Bengaluru-based personalised prescription skincare startup Formial Labs has raised Rs 2.88 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Zeropearl VC, with participation from angel investors including Aarti Gill, founder of OZiva and Giga Capital, and Arvind Radhakrishnan, director of partnerships at Social Alpha. Doctors Sushil Selvarajan, Ashok Ray Chaudhury, Shekhar Neema and Dipti Thakur also participated.
The company plans to use the capital to expand its clinical team and consultation capacity, improve its technology for diagnosis and treatment personalisation, broaden its skin and hair care formulations, and grow distribution through its own platform, dermatologist clinics and pharmacy partners.
Founded by Dr Jeet Patel, Formial combines digital consultations, clinician-reviewed treatment plans and customised formulations for concerns such as acne, pigmentation, scarring and signs of ageing. Rather than selling only standardised products, the company adjusts formulations and follow-up care to individual needs.
- Formial Reports 5,000 Formulations and 40% Monthly Growth
Formial says it has distributed more than 5,000 formulations across over 87 SKUs and is recording 40% month-on-month growth. Repeat customers contribute 40% of its business, according to the company.
These figures offer an early view of customer traction, particularly in a category where treatment continuity can matter as much as the initial purchase. Repeat business may help support a recurring-revenue model, although the company has not publicly disclosed revenue, customer acquisition costs or profitability alongside the funding announcement.
The startup has also conducted two peer-reviewed clinical studies, including a randomised controlled trial involving one of its formulations. It says its work is supported by proprietary base-vehicle technology and quality-assurance frameworks. Formial also holds LegitScript certifications for pharmacy and telehealth services.
- Why Zeropearl VC Backed the Startup
Zeropearl VC founder and managing partner Bipin Shah said the firm was drawn to Formial’s science-led approach, prescription-based formulations and ongoing patient care. He also pointed to the repeat business the startup has built in less than two years.
The investment comes as skincare brands increasingly compete on personalisation and treatment outcomes, rather than product variety alone. For Formial, the next challenge will be to scale clinical consultations and customised production without compromising treatment oversight or quality.
That balance is central to the business model: growth depends not only on acquiring customers, but also on maintaining trust, delivering consistent formulations and supporting patients over time.
