CEIBA
Women´s longevity biobank.
Building form Abu Dhabi.
MAria fernanda almazan chavez
Founder · abu dhabi · UAE
THE PROBLEM
The body´s most regenerative tissue is the one we discard
Bone Marrow
Invasive extraction procedures carry significant risks, including infection and prolonged recovery times.
Adipose Tissue
400+
Surgical liposuction is a major procedure that requires general anesthesia and a lengthy healing process.
Times the endometrium rebuilds itselfin a woman´s reproductive life - the most actively regenerating tissue in the human body
Umbilical Cord
Collection is only possible once, at birth, leaving no opportunity for future replenishment or renewal.
And every cycle of it si thrown away.
THE SCIENCE
A cell source with no equivalent in adult tissue
~20h
Doubling time
Twice the rate of bone marrow cells, enabling rapid regeneration and high-potential therapeutic applications.
Monthly
Renewable collection
A non-invasive, monthly renewal process that provides a continuous, high-quality source of biological material.
First characterised
Scientifically validated since 2007, with a robust clinical history of efficacy and safety in global research.
Zero
Ethical complexity
Derived exclusively from menstrual blood, CEIBA preserves cells without embryonic material, aligning with Islamic bioethics.
Sources: Stem cell Research & Therapy (2019) 10:1 · (2019) 10:406 · (2018)
2007
THE SOLUTION
Licensed preservation. Never ahead of the regulation.
PHASE ONE · THE REVENUE FROM LAUNCH
The biobank
PHASE TWO · REGULATORY - GATED
Phase two: Research readiness
- Non-invasive collection kit. Cell isolation and characterisation. GMP-grade cryopreservation through a Department of Health-licensed, accredited laboratory partner in Abu Dhabi. Enrolment fee plus annual storage subscription
- As cell Therapies advance through clinical and regulatory review. CEIBA clients already hold characterised, banked cells, Licensed institutions conduct research and treatment. CEIBA remains the infrastructure beneath it
CEIBA makes no therapeutic claims. We market preservation, not treatment, and no service will launch ahead of its licence.
WHERE THE SCIENCE IS HEADING
Active research, not current service
CEIBA's Phase 1 service is preservation only. We make no therapeutic claims and offer no treatment. The areas below are documented directions of active scientific investigation into MenSCs - context for why preservation matters now, not services CEIBA provides.
Gynecological & reproductive health
premature ovarian insufficiency, intrauterine adhesions, endometrial regeneration
Hepatic & metabolic disease
liver injury models
early-stage investigation in disease models
Neurological conditions
paracrine immunomodulatory effects on T cells, dendritic cells, inflammatory pathways
Immune-mediated conditions
Tissue & wound repair
cutaneous injury models, dermal regeneration
CEIBA's thesis: the science moves quickly enough to justify preservation today, and remains far enough from approved therapy that no responsible company should sell treatment yet. Clients who bank now are positioned for whichever direction matures into licensed clinical practice - through licensed institutions, under regulatory approval, not CEIBA directly.
No MenSC treatment is approved for any indication in the UAE or region. Sources: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 10:1 (2019) PMC12405216 (2025) PMC6249727 (2018)
BUSINESS MODEL
Revenue in year one, without waiting on any approval
Enrolment
Collection, isolation, first year storage
Annual storage
Recurring subscription
Additional cycles
Optional top-up banking
Founder estimates based on stated assumptions. CEIBA is pre-revenue.
Why this matters to an investor
Unlike a therapeutics company, CEIBA does not depend on a trial result. Private cord blood banking proved the model over decades - families pay for biological optionality long before every therapy exists.
Our core risk is licensing risk — known, published, and buildable-to - not clinical trial risk.
MARKET
A proven model applied to a renewable source
The analog: private umbilical cord blood banking is an established multi-billion-dollar global industry with decades of proven consumer willingness to pay.
The structural edge: cord blood is collected once, at birth. Every womanan of reproductive age is eligible for CEIBA, and collections repeat.
Beachhead: high-income women aged 25-45 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai - one of the world's highest concentrations of premium preventive-health spending.
Market two: Mexico, via the founder's existing operational infrastructure and regulatory familiarity.
Year one target: 100-200 enrolled clients, UAE only.
COMPETITION
The category is unclaimed in this region
Cord blood banks (regional and global)
adjacent, not competing. Different cell source, single lifetime collection window, different customer moment.
MenSC banks internationally
a small number operate in the US and Asia. None identified operating in MENA or Latin America.
Unlicensed regenerative clinics
the category's reputational risk. CEIBA's compliance-first posture is deliberate differentiation, not overhead.
Our moat is regulatory licensing, laboratory partnership, and first-mover brand trust in a category where trust is the entire product.
TRACTION
Honest position: pre-seed, pre-revenue, moving deliberately
What exist today
Founder resident in the UAE with an active licensed operating entity at Masdar City Free Zone
Scientific foundation validated by an established peer-reviewed literature
Regulatory pathway mapped against published Department of Health standards
Business model proven by a decades-old global analog
What does not exist yet
No revenue, no patents, no institutional investors
No scientific co-founder - the first hire this funding enables
No licence yet - the first milestone this funding delivers
We would rather state this plainly than have it surface in diligence.
FOUNDING TEAM
Buil by someone who launches regulated businesses
Maria Fernanda Almazán Chavez
Founder & CEO · Mexican national · UAE resident
Operates MEXBEST LIMITED a licensed cross- border trading company at Masdar City Free Zone
Family business: NUTRIWELL, a certified food and health manufacturer in Mexico, 400+ SKUs
Six years deigning health and wellness programmes with government and institutional bodies across MEXICO
Les Roches Switzerland: International Hospitality Management Harvard University: Eco-ENtrepreneurship Programme (executive/certificate level)
CEIBA's Phase 1 challenge is licensing, partnership, and regulated operations, not laboratory science.
That is exactly the work I have done repeatedly, in both of CEIBA's target markets.
The first hire this funding enables is a Chief Scientific Officer with GMP and biobanking experience. Hub71's talent network is central to that plan.
Three conditions converge, and only here
Regulatory clarity
Scientific Maturity
Market timing
The Department of Health has published specific standards for stem cell products and licensed laboratories. The emirate hosts internationally accredited cellular therapy infrastructure - FACT and AABB accreditations are in the region. Requirements are knowable and buildable-to.
MenSC research has moved from initial characterisation to a substantial body of literature and early clinical investigation. Well characterised enough to bank responsibly; early enough that the category is open.
Longevity, preventive medicine, and women's health are stated Abu Dhabi priorities, in a region with exceptional premium health spending. The category is unclaimed across MENA and LATAМ.
WHY NOW · WHY ABU DHABI
Her cells.
Her future.
Named for the ceiba — the tree of life.
Maria Fernanda Almazan Chavez
Founder & CEO · CEIBA · Abu Dhabi