UniteLabs, a German startup specialising in lab automation for biotechnology, has raised €2.77 million in a Pre-Seed funding
UniteLabs accelerates biotech research by connecting laboratory instruments. By standardising and enabling cloud compatibility for previously closed interfaces, the platform significantly simplifies device control while ensuring real-time data accessibility. This marks a crucial step toward full lab automation and AI integration – key to advancing drug discovery and biotech innovation.
I spoke to Robert Zechlin, co-founder and CEO of UniteLabs, to learn more.
According to Zechlin, he is a bit of a generalist. He studied information systems at TUM and did early stints at both large corporates like Allianz and startups.
“I met my co-founders, Lukas and Julian, during my studies. Lukas, a chemical engineer with a PhD in digitalisation of industrial biotech, started working on an early version of our tech during his PhD.
He was trying to automate lab experiments using software and machine learning but quickly ran into integration problems between labs using the same software stack but different instruments.
People started asking to use his open-source prototype. He figured, “I won’t maintain it, but I’ll build a company you can buy it from.” That was the start of UniteLabs.”
Incompatible instruments are blocking AI-driven research
Many biotech companies want to leverage AI in their labs. But the biggest challenge is that lab instruments can’t communicate with each other.
Today, 90 per cent of lab instruments come from different manufacturers, leading to significant compatibility challenges.
Zechlins shared:
“Labs are incredibly heterogeneous. Unlike manufacturing, where Siemens or Beckhoff dominate automation, labs have no unified standard. Instruments are often not internet-connected and vendors are weak on interface development. Also, in R&D environments, processes change often.
Integration hasn’t been worth the investment — until now. But with the rise of data-driven R&D and AI, the need for modular, automated systems has become urgent. Labs now want to close the loop between data and action without human intermediaries.”
Why does a lack of standardised interfaces matter?
Without standardised interfaces, lab teams spend considerable time and resources developing custom integrations – often taking up to three months per interface. As a result, researchers spend more than 50 per cent of their time solving these connectivity issues instead of focusing on scientific breakthroughs
Moreover, critical data is often lost in the process, hindering AI-powered research. AI thrives on a continuous and comprehensive flow of data across multiple systems to generate insights and accelerate discoveries.
UniteLabs has developed an operating system for biotech research that enables seamless data collection, control, and monitoring across all lab instruments – independent of specific use cases. The company has already built 40 connectors for various lab devices, allowing them to communicate with each other for the first time.
Through the UniteLabs platform, researchers can control connected instruments and automate workflows, creating the industry’s first truly cross-manufacturer connectivity solution.
According to Zechlin the onboarding process has been surprisingly smooth.
“We’re a pure software play, so we don’t need to install hardware or launch giant projects. Most labs already know what instruments they want to connect. We can do demos and pilots remotely, even tunneling into their systems to deploy connectors.
That’s allowed us to sell much smaller projects — say €20,000 pilots — instead of €500k+ automation islands. Engineers become our biggest champions internally. They’re the ones who pitch it to decision-makers.”
Starting with the hard challenges
UniteLabs’ initial focus is on liquid handlers, a critical category of lab automation tools used in a wide range of biological and chemical experiments, from COVID-19 testing to DNA sequencing. Manual liquid handling remains a major bottleneck, often plagued by inaccuracy and low throughput.
Zechlin shared that ironically, they didn’t want to start with liquid handling:
“It’s the hardest category to tackle. But two potential customers reached out simultaneously asking us to solve that pain point.
Liquid handling is one of the most manual, repetitive tasks in a lab, and it’s also the first process labs try to automate. The software is usually terrible, but if you can open it up and integrate it properly, it unlocks everything.”
While they’re still collecting hard data, early signs are promising.
“One liquid handling company told us we’re 2–3x faster than their internal team at building methods. A big pharma company confirmed we’re at least 2–3x faster. One customer said what we offer out-of-the-box took them two years to build themselves.”
And this is just the beginning. Liquid handlers serve as a gateway to lab automation, providing an ideal starting point for expanding to other applications with satisfied customers.
“Our long-term vision is to support a broad range of analytical instruments, including chromatography systems, plate readers, robotic arms, and bioreactors.
The value we create for customers grows exponentially as more instruments are integrated.”
Further, this has the potential to extend across multiple sites in the long term.
Zechlin shared that UniteLabs has pitched its tech to pharma companies who have 50+ R&D sites.
“Their challenge is heterogeneity—every site uses different tech. What we offer is a unifying horizontal layer that connects every instrument via one API, creating consistency without needing to overhaul processes.”
NAP (formerly Cavalry Ventures) led the round, which included PUSH, Acurio Ventures, OMA Business Angels, and LANA Ventures.
“Biotech labs are at a turning point,” says Claude Ritter, Managing Partner at NAP.
“While AI unlocks unprecedented advancements, most labs lack the technical infrastructure to harness its potential. Instruments speak different languages, and valuable data remains siloed.
UniteLabs is building the critical infrastructure to bridge this gap. With their deep understanding of lab workflows, they are paving the way for the next generation of biotech research.”
UniteLabs builds the infrastructure for biotech’s next leap
UniteLabs has developed 40 connectors so far. Over the course of the year, they plan to make 50 more devices cloud-compatible. In total, they aim to equip 650 devices with cloud connectivity.
Looking ahead, UniteLabs aims to connect 650 lab instruments to the cloud, making biotech research more efficient and interconnected. Over the next year, the company will work closely with pilot customers to refine its product while doubling its team.
A key focus will be developing 50 additional connectors, including integrations for the most widely used liquid-handling workstations. The goal: connect 90 instruments by the end of the year – enabling automation and data integration for nearly every second biotech lab worldwide.
Zechlin contends:
“We see ourselves as, in effect, a de facto commercial standard. There are existing ones, but they don’t go far enough. But defining standards means partially defining the processes, too — it’s complex.
But vendors are asking us to lead on this, and it benefits everyone if we succeed. Still, the momentum is there.
“Biotech research is inevitably moving toward automation, and the rapid integration of AI into the research process is accelerating this shift. We are establishing the long-overdue industry standards needed to support this transformation.”
Lead image: UniteLabs founders: Julian Willand, Lukas Bromig, and Robert Zechlin. Photo: uncredited.
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