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About us

About us

Get to know who we are, what we believe in, and how we got here. Explore our mission, our team, and the ideas that continue to guide our work.

Our mission

Our mission is simple: Make the life of CRISPR scientists easier.

When CRISPR first emerged, its potential was clear—but so were its limitations. In our own research, we had to refine existing tools before we could pursue our goals. That challenge sparked over a decade of innovation. Since then, we’ve dedicated our careers to advancing CRISPR methods, contributing to breakthroughs in prestigious labs and high-impact projects. Now, we’re sharing these solutions so scientists everywhere can edit with precision, efficiency, and confidence.

We understand the pressure to produce clear results.

And build the tools that help you get there.

Our history

We’ve done the work. Now you don’t have to.

ClearCut products weren’t born overnight—they were forged through years of development, testing, and validation. Built from our own experience overcoming editing challenges, they’re now ready to help other scientists reach new possibilities.

1

Initial development

2015-2018

Back when CRISPR was still emerging, our co-founder Stephan Riesenberg began working to improve its performance during his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. By focusing on ways to boost editing efficiency, he laid the foundation for more complex experiments. These early efforts became the first steps toward what is now ClearCut.

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

2

2

Recognizing potential

2018 - 2021

Encouraged by the efficiencies achieved, we began applying our improved methods to ambitious research projects, including the ancestralization of cells to study Human and Neanderthal biology. These contributions enabled important scientific publications that would not have been possible otherwise. This experience highlighted the broader potential of our tools and inspired us to share them with other researchers.

3

Testing feasibility

2021 - 2024

As other scientists began taking interest in our improvements, we realized how widely researchers struggled with reliable editing. We then joined the GO-Bio program to test our tools in the lab and see if there was a market need for our approach. Guided by mentors, we confirmed that scientists everywhere faced similar challenges and that our technology could make a positive impact on their research.

4

4

Venture building

2024 - Present

Following the success of GO-Bio, building a company became a tangible goal. With support from the Max Planck Society’s Maximize program, we defined our identity, refined our product line, and set our company’s infrastructure. This stage marked the transition from concept to reality, as we now work toward the official founding of ClearCut.

Max!mize

Test before launch.
Influence what’s next.

Apply to be an early tester and help us validate performance across real workflows.

Leadership team

Meet our team

ClearCut was built by researchers, for researchers. Meet the team behind our products, united by the goal of turning complex editing challenges into clear solutions.

Newsletter

Be the first to know.

Sign up for updates on our launch, early access, and new developments.

Join our Early Tester Program

As an early tester, you will receive product samples to use within your own research workflows, with no commitment beyond sharing your experience, which will directly inform the development of our tools.