With the union of cutting-edge software and hardware purposed to elevate automation in science laboratories worldwide, Automata recently procured $40 million stemming from an equity-based funding round. The proposition behind this hefty financial inflow pivots around manifesting a leap in the company's recent trajectory witnessed across Europe and the U.S.
Emerging from the bustling streets of London in 2015, Automata was initially vested with the mission to automate monotonous manual processes prevalent across various industries. This was to be executed with 'Eva,' a configurable robotic arm designed to operate from a desktop. Over time, the company identified a limitation - tending to smaller, personalized use-cases was not fulfilling their grand vision of scaling into a significant business. A realization that prompted them to revisit their strategy and earmark the industries teetering on the edge of an automation revolution, and those that were primed for comprehensive automation.
Thus, the concept of 'Automata 2.0' materialized, translating into a renewed hardware and software bundle. It aimed at interconnecting and consolidating various steps involved in lab-based examinations and experimental methodologies. The primary domains of focus revolved around genomics and cell biology.
Embodied within Automata's groundbreaking platform is a cloud-centric software christened 'LINQ.' This feature-rich software enables users to amalgamate various instruments and design, schedule, and execute numerous workflows. Further supplemented by the robotic LINQ bench, which essentially serves as the physical transporter for labware, as it lithely navigates across the benchtop. The bench bears a modular design, adding an element of flexibility in its configuration to comply with different lab setups. Furthermore, it proposes the option to augment the setup with extra robotic arms and allied components as per necessity.
The overarching objective remains to leverage automation to address issues analogous to those observed in other industries. This includes alleviating the burden of redundant manual tasks, minimizing error rates, and amplifying capacity and output parameters. Particularly for Automata, the enhanced output signifies a marked improvement in drug development and testing timelines.
Throughout its journey to date, Automata has successfully raised approximately $57 million. A considerable portion of these funds came in through its Series B round last year. Equipped with fresh funding of $40 million, the company intends to persist on its growth curve. This determination is bolstered by its remarkable portfolio of clients including NHS Trusts in the U.K., renowned pharmaceutical firms like AstraZeneca, and prolific academic organizations such as The Francis Crick Institute.
The recent funding round noticed active participation from U.S.-based venture capital firm Dimension, besides contributions from Octopus Ventures, Hummingbird, Isomer Capital, Possible Ventures, Aldea Ventures, and A.P. Moller Holding. The latter conglomerate took over laboratory testing group Unilabs in 2021.
With no-code platforms on the rise, companies like AppMaster offer easy and intuitive platform for non-developers to create and automate various processes. This might encourage more companies in the direction of automation, opening new doors for startups like Automata.
