Do you want to start a stem cell business but lack ideas? If YES, here are 27 best stem cell related business ideas and opportunities for the future.
Stem cells are biological cells that can differentiate into other types of cells and can equally divide to produce more of the same type of stem cells. These cells are found in multicellular organisms including human beings, animals and plants.
In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various body tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing adult tissues.
In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cells—ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm, but can also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.
Why Start a Stem Cell Related Business?
There is great interest in stem cells because they have potentials in the development of therapies for replacing defective or damaged cells resulting from a variety of disorders and injuries such as Parkinson disease, heart disease, diabetes and more.
Today, scientists are working on engineering human cells, tissues, and organs that can repair themselves. Basically, they’re trying to heal body parts using cells or tissue grown from stem cells, and by prompting regeneration with biologically active drugs that would essentially restart body parts by forcing new growth, among other approaches.
In 2010, this field attracted about $200 million in venture capital and in 2016, that figure had quadrupled. Stem cell technology attracts the vast majority of investment; $700 million of the $800 million dedicated to regenerative medicine in 2016 went to stem cell projects.
This shows that the stem cell industry, though budding, has a huge potential for profits because it is concerned with life, health and wellness. If you are interested in this industry, you can start a business in it in a variety of ways.
Stem cell transplantation and the general stem cell regenerative industry is a relatively new technology and appropriate laws and regulations are yet not standardized for the field. Laws and regulations surrounding the industry vary from country to country, so before you start a business in this area, be sure to find out what is allowed in your country and state of operation, and what is not.
We have listed out some of the viable but still newer areas in the stem cell industry that you can launch into with your level of experience and make good profits from.
Best Stem Cell Business ideas
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Open a stem cell bank
We have noted that stem cells have become a life saver, and there is a thriving business that revolves around making stem cells available to those who need them for transplant in order to stay alive. Stem cell banks collect, test, preserve and deliver stem cells from donors either for preparation of cell lines for use in research, or for future use through banking umbilical cord blood.
The storage of stem cells, usually in the form of cord blood, is a growing industry, and an entrepreneur that has some knowledge of the industry can come in now and make profits. This business may be capital intensive because you need to build a suitable bank that can help you to properly store this blood product.
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Start stem cell therapy clinic
Cell therapy, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is defined as the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function loss due to age, disease, damage or congenital defects.
In the united states of America alone, there are about 160 registered and licensed cell therapy businesses, and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $1 billion annually. This goes to show that the cell therapy industry is really coming up.
At this point, the industry is still undergoing research and an entrepreneur who is knowledgeable in this line can come up with a viable research or product that can help boost the industry. If not building a product, you can open a stem cell therapy clinic to provide various stem cell related cures.
Note that stem cells can be used to replace neurons damaged by spinal cord injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or other neurological problems; produce insulin that could treat people with diabetes and heart muscle cells that could repair damage after a heart attack etc.
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Open a stem cell research center
The stem cell industry is still undergoing tremendous research to find out more ways medical health can take advantage of human, animal and even plant stem cells to improve quality of life. You can set up a research center where extensive research will be carried out by professionals.
Being that this research would be of tremendous human benefit, you can easily access funding from the government and other donor agencies.
Furthermore, you will have the sole right to any product findings made and you can sell this right to established pharmaceutical companies for a large sum of money. Development of new products, new materials and new processes relating to stem cells can only be made possible through research.
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Distribute chronic wound cell therapy products
Normal wound healing is a dynamic and complex process. If a wound does not heal in an orderly and timely sequence, or if the healing process does not result in structural integrity, then the wound is considered chronic. Stem cell therapy has been known to be effective in healing chronic wounds, and quite a number of products have been developed to that effect.
For example, a new antimicrobial wound dressing that uses a patient’s cells to regenerate lost tissue may soon replace antiseptics, stitches, and skin grafts now used to treat chronic wounds. This dressing reduces the risk of scarring and infection while making the healing process less agonizing than it is today. You can source for and distributing these cell therapy products for wound healing to hospitals and research centers.
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Produce stem cell anti-aging products
Human aging is associated with degenerative changes that include loss of bone density and ligament flexibility. For ages, the human race has been trying to reverse the debilitating effects of aging, and stem cell therapy has a lot of promises in that area.
You can start manufacturing products that use stem cell regenerative strategies to halt and reverse the aging process. This product will be easily accepted in the market because it is all natural.
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Manufacture cancer cell therapy products
Cancer is one devastating sickness that has given scientists so much headache and confusion. Today, stem cell research has made a lot of progress in the treatment and reversal of the debilitating effects of cancer.
Certain drugs have been manufactured that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules (“molecular targets”) that are involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer. You can buy some rights to these drugs and therapy products and start mass producing them.
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Start a cell regenerative clinic
You can open a clinic that focuses on the development of cell therapies by using a patient’s own cells (autologous cell therapy). You can focus on the isolation and exploitation of different cell populations found in the human body to treat specific ailments.
Focusing on all parts of the body might be too broad, so you can focus on just a niche, such as targeting chronic tendon injuries which have failed to heal properly, and bone restoration.
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Become a stem cell scientist
Stem cell scientists conduct experiments that lend to an understanding of cells and diseases such as cancer. Because of the vast importance of this sector, stem cell scientists are highly sought after. A career in this cutting-edge scientific field requires formal education, research skills, and the ability to work in a lab setting. In fact, you may need to have a doctorate in a biological science, such as microbiology.
Prerequisites for a doctoral program in microbiology generally include completion of a bachelor’s degree program in a life science and successful completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Many occupations in stem cell research require years of experience in a lab working with specific cultures and techniques.
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Open an organ repair or replacement lab
Each year thousands of people die while waiting for an organ. That gap in supply and demand is one factor that has led researchers to discover more innovative treatments. Now, researchers are exploring ways to repair, refurbish, or replace human organs that have been damaged by chronic disease, traumatic injury, heart attack, stroke, or just plain aging.
This has been made possible by stem cell technology. You can open an organ repair and replacement lab that would explore better and easier ways to repair, refurbish, or replace human organs, from printing skin to growing an artificial heart.
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Epigenetic Drug Discovery and manufacture
Epigenetic drugs are drugs used in the treatment of epigenetic diseases and medical conditions. Epigenetic changes are responsible for human diseases, including Fragile X syndrome, Angelman’s syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and various cancers.
Being that only few epigenetic drugs have been discovered, you can delve more into the research and discovery of drugs that counteract epigenetic conditions. If you cannot go the research route, you can manufacture and sell these drugs that have been discovered by others.
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Manufacture 3D organ printers
3D bioprinting uses a typical layer-by-layer 3D printing method, depositing bioinks or biomaterials, to create 3D tissues or structures used for medicine or tissue engineering. This technology is being applied to regenerative medicine to address the need for tissues and 3D printed organs for transplant.
You can participate in eliminating the organ waiting list and save tens of thousands of lives every year by building 3D bioprinters and producing accompanying printer cartridges that are accessible to both researchers at the frontier of regenerative medicine and non-specialists, such as high school biology teachers.
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Set up a cell-based screening business
Cell based assays and cell-based screening are of key importance at a number of stages in the drug discovery process. Cell based screening is designed to enable better decision-making earlier in the drug development process.
You can set up a cell based screening business where you can help drug manufacturers improve drug discovery/development processes and shorten decision making timelines to enhance productivity. You can work closely with drug manufacturers, hospitals and stem cell research labs.
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Open a biomaterials company
A biomaterial is any substance that has been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose – either a therapeutic or a diagnostic one.
They may be of natural origin or synthesized in a laboratory. When used in a medical application, biomaterials can be implanted to replace or repair missing tissue. You can start a company that focuses on producing these materials for supply to hospitals, labs and research centers that work with them.
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Start a specialty biopharmaceutical company
A biopharmaceutical, also known as a biologic(al) medical product, biological, or biologic, is any pharmaceutical drug product manufactured in, extracted from, or semi-synthesized from biological sources. Some of the biggest innovations in the healthcare industry are being made by small pharmaceutical companies, some with fewer employees than a single department in one of the larger companies.
By focusing on niche markets and therapeutic areas, these little companies are making a big impact on patients. From treating illnesses that affect only a handful of the population to focusing entirely on one disease state, these companies are showing how a targeted approach can get results. You too can start one of these companies.
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Develop pro-healing medical devices
It is a fact that medical devices have been developed that can help in wound healing through the application of stem cell and cell regeneration technology. Some of these devices come in form of insertable medical devices that are deployed into the blood vessel in the area where such wound exist.
The surface of the insertable medical device is coated with nano-carriers that include one or more pro-healing agents encapsulated with one or more biological agents. You can start manufacturing these pro-healing medical devices that can help in wound healing or other areas of medicine.
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Manufacture regenerative veterinary medicinal products
Stem cell technology has also had great application in the area of pet healing. In the fast-growing field of veterinary regenerative medicine, cellular material — such as living cells, serum, or other products derived from cells — are used in animals with the hope of repairing diseased or damaged tissues or organs.
If you are interested in this area, you can focus on the development and commercialization of products and services related to regenerative veterinary medicine, which are mainly oriented towards pets (dogs and cats) and competition animals (horses).
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Open a tissue engineering company
Tissue engineering is the use of a combination of cells, engineering and materials methods, and suitable biochemical and physicochemical factors to improve or replace biological tissues. Tissue engineering involves the use of a tissue scaffold for the formation of new viable tissue for a medical purpose. You can start a lucrative business that focuses on tissue engineering.
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Distribute regenerative medicinal products
For decades now, a lot of research has been going on in the stem cell and regenerative medical line. A lot of breakthroughs have been encountered, and drugs and related products have been formulated to that effect.
You can start sourcing for these drugs and marketing them to hospitals, research centers and laboratories that have need for them. Note that this business would not be like the everyday distribution business because a lot of licenses and permits will be needed to start this business.
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Produce laser-assisted bioprinting machines
Laser-assisted bioprinting provides industrial stakeholders and researchers with a unique platform to design and manufacture bio-printed products for regenerative medicine, preclinical research and evaluating the efficacy of cosmetic products and ingredients.
These machines have the ability to design and manufacture tissue with cellular resolution. This allows very precise control of the manufacturing process and guarantees the reproducibility and reliability of bio-printed products. You can start a company that produces laser-assisted bioprinting machines.
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Distribute human amniotic tissue grafts
Amniotic membrane transplantation has been used as a graft or as a dressing in different surgical subspecialties. In the field of ophthalmology, this tissue has been used as a tissue bandage for cornea infections and sterile melts, and to reconstruct the ocular surface for various procedures.
As an entrepreneur that wants to specialize in stem cell technology, you can process, market, and distributor human amniotic tissue. You can focus in multiple therapeutic areas including ophthalmology, spine, chronic wounds, dental, orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, and urology.
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Open stem cell labs
Stem cell labs discover drugs that regenerate tissues of the human body. You can focus on opening labs that would develop medicines that instruct organs such as the blood, muscle, bone, heart and brain to regenerate in response to injury, disease or ageing.
22. Start a stem cell related blog
Blogging is one way people keep abreast with new inventions and technologies. Being that stem cell research is a fairly new area in medicine, a lot of researches are presently going on in it, and findings are being made on daily basis.
If you are really interested about stem cell research, you can set up a blog where you post groundbreaking findings in the industry. You can also post links to newly released efficacious drugs that may have not been in the market by then. If you are diligent with your content, you will gather a good following is a short time.
23. Open a stem cell processing center
Historically, stem cells were harvested from bone marrow, but more recently, many cancer centers have adopted the practice of collecting stem cells from peripheral blood. The collection of stem cells from the blood is more complicated than collection from bone marrow, though it is much safer.
For this reason, centers are springing up that can help research centers and hospitals extract these stem cells from the blood. The harvested cells are then transferred to the places they are to be used. If you are knowledgeable in this area, you can set up such a company that extracts stem cells from the blood.
24. Start an apple stem cell extract business
Research has proven that stem cells have a great application in the cosmetics industry. However, it is not possible to use live human embryonic stem cells in skin care products, so skin care companies have turned to plant stem cells. It is clinically proven that advanced plant power can be harnessed and delivered to where the body needs it most.
Plant stem cells can protect the human epidermal stem cells from damage and deterioration, and they can stimulate them to renew the skin. The most promising stem cell so far has come from an apple; a rare type of apple. The apples from this tree, known as ‘Uttwiler Spätlaube’, contain extremely active stem cells.
Scientists have extracted stem cells from this type of apple and have used this extraction in the production of cosmetics products that can help rejuvenate the skin, hair and other glands of the body. You can set up a business where you source for these apples, extract the stem cells and market them to cosmetics manufacturers.
25. Sell stem cell nutritional supplements
A targeted nutritional supplement could stimulate the production of stem cells integral for repairing the body. Because of this, a lot of researchers have started manufacturing nutritional supplements that are targeted at building up the body’s stem cells.
Stem Cell supplements are formulated to promote the body’s natural regenerative process, slow aging and help the body function more like a young person.
New research suggests that a commercially-available supplement can increase the blood circulation of hematopoietic stem cells, which can give rise to all blood cells, and endothelial progenitor cells, which repair damage to blood vessels. Quite a few companies have started manufacturing these supplements, and you can start marketing these supplements on their behalf.
26. Buy stem cell stocks and ETFs
The global stem cell market is expected to reach US 270.5 Billion by 2025, while increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 13.8% during the period from 2017 to 2025. All this comes from a report published by Transparency Market Research.
The growing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing investments of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in stem cell research are the key driving factors for the stem cell therapeutics market. This has made the stem cell market a viable market for investment.
You can buy profitable stocks and ETF of stem cell companies in the market. A safer and more diversified way to play this sector is by buying a mutual fund that invests in the biotechnology or health-care sectors.