Nucleate Podcast The Science of Stem Cells and Social Impact: Inside Ovelle with Merrick Smela and Travis Potter
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Feb 10, 2026 Travis Potter, a finance-to-biotech CEO who left Wall Street after personal fertility struggles, and Merrick Smela, a Harvard-trained stem cell scientist working on inducing meiosis from iPSCs, discuss Ovel’s work. They talk about in vitro gametogenesis, regulatory-factor-driven approaches to start meiosis, building a mission-focused team, safety and validation for lab-grown eggs, and fundraising for a novel fertility tech.
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Founders Met Through Research
- Merrick and Travis met after Travis read Merrick's papers and reached out by email.
- They incorporated Ovel in August and started wet lab work once Merrick finished his PhD in February.
Personal Experience Sparked The Venture
- Travis's interest in IVG came after fertility struggles with his second child and learning about IVF limitations.
- He noticed only about $100M had been invested globally in IVG and decided to contribute.
Direct Regulatory Activation Strategy
- Ovel activates gene regulatory factors (transcription factors, RNA binding proteins, kinases) to drive cell states.
- Direct regulatory activation speeds and precisely controls differentiation compared with mimicking natural slow signaling.
