Opentrons Labworks Inc. has raised $40 million in a Series E financing round to expand its laboratory robotics, software and data infrastructure as demand grows for automated scientific research. Healthcare investor Avego led the round, with additional investment from BroadOak Capital Partners.
The company plans to use the capital to advance AI-driven experimental execution, extend its automation capabilities and expand into new markets and geographies. Its investment priorities also include faster protocol development through software and AI, broader functionality across its robots and instruments, and deeper integration with the wider laboratory automation ecosystem.
Connecting AI With Physical Experiments
The funding comes as artificial intelligence accelerates the design of scientific hypotheses and experiments, while physical laboratory work remains a constraint on research timelines. Opentrons is positioning its robotics and software platform to connect AI-generated experimental designs with their execution in laboratories.
Its Opentrons Flex platform combines laboratory robots with AI systems intended to support a continuous process in which experiments can be designed, conducted and refined. The approach aims to reduce manual laboratory work and generate experimental data that researchers can use to guide further investigations.
Expanding an Established Global Footprint
Opentrons says it has deployed more than 11,000 robots in laboratories across more than 80 countries. Its customers include 90% of the world’s 20 largest pharmaceutical companies, according to the company. The installed base gives it a presence across academic research groups, diagnostics laboratories and pharmaceutical operations.
James Atwood, CEO of Opentrons, said the company’s focus is on making laboratory automation accessible and enabling AI systems to run experiments directly. He described reducing manual work as a significant opportunity to give scientists more time for discovery.
Avego Managing Partner James Flexner said drug developers and AI companies are increasingly moving experimental work toward automated workflows that produce usable data. He sees an opportunity for autonomous science to converge around the Opentrons platform.
Funding the Next Phase of Autonomous Science
The Series E will support the company’s broader push into autonomous science, where robotics and AI systems work together to design experiments, execute protocols and learn from results. This model could help research teams move from computational predictions to physical testing with less manual intervention.
Opentrons has more than a decade of experience in laboratory automation. Its next phase will focus on extending the platform’s capabilities and reach as laboratories explore ways to integrate AI into routine research and development workflows.
