Automata

Automata (Automata Technologies) is a London-based robotics and automation company serving life sciences laboratories. Its LINQ platform is a vertically integrated combination of proprietary hardware and cloud software: LINQ Bench is a modular, configurable lab bench that physically transports labware between instruments and can be built in a large number of configurations to suit instrument density and available lab space, while LINQ Cloud/Canvas software lets users design, schedule, simulate, monitor and run workflows. The company describes an OEM-agnostic approach to third-party instrumentation so that labs can integrate existing equipment, and it emphasises data availability at every stage of an experiment or workflow.

The platform targets genomics, cell biology, assay and screening, and related applications such as analytical chemistry, biobanking, cell culture, compound management, ELISA, forensics, high-throughput screening and proteomics. Software features include a node-based Canvas for no-code workflow building, a Python SDK with digital-workcell simulation, version control with GitHub sync and per-workflow engine/driver versioning, browser-based remote run management, REST API and custom code steps for external integration, and MCP-enabled connectivity to AI models. Automata positions LINQ as an operating layer between AI models and physical experimentation, aimed at autonomous or "lights-off" wet labs.

Customers cited by the company and press include NHS Trusts such as The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, academic institutions including The Francis Crick Institute, testing labs such as HSL, CDMOs and CROs, and pharma and biotech companies including AstraZeneca and bit.bio; as of January 2026 the company said five top pharma companies were customers. It also works with public-sector organisations on R&D and healthcare testing capacity.

Founding story

Automata was founded by two architects, Mostafa ElSayed and Suryansh Chandra, who met at Zaha Hadid Architects, where ElSayed was Lead Designer in the Computation and Design Group. Their initial interest was robotics applications in architectural engineering, but they concluded that existing automation was unnecessarily complex and restrictive across many industries, and founded Automata to broaden robotic automation beyond architecture. ElSayed holds a degree in architecture from the American University of Sharjah and a masters in architecture and urbanism completed in 2014, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and tutors in the Design Research Lab of the Architectural Association. Chandra later launched another company, The Mind Distillery, in 2020, remaining a director until resigning in 2021.

Business model

Automata sells an integrated lab automation platform combining proprietary modular robotic hardware (LINQ Bench, robotic arms, Bridge and Maglev transport options) with cloud-based orchestration software (LINQ Cloud, Canvas, Run Manager, Python SDK), deployed as configured systems in customer laboratories. Deployments are supported by dedicated customer success managers, and the company reports growth driven by repeat deployments and partnerships on large automation projects.

Sources describe revenue arising from deployed LINQ systems in customer labs and associated software and service/support; the company reported 150% revenue growth between January 2022 and October 2023 and tracks live system hours in customer-deployed systems. Specific pricing or contract structures are not disclosed in the sources.

Traction

Reported metrics include 150% revenue growth and a 12-fold increase in live system hours in customer-deployed systems between the January 2022 Series B and October 2023; case-study figures of 3x throughput increase in the same footprint, 5x throughput increase, and a 95.25% reduction in manual interactions; and, as of January 2026, five top pharma companies as customers with growth driven by repeat deployments. Named customers include The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, The Francis Crick Institute, HSL, AstraZeneca and bit.bio, plus a partnership with the Duncan Neurological Research Institute in the US.

Latest developments

In January 2026 Automata announced a $45M Series C led by Dimension with participation from Danaher Ventures, Tru Arrow Partners, Octopus Ventures, Entrepreneurs First and others, alongside a strategic investment partnership with Danaher Corporation; Murali Venkatesan, Global Head of Danaher Ventures, joined the board. Proceeds are earmarked for scaling customer deployments, building the next iteration of the data and closed-loop experimentation software platform, and expanding engineering, product and customer success teams globally. Other recent items include ISO 9001 certification, a partnership with the Duncan Neurological Research Institute to automate studies of human brain cell models, a collaboration with CellVoyant on AI-driven adaptive cell culture, and the launch of a UK-first robotic genomic testing facility for cancer patients at The Royal Marsden.