When you live with a recurring scalp issue, the hardest part isn’t the itch or the flakes. It’s the confusion. One appointment says dermatitis, the next says psoriasis, and the pharmacy aisle becomes a guessing game. That cycle is what pushed Whole Tech’s founder to sketch an idea on the back of a pharmacy receipt: take one photo, get an explainable pre-diagnosis, then receive practical guidance that fits how clinics and insurers already work. That rough sketch became SKNR.
From frustration to a focused solution
SKNR is built for a very specific problem: reliable, fast triage for scalp conditions that patients and providers can trust. A single photo prompts an explainable AI assessment that shows why the result was produced, not just what it says. The output includes suggested next steps, product guidance, and referral recommendations. Because it’s B2B-first, SKNR integrates directly into clinic and insurer workflows, so teams don’t have to change how they operate to get the benefit.
Proof that goes beyond marketing
Whole Tech made academic rigor part of the plan from day one. SKNR has been presented at IEEE BIBM ’24 and BIOMRH ’25, adding peer-reviewed credibility to the technical claims. The company joined Innovit Cohort 13 in San Francisco, received a SEIUNSA grant and the NVIDIA Inception grant, and was a DigithON ’25 finalist. Visibility at Web Summit Qatar and Vancouver opened early B2B conversations with clinics, pharmacies, and payers. In pilots, a dermatology lead summarized the value simply: “SKNR helps us triage faster and gives patients clear expectations before the visit.” That line has become a north star: throughput for clinics, clarity for patients.
What makes SKNR different
Most tools fall into two camps: generic symptom checkers for consumers or full telederm platforms that don’t scale well for triage. SKNR is scalp-focused, explainable, and designed to work across skin tones. It unifies pre-diagnosis, product guidance, and specialist referrals in one workflow-ready platform. It is not a black box. It shows its reasoning, supports consistent decisions, and hands doctors the context they need to move faster with confidence.
Where they are headed next
Whole Tech is scaling across the US and MENA with insurer and public-health integrations that measure the outcomes that matter: time to care, accurate routing, and reduced unnecessary consults. Product development is extending from scalp to broader dermatology, with exploration of multispectral add-ons. Every move is tied to clinical KPIs and regulatory readiness. Partnerships with clinics, pharmacies, and insurers guide integrations, pricing, and evidence plans, with priority given to teams that share a focus on measurable impact.
At Labena Ventures, we’re proud to stand beside Whole Tech as they bring clarity and innovation to digital dermatology. Our role is to support their journey; providing strategic guidance, access to the right networks, and a community of investors who believe in their mission. Whole Tech is leading the charge, and we’re here to make sure they have the backing and momentum to keep moving forward with confidence.