Revolutionizing Skincare Through Biotech: An Interview with Mother Science CEO Jessica Goldin
We are thrilled to welcome the latest addition to the Female Founders Fund portfolio, Mother Science — a revolutionary biotech skincare brand founded by Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, violinist Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger, and beauty industry veteran Jessica Goldin.
Today Mother Science announces their $6.2M seed round led by Female Founders Fund with participation from Defy VC, Founders Fund, KarpReilly, H Venture Partners, NewBound Ventures, BFG Partners, Tuesday Capital, Olive Capital, Liquid 2 Ventures, and Hawktail — along with the launch of their first proprietary product, Molecular Hero Serum.
We spoke with CEO and co-founder Jessica Goldin about why she joined the team, how Mother Science differs from other skincare brands, the process of developing their patented compound Malassezin, her long-term vision for the brand, and more. Read the full interview below.
What was the inception of the idea behind Mother Science? How did the brand begin?
My co-founders are Mike Einziger, founding guitarist of the rock band Incubus, and renowned violinist Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger. Although they are best known as musicians, they both have a science background. In 2016 when Ann Marie was on tour in India, she developed a harmless skin condition that led to lightened patches of skin on her back. She had a hypothesis: could whatever was causing the lightened skin on her back be used to intentionally reduce the appearance of dark spots on her face? She and Mike assembled a team of leading scientists, and together, over the course of six years, they uncovered the power of Malassezin, a naturally occurring molecule found on skin. They were able to recreate Malassezin through biotechnology, and harness it to develop a revolutionary serum, which led to the inception of Mother Science.
How did you get connected to Mike and Ann Marie? What excited you about joining them as CEO and Co-Founder?
Brian Lee, the Co-Founder of Honest Company and Co-Founder of BAM Ventures, introduced me to Mike and Ann Marie. When I met them, they had a patented, breakthrough ingredient and a serum formula, backed by years of extensive research & development — the Mother Science brand didn’t yet exist. I was really excited to build a new skincare brand based on cutting-edge science and biotechnology. And after trying the serum for just a few weeks myself, I knew it was going to be a game changer.
Can you share a bit about your background as a 20-year beauty industry veteran? What expertise do you hope to bring to Mother Science?
Prior to Mother Science I was the Founding CEO of Shani Darden Skin Care, and held senior leadership and marketing roles at Beautycounter, Murad, Clinique, and Victoria’s Secret Beauty. I also have an MBA from Harvard Business School. The combination of having launched multi-million dollar products globally for large, established brands and also scaling early stage companies has given me a unique perspective. I’m able to pair big picture strategy with the scrappiness required to build a new brand from the ground up.
What makes Mother Science’s first product — Molecular Hero Serum — so unique? How does it work and what clinical results have you found so far?
Molecular Hero Serum is the first and only product to feature Malassezin, a breakthrough ingredient that is a 10x more powerful antioxidant than Vitamin C with radical results in dark spot reduction. Our serum dramatically reduces the appearance of dark spots and sun damage for an overall brighter, more youthful-looking complexion. In clinical trials, in just 4 weeks:
- 100% of participants had a reduction in the appearance of dark spots
- 100% saw brighter, smoother skin
- 100% had a visible improvement in lines and wrinkles
- 94% said their skin looked more youthful
What is so novel about Malassezin?
It’s rare to bring a truly novel ingredient to market. Most skincare formulas leverage existing ingredients. Malassezin had never been used before in skincare, or in any type of formula, so we were able to patent its use all over the world. Additionally, Malassezin is highly efficacious because it works across multiple pathways: it targets hyperpigmentation in three ways, is a 10x more potent antioxidant than Vitamin C, and it improves the skin moisture barrier, enabling powerful results without irritation.
Mother Science underwent six years of efficacy and safety testing to develop its patented compound, Malessezin. Can you share a little about what this process was like?
Before moving into clinical trials on our serum we conducted rigorous studies to understand the efficacy of Malassezin. We performed hundreds of cell based assays including the gold standard 3D skin model, Melanoderm. We conducted two studies on ex vivo human skin analyzing the gene expression of over 22k genes per sample. We also did two in person clinical trials. One of the trials spanned five months and included facial biopsies, which is above and beyond the industry standard.
What was your fundraising experience like? Why did you choose Female Founders Fund as your lead investor?
We are so grateful to have an incredible group of investors, including Female Founders Fund as our lead investor. Anu believed in our vision, and as a female-led brand, we were very aligned with her focus on investing in female founders. We also appreciate the way FFF connects its brand founders to one another and the resources it provides to its portfolio companies. FFF has built an incredible network of founders and brands, and we are honored to be a part of it.
What is your plan for this round of funding? What will it be used to build out?
Our seed funding will be used for marketing, building out the team, and R&D for future products. As a science-focused brand, R&D and innovation will continue to be a priority for us.
Where do you see an opportunity for Mother Science to stand out in the saturated skincare market?
We believe biotechnology and cutting-edge science are the future of skincare, and we are at the forefront of that. Additionally, we have a product that delivers real results and is backed by true science. We are excited for consumers to try the product and see the dramatic results for themselves.
What is the long-term vision for Mother Science?
Our long-term vision for Mother Science is to be a leader in the beauty industry, known for our innovation and efficacy. As a brand born out of curiosity and a passion for science, we also aim to build a community of citizen scientists who are interested in learning and sharing knowledge.
