Michael Polansky, the entrepreneur and Harvard graduate engaged to global superstar Lady Gaga, is drawing attention for a biotechnology venture taking an unconventional approach to the future of skincare and pharmaceutical research.
Polansky is the co-founder of Outer Biosciences, a company developing technology that allows researchers to study living human skin tissue outside the body. Founded in 2022 alongside Kyung-Jin Jang, Chris Hinojosa, and Stanley King, the company has raised approximately $23 million from Silicon Valley venture firms.
At the heart of Outer Biosciences’ approach is human skin obtained from plastic-surgery procedures. The company sources what it describes as full-thickness human skin and maintains the tissue alive for an extended period, allowing researchers to examine how different molecules and ingredients interact with human skin.
The approach could offer pharmaceutical and beauty companies a more sophisticated way to evaluate potential ingredients before they reach consumers.
A New Model for Skin Research
Traditional cosmetic and pharmaceutical development often relies on laboratory models that cannot fully reproduce the complexity of living human tissue. Outer Biosciences is attempting to bridge that gap by creating a research environment based on actual human skin.
Its technology allows scientists to investigate biological mechanisms and assess how specific chemicals affect skin health. According to the company, this could help brands identify promising ingredients and better understand their effects without relying exclusively on conventional laboratory or animal-based approaches.
Outer Biosciences works with pharmaceutical and beauty companies, positioning its technology at the intersection of biotechnology, dermatological research, and next-generation cosmetics.
A Business Partnership Beyond the Spotlight
Polansky’s connection to Lady Gaga has naturally brought additional public attention to the company. However, the entrepreneur has emphasized that his fiancée is also a highly capable business leader in her own right.
Gaga launched Haus Labs in 2019, building a beauty brand around makeup products designed with skincare-focused ingredients. Polansky has praised her commercial instincts and described a side of Gaga that he believes the public does not always see.
Lady Gaga also serves on the board of Outer Biosciences, creating an unusual connection between the entertainment, beauty, and biotechnology worlds.
Her involvement reflects a broader convergence taking place across the beauty industry, where scientific research and biotechnology are increasingly influencing product development, ingredient discovery, and consumer expectations.
From Silicon Valley to the Global Stage
Polansky’s entrepreneurial background extends beyond biotechnology. He has also been involved in Gaga’s business operations and played a role in managing her large-scale global touring operation, which began in July 2025.
He compared the tour to a 200-person startup that travels around the world every day, highlighting the complex organizational and logistical demands behind a global entertainment operation.
Polansky and Gaga became engaged during a hiking trip in April 2024. Gaga later revealed that Polansky asked for her approval before formally proposing, describing the moment as characteristically thoughtful.
The couple has kept many details of their wedding plans private, although Gaga has indicated that they intend to marry soon.
Where Biotechnology Meets Beauty
Outer Biosciences represents a growing trend in which biotechnology is moving closer to the consumer beauty industry. As brands seek more effective, scientifically supported products, technologies capable of providing deeper insight into human biology could become increasingly valuable.
For Polansky, the venture represents an opportunity to build something at the intersection of science, technology, and commercial innovation. For Gaga, her involvement adds an important perspective from the beauty and consumer-brand world.
Whether Outer Biosciences ultimately reshapes how skincare ingredients are developed remains to be seen. But its approach demonstrates how advances in biotechnology are creating new possibilities for understanding human skin—and potentially redefining the science behind the products people use every day.
