Eterna Regeneratives, founded in 2024 by Khaled Eissa and Dr Sherif Elsharkawy, is a King's College London spinout that has closed a $4 million seed funding round to advance a keratin-based material for tooth repair. The investment was led by Hoxton Ventures and The Venture Collective to move the technology from laboratory proof of concept toward commercial products. The company is initially targeting enamel repair in the $43 billion global oral care market before expanding into bone regeneration.
A Widespread Oral Health Challenge
Tooth decay affects nearly 90 percent of adults between 20 and 64 and around 46 percent of children, according to figures cited by the company. Unlike many other tissues, tooth enamel cannot naturally regenerate once it is lost, leaving patients vulnerable to sensitivity, cavities and pain. Current options such as fluoride only strengthen existing enamel, while resin fillings patch damage rather than rebuild the tooth, and Eterna believes its approach can better protect against decay.
How the Keratin Technology Works
The Eterna platform uses keratin, a protein sourced from human hair or sheep's wool, to stimulate mineralisation on the tooth surface. When applied and mixed with minerals present in saliva, the material generates a thick mineral coating that closely mimics natural enamel. The approach is designed to work with the body's own chemistry rather than simply protecting the tooth from further damage.
Scientific Validation and Cost Advantage
Laboratory experiments on extracted tooth samples showed a new, enamel-like layer forming directly on the tooth surface after treatment. The treated samples recovered hardness and mechanical strength close to levels found in native healthy enamel, and the technology demonstrated an ability to reduce abrasion. Eterna also reports that the approach is significantly cheaper than alternatives, delivering treatment at a fraction of the cost.
Seed Funding and Investor Confidence
The $4 million seed round was co-led by Hoxton Ventures and The Venture Collective, two investors focused on early-stage science and health innovation. Hoxton Ventures partner Hussein Kanji described the company as a leader in powerful, defensible science with a capital-efficient route to market. Gina Kirch, founding partner at The Venture Collective, said Eterna is moving beyond symptom management to help the body restore tissue more fully.
Commercial Ambitions in Oral Care
Eterna aims to embed its keratin-based material into widely used products such as toothpaste or an applied gel for enamel repair. Working from new lab space in Canary Wharf, the company is expanding its research and commercial teams while building relationships with oral care companies, professional partners and consumer health groups. Its goal is to deliver a first commercial product in the near term by working with existing product formats and partners.
Beyond Teeth and Into Bone Regeneration
The same patented platform is being developed for bone regeneration, where current treatments often rely on collagen membranes and uncertain regrowth. Preliminary tests suggest that the keratin technology could support the formation of strong, healthy bone. This broader application forms part of the company's pipeline beyond its initial oral care beachhead, with further intellectual property in development.
By combining a widely available protein with the body's own mineralisation processes, Eterna Regeneratives is positioning itself to address a common and costly health problem. The seed investment provides the resources to scale laboratory findings into consumer-ready solutions and to explore additional regenerative applications in tissue and bone. If clinical and commercial progress continues, the company's approach could reshape how enamel loss and bone damage are treated.