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CellChorus

YC S21

Houston, US · Founded 2020 · 4 employees · 4 known investors

CellChorus develops a visual AI platform called TIMING that performs high-throughput dynamic analysis of single cells, measuring cell activation, killing, and movement over time for biopharmaceutical research. The company serves biopharmaceutical companies and therapy developers seeking to understand cellular function and phenotype.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesAI-powered Drug DiscoveryMachine LearningUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S21)

CellChorus was founded in 2020 by Dan Meyer, Navin Varadarajan, and Laurence Cooper.

DMDan Meyer
Dan Meyerin𝕏Co-founder · CEOHe previously served as COO and board member at Genospace before its acquisition by HCA Healthcare, and held investment roles at venture capital firms Arboretum Ventures and PJC.vc. He holds a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
NVNavin Varadarajan
Navin VaradarajaninFounder
LCLaurence Cooper
Laurence CooperCo-founder & Board Chair
RBRebecca Berdeaux
Rebecca BerdeauxChief Scientific Officer

Investors · 4

Breakout VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $6M
Houston Angel NetworkHouston
Texas HALO FundHouston
Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements
  • Undisclosed amountSmall Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grantJul 2023
    Source ↗

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Images

CellChorus photo

Competitors · 1

by search overlap
Cell Microsystems5 shared keywordsCell Microsystems develops automated instruments for cellular and molecular workflows used in life science research, including oncology, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine. Its products support scientists in laboratory research and single-cell isolation and analysis.

Companies competing with CellChorus for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

Non-dilutive funding · 2 SBIR/STTR awards

Federal grants — no equity taken
AgencyPhaseYearAmount
National Institutes of Health (NIH)National Institutes of HealthPhase I2023$324.3K
National Science FoundationPhase I2023$275K

Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are competitive federal R&D grants and contracts — non-dilutive capital alongside any venture rounds above.

In the news

CellChorus, Stanford Medicine land National Cancer Institute SBIR grant - InnovationMaphouston.innovationmap.com · May 2026NCI Award CellChorus and Stanford Medicine SBIR award — CellChoruscellchorus.com · May 2026BioTools Innovator VANGUARD awards CellChorus contract to support AI-enabled pathogen-immune profiling - MedTech Innovatormedtechinnovator.org · Aug 2025BioTools Innovator VANGUARD awards CellChorus contract to support pathogen-immune profilingcellchorus.com · Aug 2025Four abstracts at SITC 2024 to feature CellChorus TIMING datacellchorus.com · Nov 2024Cancer Discovery publication applies TIMING to show increased serial killing by novel CAR NK therapy — CellChoruscellchorus.com · Oct 2024University of Houston-founded company secures $2.5M in NIH grant funding - InnovationMaphouston.innovationmap.com · Oct 2024Up to $2.5 million in funding from NIH will be used to develop TIMING™ kits for manufacturing analytics that provide end-users with rapid, specific and predictive results to accelerate translational research and the development and manufacture of more effective cell therapies to benefit patients - Mmedtechinnovator.org · May 2024

Frequently asked questions

What does CellChorus do?
CellChorus develops a visual AI platform called TIMING that performs high-throughput dynamic analysis of single cells, measuring cell activation, killing, and movement over time for biopharmaceutical research. The company serves biopharmaceutical companies and therapy developers seeking to understand cellular function and phenotype.
Who founded CellChorus?
CellChorus was founded by Dan Meyer, Navin Varadarajan, Laurence Cooper in 2020.
Who are CellChorus's investors?
CellChorus's investors include Breakout Ventures, Houston Angel Network, Texas HALO Fund, Y Combinator.
Where is CellChorus headquartered?
CellChorus is headquartered in Houston, US.