At first glance, these are just a few “bog-standard” laboratory fume hoods & biosafety cabinets that one would expect in the labs of any R&D intensive medtech startup. But the story behind these key pieces of equipment and what they represent goes deeper…

Firstly it’s outrageously expensive to build, let alone properly fit-out lab space. Bringing in-house what was once part of outsourced R&D to accelerate progress involves hefty investment. Well thank goodness for auctions and surplus inventory! And as any other founder in the womens health space will tell you – you have to make every single pound/dollar stretch far further than any conventional limit.

Secondly, despite having hustled to secure these at a fraction – who would have ever thought there’d be such unexpected challenges getting them onto our floor? Two failed attempts by different professional moving companies, and faced with the prospects of blocking a major road to use a crane (at considerable cost) – there just had to be some other solution. Thankfully – with some clever engineering at a third attempt, plus a dose of luck, stubbornness (and muscle) we found a way.

So, every piece of furniture/equipment at Calla Lily Clinical Care has some backstory, but for these hoods/cabinets – which now conjures a wry smile each time seen- these somehow now represent a microcosm of founder life: hustle, frustration, failure, stubbornness, failure again, creativity, kindness, resilience, patience, faith… and the importance of celebrating the small (but heavy) wins.