London-based biomaterials startup Eterna has secured a £3 million ($4 million) seed round to scale its tooth enamel regeneration platform. The round was jointly led by Hoxton Ventures—known for early investments in Deliveroo and Darktrace—alongside participation from The Venture Collective. Founded in 2024 as a spinout from King’s College London, Eterna uses a patented material derived from keratin found in human hair and sheep’s wool to actively regrow damaged human tooth enamel. The company says this approach could offer a permanent alternative to the temporary surface strengthening provided by standard fluoride. Co-founder Sherif Elsharkawy said the fresh capital will rapidly accelerate the company’s transition from lab proof of concept to commercialization, and Eterna could hit the market as early as the end of the year targeting an initial entry point within the $43 billion global oral care industry.
Tooth enamel regeneration approach
Eterna’s platform relies on a patented keratin-based material sourced from human hair and sheep’s wool. According to the startup, that biological material can actively regrow damaged human tooth enamel, positioning the technology as a restorative option rather than a symptomatic treatment.
Funding, investors and outlook
The £3 million ($4 million) seed round was led by Hoxton Ventures with participation from The Venture Collective. Hussein Kanji, partner at Hoxton Ventures, said: “Eterna is the kind of company we like to back early: powerful, defensible science with a capital-efficient route to market.” Kanji also noted potential exploratory use cases in broader tissue and bone regeneration. Eterna intends to use the funding to accelerate its move from lab proof of concept toward commercialization, with a potential market entry by the end of the year into the global oral care market valued at $43 billion.
