A Strategic Vision for Regenerative Cell Therapies: An Interview with StemSight’s New CFO Samantha Macro

StemSight is on a mission to revolutionise regenerative cell therapies, with a particular focus on restoring vision and improving patients’ quality of life. At the heart of this mission is a passionate and experienced team—now strengthened by the addition of Samantha Macro, who brings deep expertise from the life sciences sector. We sat down with Samantha to learn more about her journey, motivations, and vision for StemSight’s future.

A Proven Track Record in Life Sciences Finance

Samantha Macro joins StemSight with a distinguished career in finance leadership across some of the most recognised names in biotechnology. Most recently, she served as CFO at CN-BIO, a leader in organ-on-a-chip technology. Prior to that, she played a key role at Mestag Therapeutics, where she helped secure a $45 million seed financing round.

Her background also includes senior positions at Horizon Discovery, Johnson Matthey Pharma, Cambridge Antibody Technology, MedImmune, and AstraZeneca—where she supported strategic growth, M&A initiatives, and major fundraising efforts across the life sciences sector.

So, what drew such a seasoned executive to StemSight? “My motivation to join StemSight was fuelled by the energy and passion the team has for the company. There’s a fantastic culture and drive to make the company successful and reach its potential,” says Samantha.

A Mission That Resonates

StemSight is focused on developing off-the-shelf cell therapies to address unmet medical needs in corneal blindness. “What excites me most about StemSight’s mission is its commitment to delivering impactful regenerative medicine treatments, especially in restoring vision. This isn’t just about treating the disease; it’s about improving patients’ quality of life in a meaningful way” Samantha comments. “Success in this area could open the door to life-changing therapies across multiple therapeutic areas,” she adds.

Laying the Financial Groundwork

StemSight’s strategic focus is shifting toward preparations for the upcoming Series A round. Rather than simply securing the next stage of capital, the team is shaping this funding round to build a more ambitious vision for the company. The Series A round will serve as a strategic launchpad for broader clinical and commercial development to make StemSight a global leader in iPSC and biomaterial -based  regenerative therapies. Samantha’s leadership in financial planning is also key to aligning current efforts with long-term exit opportunities, ensuring that the entire team is focused on building value with each milestone.

“The recently secured funding has enabled us to complete essential activities, including our Proof-of-Concept study, and the setup of our new facility. These steps are critical to optimizing our process and producing a pilot batch at clinical scale. Successfully executing these initiatives brings us to a major value inflection point, setting the stage for a high-impact Series A.”

Looking Ahead

We asked Samantha how she views the current landscape for biotechnology and cell therapies, and how StemSight can lead the way in driving innovation.

“The cell therapy space holds tremendous global potential, but there’s still a significant gap when it comes to delivering scalable and GMP-compliant manufacturing. StemSight is addressing this head-on with a unique approach—developing non-invasive, cost-effective treatments powered by a scalable manufacturing platform,” says Samantha.

As StemSight progresses toward key clinical and commercial milestones, including its upcoming Series A funding round, Samantha’s leadership will be pivotal in ensuring the company stays on a strong, sustainable growth trajectory—bringing transformative regenerative therapies closer to the patients who need them most.