CelVivo

About CelVivo

CelVivo ApS, a Danish biotech company founded in 2013, is tackling a fundamental challenge in biological research: growing cells outside an organism in a way that accurately reflects their natural state. The company was established by professors from the University of Southern Denmark, including Stephen J. Fey, Krzysztof Wrzesinski, and Adelina Rogowska Wrzesinska, who were driven by their own research needs. They found existing cell culture equipment to be impractical and developed their own user-friendly solution, which later became the foundation of the company. The commercialization effort, which began as a garage project in 2014, gained significant momentum in 2018 with the arrival of CEO Peter Willems-Alnøe, who brought in investors and a professional team to refine the product.

The core of CelVivo's business is the development and sale of advanced 3D cell culture technology. This technology addresses the limitations of traditional 2D cell culture, where cells grow in flat layers and often lose their physiological functions. CelVivo's system creates a scaffold-free, low-shear stress environment that allows cells to form 3D structures like spheroids and organoids, which more closely mimic the complexity and function of tissues within a living body. This enables researchers in fields like cancer, drug discovery, and personalized medicine to obtain more precise and dependable results, potentially reducing the reliance on animal testing.

CelVivo's flagship product is the patented ClinoStar, a CO2 incubator that incorporates a clinostat to rotate cell cultures. This instrument provides an optimal growth environment and is paired with the disposable ClinoReactor, the vessel where the cells are grown. The system is designed for ease of use, featuring cameras for real-time monitoring and tablet-based control of parameters like temperature and rotational speed. The company's clients are primarily scientific researchers and laboratories across various disciplines, including developmental biology and neuroscience, who need to grow and maintain long-term cultures for their studies. CelVivo operates by selling this specialized equipment and related disposable components, continuously developing new features and software to enhance automation and appeal to large biotech and pharmaceutical companies.