NEW YORK CITY — March 27, 2018 — Opentrons, a company dedicated to automating laboratories, today announced the launch of its newest laboratory robot, the OT-2, and a new no-code protocol designer. The launch of OT-2 is supported by a $10 million seed round led by Khosla Ventures with participation from Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Y Combinator Continuity Fund and former Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler. This launch and financial support furthers Opentrons’ mission to bring affordable automation to all biologists.
Biologists are preparing to solve some of the world's biggest problems, but up to 90 percent of biologists still perform experiments manually because cost and complexity prevent them from automating them. Opentrons believes laboratory automation should be affordable, customizable and easy to use. The company's lab robots can automate hundreds of applications with speed and accuracy ten times the price of the tools, and the company aims to free biologists from the tedious and error-prone manual pipetting process to speed up Scientific discovery and progress.
“Life science investments are surging because the potential for innovation in every aspect of the industry, from drug development to biomanufacturing, is exciting and inevitable. Through automation, these developments can be made cheaper and faster,” said Vinod Khosla, partner at Khosla Ventures. "Opentrons not only provides affordable equipment for labs of all sizes, but also harnesses the power of open source technology to foster a more collaborative scientific community. Lean biotech startups are now possible."
Since its inception, Opentrons' customer base and headcount have doubled every six months, and today hundreds of scientists and institutions use Opentrons, including 70% of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies and 90% of the top 50 bioresearch universities. . The funds raised supported the development of the OT-2 robot and will be used to maintain customers and the company’s growth rate.
Opentrons’ newest robot, the OT-2, is small enough to fit on a bench and fits into any size laboratory, allowing biologists to conduct experiments with the click of a button. OT-2 includes access to a library of validated protocols developed by hundreds of scientists from across the scientific community. OT-2 builds on the design and success of Opentrons' first robot, OT-One, and requires less technical expertise. Biologists can start with ready-made, preprogrammed protocols and adapt them to meet specific needs, or build their own from scratch. Key features of the OT-2 include:
"We learned a lot from our customers about what makes an automated solution suitable for most biologists, and we built the OT-2 to those specifications: affordable, easy to use, and reliable," said Co. Will Canine - Founder and Chief Product Officer of Opentrons. "Our mission is to democratize complex biotech tools, and we're starting with lab robots. OT-2 can make scientists' daily tasks easier and ultimately accelerate the process of scientific discovery."
Scientists at institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University, Harvard University and MIT trust Opentrons robots. Drew Endy, professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, said: "OT-2 is a truly amazing laboratory automation platform. Opentrons is proving that open and affordable hardware can also be the best in terms of performance and engineering. For us "The OT-2 means anyone who can afford a laptop can set up an open biological foundry."
Opentrons’ OT-2 robot starts at $4,000 and is available for purchase here . See it in action with existing customers and request a demo today.
Opentrons is making automation possible in any laboratory, starting with affordable pipetting robots for biologists. With its easy-to-use hardware and open software platform, Opentrons automates manual laboratory work and supports collaborative research for life scientists. Opentrons is used by scientists at 70% of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies and 90% of the top 50 bioresearch universities, and is backed by Khosla Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, and Y Combinator Continuity Fund.
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