Captivate Bio
Captivate Bio is a privately held US provider of cell culture media, supplements, small molecules, cryopreservation reagents, and labware — including proprietary brands like RESiVATE, CRYOVATE, and the CET Cocktail Kit — serving academic researchers, biotech/pharma cell therapy developers, and clinical laboratories across North America through direct e-commerce and distribution partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersWatertown, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Captivate Bio does
Captivate Bio is a US-based, privately held cell culture solutions provider founded in 2020 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, selling more than 1,000 research-use-only (RUO) and GMP-grade products to academic researchers, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and clinical laboratories. Its catalog spans classical and specialty cell culture media, balanced salt solutions, fetal bovine serum, human platelet lysate (HPL) products, cytokines and growth factors, labware, and small molecules — with proprietary brands including RESiVATE MSC Expansion Media (xeno-free mesenchymal stem cell media), CRYOVATE cryopreservation media, CAPTiCLEAN incubator disinfectant, and the CET Cocktail Kit (Chroman 1, Emricasan, Trans-ISRIB) for stem cell cytoprotection.
The company sells primarily through its own e-commerce storefront, complemented by the CAPTIFAST same-day/next-day delivery program in the Boston/Cambridge/Watertown corridor and by distribution partnerships with Rainbow Scientific (clinical markets) and NEST Scientific USA (labware). Beyond products, Captivate Bio generates service revenue from custom media manufacturing in ISO-certified US facilities, custom reagent sourcing, stem cell modeling co-delivered with EverCell Bio, and storage, fulfillment, and commercial-services programs through the Captivate Bio Access Program.
The business is small (1–10 employees), founder-led by CEO Tanya Potcova and Managing Partner Lori Oakes, and has not disclosed external funding. The go-to-market combines content marketing, conference presence (ISSCR, Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium), and direct transactional sales; pricing is unit-based with custom quotes for bulk orders, and the company has expanded GMP-grade offerings in 2024 to access regulated cell and gene therapy customers.
Captivate Bio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Captivate Bio
- Legal name
- Captivate Bio, LLC
- Website
- https://captivatebio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Captivate Bio is a privately held US provider of cell culture media, supplements, small molecules, cryopreservation reagents, and labware — including proprietary brands like RESiVATE, CRYOVATE, and the CET Cocktail Kit — serving academic researchers, biotech/pharma cell therapy developers, and clinical laboratories across North America through direct e-commerce and distribution partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Captivate Bio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell Culture Reagents and Life Sciences Consumables
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Process Development & Tech Transfer Services (upstream/downstream) (HLAAAKAF), Bioprocess Development & Scale-Up/Scale-Down Platforms (DoE, high-throughput, modeling) (HLAAAJAF)
Keywords
Where Captivate Bio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Watertown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Captivate Bio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of cell culture products including media, reagents, supplements, small molecules, labware, and sera to research institutions, biotech companies, and pharmaceutical companies.
- Custom Media Manufacturing Services: Contract manufacturing services for classical media, specialty media, buffers and salt solutions manufactured in the United States in ISO-certified facilities.
- Custom Reagent Sourcing: Custom reagent sourcing services for research and clinical-grade reagents, simplifying procurement for customers.
- Storage and Fulfillment Services: Warehouse and fulfillment services for industry partners, providing storage and logistics capabilities.
- Marketing and Sales Consulting Services: The Captivate Bio Access Program offers marketing, sales, and fulfillment services to US market for industry partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | RESiVATE MSC Expansion Kit - CBMSKT |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PLTGold Human Platelet Lysate, Research Grade |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | GMP Small Molecules |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor - Case Pack |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Custom Media and Bulk Orders |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Captivate Bio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Captivate Bio manufactures and sells cell culture media, sera, supplements, small molecules, and labware for life sciences research and clinical applications. The company also offers custom media manufacturing, custom reagent sourcing, cell modeling services, storage and fulfillment, and marketing/sales consulting services through the Captivate Bio Access Program for industry partners.
Product overview
Captivate Bio is a cell culture solutions provider offering over 1,000 RUO and GMP-grade products across multiple categories. The portfolio centers on cell culture reagents including cell culture media, buffers and salt solutions, fetal bovine serum (FBS), and human platelet lysate (HPL) products. Key proprietary brands include RESiVATE MSC Expansion Media (xeno-free mesenchymal stem cell media), CRYOVATE cryopreservation media, CAPTiCLEAN disinfectant, and CET Cocktail Kit (small molecule combination for stem cell cytoprotection). The company also distributes labware through partnerships with NEST Scientific USA. Services include custom media manufacturing (ISO-certified US facilities), custom reagent sourcing, storage and fulfillment, cell modeling services (via EverCell Bio partnership), and the Captivate Bio Access Program for marketing and sales consulting. The CAPTIFAST program offers same-day/next-day delivery in the Boston area.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CAPTiCLEAN™: Disinfectant solution for CO2 incubator water trays
- CET Cocktail Kit
- CRYOVATE™
- RESiVATE™ MSC Media
- CAPTIFAST™
Products and services
- CAPTiCLEAN Disinfectant Solution Disinfectant solution designed to protect CO2 incubator water pans from contamination. Non-toxic, easy to use, and ready to ship.
- CET Cocktail Kit Small molecule kit containing Chroman 1, Emricasan, and Trans-ISRIB (CET) for enhanced stem cell survival, promoting clonal growth of genetically stable hPSCs and providing comprehensive cytoprotection under stressful conditions such as single-cell passaging, cloning, and gene editing.
- CRYOVATE Cryopreservation Media Family of cryopreservation media engineered to protect cells during freezing, delivering viability, consistency, and post-thaw performance for a wide range of cells used in cell therapy and research.
- RESiVATE MSC Expansion Media Growth factor rich, xeno-free culture system for activating and expanding high quality human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Complete media with supplement supports rapid hMSC growth, priced at $300 per kit.
- PLTGold Human Platelet Lysate
Quantifiable outcome
- Chroman 1 provides approximately 25% improved cell survival compared to Y27632
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Captivate Bio
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Captivate Bio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Captivate Bio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rainbow ScientificcoreCaptivate Bio partnered with Rainbow Scientific to expand distribution of high-quality fetal bovine serum (FBS), cell culture media, and labware products to clinical markets across North America. Rainbow Scientific distributes over 1200 labware products along with Captivate Bio's FBS and cell culture media offerings.
- NEST Scientific USAcoreCaptivate Bio entered into a non-exclusive distribution agreement with NEST Scientific USA to distribute over 200 NEST branded labware products including cell culture flasks, tubes, pipets, dishes, plates, and bioprocessing tools across the North American market.
- EverCell BiocoreCaptivate Bio and EverCell Bio partnered to deliver unique and custom stem cell services paired with custom reagents to accelerate research for discovery in regenerative medicine. The collaboration focuses on neural cell modeling, cell expansion, small molecules and proteins, and custom reagent sourcing for drug discovery, clinical translation, and developmental research programs. EverCell Bio provides stem cell modeling services while Captivate Bio supplies reagents and custom manufacturing.
- Mill Creek Life SciencesminorResearch collaboration where Mill Creek Life Sciences demonstrated the effectiveness of human platelet lysate for T cell expansion. Their work showed that PLTGold human platelet lysate efficiently promotes T cell expansion, generating higher cell yields and lower cell exhaustion rates for CAR-T therapy manufacturing workflows.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Captivate Bio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lonza: Lonza offers cell culture media, buffers, and bioprocessing tools alongside large-scale CDMO services, directly overlapping Captivate Bio's media, sera, and custom manufacturing offerings for cell therapy and biotech customers.
- Sartorius: Sartorius provides cell culture media, bioreactors, and bioprocessing solutions to biopharma manufacturers. Its broad bioprocess portfolio overlaps with Captivate Bio's custom media manufacturing services and cell therapy reagent offerings.
- Cytiva: Cytiva (formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences) supplies cell culture media, buffers, and bioprocessing tools to cell therapy and biopharma manufacturers, overlapping with Captivate Bio's media, sera, and custom manufacturing offerings.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Gibco Cell Culture): Gibco is the dominant cell culture media and reagents brand within Thermo Fisher, offering classical media, specialty media, sera, and supplements to the same research and cell therapy customers Captivate Bio serves. A broad incumbent with vastly larger catalog and global footprint.
- Corning Life Sciences: Corning provides cell culture media, sera, and the dominant position in plastic labware (competing with NEST Scientific USA, Captivate Bio's distribution partner), with deep penetration into the same biotech and pharma accounts.
- Bio-Techne (R&D Systems): Bio-Techne's R&D Systems and ProteinSimple brands provide cytokines, growth factors, small molecules, and cell culture reagents to the same academic and biotech research customers that Captivate Bio targets with its media and reagent portfolio.
Direct peers
- Akron Biotechnology: Akron Biotechnology manufactures cell culture media, sera, and cryopreservation solutions with cGMP capabilities for cell and gene therapy developers — directly comparable to Captivate Bio's RESiVATE, CRYOVATE, and GMP small molecule product lines.
- StemCell Technologies: StemCell Technologies specializes in stem cell, immunology, and cell therapy reagents — including culture media, HPL products, and small molecule tools — making it one of the most direct comparables to Captivate Bio's stem cell and MSC focus.
- Miltenyi Biotec: Miltenyi Biotec offers cell culture media, MACS GMP-grade reagents, and cell therapy manufacturing solutions that overlap directly with Captivate Bio's RESiVATE MSC Media, CRYOVATE cryopreservation, and GMP small molecule lines.
- CellGenix: CellGenix supplies GMP-grade cytokines, growth factors, and cell culture media for cell and gene therapy manufacturing — overlapping with Captivate Bio's PLTGold clinical grade HPL and GMP small molecule offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Captivate Bio social profiles
Digital presenceCaptivate Bio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Captivate Bio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Captivate Bio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Captivate Bio 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 Captivate Bio
What does Captivate Bio do?
Captivate Bio manufactures and sells cell culture media, sera, supplements, small molecules, and labware for life sciences research and clinical applications. The company also offers custom media manufacturing, custom reagent sourcing, cell modeling services, storage and fulfillment, and marketing/sales consulting services through the Captivate Bio Access Program for industry partners.
Is Captivate Bio a public or private company?
Captivate Bio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Captivate Bio founded?
Captivate Bio was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Captivate Bio based?
Captivate Bio is headquartered in Watertown, United States, in the North America region.
How does Captivate Bio make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Media Manufacturing Services, custom Reagent Sourcing, storage and Fulfillment Services and marketing and Sales Consulting Services.
Who are Captivate Bio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lonza, Sartorius, Cytiva, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Gibco Cell Culture), Corning Life Sciences and Bio-Techne (R&D Systems). Direct peers are Akron Biotechnology, StemCell Technologies, Miltenyi Biotec and CellGenix.
Does Captivate Bio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Captivate Bio.
What industry is Captivate Bio in?
Captivate Bio's product category is Cell Culture Reagents and Life Sciences Consumables. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAG, Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers), with a secondary code of HLAAAKAF, Process Development & Tech Transfer Services (upstream/downstream). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.