Opentrons launches next-generation laboratory robot and completes $10 million in seed round financing

Backed by Khosla Ventures, Lerer Hippeau and Y Combinator, Opentrons aims to revolutionize lab work for all scientistsNew York City - March 27, 2018 - Opentrons, A company making laboratory automation within reach, 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 provide affordable automation to all biologists. Biologists are poised to solve some of the world's most important questions, but up to 90% of biologists still perform experiments manually because cost and complexity prevent them from gaining automation.

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 10 times the price, and the company aims to free biologists from the tedious and error-prone manual pipetting process to speed up Scientific discovery and progress. The surge in investment comes as the industry’s potential for innovation in everything from drug development to biomanufacturing is exciting and inevitable. Through automation, these developments can be made less expensive 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 has served every six Doubling its customer base and headcount in just over a month, Opentrons is now used by hundreds of scientists and institutions, including 70% of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies and 90% of the top 50 biology research 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.

About OT-2

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, pre-programmed protocols and adapt them to meet specific needs, or build their own from scratch. Key features of the OT-2 include:

• Protocol Designer is an intuitive, visual design program that allows biologists to easily create and customize OT-2 protocols without writing code
• Modular add-ons such as temperature and magnetic plates allow users to easily increase the functionality of the OT-2
• Novel "tip probe" automatic calibration aid and electronic pipette make the OT-2 as accurate, precise and fast as a robot at 10 times the price
• Access a library of more than 100 validated protocols and 40 scientific community-developed projects to enable better reproducibility across the scientific community Open API for easy integration with tools like Amazon Alexa, microscopy, and computer vision

"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 biotechnology tools, and we start with laboratory robots. OT-2 can make scientists' daily tasks easier and ultimately accelerate the process of scientific discovery." Mayo Clinic,​​ Scientists at institutions such as 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 2 means anyone who can afford a laptop can set up an Open Bio Foundry. "Opentrons' OT-2 robot starts at $4,000 and is available for purchase here. See existing customers in action and request a demo.

About Opentrons

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 backed by Khosla Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures and Y Combinator Continuity Fund. Opentrons is used by 70% of scientists at the top 10 largest pharmaceutical companies and 90% of scientists at the top 50 biological research universities.