Karen Foster

Designs, manufactures, and markets proprietary and generic bio preservation media products for cells, tissues and organs

Functions as a College/University

Functions as a College/University

Founded in 1993, ViaCord LLC specializes in cord blood and tissue banking, offering families the opportunity to preserve stem cells from their newborn’s umbilical cord for current and potential future medical uses. The company is based in Waltham, MA. The company provides services such as cord blood banking, cord tissue banking using a proprietary process to extract and store multiple stem cell types, and advanced genetic testing options including whole genome sequencing and various genetic insight panels for newborns and adults. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells used in treating nearly 80 conditions, primarily inherited genetic diseases, and has been utilized in transplants for over three decades. Cord tissue stem cells, particularly mesenchymal stem cells, are under ongoing clinical research for conditions like cerebral palsy, autism, and multiple sclerosis. ViaCord offers educational resources, personalized guidance, a free information kit, and the Sibling Connection Program, which provides free cord blood collection, processing, and lifetime storage for newborn siblings of children diagnosed with treatable conditions requiring a sibling’s cord blood transplant. The company is accredited by regulatory bodies including the FDA and AABB and is backed by its parent company, Revvity.