Our take
Automata is a strong pick for labs that already own their instruments and want them run as one automated system. LINQ combines a smart bench with built-in robotics, no-code and Python workflow tools, and scheduling across several workflows at once.1
The evidence is good for a young platform: the UK's first fully automated clinical cancer genomics system at The Royal Marsden, five top pharma companies as customers, and a Danaher partnership that brings Beckman Coulter and Molecular Devices instruments onto LINQ. The concerns are quote-only pricing and heavy losses, with a £29.0 million loss on £6.1 million of turnover in the year to March 2025.5,3,4
Scores by criterion
Each criterion is defined on our methodology page.
Who uses Automata and what it's for
Pharma and biotech research groups, hospital genomics labs, and research institutes use LINQ to automate sample prep, sequencing library prep, and cell biology workflows. Customers named on its site include The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Francis Crick Institute.1,5
Automata says five of the top pharma companies are customers, with growth coming from repeat deployments.3
History
Mostafa ElSayed and Suryansh Chandra, both from the computation and design group at Zaha Hadid Architects, founded Automata in 2015. It first built affordable robotic arms before moving to lab automation for the life sciences.2
In January 2026 it closed a $45 million Series C led by Dimension, with Danaher Ventures, Tru Arrow Partners, Octopus Ventures, and Entrepreneurs First. Danaher's Murali Venkatesan joined the board.3
LINQ bench and software
LINQ Bench offers more than 800,000 configurations to fit different instrument mixes and lab spaces. LINQ Canvas builds workflows with nodes and no code, and a Python SDK covers the same work in code, including simulation on a digital workcell.1
Under the Danaher partnership, instruments from Molecular Devices and Beckman Coulter Life Sciences will integrate Automata's software.3
Pricing and deployment
Automata does not publish prices. Each workcell is built and tested at its London or Boston facility, then reassembled in the customer's lab with site acceptance testing, IQ, and OQ, and a customer success manager runs training and handover.6
Competitive landscape
| Company | Product | Pricing model | Deployment footprint | Where Automata wins or loses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automata | LINQ robotic bench and orchestration software for automated workcells1 | Not published6 | Five top pharma customers; Royal Marsden clinical genomics system3,5 | Runs many instruments as one workcell; prices not published |
| Opentrons | Open-source benchtop liquid handling robots, Flex and OT-28 | Published list prices: Flex from $24,950, OT-2 from $15,9507 | More than 11,000 robots in over 80 countries9 | Opentrons wins on low published prices for single benches. Automata wins on orchestrating many instruments as one workcell. |
| Tecan | Veya liquid handling automation and lab instruments10 | Not published10 | Research, clinical diagnostics, and OEM customers10 | Tecan wins on a long installed base and clinical systems. Automata wins on open software that runs other vendors' instruments. |
| Beckman Coulter Life Sciences | Biomek i-Series workstations and Echo acoustic liquid handlers11 | Not published11 | Liquid handlers sold since the Biomek 1000 in 198611 | Beckman wins on decades of Biomek installs. Automata wins on orchestration, and Beckman now integrates its software. |
| INTEGRA Biosciences | ASSIST and ASSIST PLUS benchtop pipetting robots12 | Not published12 | Benchtop units for single labs, from 40 cm wide12 | INTEGRA wins on simple, low-cost pipetting robots. Automata wins on full walkaway workflows across instruments. |
| Multiply Labs | Robotic clusters that automate cell therapy and biologics manufacturing14 | Not published; owned and operated by the drugmaker13 | Pilots and collaborations such as Kyverna; claims a 74% cut in cost per dose13 | Multiply Labs wins on closed GMP cell therapy manufacturing. Automata wins on flexible research and clinical genomics labs. |
Limits
Pricing is quote only, so labs cannot budget a workcell before a sales call.6
The company is losing far more than it sells: turnover was £6.1 million and the loss for the year £29.0 million in the year to March 2025. The $45 million Series C extends runway, but more funding is likely to be needed.4,3
Revenue for the year to March 2026 is not yet filed. We estimate it at roughly $8 million to $15 million, based on the £6.1 million filed figure, growth from £4.1 million the year before, and the repeat pharma deployments the company describes. This is an estimate, not a reported figure.4,3
What customers say
Where it helps
Thanks to Automata's innovative robotic technology, this UK-first clinical diagnostics installation will transform genomic testing at The Royal Marsden by streamlining our processes, substantially increasing our capacity without compromising accuracy.
The Royal Marsden installation was planned to add about 2,000 next-generation sequencing tests a month to the hospital's cancer testing capacity.5
Where it falls short
Labs that only need a single benchtop liquid handler will find a standalone benchtop robot with a published price simpler and cheaper.
Leadership
Mostafa ElSayed
CEO and co-founderElSayed was a lead designer in the computation and design group at Zaha Hadid Architects before co-founding Automata in 2015.2
Sources
- Automata, Homepage, accessed November 3, 2026
- Automata, About us, accessed November 3, 2026
- Automata, Automata secures $45M Series C to scale AI-ready lab automation, January 29, 2026, accessed November 3, 2026
- Companies House, Automata Technologies Limited filing history, group accounts made up to March 31, 2025, accessed November 3, 2026
- Automata, Automata partners with The Royal Marsden, July 18, 2023, accessed November 3, 2026
- Automata, LINQ service and support, accessed November 3, 2026
- Opentrons, OT-2 robot, accessed November 2, 2026
- Opentrons, Flex robot, accessed November 2, 2026
- Opentrons, Series E announcement, October 29, 2026, accessed November 2, 2026
- Tecan, Homepage, accessed November 2, 2026
- Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Liquid handlers, accessed November 2, 2026
- INTEGRA Biosciences, Pipetting robots, accessed November 2, 2026
- Multiply Labs, Series B announcement, October 6, 2026, accessed November 2, 2026
- Multiply Labs, Homepage, accessed November 2, 2026
