🦄 Unicorner Startup of the Week:

Tempo Therapeutics

✍️ Notes from the Editors

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Stick around for all of today’s deep dive—in addition to our usual analysis, we’ve included a series of insights straight from the Tempo team.

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Regenerating organs and tissues

Tempo is a tissue engineering company developing biomaterials for regenerative medicine. Its Microporous Annealed Particle, or MAP, technology, is a first-of-its-kind liquid gel that promotes tissue regeneration while minimizing inflammation and scarring.

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💰 Business Model

Tempo operates as a medical device company, focusing on developing and deploying its MAP technology for surgical applications with a focus on skin cancer surgery, abdominal wall reconstruction, and head and neck procedures. To achieve this, Tempo has established partnerships with major medical distributors, including Johnson & Johnson, and plans for future vertical integration into sales and marketing.

📈 Traction and Fundraising

• Raised $19 million in equity funding to date with a $12 million Series A in 2024 

• Raised $5.5 million in non-dilutive funding from NIH and SBIR grants 

• Ongoing first-in-human clinical trials for post-surgical applications in non-melanoma skin cancer treatment

• Extensive preclinical validation, with 30 real-world veterinary cases demonstrating successful tissue healing

• Gearing up for a $20-30 million Series B round to bring its skin cancer surgical reconstruction product through FDA approval

📖 Founder Story

Tempo CEO Dr. Weaver and CSO Dr. Griffin met on UCLA’s bioengineering intramural soccer team, sparking a collaboration between tissue engineering and microfluidics. Alongside co-inventors Philip Scumpia, Tatiana Segura, and Dr. Dino Di Carlo, they developed a novel scaffold made of tiny, loosely packed hydrogel particles that allowed cells to grow and heal more effectively. They refined the technology and demonstrated its potential in Di Carlo’s lab with leftover grant funding from other projects. With mentorship from Di Carlo, a serial biotech entrepreneur, and business classes at UCLA Anderson, Weaver transitioned their research into Tempo Therapeutics, turning their scientific breakthrough into a real-world solution.

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🔮 Our Analysis

Tempo stands out as a biotech innovator and future unicorn for multiple reasons. According to Tempo, it is entering a high-value, underserved market in skin surgical oncology, with an initial opportunity of $1.5 billion and over 300,000 patients in need of better surgical reconstruction solutions annually. It also claims many of these patients undergo costly, complex surgeries with high complication rates (25%) and long recovery periods exceeding 200 days. Existing treatments are often ineffective, leaving a gap for a superior, next-generation solution like Tempo’s offering. 

Tempo’s MAP technology represents a paradigm shift in surgical reconstruction. Unlike traditional healing materials, which are usually solid gels, MAP is a liquid gel that flows into wounds, integrates with the body, and helps tissues heal faster with less scarring. The technology has been extensively researched, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and strong patent protection supported by UCLA. Importantly, there is currently no FDA-approved product designed specifically for surgical skin cancer surgical reconstruction, giving Tempo the first-mover advantage.

Tempo has already enrolled 40 patients in first-in-human clinical trials for TT101, its leading pipeline candidate for skin cancer surgical reconstruction. The company is on track to begin pivotal clinical trials in 2026 and estimates an FDA submission in late 2027. Preclinical data from 30 real-world veterinary cases demonstrated significant improvements in surgical reconstruction and tissue regeneration, reinforcing its potential for clinical success. With additional pipeline products targeting abdominal wall reconstruction (TT108) and head and neck procedures (TT401), Tempo is well-positioned for long-term growth and diversification.

Beyond its current applications, Tempo’s MAP technology has potential in other lucrative markets, including aesthetic fillers (a $4 billion market), cell therapy for diabetes, and next-generation vaccines. Additionally, the company is expanding into abdominal wall reconstruction and head and neck procedures, unlocking multi-billion-dollar growth potential. 

Tempo combines a high-growth market, cutting-edge technology, and clinical validation. With a clear roadmap to regulatory approval and commercialization, the company is well-positioned to become a leading force in regenerative medicine and surgical innovation.

🚀 Insights from Tempo Therapeutics

We spoke with Dr. Di Carlo and Dr. Weaver to understand the journey behind Tempo Therapeutics—what it took to bring its biomaterial innovations to market, the challenges of commercialization, and the lessons learned along the way. Here are our takeaways.

Simplicity Drives Commercial Success

According to Dr. Di Carlo, the simplest ideas often hold the most commercial promise. Complex technologies tend to be cost-prohibitive, making scalability difficult. For Tempo, the key was refining its biomaterials to be both effective and manufacturable at scale. The chemistry behind the MAP technology was essential—ensuring it would be effective while meeting regulatory and manufacturing requirements.

Strategic Partnerships and Market Fit

One of Tempo’s most promising use cases is strengthening surgical repairs, an area that attracted the interest of major industry players like Johnson & Johnson. By focusing on a clear commercial pathway—developing the technology to a certain stage and then distributing it through established partners—Tempo streamlined its go-to-market strategy.

Navigating Manufacturing and FDA Hurdles

Manufacturing was initially a critical bottleneck. Meeting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards required constant back-and-forth with the FDA. One challenge was that gamma radiation, a common way to sterilize medical devices after packaging, wasn’t an option because it damaged the materials. Tempo had to work closely with manufacturers and regulators to refine its production process, balancing safety with product integrity.

Real-World Proof: Veterinary Cases

One of the most compelling aspects of Tempo’s technology was its real-world veterinary applications. The biomaterial was tested on 30 veterinary cases—dogs, cats, and even two horses—with severe wounds, some exposing bone and tendons. The results showed tissue regeneration, full healing, and fur regrowth, demonstrating the materials’ effectiveness in complex, non-ideal healing environments.

Translational Science & Risk-Taking

Dr. Di Carlo has always approached research with a translational medicine mindset—focusing on solving real-world problems rather than pursuing science for its own sake. From his first year running his lab in 2008, he emphasized the importance of impact-driven innovation. As Westbrook put it:

This perspective resonated deeply with Weaver, who saw the potential for his work to create tangible change. He summed it up simply:

Today, this translational ethos is embedded into Tempo’s innovation system. Co-founder and CSO Dr. Griffin now runs a lab at the University of Virginia, where he continues to develop cutting-edge biomaterial technologies. Tempo seeks to commercialize MAP technology innovations, refining and scaling them for real-world clinical applications. This dual structure, where the lab focuses on fundamental breakthroughs while the company ensures its path from bench to bedside, creates a continuous pipeline of innovation that blends academic exploration with patient impact.

Funding & the Power of Validation

The company’s first major funding came from an NIH grant of $250,000. Securing this grant wasn’t just about the money—it provided a stamp of credibility that made it easier to attract private investors.

Endurance in Entrepreneurship

Dr. Weaver, an endurance runner, compared the startup journey to long-distance racing:

Tempo’s journey embodies this mindset. In less than 12 months, it progressed from an initial idea to submitting its first paper to Nature—a testament to the team’s relentless pace and commitment. For Tempo, persistence, adaptability, and a clear vision for translational impact have been the driving forces behind its success.

📚 Further reading

• 🦄 TurboSBIR [Unicorner]

• Tempo Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in Clinical Trial of TT101 For Tissue Repair in Skin Cancer Surgery [Biospace]

• Tempo Therapeutics Secures Series A Financing to Advance Cutting-Edge Tissue Scaffold Products into Clinical Trials [PR Newswire]

Written by Neo Phuchane

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Unicorner has been compensated by RYSE for publicizing the offering of RYSE’s crowdfunding round. Read the full 17(b) disclosure on our website.

Nothing in this email constitutes investment or legal advice. Readers should conduct their own research before making investment decisions.