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"Able Labs," a robotics-based laboratory automation company, announced on the 31st that it has secured Series A funding totaling 12.1 billion won.
The investment was led by InnoPolis Partners, with participation from Industrial Bank of Korea, Capstone Partners, Horizon Investment, Magna Investment, Future Play, Now IVC Capital, and others.
Founded in 2021, Able Labs has developed robots and software to automate liquid handling processes in bio laboratories. The company replaces manual tasks where researchers transfer reagents using pipettes (precision instruments used for transferring or dispensing exact volumes of liquid) with robotic systems.
Building on this foundation, the company is expanding its platform into a self-driving laboratory (SDL), where AI designs experimental conditions and learns from results autonomously.
An Able Labs representative stated, "Introducing robots in laboratories is not merely about reducing labor costs or improving processing speed; it is about obtaining data that yields consistent results under identical conditions." They emphasized, "Laboratory automation is being redefined as a data infrastructure tool rather than just a productivity aid."
According to Able Labs, the smaller the volume of liquid handled during dispensing (the process of dividing a fixed amount of liquid sample into other containers or plates), the greater the margin of error. When experienced researchers manually dispense 10 microliters, the coefficient of variation ranges from 5.7% to 8.1%, depending on the operator.
An Able Labs representative stressed, "We have embedded a system into our manufacturing process that automatically inspects and calibrates every pipette before shipment, guaranteeing a coefficient of variation of just 1.5% for an 8-channel, 20-microliter standard."
The application scope of laboratory automation is not limited to biotechnology. This year, Able Labs secured consecutive quality analysis automation projects in four industries: semiconductors, chemicals, cosmetics, and secondary batteries.
In these industries, where sample pretreatment, dilution, and dispensing are repeated, the quality control processes share structural similarities with laboratories. The reproducibility of measured values determines the reliability of quality judgments. Additionally, there is significant demand to separate workers from hazardous situations, as samples often possess toxicity or pose risks to human health.
Able Labs plans to deploy the investment funds toward developing its self-driving laboratory platform and expanding into global markets. The company intends to establish sales channels in the U.S. and Europe while bolstering its R&D workforce. Currently, it is conducting Proof of Concept (PoC) trials with major pharmaceutical companies in the U.S., and has already completed its first customer delivery in Singapore.
Shin Sang-ae, CEO, remarked, "As AI advances rapidly, the quality of research data and experimental results remains dependent on human hands." He added, "There is a rapidly growing demand across industries to maximize efficiency through robotics-based autonomous manufacturing and automated quality assessment."
He continued, "We have confirmed significant demand in non-bio sectors this year, driving our business expansion. Building on the hardware and software infrastructure technologies we have accumulated so far, we will officially launch our self-driving laboratory business."
A representative from InnoPolis Partners stated, "Self-driving laboratories were identified as a key technology to watch by NATURE last year." They noted, "Able Labs has established implementation records in R&D sites of major Korean corporations and is expanding sales efforts targeting global big pharma companies. It has significant potential to grow into a leading global enterprise in this sector."
[MoneyToday startup media platform 'Unicorn Factory']
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