Della Fetzer is a plant biologist and first-time entrepreneur based in Holland. She’s also the founder of Rebel Cultures, the startup behind a new technology that will help commercial greenhouses grow thousands of identical, disease-free plants. The company says this technology has the potential to increase profit margins more than any method now available while also revolutionizing the industry.
Fetzer is a member of Lakeshore Advantage’s SURGE program, an entrepreneurial support organization that provides business support, resources, and a shared workspace for product and technology startup companies. The Lakeshore connected with Fetzer for a Q&A about her startup’s new technology, the future of Rebel Cultures, and her advice for other entrepreneurs.
The Lakeshore: Tell me about what you’re currently working on bringing to market.
Della Fetzer: We’re developing a new device and method for local, cost-effective plant tissue culture production. First, we are offering production trials of domestic, traditionally produced plant tissue culture to growers and for conservation projects. We’re scaling this program rapidly because it allows us to add value to the market while developing a library of protocols. Once we have fully developed protocols in place, we will develop a device to support that method. We’re calling that device the plant replicator.
TL: What is the origin story behind Rebel Cultures?
DF: I am a former director of a plant tissue culture laboratory, and the purpose of a plant tissue culture lab is to scale plant production very quickly. So normally, you’d have one seed, an acorn, for example, and you plant the acorn. And the maximum number of plants you can get out of this is, of course, one.
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