Teal Bio Raises $2.45 Million in Series A Funding

Teal Bio Inc. is 2.45 million richer these days, thanks to a Series A financing round.

Led by Caligan Partners LP and with participation from seed investor Innocreative Capital, the money will help the company further develop its reusable respiratory mask product and seek regulatory approval for the solution. The company’s patent-pending respirator platform is safe, cost-efficient, transparent, and creates significantly less waste than traditional single-use masks, including N95s. The mask’s body, which is made of transparent medical-grade silicone, can be sanitized with alcohol wipes and reused. The replaceable filters—made of a substantially biodegradable blend that creates less waste and takes up less space than disposable N95 masks—snap in place and are replaced daily. 
 
“The need for PPE is not going away and we need better, more environmentally friendly solutions for healthcare workers,” said Tony Casciano, CEO of Teal Bio. “Even though disposable N95 masks have been helpful during the pandemic to protect healthcare workers, they have significant limitations. They are notoriously uncomfortable, contribute to the millions of tons of plastic medical waste in our environment every year and can significantly degrade essential communication while caring for patients. Our reusable respirator system is being designed to give healthcare workers respiratory protection that is comfortable, cost-effective, sustainable and less obtrusive.”

Teal Bio claims its masks offer significant improvements in comfort, communication, and conservation in personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. 

“The environmental impact of disposable masks, including single-use N95s, which are mainly composed of non-recyclable plastic, is significant. We are proud to be leading the Series A financing for a novel, cost-effective, environmentally friendly approach to improving protection for hospital workers, patients and the environment and have great confidence in Tony and the Teal Bio team to execute on the substantial opportunity,” said Dave Johnson, managing partner, Caligan Partners LP.
 
Teal Bio Inc. is a Massachusetts-based developer of reusable respiratory personal protective equipment. The company operates out of Greentown Labs, the largest climatetech incubator in North America.