Company: Jetbio
Location: Newcastle University
Founded: 2023
Founder: Kenny Dalgarno, CSO
Written by: Suruchi Sethi & Caroline Babisz
Edited by: Natasha Barrow
In biotechnology, creating accurate in vitro models that mimic the human cellular environment is crucial for advancing drug discovery and development [1]. Current 3D cell culture techniques, though promising, face limitations in achieving the high cell densities necessary for effective tissue modelling [2]. Jetbio is a pioneering 3D bioprinting startup tackling these challenges directly. Their innovative approach promises to enhance the preclinical screening process, reduce dependency on animal testing, lower costs, and accelerate research timelines.
Jetbio is commercialising this groundbreaking bioprinting system called Reactive Jet Impingement (ReJI) [3]. ReJI merges the precision and speed of traditional drop-on-demand (DoD) bioprinting, a method that ejects bioink droplets only when needed, with the ability to achieve high physiological cell densities, essential for creating tissue-like structures [2]. While conventional DoD systems offer fine control, they often suffer from nozzle blockages and low cell densities. ReJI addresses these issues by delivering continuous, high-density cell deposits without clogging issues, ensuring robust and viable tissue constructs. By overcoming these limitations, ReJI enables more reliable and efficient bioprinting, facilitating the creation of complex tissue structures with enhanced precision. The system employs microvalves in custom-designed printheads to jet bioink materials that interact in mid-air to form a gel on the substrate, allowing for rapid and precise bioprinting. This technological leap positions Jetbio at the forefront of 3D bioprinting, offering scalable solutions that promise to enhance drug discovery and regenerative medicine through the production of reliable in vitro models. Jetbio focuses on printing tissue models for diseases such as osteoarthritis, leukaemia, skin diseases, liver cancer, and cardiotoxicology, crucial for disease modelling and drug testing applications.
Jetbio was founded by Professor Kenny Dalgarno, the Sir James Woodeson Professor of Manufacturing Engineering at Newcastle University, who leads the company's technical team. Over the past decade, Kenny has spearheaded additive manufacturing research at Newcastle University, focusing on rapid prototyping, biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine, supported by notable institutions including EPSRC, the European Commission, Arthritis Research UK, the Carbon Trust, and industry partners.
Joining Kenny is CEO and co-founder Dennis Camilleri, who together form Jetbio's Executive Board. Dennis brings 35 years of senior management experience in business development, mergers and acquisitions within deep-tech and medtech sectors. With expertise in photonics and optical engineering, Dennis has successfully led commercial and technology teams across Europe and the USA from startup phases to successful exits.
Jetbio was established with a vision to commercialise innovations in 3D bio-inkjet printing. The company has collaborated with end-users and achieved promising laboratory results with miniREJI bioprinter installations for validating tissue constructs and models for cancer research. Jetbio holds patents in the US and Europe for its proprietary ReJI technology, a high-speed 3D bioprinting system for printing cells in gels, significantly enhancing their intellectual property portfolio and competitive market position.
Jetbio is currently raising its first round of funding, aiming for £650,000 to advance bioprinting technology and expand operations. They have secured a £100,000 pledge from four angel investors, contingent on completing the funding round. Funds will be used to drive product development, strengthen technical capabilities, expand commercial efforts, build strategic partnerships to accelerate growth, and establish a dedicated R&D and product assembly facility. This facility will enhance Jetbio's in-house expertise in hardware and software engineering, as well as the production of specialised biomaterials for their portable ink-jetting system.
The Jetbio miniREJI 3D Bioprinter was demonstrated to end-users through workshops held in February 2025 at Bristol, Newcastle, and Cambridge Universities. Jetbio is also honoured to have been invited by Versus Arthritis to showcase its bioprinting capabilities at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Life Sciences event, held at the Houses of Parliament on 10 February 2025, where the technology received excellent feedback.
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