Multiply Labs Raised $75 Million in Series B Funding

The San Francisco biotech firm will use the new capital to scale its automated gene therapy manufacturing robots.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Biotech

A close-up of a high-tech robotic arm in a clean laboratory setting with sterile steel surfaces and bright, even lighting. — San Francisco-based biotech firm Multiply Labs has secured $75 million in Series B funding to scale its automated robotic gene therapy manufacturing platform. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Multiply Labs secured $75 million in a Series B funding round led by NantWorks to expand its robotics platform for mRNA and gene therapy production. The investment brings the company's total funding to over $100 million since its founding in 2016.

Why it matters

The company aims to replace manual laboratory processes with automated robotic systems to improve production speed and scalability. This shift addresses high contamination risks and limitations in manufacturing complex gene therapies.

Multiply Labs utilizes machines that employ internal robotic arms to manage test tubes for complex drug manufacturing. Each unit costs several million dollars to build and currently operates within a small, high single-digit fleet.

The players

Multiply Labs

This San Francisco-based biotech company designs and manufactures automated robotics for the production of gene and mRNA therapies.

NantWorks

This investment and research organization led the Series B funding round for Multiply Labs.

AstraZeneca

This global science-led biopharmaceutical company participated in the Multiply Labs funding round.

Lux Capital

This venture capital firm specializes in investing in emerging science and technology companies.

Founders Fund

This venture capital firm invests in companies developing advanced technologies to solve significant global problems.

The details

Drugmakers purchase these machines to operate within their own facilities, with Multiply Labs generating revenue through machine sales, service contracts, and specialized cartridges. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with a warehouse office located in the Dogpatch neighborhood.

Multiply Labs was founded in 2016.
A research paper on gene therapy costs was published in 2025.
The author visited the company's warehouse in the summer of 2026.
Multiply Labs announced the $75 million funding round on October 6, 2026.

The Tech Race

Automated manufacturing represents a pivotal shift from manual laboratory methods to industrialized bioprocessing, mirroring transitions seen in other high-precision hardware sectors. Multiply Labs is positioning itself to lead this transition by replacing legacy manual production lines with proprietary, automated robotic systems.

For the biotechnology industry, this funding enables wider access to specialized gene therapies that were previously constrained by manual production limits. As more machines are deployed, healthcare providers may see increased availability and standardized quality for critical mRNA treatments.

The takeaway

Investment in automated biomanufacturing is a clear signal that the industry is prioritizing scalability to overcome the cost barriers of advanced medicine. Readers can expect to see more emphasis on automated lab workflows as pharmaceutical companies move to lower production risk and increase throughput.