing the color balance necessary for accurate color measurement.
Our proprietary algorithms analyze the image stack to separate out the contributions from object reflectivity and the lighting conditions present in the scene. Once we have a precisely calibrated measure of object reflectivity, we calculate color, and can calculate the color of people or objects under any lighting condition (ambient, D65, D50 …).
how do we improve the ability of cameras and AI to serve people of color?
Deeper skin tones reflect much less light than fair skin tones, and since cameras do not have the dynamic range of the human eye, images of people of color often have low signal quality. HDR can help, but without knowing the lighting conditions, cameras cannot quantify skin tone or reliably provide accurate image data. Unreliable camera data means that AI algorithms such as facial recognition and dermatology apps struggle to serve people of color.
our active illuminant enables cameras to precisely measure the reflectivity of skin which provides the basis for accurate measurements of all skin tones, improves photography, and provides consistent low-noise input data for AI algorithms.
what can reflected light tell us about an object and the condition of an object?
For example, light reflected from skin contains biomarkers of skin condition and overall wellness. Signals such as pigmentation, blood perfusion, blood oxygenation and hydration are present in the spectral reflectivity signatures of skin. Conventional cameras cannot capture this information without adding additional hardware to boost spectral resolution and occluding ambient light to measure object reflectivity.
Our software captures a stack of images while varying the wavelengths and intensities of our active illuminant. Our proprietary algorithms analyze the image stack to separate object reflectivity from ambient light, and provide the spectral signature of object reflectivity at each pixel. Based on the spectral signature of object reflectivity, our proprietary models and AI algorithms are able to extract high value information about objects and their condition. For example, from images of the skin we’re able to map and measure pigmentation, blood perfusion, blood oxygenation and hydration.
what are we currently focusing on?
e-commerce is the fastest growing segment in beauty, but brands & retailers struggle to replicate the in-store experience. Without accurate data on skin, consumers cannot receive expert advice or personalized products that complement their skin.
we’re focused on enabling online search for beauty products, providing personalized product recommendations and capturing high value data. mySkinTM is the world’s first app to accurately measure skin and deliver expert foundation shade and color cosmetics recommendations. Soon we’ll be releasing biomarker based skincare solutions and enabling smartphones to track and measure skin condition over time.
what other services do we provide?
today there is no standardized scientific approach to the development and benchmarking of color cosmetic products, formulation development and quality control.
we offer a spectroscopy-based approach to product and formulation development, proprietary product + skin databases and modeling capabilities optimized for all skin types and tones.
what is in our future?
conventional cameras and smartphones cannot provide accurate data or track changes in skin color, skin condition, and health & wellness over time.
we transform smartphones and cameras into powerful yet simple-to-use measurement devices, enabling them to capture accurate and consistent data day-to-day and week-to-week. We are now working with partners to develop applications in beauty, skincare, dermatology, wellness and healthcare.
our imaging breakthrough applies not just to skin and enables many new applications in e-commerce, object identification, food, horticulture, authentication, security and beyond.
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1729 Seabright Avenue, Suite G, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
1729 Seabright Avenue, Suite G, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
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