CEO of Brinter, Tomi Kalpio, was interviewed by Jenny Chen on Instagram Live to learn the birth history of Brinter, what makes Brinter differentiated from other bioprinting platforms, biotechnology entrepreneur life in Finland, Tomi’s vision for bioprinting and regenerative medicine field, and the future of Brinter, why “collaboration” is more meaningful in 3D bioprinting either in the academia or commercial/pharma world, why is no one creating software for bioprinting?
Excerpt from this podcast:
What was Brinter’s founding story?
“So the story began when I was born in 1978, 3d blood in my veins. So, ever since I was a little kid, I would have been always building something in 3D. And in 1999, I first time saw 3d printing and in 2006, I already used it in end products. At that time, it was the SLS method. And in 2011, we started to think about how to utilize this business-wise with a couple of colleagues who later became the co-founders for 3DTech.
We analyzed the markets and bought our own scanners and printers and 3d design software. In 2013, we decided to finally start up the company called 3DTech, which has been working in two different business areas since the beginning. 3DTech provides 3D services including designing, creating, and scanning while also developing technologies. Our first own 3D printer was a DLP-based printer, which we developed in 2015.
And in 2016, we found our passion and the path for the technology business unit. We were asked to participate in a brain 3D printing project that was more than interesting at that time. And we said yes immediately because I felt it in my heart that this is the way that we need to take. The next year after that, in 2017, we participated in a 3D printing kidney project with the same feeling… And during that time, we also started to develop our first own bioprinter.
And at that time, we also got the idea about the modular system with the tool changing interface that differentiates Brinter from others. And we have been using that in our own research and development process as well. So after a couple of years, in 2020, we separated the two companies, and now Brinter is its own separate entity and has nothing to do with 3DTech anymore. So that’s the very long story short about how it all happened.”
Check the recorded interview and some more excerpts from the episode at 3dheals.com
