Virus-fighting startup Singlet closed a $10 million Series A investment round and is now selling its pathogen-killing face masks in Amazon.
The Seattle company was also selected by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to join its Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative. The program provides startups with DARPA support to advance technologies that can help U.S. national security.
Singletto has developed what it calls Oxafence Active Protection, a technology that uses methylene blue, a chemical known for its ability to kill viruses, bacteria and fungi. It is also relatively safe for humans, as methylene blue is used to treat several health problems.
Oxafence tests showed that 99.9% of specific viral strains were inactivated within five minutes of contact with a face mask treated with the product. The technology has potential for use in a wide variety of healthcare items.
Singletto received FDA approval for Oxafence last year.
As part of the Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative program, infectious disease expert Kelli Blaize-Wise will partner closely with Singletto to consider these other uses.
“It is exciting to work with Singletto to advance the company’s first commercial product, which is currently the only FDA-approved mask in the U.S. that inactivates tested viruses,” Blaize-Wise said in a statement. declaration.
“We are also actively exploring applications in warfighter protection, wound care and other areas where this platform could offer real value,” she added.
The launch of Singletto masks on Amazon comes at a fortuitous time, as flu and COVID infections rise in the winter.
“Moving to Amazon is an important step for us,” said the CEO John Bjornson. “Our intention is to be able to reach nurses who do not have access to these options through their employers, as well as other people and families who have that extra concern and are looking for something that gives them more confidence.”
A box of 50 American-made Oxafence masks is currently offered on Amazon for $38. Prices for competing products vary widely—the same amount of US-made BNX N95 masks cost almost $40, while similar masks from China are available for less than $20.
Singletto launched in 2020 and its co-founders have deep roots in healthcare and entrepreneurship in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Tom Lendvaychief physician, is a pediatric urologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a professor at the University of Washington. Dr.scientific director, is a former neurosurgeon who previously launched an oncology research company.
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