Cellara

Stem Cell Science, Streamlined

Cellara’s innovative CultureTrax product pairs science and technology to create a unique tool for stem cell scientists. The software organizes and stores data to streamline the information collection process and relieve scientists of having to do it by hand, using “paper lab notebooks and pens like Louis Pasteur,” says Cellara CEO Scott Fulton. In addition, the software will enable scientists to verify and replicate the results from published articles on stem cell research, where previously they would have needed to contact or even visit the lab to get the details. Cellara has partnered with Madison College to make its software available in the classroom as an educational tool.

Resources for Startup Success

Fulton says the company’s Madison location has been a major factor in its success. “I don’t think our company could have originated anywhere else,” he says, “because we barely had to get in a car to find customers. Madison has incredible resources, both in people and in the companies located here. There’s no place on the planet where we have a more concentrated customer base than in Wisconsin.” He expresses gratitude for the support of BioForward and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, from which the company received a Technology Development Loan and certification as a Qualified New Business Venture. “It can’t be overstated: if you don’t take advantage of these state resources, you’re crazy,” says Fulton. “There are also tremendous resources for grant-writing, with the Center for Technology Commercialization and UW-Extension. Another benefit is the substantial network of service providers available, such as tax attorneys, accountants and legal help. There are world-class resources available in Wisconsin.”

(March 2017)