Stephanie Willerth

Stephanie Willerth is the CEO and co-founder of Axolotl Biosciences, a biotechnology company focused on developing bioink products and consulting services for 3D bioprinting. Willerth is also a full professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Victoria and has developed technology to generate human neural tissue models with bioink, a process similar to 3D printing. The company’s goal is to provide turn-key reagents, including bioinks, 3D tissue models, and consulting services in the field of bioprinting to advance the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Axolotl Biosciences launched TissuePrint, its first bioink product, in 2022 and introduced consulting services in the third quarter of that year. The company is fully funded with non-dilutive funding and has grown to eight employees. The company’s name is inspired by the axolotl, a resilient salamander native to Mexico, ideal for scientific research due to their enormous capacity for regenerating limbs, gills, and parts of their eyes and brains.