Patina: Revolutionizing the Fragrance Industry with Innovative Scent Molecules
Fragrance technology company Patina says it has raised $2 million from investors including Betaworks and True Ventures.
Patina, a forward-thinking fragrance technology company, is on a mission to disrupt the traditional scent industry. They are pioneering the creation of new odorous molecules through advanced molecular design, machine learning, and olfactory research. Traditionally, the development of odor molecules has been dominated by a few specialized laboratories. These labs then sell their creations to perfume houses or cosmetics companies, which transform them into perfumes, candles, and flavored products. Patina aims to innovate in a field that has seen limited change over the past fifty years.
The Visionaries Behind Patina
Founded by Sean Raspet and Laura Sisson, Patina brings a unique blend of artistry and scientific expertise to the fragrance world. Raspet, an artist and perfumer, cultivated an obsession with human senses, leading him to explore the creation of new perfume and flavor molecules. Sisson, with a background in food and software engineering, discovered her fascination with the human senses after learning about the scientific field dedicated to modeling them. The duo met at an olfactory art gallery in New York in 2024, where Raspet was showcasing new molecules and Sisson was developing olfactory learning models.
“We started collaborating on research and it became clear that the time was right to finally create the tools to understand odors at a biological level,” Raspet told TechCrunch. “It looked like a business.”
Innovative Approach to Fragrance Creation
Patina launched last year, working on a foundational model called Sense1. This model aims to replicate olfactory receptors in the nose, establishing what they describe as “the first universal code for smell and taste.” Traditional descriptors like “floral” or “woody” can vary in interpretation. By working at the receptor level, Patina can create “molecules never felt before” and recreate the world’s rarest natural ingredients. Patina is already in discussions with top perfume houses and fashion brands to produce custom fragrances. This comes at a time when consumers are seeking “newer, safer, more expressive scents,” according to Sisson.
The current supply chain issues, such as the rising costs and production challenges of ingredients like rose oil, present an opportunity for synthetic alternatives. Patina’s molecules can biologically simulate rose oil’s scent, bypassing the need for plant extraction. “These replications are less carbon intensive than the original plant extract, consuming significantly less water and petrochemicals,” Raspet said.
Intellectual Property and Market Position
In the fragrance sector, only fragrance molecules can be patented, not the formulas themselves, which allows for easy replication. This generally benefits large perfume houses with the resources to develop numerous olfactory variations. However, AI has made these processes more affordable and faster, enabling smaller companies like Patina to create custom fragrance ingredients quickly.
“We believe that by expanding the palette, perfumers and spicers at all levels will be able to develop and protect their style,” Raspet said.
AI and the Future of Fragrance
AI is transforming various aspects of the perfume industry, including phasing out animal testing by accurately predicting human skin reactions. Understanding primary odors at the molecular level was once thought far-fetched, but AI is facilitating breakthroughs in this area. The new funding has allowed Patina to relocate to an office in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and expand their team of chemists. It will also support the launch of new molecules and partnerships.
“All models need data to learn, and we have been able to fund collaborations with startups and academic labs to collect this receptor activation data. At the same time, we believe that more detailed simulation of the interactions of molecules with odor receptors will provide a huge opportunity for scale-up,” Raspet added.
A Vision for the Future
Patina’s long-term goal is to create a “Pantone for fragrance,” akin to the universal color matching system used in design and manufacturing, establishing key odor molecules to create any smell or flavor. “The information has always been there, waiting for technology to catch up and a team with the right combination of expertise and obsession to unlock it,” Raspet said. “These ideas can now become reality, with Patina as the underlying intelligence layer.”
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