Automata
Making total workflow automation accessible to labs
Funding stage: Series B
What Automata does
Automata is a UK-based robotic automation company, providing ways for clinical laboratories to scale with precision. Through their ‘automation as-a-service’ solutions, they’re able to automate sampling, sequencing and other repetitive processes, allowing lab scientists to focus on specialist tasks and valuable work, with less hazards and risk of human error in testing.
Automata has successfully designed and manufactured a low-cost collaborative robot, used by healthcare and research laboratories across the country. This hardware is incorporated into the automation workflow, where it works alongside software developers to meet the individual requirements of specific laboratories, by personalising their programming and automation.
Automata’s ultimate vision is to be the infrastructure of every lab, integrating with existing and new hardware, diagnostic tools and LIMS (Lab Information Management Systems) to identify and capture each step in the workflow with a high degree of automation.
Why we like it
Labs are at the cusp of undergoing a digital transformation, and need automated solutions to assist in scalability. In the UK, this was made evident during the Covid pandemic, where PCR testing happened at the rate of c.400,000-500,000 tests per week. In addition we see investment by the government into diagnostic testing facilities and into the UK’s epidemic response infrastructure for the future.
Diagnostic capabilities are even more important to assist in coping with critical illness diagnostic backlogs, particularly cancer, which has been overlooked in the past 18 months.
What our fund managers say
“As a team, we’ve worked closely with Automata to help unlock revenue opportunities. Contacts in the NHS have also opened up valuable discussions. We see various ways we can help the business scale over the coming years, including opportunities with a number of our portfolio companies in adjacent markets.”
– Jess McCreadie – Principal
Who are we backing?
Co-founder and CEO Mostafa elSayed comes from a background in architecture and design. While working at an award-winning architecture practice, he spotted the need for an automated solution to assist with bespoke manufacturing jobs. Mostafa has spearheaded putting Automata’s technology to use in the life-sciences market. He’s supported by Head of Product, Nick Pattinson, who holds a Masters in Engineering from the University of Oxford; Sven Poppelman, Automata’s Head of Engineering, whose background is in hiring engineering teams; and Doug Rich, Automata’s Head of Revenue who has a history of roles in high growth SAAS startups