Lif (stylized as LIF) is a Swedish biotechnology company founded in 2003. The company develops and markets products based on the life science research of its co-founders, stem cell biologist Olle Lindvall and developmental biologist Anders Lundqvist. Lif’s product portfolio includes stem cell culture media, reagents for stem cell research, and drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
Lindvall and Lundqvist met while working at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. They began collaborating on research projects in the early 2000s, and decided to commercialize their work by founding Lif. In 2003, the company launched its first product, a stem cell culture medium called LifeStart Medium. Since then, Lif has released several new products for use in stem cell research and therapy.
The company has been profitable since its inception, and has been ranked among Sweden’s fastest-growing companies by Deloitte multiple times. In 2015, Lif was named the “Most Innovative Company” in Sweden by Dagens Industri magazine.
Lif’s products are used by researchers and clinicians around the world to advance the field of regenerative medicine. The company has customers in over 50 countries, including major academic institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Karolinska Institute.