Today we meet the startup PULEXLAB. We speak with its co-founder, Daniel Valtierra.
What problem does your startup address, and what solution does it offer?
Industries related to research and healthcare — such as the pharmaceutical, biotech, and chemical sectors — are essential for maintaining and improving human well-being. However, the development of these services is closely tied to industrial activities that pollute air, water, and soil. The energy cost of manufacturing laboratory and medical equipment is extremely high — even more so in the current context of rising raw material prices. As a result, this equipment is difficult to acquire at an affordable price, which creates budgetary challenges. So far, the market has operated on a linear production model: produce, use, and discard.
That’s why we created Pulexlab: a marketplace for buying and selling second-hand laboratory and medical equipment. This allows companies to access high-quality equipment at a more affordable price, recover part of their original investment, avoid storage costs, and ultimately reduce their carbon footprint.
By promoting the reuse of equipment, we help to make a traditionally rigid market more flexible while reducing the environmental impact of these industries.
How and why did you start this entrepreneurial journey? Any advice from your experience that you’d like to share with future entrepreneurs?
While working on my PhD in biotechnology, I realized that a large amount of equipment was not being used, despite still having useful life left. Also, when you work in a lab, you become aware of the high cost of all the equipment and materials — which creates a budgetary barrier for companies and research groups.
I believe motivation is key. Entrepreneurship is truly challenging, and if you’re not clear about the impact you want to make with your startup — your mission and values — it’s hard to keep going through the tough times.
Persistence and not giving up may sound like a cliché, but in daily practice, it’s one of the most important qualities, in my opinion.
As advice, I’d say it’s essential to learn how to listen and still make your own decisions. I believe it’s incredibly important to listen, understand, and empathize with everyone you talk to — you can learn something from every person.
Lastly, before “jumping” into entrepreneurship, make sure it’s really what you want and that you’re at a point in life that allows it — because it will demand more of your time and energy than you might expect.
How do you expect the sector to evolve? And what are your expectations for your startup?
We’re in a growing market, and even more so following the pandemic. These sectors are expanding rapidly, and forecasts suggest this growth will continue. In addition, the influence of the tech industry is driving changes that will make these sectors more efficient in how they work and solve emerging challenges.
This growth implies a greater demand for resources — that is, a larger volume of lab and medical equipment. In light of the current scarcity and rising cost of raw materials like aluminum, plastics, and essential electronic components, Pulexlab is more necessary than ever. The reuse of these resources has become not only an environmental necessity but also an economic one.
Any upcoming developments you’d like to share with other startups?
We’re very proud of how we’ve launched, despite the difficult times we’ve faced: the pandemic, economic crisis, geopolitical tensions, and so on. Even so, we believe the best time to start is now. If you’re waiting for the perfect moment… it might never come. We started operations at the end of 2020 and have received very positive feedback from companies using Pulexlab. We’re establishing collaboration agreements with major companies interested in our value proposition, and we’ve welcomed our first registered users from outside Spain (Portugal and France).
From an environmental standpoint, we’ve analyzed and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where we aim to have the greatest impact:
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
We’ve not only studied and quantified the problem but also measured the impact of our startup and of reusing lab and medical equipment. This means we can now offer Pulexlab users data on the positive CO₂ savings their companies are achieving by working with us.
In what areas would you like to collaborate with other startups, companies, or organizations?
We’re happy to connect with companies in the sector and members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to explore ways of working together toward a more sustainable research and healthcare model.
We collaborate with SMEs, universities, and startups that need to optimize their budgets when acquiring lab equipment. If you see yourself in this group, we can help.
At the same time, we also work with large companies to manage lab equipment they no longer use but that still has useful life, giving it a second chance and helping to recover their original investment.
Pulexlab is a solution for all companies that share our mission of building a more sustainable research and healthcare sector.