Automata

Automata Technologies is a London-based company founded in 2015 by architects Mostafa ElSayed and Suryansh Chandra, who met while working at Zaha Hadid Architects. Their experience with computational design and robotics in architecture revealed the complexity and limitations of modern automation, inspiring them to establish a company aimed at making automation more accessible across various industries. Initially, the company explored applications in manufacturing, but soon narrowed its focus to the life sciences sector, where they identified a significant opportunity to transform laboratory operations.

Automata develops and provides the LINQ platform, a vertically integrated lab automation solution designed for the life sciences market. This platform combines modular robotic hardware, cloud-based software, and a robust data infrastructure to automate laboratory workflows. The core hardware component is the LINQ Bench, a configurable robotic bench that can be customized to fit various lab spaces and integrate with over 800,000 different instrument configurations. The system utilizes robotic arms and transport options like the Bridge and Maglev to move samples between instruments, enabling end-to-end workflow automation with minimal human intervention. This allows for "walkaway time," freeing up scientists to focus on data analysis and experimental design rather than manual, repetitive tasks.

The company's business model centers on providing these automation solutions to a range of clients, including diagnostic and pathology labs within the NHS, academic and research institutions like The Francis Crick Institute, pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca, and contract research organizations (CROs). The LINQ platform is designed to be accessible to labs of all sizes, helping them to increase throughput, improve data quality, and accelerate the pace of discovery and diagnostics. The software component, LINQ Cloud, allows users to design, schedule, and monitor workflows from anywhere via a browser-based interface, without needing coding experience. For more advanced users, a Python SDK is available for greater customization.

Since its inception, Automata has achieved significant growth, raising a total of $152 million over eight funding rounds. Key funding rounds include a $50 million Series B in January 2022 and a subsequent $40 million raise in October 2023, with investors such as Octopus Ventures, Dimension, and A.P. Moller Holding. The company has expanded its presence from its London headquarters to include offices in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, to better serve the US market. Co-founder Suryansh Chandra left the company in 2021, with Mostafa ElSayed continuing to lead as CEO.

Keywords: laboratory automation, life sciences robotics, workflow orchestration software, modular lab bench, robotic arm integration, drug discovery automation, diagnostics automation, high-throughput screening, genomics workflow, cell biology automation, assay automation, LINQ platform, lab data management, automated sample handling, clinical diagnostics robotics, pharma automation, biotech automation, CRO automation, scientific automation, open integrated automation