Cipher Skin

01 / WHAT IT BUILT

What the company did

Cipher Skin was a Denver data startup founded in 2017 by co-founders Phillip Bogdanovich, Craig Weller and Shaka Bahadu. Its patented technology, Cipher Mesh, was a network of sensors that could be printed on any textile and wrapped around anything — a human limb, a pipe, a bridge — capturing gapless data on motion and internal metrics and translating it through proprietary software into visualized, actionable diagnostics. In human performance, its BioSleeve and Digital Mirror tracked 3D motion, joint angles, heart rate and oxygen saturation in real time without cameras, letting physical therapists, trainers and athletes build rehab and training programs; the technology also targeted industrial monitoring such as oil and gas pipelines. It raised about $7.8 million (a $1.2 million seed round in 2019 and a $5 million Series A in 2021 led by the Boyett Group with Draper Capital and Tribe Capital), plus a $1.5 million US Department of Defense SBIR award in 2020, with customers including Air Force Special Operations Command. No shutdown, bankruptcy or acquisition was found in any source; the company may be a misclassification.

03 / EVENT HISTORY

Events in the structured record

1. 2017
   Founded

   Founded in Denver to translate the physical world into actionable data insights; developed the patented Cipher Mesh sensor-printed textile technology and the Digital Mirror visualization software.

2. 2019
   $1.2M seed

   Closed a seed round of over $1.2 million from South Oak Capital Partners, LSVBR Partners and angels; built an arm sleeve measuring upper-limb motion, heart rate, oxygen saturation and biceps expansion in real time.

3. 2020
   $1.5M DoD award

   Awarded $1.5 million from the US Department of Defense under the SBIR Phase II program; customers included Air Force Special Operations Command; 200+ BioSleeves to be delivered and validated by US Special Operations units.

4. 2021
   $5M Series A

   Raised $5 million Series A led by the Boyett Group with Draper Capital, Tribe Capital and TKC Capital, bringing total funding to $7.8 million; planned expansion into oil, gas and winemaking markets. No failure found after this point — the record may be misclassified.