Seeding Labs
Seeding Labs is a Boston-based nonprofit that redistributes surplus laboratory equipment from life sciences companies to universities and research institutions in developing countries through its Instrumental Access program, reaching 100+ universities across 39 developing countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Seeding Labs does
Seeding Labs is a Boston-based nonprofit organization founded in 2008 (originating as a Harvard Medical School student group) that redistributes surplus laboratory equipment from life sciences companies to universities and research institutions in developing countries. Its flagship program, Instrumental Access, accepts applications from institutions, matches their needs against an online Equipment Wish List, and ships donated instruments internationally; the organization reports equipping 100+ universities across 39 developing countries and shipping 347 tons of equipment cumulatively, reaching 250,000+ students since inception. A secondary platform, TeleScience, was co-developed with MilliporeSigma to provide virtual mentorship connecting industry scientists with awardees.
The organization runs a hybrid revenue model built on three streams: in-kind equipment donations from life sciences corporations (MilliporeSigma, Thermo Fisher, Takeda, Novartis, Cytiva, Charles River Labs, Agilent); financial contributions from foundations (IZUMI, Schlumberger, Anchor Point) and individual donors, processed through the Classy platform; and application fees from recipient universities. A 2014 USAID-sponsored grant of $3M funded a major scale-up, and the organization continues to secure multi-year corporate partnerships and government research collaborations, including a Mass General Brigham Center for COVID Innovation study across Kenya, Bangladesh, and Malawi.
Seeding Labs operates with a small team of approximately 7 staff members led by CEO Melissa P. Wu, PhD, who succeeded founder Nina Dudnik in 2019. Its go-to-market is community-led: corporate partnership inquiries, equipment donation forms, and university applications are handled through dedicated forms on seedinglabs.org, with impact amplified via annual reports, the Positively Instrumental event, newsletters, and active social channels. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors (chaired by Chad Jackson, PhD) with no parent company or external ownership.
Seeding Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Seeding Labs
- Legal name
- Seeding Labs
- Website
- https://seedinglabs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Seeding Labs is a Boston-based nonprofit that redistributes surplus laboratory equipment from life sciences companies to universities and research institutions in developing countries through its Instrumental Access program, reaching 100+ universities across 39 developing countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Seeding Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Equipment Distribution
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
Keywords
Where Seeding Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Seeding Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Equipment Donations: Receives surplus lab equipment from life sciences companies and donates it to universities in developing countries. Equipment is sourced from corporate donors and redistributed through the Instrumental Access program.
- Financial Donations: Receives monetary contributions from corporations, foundations, and individuals to support program operations, logistics, and equipment distribution. Online donations are processed through third-party service Classy.
- Application Fees: Universities applying for the Instrumental Access program pay fees to cover application processing costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Equipment Donation Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Seeding Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seeding Labs collects surplus laboratory equipment and supplies donated by life sciences companies and redistributes them to universities and research institutions in developing countries through its flagship Instrumental Access program. The organization also operates the TeleScience virtual mentorship platform to share scientific expertise between industry experts and global scientists in developing countries.
Product overview
Seeding Labs operates as a nonprofit equipment distribution organization with two primary programmatic offerings: Instrumental Access, the core equipment donation program that ships surplus laboratory equipment to universities in developing countries, and TeleScience, a virtual mentorship platform that facilitates knowledge transfer between industry experts and global scientists. The organization also maintains an Equipment Wish List system that enables institutions to articulate specific equipment needs. Seeding Labs connects equipment donors (corporations, manufacturers) with recipient institutions, facilitating the redistribution of functional scientific instruments to build research capacity in underserved regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Instrumental Access: Flagship program that provides surplus lab equipment to universities and research institutions in developing countries.
- TeleScience
Products and services
- Instrumental Access
- TeleScience
- Equipment Wish List
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 universities equipped, 250,000+ students reached, 347 tons of equipment redistributed since 2008
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Seeding Labs
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Seeding Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Seeding Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA)flagshipFor nearly a decade, MilliporeSigma has supported Seeding Labs through equipment donations, financial support, and as founding sponsor of the TeleScience website. The partnership has been multi-faceted, extending throughout the company with employee engagement programs and collaborative initiatives. Recognized with Boston Business Journal's Corporate Citizenship Community Collaboration Award in 2022.
- CytivacoreDue to longstanding relationship with Cytiva, Seeding Labs secured an AKTA Purifier 100 for NaLIRRI in Uganda to enable on-site vaccine production. This specialized chromatography equipment was previously unavailable to the institute.
- Takeda PharmaceuticalscoreTakeda included Instrumental Access partnership as part of their R&D Access to Medicines strategy, including equipment donation and virtual mentorships among employees and researchers in developing countries. Presented with Global Visionary Award at Positively Instrumental 2018 event.
- Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreRecognized for pioneering programs integrating Instrumental Access with core business including instrument trade-in programs, cause marketing campaigns, and engagement of Unity Labs Services in quality control of donated equipment. One of 24 corporate partners who donated equipment to UNIBE's Instrumental Access shipment.
- NovartiscoreCorporate partner supporting Seeding Labs' mission. Jonathan M. Spector MD MPH serves as Head of Global Health Strategy and Access at Novartis Biomedical Research.
- Neta ScientificsupportingEquipment donor since 2014 and Zinc-level donor. Launched special promotion in 2018 where purchases of Corning products resulted in donations to Seeding Labs. Equipment found productive second homes at 23 Instrumental Access universities in 15 countries.
- Barrett Distribution CenterssupportingLogistics provider for Seeding Labs that expedited delivery of 12,000 N95 masks to Partners HealthCare during COVID-19 pandemic response.
- ClassysupportingThird-party donation processing service used by Seeding Labs for online donations. Online donations are processed through Classy and Seeding Labs does not process or store credit card information.
- Ragon InstitutecorePartner organization whose logo appears on the Seeding Labs website. Dr. Bruce D. Walker is Founding Director of the Ragon Institute and serves on Seeding Labs' leadership council. Seeding Labs convened an event at the Ragon Institute in December 2025.
- Charles River LaboratoriessupportingCorporate partner logo displayed on Seeding Labs website as part of the network of supporting organizations.
- AgilentsupportingCorporate partner logo displayed on Seeding Labs website as part of the network of supporting organizations.
- Baker CompanysupportingDonated a biological safety cabinet specifically for Dr. Bandawe's lab at MUST to enable safe COVID-19 diagnostic testing and lab accreditation.
- NEID GlobalsupportingNetwork of Engaged International Donors. Ina Jamuna Breuer, Executive Director of NEID Global, serves on Seeding Labs' Board of Directors.
- Mass General Brigham Center for COVID InnovationcorePartnership for three-country global implementation study assessing field performance of COVID-19 antigen tests, with sites in Kenya, Bangladesh, and Malawi.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Seeding Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Engineering World Health: Nonprofit that donates medical and laboratory equipment to hospitals and training institutions in low- and middle-income countries, and runs volunteer service programs. Directly comparable mission of redistributing surplus equipment to build technical capacity in developing-country institutions.
- MedShare: Nonprofit that collects surplus medical supplies and equipment from U.S. hospitals and manufacturers and redistributes them to underserved communities globally. Closely analogous surplus-redistribution model, although MedShare focuses on medical rather than research lab equipment.
Broad incumbents
- Direct Relief: Large humanitarian aid organization that channels medical resources, equipment, and supplies to health systems in developing countries. Comparable in moving surplus medical/scientific resources to underserved regions, though much larger scale and broader mandate.
- BioBridge Global: Nonprofit that provides donated human tissue and biologic products to medical researchers and educators, and operates the GenCure affiliate supporting regenerative medicine. Compares on facilitating access to scientific inputs for research institutions, though in a different sub-domain.
Emerging players
- TechSoup Global: Nonprofit that redistributes donated technology products and services to other nonprofits and social change organizations globally. Shares the surplus-redistribution and corporate-donation-driven model, though its domain is technology rather than lab equipment.
Regional players
- Global Health Corps: Nonprofit that places young professionals in health-focused organizations in Africa and the US to build leadership capacity in global health. Compares on the mission of building scientific/health capacity in developing countries, though focused on human capital rather than equipment.
Others
- HopeLab: Nonprofit that partners with corporations and foundations to apply science and technology for health impact, particularly among young people. Comparable in partnering with life sciences and tech companies on social impact initiatives.
- GlobalGiving: Nonprofit crowdfunding marketplace connecting donors with vetted international development projects. While not a direct equipment redistributor, it represents an alternative channel for international-development funding that competes for the same corporate and foundation donor dollars.
- MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA): Strategic partner and founding TeleScience sponsor that supplies donated equipment and corporate funding to Seeding Labs. Relevant as both a partner and a structural stakeholder whose CSR strategy shapes Seeding Labs' supply pipeline.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Major equipment manufacturer and core corporate partner running trade-in programs and cause-marketing initiatives that feed Seeding Labs' Instrumental Access program. Relevant as a strategic partner and a potential alternative distribution channel for surplus equipment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Seeding Labs social profiles
Digital presenceSeeding Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Seeding Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Seeding Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Seeding Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Seeding Labs
What does Seeding Labs do?
Seeding Labs collects surplus laboratory equipment and supplies donated by life sciences companies and redistributes them to universities and research institutions in developing countries through its flagship Instrumental Access program. The organization also operates the TeleScience virtual mentorship platform to share scientific expertise between industry experts and global scientists in developing countries.
Is Seeding Labs a public or private company?
Seeding Labs is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Seeding Labs founded?
Seeding Labs was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Seeding Labs based?
Seeding Labs is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Seeding Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equipment Donations are the primary driver. The others are financial Donations and application Fees.
Who are Seeding Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Engineering World Health and MedShare. Broad incumbents are Direct Relief and BioBridge Global. TechSoup Global is listed as an emerging player. Global Health Corps is listed as a regional player. Others are HopeLab, GlobalGiving, MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA) and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Does Seeding Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Seeding Labs.
What industry is Seeding Labs in?
Seeding Labs's product category is Scientific Equipment Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of EDAEAIAC, Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces). Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8731.