Whether you already supply stem cell research products or you wish to expand your product line, you’re aware that the market is continually increasing in size and competitiveness. You need to make effective product development decisions, sell more effectively to scientists, generate improved revenues, and take market share from your competition. Without strategic guidance on which to base your actions, you can find yourself in a difficult position.

New products that don’t sell well are costly mistakes, and offering products that can’t out-compete your competitors’ alternatives is certain to reduce the value of your company within the minds of your prospective clients.  On the other hand, repeatedly launching high-demand products and skillfully addressing the unmet needs of your clients is certain to position you as a market leader.

When it comes to market research, people automatically think of how it can serve the needs of the behemoth corporations or the hopeful start-ups. But, there are numerous market research customers that aren't quite the first to mind but are certainly extremely interested users of research. The role of an industry investor may seem simple to the average person: invest in a profitable company, market segment, industry, etc. and make loads of money. However, nothing is ever quite that simple, and investing is certainly no different. So, let's take a look at insights from leading market research publisher in the stem cell industry, BioInformant Worldwide, L.L.C., to see an example of how industry investors can best use market research to make quick and educated decisions for increased profit.

The market for stem cell products and technologies is a rapidly evolving industry, largely because stem cells are a relatively recent, yet highly lucrative, discovery. While the first mouse embryonic stem cells were derived from embryos in 1981, it was not until 1995 that the first successful culturing of embryonic stem cells from non-human primates occurred and not until November 1998 that a technique was developed to isolate and grow embryonic stem cells from human blastocysts. In 2006, induced pluripotent stem cells were produced for the first time from mouse cells, and, in 2007, they were produced from human cells. Furthermore, it was not until 2008 that the first full transplant of a human organ grown from adult stem cells was performed when a section of a trachea was transplanted into a woman in Spain.

Cord blood banking is a profitable and rapidly growing industry. Ten years ago, there were only 23 cord blood banks worldwide; now, there are nearly 500, a 21-fold increase (2,100%) in the companies involved in the industry over the past decade. This rate of growth has generated enormous interest in the industry from venture capital funds, investment banks, and even individual investors, including Richard Branson—the billionaire business magnate and investor who now owns the Virgin Health Bank as one of his portfolio companies.

The key metrics, among others, that investors must know in order to profit from the cord blood banking sector are the current and historical market penetration rates. As the global leader in cord blood industry data, BioInformant was recently asked by the Wall Street Journal (a major U.S. news outlet) to provide data on market penetration rates for U.S. private cord blood banking since 2004, a 10-year historical analysis. Because this is a powerful question and the answer reveals critical market data, BioInformant is also sharing the findings with our readers.

Let’s dig into the numbers…

BioInformant Worldwide, L.L.C., is the global leader in stem cell industry data. As a specialty research company, BioInformant uses technology to track and identify profitable opportunities within the stem cell sector and provide this data to clients pursuing aggressive growth.

BioInformant is the only market intelligence company that has specifically served the stem cell sector since it emerged, and its singular focus allows its team of technology specialists, business analysts and scientific experts to produce data that enables company decision-makers to better understand their markets, competitors and customers.

In the two past decades, the healthcare industry in China has been growing at a fast pace, as it is a tremendous challenge to provide healthcare for 1.3 billion people. According to Asia Market Information and Development Company, the dramatic expansions of the healthcare system, drug manufacturing, and health insurance have transformed China’s society and economy. Life expectancy has now reached 76.8 for women and 72.5 for men compared to 69.9 for women and 66.9 for men in 1990. Demographic transition from high mortality to low mortality has helped drive this increase in life expectancy. Primary diseases have also shifted from infectious to chronic. Cancer, heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases are now top killers. As of now, spending on healthcare counts for over 5% of GDP and that will only continue to increase in the next decade. 

Successful market research is all about asking the right questions. No matter what industry you are in, there are specific questions to consider before diving into your market research. Particularly in the Biotechnology industry, certain factors must be taken into consideration in order to ensure that your research will be the most relevant and effective. Bruce Carlson, Publisher at one of the industry's leading market research producers, Kalorama Information, has laid out three of the most important questions to ask when researching in this field: