The journey of miniPCR bio: From a Boston basement to the International Space Station
To the Ones Who Started the Revolution: A Thank You to Our Backers
When we started miniPCR bio in a cold Boston basement in 2013, we had a prototype and a big question: What happens when you take biotechnology out of the ivory tower and put it into the hands of everyone?
In a recent talk, our co-founder Sebastian Kraves reflected on that journey. He spoke about the “financial experts” who told us to chase the $30 billion clinical diagnostic market. They saw a “unicorn” startup; we saw a different path. We chose to build a community instead of just a company. We chose you.
Beyond the “Hammer”
In his talk at Congreso Futuro 2026, Sebastian used the analogy of a hammer. If you invent a powerful tool, do you give it to the person who already has everything, or the person with a mystery to solve and no tools to solve it?
By supporting our Kickstarter and joining our early community, our backers weren’t just buying a machine. You were voting for a world where:
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An 8-year-old can do DNA analysis before they even learn long division.
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A scientist in the Amazon doesn’t have to ship samples to the Northern Hemisphere to protect their own ecosystem.
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A student in a rural classroom has the same molecular tools as a PhD at Harvard.
Your Curiosity in Action
Because you helped us miniaturize the tools of DNA analysis, the “DNA Revolution” has reached places we never imagined. Today, your support is felt:
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In Space: Through the Genes in Space program, where students are performing CRISPR experiments on the ISS.
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In the Field: Where breeders and farmers are using genetic precision to make their work more sustainable.
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In Schools: Where hundreds of thousands of students a year use our tools to see biology happen in real-time.
The DNA Revolution is Just Beginning
The true revolution wasn’t the engineering of a smaller device or a smarter circuit board. The revolution was access. As Sebastian said in his talk, we didn’t want to create a world where people just admired our project. We wanted to create a world where you could follow your own curiosity to “destinos impensados”—unimaginable destinations. To our original backers and our growing community: Thank you for being the catalysts. We provided the tools, but you are the ones discovering the future.
What will you discover next? Watch the talk in Spanish (with English cc):
