Hemacyte

The global deficit of available blood is over 100,000,000 units per year and currently there is no sustainable method to keep up with this scarcity. The consequences of this problem can be irreversible: resulting in deaths due to inaccessibility or lack of availability, obstetric hemorrhage, and pediatric anemias, among numerous other conditions and diseases. To combat this deficit, the current “solution” is donating blood, which has produced numerous challenges in itself. Many people are not able to give blood due to diseases, medical history, time constraints, inaccessibility to blood banks/donation sites, having tattoos and/or piercings, or even fear of needles or blood. In addition, since August 2023 there has been a nearly 25% decline in blood donations. Furthermore, the ability to transport whatever blood is usable is unpredictable and thousands of units are lost every year to process and delivery issues. These are the main roadblocks in high-income countries which have a blood shortage. Imagine the obstacles for low- and medium-income nations, which the majority of the global deficit falls in. Seeing that this problem will only get worse, we have procured an alternative solution to create a safe and sufficient blood supply to be available worldwide.

To help everyone, we crafted a solution that can help anyone. Hemacyte is the name of the company that will redefine the current understanding of healthcare for surgeries, transfusions, and treatment globally. Hemacyte is developing a method of producing lab cultured whole blood, and blood derivatives, for use in the medical field. We will be able to produce whole blood at scale and provide a means of production that would make blood a product to be ordered and stocked by medical facilities around the world. This solution was developed from an inspiration and spark of an idea that using a new specialized graphene scaffolding material could be the secret ingredient in being able to create a bioreactor that could effectively be turned on and continuously culture whole blood. The Bozeman Bioreactor is the device that produces this and all possible variants and sub-products of whole blood. This patented graphene bioreactor mimics the internal conditions of a bone and replicates whole blood growth processes. Hemacyte will start with the production of the universal donor (type blood), once we have made a desirable impact on the global blood debt, we will move to the successful production of rare blood types or blood with a special need of enzymes or proteins for needed patients. 

While born to solve a global need, our initial launch will first serve America’s hospitals, pharmacies, and federal government. Once we have reached a level of innovation that allows us to scale globally, we will serve any and all communities based on the highest need for blood. Currently we are the only company in the market ready to make a change, and also the only lab cultured whole blood operation in history. There is currently a hundred million unit shortage of blood that exists globally. Millions of individuals could be saved if sufficient blood were available. All possible demographics – race, community, sexuality, religion, etc. – are benefited by this venture. At the global level the greatest need and deficit is in the low income nations.

Each person chosen to spearhead this technological innovation was chosen because of their background, achievements, and passion for the impact Hemacyte will cause. Will Bozeman serves as the Team Lead for this project and has expertise in biotechnology and a D.Sc in healthcare and regenerative medicine. He has also embarked on various successful business ventures in the biomedical field, including several of which are currently in early development stages. His work in graphene material for other biomedical technology companies created the idea for the bioreactor used for Hemacyte. Bronson Pinto holds a Ph.D. in bioengineering and serves as the Lead Biochemist and advisor of cell culture processes and lab function. He has held multiple positions as a research scientist, consultant, and Chief Science Officer among various biotech companies. Clint Solomon serves as the Chief Engineer for Hemacyte and oversees the engineering of the bioreactor and methods; his expertise in medical devices is invaluable to the creation of Hemacyte’s bioreactor. Other than these key team members who are spearheading the development of this project, we expect to have 6-8 full-time employees at Hemacyte to achieve the first iteration of the Bozeman Bioreactor.

We are still in the prototype phase because we have not received capital yet. Our solution is pre-launch and while we have the design and method patented, we have not completed our research and development. 

The blood shortage affects everyone. Unlike many other problems in the world that only disrupt specific communities, this deficit endangers every human and every community. Solve, being a project of MIT, has cultivated a successful community and network of engineers, entrepreneurs, life-changers, and great-thinkers. To have our solution considered is an accomplishment, but the support, funding, experience, and connections we could extinguish this global pandemic. We acknowledge that only the best and most exceptional solutions are endorsed by MIT Solve. If we were to have the support from a global community, such as Solve, that recognizes the worldwide blood deficit as a threat to humanity -- especially to medically underserved communities -- it would force other change-makers to fund technologies that will save lives.

While the worldwide need for blood is not a new problem, there are currently no competitors in this market. Hemacyte is the only option for purchasing cultured whole blood. It may be a welcome relief to have a competition that adds to the global supply chain for whole blood. Our full patent application prohibits competitors from copying this model. Instead of profiting solely on this need and limiting supply to the highest bidder, we want to focus on buyers who will give back and who are in a state of highest need. Eventually we plan to produce enough blood to extinguish the global blood deficit. Our business plan will start with culturing O negative blood, the universal donor. From there, we plan to expand to produce blood for rare blood types, deficiencies, and diseases. This is also just the beginning: with the need for blood not as dire, innovation within blood, surgeries, and biotech as a whole will be able to advance. Hemacyte is the tip of the iceberg for innovation.

Other than the high level of interest we have received in our project from America’s Seed Fund, investors, and medical facilities, we knew that Hemacyte would have a profound impact on the global blood deficit. I have taken special interest, care, and work to create a safe and sustainable solution to a global pandemic. I’m very proud of the successful checkmarks and tests we have run, which only make the reality of solving this global need tangible. 

Still in our prototype stage, we hope to make it through research and development with sure signs of success: hopefully by the end of this year, once we receive enough funding. From there, we would like to achieve a level of production to fill at least 2-5% of the global deficit in the first two years of operations, which would be approximately 2,000,000 – 5,000,000 units of blood annually produced for the global supply chain. Or approximately 200,000 – 400,000 of units produced monthly by the end of the second year after the first official Bozeman Bioreactor comes online for commercial production.

Both the device (bioreactor) and methodology are patented. The patented graphene bioreactor is made from new specialized graphene scaffolding material and mimics the internal conditions of a bone and replicates whole blood growth processes.

Testing has been very successful in our prototype stage. 

Currently we only have three teammembers: 1 full-time, 2 part-time.

2 years

Hemacyte does not have an inclusive policy completed yet, but we welcome diversity within science and our company. 

• The company scales as we build more Bozeman Bioreactors and continue to expand operations. 

• Our objective is to achieve a similar cost structure to the current blood supply. Ranging from $200-1200 per unit of blood globally. The average cost of a unit of blood is likely around $400 globally and that would be our target objective for pricing. Blood product derivatives are variable.

• I would like to expand a facility in the phoenix valley and then continue to create new production facilities across the US and retain all production of this product in the US for global export. 

• Fast tracked innovation: No clinical trials are required for FDA approval and a workable prototype in 6 months post-funding.

Currently, we have only $50,000 USD invested from personal funding by our owner and CEO. Hemacyte's business model in itself is sustainable: once we start to produce and sell, the money recieved from consumers will be used to grow and make more bioreactors, and the cycle repeats.