Function of Beauty

Alumni Q&A

How did your company get started? (i.e., How did the founders meet? How did you come up with the idea? How did you decide to be a founder?)

The company was founded by two MIT graduates, Zahir Dossa and Josh Maciejewski, along with cosmetic chemist Hien Nguyen. Dossa, an engineer, saw the beauty industry as relying on broad categories rather than individual needs, and the team combined backgrounds in supply chain, sustainability, and data science to build customized, made-to-order formulas driven by an algorithm.

What's the history of your company from getting started until the present day? What were the big inflection points?

The founders built a production facility and algorithm that let customers co-create custom hair care formulas made fresh and shipped directly to them. After establishing a direct-to-consumer business, they expanded toward omni-channel retail, and in 2020 introduced an at-home concept allowing customers to mix their own custom shampoo and conditioner.

What is the core problem you are solving? Why is this a big problem? What made you decide to work on it?

The founders aim to address the lack of personalization in beauty products by offering fully customized formulas for individual hair and skin goals. They developed proprietary technology and manufacturing capability to produce custom formulas at scale, which they present as a more sustainable approach to consumption.

What is your long-term vision? If you truly succeed, what will be different about the world?

The founders view customization as the future of beauty and a response to increasingly varied consumer needs. They intend to broaden access to custom hair, skin, and body formulas over the coming years.