MIMETICS, a startup providing skincare and medical solutions through biomimetic technology, announced that it has secured seed round investment from FuturePlay and Mashup Ventures. The investment amount was not disclosed.
Founded in 2019 as a student startup at Sungkyunkwan University, MIMETICS has strengthened its R&D capabilities over the past five years in collaboration with Professor Chang-hyun Bang from the Department of Chemical and Polymer Engineering and his research team, building a solid foundation of research data. To date, the company has completed four technology transfers from Sungkyunkwan University and filed over 30 domestic and international patents, driving commercialization forward.
MIMETICS discovered that the microscopic three-dimensional dome structure of octopus suction cups generates physical negative pressure, enabling adhesion regardless of environmental or surface conditions. In particular, the 3D dome structure maintains excellent adhesion even in challenging environments such as water, silicone oil, and humid skin.
Based on this principle, the company developed a wearable patch for transdermal drug delivery. By applying negative pressure to create microchannels in the stratum corneum, the patch enables the penetration of drugs that traditionally struggled to pass through the skin barrier. As a result, the penetration depth of larger molecules—those over 500 Daltons, such as hyaluronic acid and peptides—can be increased by up to threefold, enhancing therapeutic effectiveness.
Hyung-gi Park, CEO of MIMETICS, stated, “Our safe, nature-inspired skin adhesion technology can be applied across multiple industries, including cosmetics, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. This year, through our own brand ForAdore, we plan to focus on Pore Science by introducing a focused beauty program for effective skin care via drug delivery, along with the PDC (Pore Door Controller™) product lineup.”
Mo Sang-hyun, Executive Director at FuturePlay and lead investor, commented, “MIMETICS’ biomimetic core technology not only holds technical value with its superior drug delivery efficacy but also carries the brand value of nature itself. By leveraging these values, the company has the potential to expand into new categories such as Skin Stimulator and reshape the beauty market, which is why we decided to invest.”
With this investment, MIMETICS also announced plans to recruit designers and strategic planners to strengthen both its ODM and OBM businesses, while continuing to attract top talent.
Reporter: Min-jeong Kim
