What if researchers spent less time on repetitive tasks and more time generating new knowledge? That is the vision behind Cellaven, a Dijon-based start-up founded in 2022 by Julien Maruotti and his partners. Its innovation, called Nestor, automates cell culture processes in the laboratory to accelerate the research and development of new therapies.
The idea stemmed from its co-founder’s day-to-day experience. “I spent a lot of time in laboratories culturing stem cells, and what always struck me was the amount of time spent tending to these cells,” explains Julien Maruotti. “As a scientist, we could be doing more interesting science than simply moving fluids around. ”
Nestor, the laboratory assistant of the future
During the Covid-19 health crisis, he sketched out the initial plans for a machine capable of automating these routine procedures. A vision that came to fruition five years later with the launch of Nestor, unveiled in September 2025. “Nestor is the realisation of the concept I had sketched out almost five years earlier,” he emphasises.
To develop its technology, Cellaven drew on the Bourgogne–Franche-Comté ecosystem, now united under the BIOVALIANCE brand. “The region has a strong focus on microtechnologies. We found the expertise and technologies we needed to create our machine locally,” explains the CEO. The company has also benefited from structured guidance and support from regional financial partners.
Cellaven expands to the European stage
Today, Cellaven has twelve employees and installed its first equipment at pharmaceutical clients’ sites in late 2025. Having rolled out a distribution network covering Western Europe, the company is preparing for its next stage of growth. “The aim is to raise funds in 2026 to support our commercial development,” says Julien Maruotti. In the longer term, the start-up is targeting a Series A funding round in 2027 to accelerate its international expansion, particularly into the United States and Asia.