As he was concerned about health hazards resulting from the use of aluminium salts in the world of cosmetics, David Menetrier, a 2014 ENSCL graduate and cosmetic and plant-oriented chemical engineer, decided to launch his company, Phisao. The company, created in 2019, has developed its own active ingredient to make a natural, organic, and aluminium salt-free antiperspirant deodorant,
“We managed to create a formula with an innovative plant active ingredient. We have already filed the patent, but it is now a matter of officially validating our results with an external clinical study laboratory for this summer. We already have good results internally,” explains David.
The company was the winner of the French Tech Springboard Competition and selected for the complementary phases of support. After two previous grants of €17k and €30k, Phisao wants to raise a further €50k in funding.
Because of the long time needed to join forces with renowned industrialists, David has opted to apply for the provisional patent in order to lock in the intellectual property of his active ingredient and to be able to quickly offer his anti-perspirant product on the market. Meanwhile, he has entered into discussions with manufacturers to sell it to large groups.
“The problem of aluminium salts has been going on for years. There is nothing on the market to override its use despite the concerns of clinical teams. That’s how the idea of launching my own cosmetics company came about,” says David.
David recommends that future chemists who want to get started should communicate as much as possible about their project in order to get feedback and opinions to make it evolve and judge its potential on the market.
If the clinical study is validated, the presale of its first deodorant will take place by the end of the summer.