Fast Facts

Ronawk LLC is focused on preserving primary stem cells from patients for later use in reconstructive surgeries. Our proprietary technology provides a revolutionary method to grow primary stem cells in a 3D environment while maintaining stem cell characteristics of the cell population.

Key Highlights:

• Ronawk enables stem cell producers to increase production by 3,600X with higher quality and lower cost.
• We have sold 130 T-Blocks and 18 organizations have begun trials with our T-Blocks.
• We have received conditional purchase orders in the amount of $330,000 for 2,200 T-Blocks for the end of 2020, pending successful outcomes of product trials.
• We have formed strategic partnerships with the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center, CellInk, Midwest Regional 3D Technology Society, Volumetric, Inc., and more.
• One issued patent and six ready to be filed.
• Ronawk has been accepted into the Sustainable Heartland Accelerator Regional Partnership Hub, the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Corps program, and the Advanced Regenerative Medicine Institute.

Current Cell Production is Inefficient

Mammalian (animal and human) stem cells actively produce a variety of biological factors, which are the core “ingredients” in developing new therapies, vaccines, and diagnostic tests. Current technologies cannot keep pace with the rising demand - companies need trillions of cells. Growing mammalian stem cells is challenging due to several enormous requirements:

T-Blocks Enable Cell Growth Expansion

Ronawk produces 3D-printed consumables for mammalian stem cell expansion.

“Tissue Block” (T-Block)® is a 1 cm^3 3D matrix that increases mammalian cell production by 3,600X, using the equipment and resources already available in most life science laboratories.

T-Blocks enable an increase in production of mammalian stem cells by growing cells in 3D, as opposed to 2D. By utilizing volume instead of surface area, more cells can grow in a much smaller space. This increases cell production potential and reduces footprint needed for producing cells. T-Blocks reduce material costs for cell production by 93% and reduce labor hours by 97%.

T-Blocks save customers time and money while dramatically increasing production potential of mammalian stem cells.

How it Works

T-Block® are a container for stem cells that utilizes advanced bio ink and proprietary channeling in the printing process.

Traction & Accomplishments

Customer Acceptance:
Prior to COVID-19, Ronawk sold 130 T-Blocks to the University of
Kansas Medical Center.
Over a recent 30-day period, we sent 1,000 targeted messages out across LinkedIn. We had a 30% response rate indicating Ronawk’s T-Blocks are solving a major problem. Of the responses, over 40 organizations requested personalized calls with Ronawk, and 18 organizations have started product trials with Ronawk’s T-Blocks. Six of those organizations are international. 
Ronawk has conditional purchase orders for the sale of 2,200 T-Blocks.

Partnerships:

Manufacturing and Distribution:
We plan to outsource large-scale production, to an accredited GMP facility. We are currently engaging with multiple global channel partners.  We will maintain our Olathe facility for R&D.

Patents:
One issued patent and six ready to be filed.

Awards

Ronawk was accepted into the inaugural cohort of the Sustainable Heartland Accelerator Regional Partnership Hub (SHARPHub) in May of 2019 and has received two $5,000 grants from SHARPHub.

Ronawk was accepted into the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program at Wichita University in June 2019, where Ronawk spent the $2,500 award validating the customer pain point regarding cell culture production.

Ronawk was accepted into the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Entrepreneurial Scholars (E-Scholars) Program in August 2019, and both graduated and won the E-Scholars Pitch competition in December 2019.

In October 2019, Ronawk was awarded a Digital Sandbox award for $19,997. Ronawk won the CellInk Shark Tank Competition in New Orleans, LA in November 2019.

Meet the Management Team

CEO – A.J. Mellott, Ph.D. | Dr. Mellott is a tissue engineer with 12 years’ experience in stem cell manipulation. He is a co-founder of Ronawk LLC and is the sole inventor of the T-Block technology platform. Dr. Mellott managed his own research lab, as the director of basic research for the Department of Plastic Surgery at KUMC for 5 years, and in 2020 was awarded a prestigious Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship.

COO – Alan Goodnight, M.B.A. | Mr. Goodnight is a highly accomplished entrepreneurial executive with 25+ years of success in creating value, financial best practices and revenue growth within the technology and manufacturing industries. He is recognized as a regional expert in turning around and expanding startup companies into successful enterprises. Mr. Goodnight has successfully exited multiple companies. 

CTO – Heather Decker, B.A. | Ms. Decker is a chemist and expert microscopist with 12 years’ experience. She is a co-founder of Ronawk. Ms. Decker has set up multiple labs and built custom analysis equipment that has led to innovative quantifications of biological samples. She was an interim core director at KU for five years before leaving in 2018 to help Dr. Mellott start Ronawk.