The Seoul National University of Science and Technology's Startup Support Group is aiding promising startups by providing them with space, mentoring, networking, and commercialization support through its Business Incubation Center. 'Startup in Science and Technology University' shares stories of startups aspiring to leap forward from their base at the university's Business Incubation Center.


What if damaged skin or cartilage could be regenerated? 3D bioprinting is a technology that creates human tissue using a 'biogel (bioink)' made by mixing drugs or cells with hydrogel (a biocompatible jelly-like substance) through a 3D bioprinter. The tissue thus created can be used to replace damaged organs or in various regenerative medicine and life science research, such as testing new drug effects.

Until now, the research process for bioprinting technology has involved many manual tasks. Mixing viscous hydrogel with cells or dispensing by clinicians using syringes are typical examples. However, these manual tasks resulted in variability in outcomes due to differences in mixing levels or injection speeds among skilled workers, leading to inefficiencies and high costs from repeated animal and clinical trials.

Matricell Bio is a startup aiming to transform this manual-centric bioindustry into a digital standard process. It provides an integrated solution covering the entire process from bioprinting materials to equipment, leading innovation in this field. Inseop Noh, CEO of Matricell Bio and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, has been researching biomaterials, 3D bioprinting, and tissue engineering for about 30 years. CEO Noh stated, "To overcome the limitations of the existing manual-centric industry, we developed materials and equipment that implement the standard process for biogel. Through this, we aim to contribute to the development of advanced bio products such as bioprinting, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, new drug testing, and organoids."

'Integrated One-Stop Platform' from Materials to Equipment


Matricell Bio's distinctive feature is that it has designed all equipment covering the entire process related to biogel from the user's perspective, including ▲Biogel ▲Biowork Pen ▲Bioprinter ▲Biogel Mixer ▲Biogel Dispenser ▲Bioreactor. CEO Noh added, "We possess biogel manufacturing technology with a self-binding mechanism, and this biogel can be commonly used across all company equipment," and "The standard process can solve the consistency issue of biodata."

The bioprinter simultaneously performs biogel mixing and extrusion to create precise tissue structures. The biogel mixer applied here uses a screw mechanism to mechanically mix viscous hydrogel with cells and drugs. CEO Noh explained, "Previously, air extrusion or syringe extrusion methods were mainly used in bioprinters due to concerns about cell damage, but Matricell Bio applied a digital micro-control screw method, enabling homogeneous mixing and printing without cell damage."

The biogel dispenser automatically dispenses viscous biogel into each well of an experimental dish (well plate) in precise amounts, minimizing and automating experimental result differences due to researcher proficiency. The bioreactor is suitable for regenerating tissues like cartilage that bear body weight. Equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) function that simulates physical stimuli like walking, it periodically stimulates human tissue made by the bioprinter to promote tissue regeneration. CEO Noh explained, "The bioreactor simultaneously applies physical stimuli to four samples, and AI automatically optimizes the necessary pressure according to the hardness or softness of each sample."


Particularly, Matricell Bio's core equipment is the wireless digital bioprinter 'Biowork Pen,' which can be held by hand and directly printed on the affected area. Unlike conventional fixed 3D printers, this pen allows for the selection and manufacturing of drugs and hydrogel on-site according to the patient's condition in emergency centers or field hospitals, and customized printing on the affected area. The replaceable syringe nozzle can directly inject into complex areas like cartilage, and the roller nozzle can print on large areas of skin.

Aiming to Lead in Bioprinting and Healthcare

Founded as a faculty startup in 2021, Matricell Bio has achieved notable results domestically and internationally. It was selected among the top 100 national excellent development research achievements in 2023 and gained international recognition with its kombucha-derived biogel and digital biopen composite technology announced in 2024. It has proven its technological prowess by winning awards at various conferences and competitions, including the Society for Biomaterials, the Polymer Society, the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society, the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and the Small and Medium Business Competition.

Matricell Bio is in the process of expanding from selling research equipment centered around the Biowork Pen and biogel to a medical platform. It is building a global distribution system for research products and pursuing the transition to medical devices through approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Based on the completion of preclinical trials at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, it is applying for medical device approval for bioink and preparing for clinical application with the goal of commercialization by 2028.


Matricell Bio has already entered the overseas market. After undergoing safety evaluations by the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), it exported research products to the Bose Institute, a national university in India, and is conducting joint research locally combining the Biowork Pen with its self-developed peptide hydrogel. It is also expanding its reach by discussing pen supply and export contracts with the Brazilian National Research Institute (CNPEM) and a Japanese bio-research equipment distributor.

It has participated in offline exhibitions in Indonesia and Japan, expanding its network. CEO Noh stated, "Through participation in various exhibitions, we have created touchpoints with the hospital and health tech ecosystem and directly heard the needs and feedback from actual medical sites. We plan to actively reflect this in product development and overseas expansion plans in the future."

This growth of Matricell Bio has been supported by Seoul National University of Science and Technology. From the establishment of the corporation, it moved into the second Business Incubation Center in connection with the university's research achievements. It received various support, including space for company-affiliated research institutes, utilization of large equipment, technology commercialization through the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, intellectual property management, and student intern and researcher connections. CEO Noh particularly noted, "Researching with undergraduate and graduate students and connecting education, research, and industry experience was meaningful."

Ultimately, Matricell Bio aims to lead in the fields of bioprinting tissue engineering and healthcare. CEO Noh emphasized, "We always consider whether the products developed by Matricell Bio can provide real utility to customers," and "We will transition from a manual-centric biogel industry to a regenerative medicine biofactory based on standardized process automation. We will help secure reliable biodata that doctors and researchers can trust with the technology developed over years in the lab."

IT Donga Reporter Kim Yeji (yj@itdonga.com)

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