Reshape, a Copenhagen-based biotech startup, has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Astanor Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, R7, ACME, 21stBio, and Unity co-founder Nicholas Francis. The company, founded in 2018, specializes in developing a robotic imaging system that assists scientists in automating visual inspections for lab experiments. Their technology includes a built-in incubation feature that maintains specific temperatures, enabling experiments to run continuously without direct oversight. The funding will be used to expand Reshape’s technology in the U.S. market and support more labs in accelerating their research. The company has also welcomed Harry Briggs to its Board of Directors.
Reshape, established in 2018, focuses on revolutionizing biological research and development through automation and digitalization. Their flagship product is a robotic imaging system that assists scientists in monitoring visual changes in lab experiments, such as color variations or cell growth rates, especially in petri dishes and similar formats. With built-in incubation capabilities and precise temperature control, Reshape’s system enables experiments to run continuously, freeing up technicians for other essential tasks. The company’s mission is to accelerate biotechnological research by providing intuitive and efficient tools for scientists worldwide.
Since its seed financing in February 2023, Reshape has been focused on achieving product-market fit. The company has seen significant momentum, with some of the world’s largest corporations using its platform to automate workflows and gain valuable insights. In the past year, Reshape has launched a revamped imaging system and a new interface to provide scientists with more control over their experiments and insights. The company has processed over 16 million experiment images from its customers and has collected more than 22 years of runtime data and over 100 million data points.
The funding will be used to expand Reshape’s presence in the U.S. market and to further develop its platform. The company also plans to scale its global operations, with a new office set to open in the U.S. later this year. Reshape’s ultimate goal is to accelerate the pace of biological research and development by providing scientists with the tools they need to reach their goals faster.
“We’re excited to embark on the next chapter of Reshape’s story,” said CEO Carl-Emil Grøn. “With this new funding, we will continue to improve our product and achieve our long-term goals of building an even smarter platform, scaling our global operations, and accelerating our business growth.”
Reshape is the first company to merge biotech, physical products, cloud services, and machine learning into a simple browser-based application. The company’s innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize the field of biological research and accelerate the development of sustainable solutions for the future.
Harry Briggs says, “Biology is far too complex and multivariate to be analyzed manually. At Astanor, we understand that addressing the challenges of our planet requires accelerating the pace at which biological solutions are developed. Reshape’s combination of hardware, software, and reliable AI-ready data will radically shift the pace of biological research. The solution has enormous potential not only to increase the efficiency of millions of lab researchers, but also to accelerate the transition to a more productive AgriFood system for a sustainable and biodiverse planet.”
Click to read more funding news.
