CELLnROLL receives funding from EXIST Research Transfer

Stuttgart – CELLnROLL is a spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. The newly founded company develops a high-precision microrobotic-based cell sorting system to help clinicians make fast, affordable, and informed decisions for cancer diagnostics. Now, the project has received €865,000 in funding through the EXIST Transfer of Research program, a funding program initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). It aims to support outstanding research-oriented start-up projects that have demonstrated a proof of principle (e.g., a functional laboratory demonstrator) and require further high-risk and cost-intensive development to bring their innovations to market readiness. 

CELLnROLL has now entered the first EXIST funding phase. In this phase, the aim is to clarify questions in connection with the implementation of scientific results in technical products and processes, to transfer a business idea into a business plan, and to prepare the planned founding of the company.

CELLnROLL develops an automated cellular diagnostic platform with the goal of making advanced diagnostic technologies accessible worldwide. Cellular diagnostics currently suffer from operator and expert dependency, cost inefficiency, and operational complexity. CELLnROLL envisions a future where diagnostics are not only swift and precise but also accessible in resource-constrained settings by harnessing the power of robotics, artificial intelligence, and microfluidics.

The CELLnROLL team consists of Postdoctoral Researchers Alp Can Karacakol, Erdost Yildiz, Sarah Scatigna and Uğur Bozüyük. The three scientists have collaborated for several years, combining interdisciplinary expertise spanning medicine and biomedical engineering, robotics, cell therapy, and business administration.

“The EXIST Research Transfer Phase I funding will help us further develop our platform and make it market-ready by the end of the funding phase. We are grateful for this opportunity and very excited to continue our efforts toward a potential breakthrough in cellular diagnostics,” says Dr. Uğur Bozüyük.

Dr. Erdost Yıldız adds: “The potential of our platform is immense, as it eliminates the need for expert operators, especially scarce in developing countries. The platform not only enables fully autonomous operation but is also expected to reduce diagnostic costs by at least 50%.”

The founders are  now focusing on further technical development and strategic partnerships with research institutions, hospitals, and industry stakeholders to bring the technology from the lab to clinical and global markets. 

“We believe that automation in cellular diagnostics will redefine how diseases are detected and monitored,” says Alp Karacakol.   

“We are excited to translate our interdisciplinary expertise into a technology that can make a real-world impact,” Sarah Scatigna concludes.