On April 26, 2021, finalists will compete for $22,500 in awards in the Spring 2021 Skandalaris Venture Competition. In anticipation of the SVC finals, we are publishing a Q&A series with the finalists. Today's featured team is Salentra Biosciences, LLC.
Salentra Biosciences provides functionally mature human pluripotent stem cell-derived islet (SC-islet) organoids capable of secreting insulin in response to glucose. Our product allows researchers to focus on their unique research and innovations, while we focus on providing a reliable and reproducible source of SC-islet organoids.
Industry: Biotechnology
Number of Employees: 0
Total Funding (as of March 2021): 25,000 USD
What problem are you solving?
Current cell models of diabetes are insufficient due to lack of availability, non-human origin, lack of function, and maturity. There is a need for an unlimited, functional, and scalable human cell line with robust reproducibility to enhance the study of diabetes and develop cell replacement therapies.
How are you solving this problem?
Salentra Biosciences’ has generated, first to market, SC-islet organoids. Our SC-islets are state-of-the-art, achieving the highest degree of functional maturity, based on published literature, and our technology is highly reproducible. SC-islet organoids will facilitate diabetes disease modeling, drug screening, and serve as a technological model for cell replacement strategies. Salentra Biosciences has an executed exclusive license for the intellectual property used in our product.
About the Founding Team:
Our team is led by the scientist who invented the technology driving our product.
What is the biggest lesson you've learned since starting your venture?
Teamwork makes the dream work.
What do you love about being an entrepreneur?
The prospect of creating novel value. We are experts in stem cell technologies and their application towards diabetes research.
What words of advice do you have for those starting a business?
Form a start-up team. It may seem like you can do it yourself, but a team is essential for the workload and decision-making you will encounter.
What is your must-read book?
The Goal, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. It’s a good reminder for aspiring entrepreneurs to define a clear goal and focus on working directly towards it.
What is your favorite entrepreneurial news source?
Website: https://salentra.wixsite.com/salentrabio