Our Story

The Origin of Obatala

In West African mythologies, Obatala is believed to be the god tasked with sculpting the human body. According to the Yoruba people, an ethnic group found predominantly in Nigeria, Obatala created human bodies from clay and mud. Obatala Sciences, Inc. was named as such to demonstrate its founders’ commitment to creating more accurate models of human tissue, starting with their building blocks: the cells. Obatala Sciences strives to build models not just focused on a ‘one size fits all’ approach at the cellular level but wants its models to be inclusive of all human beings. Therefore, the Obatala brand is committed to promoting representation of all ethnicities across all its operations: starting with the development of its products all the way to its staff’s diversity. Obatala Sciences’ products are developed from a pool of human donors representing multiple ethnicities, age groups, and genders. In this way, Obatala Sciences is dedicated to offering premium quality products that will aid progression of the most advanced research and prevention of disease in all ethnicities.

Company Overview

Obatala Sciences, a New Orleans biotechnology firm established in 2017, facilitates diversity in clinical research and expedites the development of therapies for diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cancer, while advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. With a robust pipeline comprising human-derived hydrogels, adult human stem cells from diverse populations, cell culture media, and tissue chip kits—including the on-market fat-on-chip system—Obatala Sciences provides essential platforms for drug discovery and development. By offering more accurate models that mimic human physiology, their solutions enhance drug success rates, while significantly reducing costs and time to market.