Build an autonomous biomanufacturing technology to distribute personalized cell, tissue, and organ replacement therapies at a population level.
THE CHALLENGE
To build their AI-powered technology for personalized induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived therapies, Cellino needed specialized infrastructure and supportive partners that were difficult to find early in their journey.
THE SOLUTION
With access to flexible space, infrastructure, and support from The Engine, Cellino was able to advance its operations and scale toward the launch of its first hospital-based foundry for personalized iPSC-derived cell therapies.
“The Engine’s facilities have evolved with us over time, helping us to expand our operations seamlessly as we push the boundaries of regenerative medicine.”
Nabiha Saklayen, PhDCEO and Co-founder, Cellino
Parkinson’s disease affects millions of people worldwide and currently has no cure. But in the near future, patients could go to the hospital, receive a diagnosis, and be treated with newly generated dopamine-producing neurons — grown from their own cells. These cell therapies have the potential to fundamentally change how we treat neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s. And the same approach holds promise for diabetes, heart disease, and a wide range of other chronic illnesses.
Cellino is bringing this bright future closer to reality, developing an AI-driven technology to automate the manufacturing of patient-specific stem cells with unparalleled precision. In 2025, Cellino announced plans to build the world’s first hospital-based autologous induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) Foundry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston — a revolutionary step to increase access to cell therapy.
These cell and tissue replacements have the potential to reverse and potentially cure chronic diseases at earlier stages, enabling durable therapies and healthier lives for patients. Today, manufacturing personalized iPSC-derived therapies is a costly process that is susceptible to human error. With Cellino’s new AI-driven stem cell foundry, patients may soon receive transformative treatments closer to home, instead of relying on distant labs. Instead of waiting for a transplant from a donor, they could simply receive new cells, tissues, or organs — made from their own DNA.
Cellino Co-Founder and CEO Nabiha Saklayen, PhD, holding a Cellino Nebula™ cassette, which will power the company's first iPSC Foundry at Mass General Brigham hospital in Boston. (Photo: Cellino)
A decade earlier, however, the future of personalized cell therapies looked a lot less promising. Nobody had ever built a platform that could automate and scale the development of personalized cell therapies for a wide range of tissues and diseases. While iPSCs can be differentiated into any cell in the human body, manufacturing these stem cells has remained a manual, artisanal process. Cellino set out to change that.
But in 2017, the team that would become Cellino was still navigating the process of finding the right place to build. There were plenty of accelerators and coworking spaces devoted to biotech, but Cellino needed more than just lab space. Their technology is based on a convergence of cell therapy, artificial intelligence, and laser physics — and they needed a place to develop the laser technology.
At the same time, MIT launched The Engine as a home for Tough Tech companies: those developing solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, but that needed specialized infrastructure, patient capital, and an ecosystem of supportive partners to get off the ground. Cellino was a natural fit, becoming one of The Engine’s first resident companies in July 2018.
As a new resident, Cellino worked with The Engine’s facilities team to transform an unused room into a new optical lab for their laser development. “Our technology demands a unique combination of capabilities — from traditional BSL-2 labs to prototyping space and specialized optical infrastructure,” said Nabiha Saklayen, CEO and Co-Founder of Cellino. “We are grateful for The Engine’s ongoing flexibility and support in meeting these needs.”
The Cellino team in their dedicated wet lab space in The Engine, with leaders from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development and Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. (Photo: Massachusetts Life Sciences Center)
The services and support provided by The Engine allowed Cellino to focus on what mattered most — building hope for millions of patients around the world. “The Engine has been an invaluable home for Cellino, providing the infrastructure and support needed to help us scale our team. The Engine’s facilities have evolved with us over time, helping us to expand our operations seamlessly as we push the boundaries of regenerative medicine.”
Over the years, Cellino grew rapidly at The Engine, raising $16 million in a 2021 Seed Round followed by an $80 million Series A round in 2022. In 2024, the team received a $25 million contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop their Nebula™ technology for deployment at hospitals nationwide.
Launched in 2022, ARPA-H was a new federal agency designed to make pivotal investments in transformative health technologies that cannot readily be accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity. Cellino and The Engine identified ARPA-H as a valuable public partner, hosting multiple ARPA-H convenings to connect Cellino with public officials including former First Lady Jill Biden — efforts that ultimately led to the $25 million award for Cellino.
Cellino is paving the way for a future of truly personalized treatments: not just managing disease, but curing it, with safer and more accessible treatments for cell, tissue, and organ replacements and longer, healthier lives for millions of people. They represent the best of what’s possible at The Engine — a place where companies come to find the resources and support they need to tackle the biggest challenges facing society.
