Inga Rose: Scaling a Science-First Startup in Oncology

Originally published in In Business Greater Phoenix.

By Inga Rose, Founder & CEO, Reference Medicine

The pace of innovation in oncology has never been faster. Researchers are developing new diagnostics, identifying novel biomarkers, and advancing precision medicine at an unprecedented rate. But even as scientific discovery accelerates, one challenge remains constant: streamlined access to high-quality biospecimens.

After nearly two decades working in laboratory operations and oncology diagnostics, I had seen the same frustrations repeatedly - long wait times, inconsistent specimen quality, poor communication, and procurement processes that created unnecessary hurdles for researchers.

I believed it didn’t have to be that way.

That conviction led me to found Reference Medicine in Phoenix in 2021, with a simple goal: make biospecimen procurement faster, more transparent, and easier for the scientists doing the work.

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