What does it take to build companies across chemistry, software, diagnostics, and cell therapy, then bring those lessons into regenerative medicine? In this episode of Entrepreneur Rx, host John Shufeldt sits down with Robin Smith, CEO of Wonderlab Bio, a Jetstream Venture Fund portfolio company, to discuss his journey as a multi-exit entrepreneur, scientist, and biotech leader. Robin shares how he began as a chemist, how one unexpected customer order became his first bootstrap chemical business, and how that early work led to innovations in electronic lab notebooks, big data, and applied science. The conversation explores Robin’s path through Synthematix, ArtusLabs, and PerkinElmer, where he helped scale an informatics business and learned how to operate at a much larger level. Robin also reflects on the people, teams, and relationships that shaped his career, and why grit, optimism, and curiosity have been essential throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Robin and John also discuss the origins of Wonderlab Bio and its work in regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and CRISPR-enabled cell engineering. Wonderlab Bio is developing tools that help biotech and pharmaceutical companies use engineered human cell types, including cardiac cells, neurons, and liver cells, for drug screening, efficacy testing, and future personalized medicine applications. Beyond the science, the episode covers building through uncertainty, recovering valuable assets, playing the long game, hiring mistakes, founder resilience, and the difference between startup lifestyle and the hard work of building something that matters. Robin also shares advice for younger entrepreneurs: slow down enough to think, seek outside perspectives, build strong teams, and balance action with patience. About Robin Smith: Robin is a multi-exit entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building life science and technology companies. His career spans chemistry, biotechnology, software, diagnostics, informatics, fundraising, M&A, corporate development, and company formation. Robin founded Synthematix, which helped pioneer the electronic laboratory notebook market, and ArtusLabs, which was acquired by PerkinElmer and became part of the foundation for its informatics division. He has led global R&D teams and holds more than 20 foundational patents across life science and technology. About Wonderlab Bio: Wonderlab Bio is a regenerative medicine company focused on allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, and differentiated cell therapies. The company is the custodian of a large allogeneic iPSC cell bank derived from more than 85,000 collected blood samples, with cells consented for commercial use. Wonderlab’s platform supports scalable, off-the-shelf cell therapy applications across cardiac repair, neurological disease, osteoarthritis, longevity, disease modeling, tissue engineering, drug screening, and gene therapy delivery. About Xcellerant Ventures: Xcellerant is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies across healthcare, technology, defense, and other emerging industries. Through multiple funds and investment vehicles, the firm partners with visionary founders, provides strategic guidance, and helps connect investors with opportunities in the private markets. About Jetstream Venture Fund: Jetstream is an interval fund managed by Xcellerant Ventures, that seeks to provide investors access to early-stage, high-growth companies with flexible terms, lower minimums ($5,000 minimum), and no carried interest. Disclosure for Jetstream: Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund and can be obtained by emailing jetstream@sweaterfunds.com or by visiting www.jvf.vc. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
