OpenLens AI raises $220M to build multimodal research assistant for labs

AI · 5 min read

The round was led by Meridian Capital and included investments from a healthcare consortium and a national research fund. OpenLens plans to use the funding to scale compute infrastructure, expand domain-specific models, and secure regulatory certifications for life sciences usage.

The research assistant combines document understanding, image analysis for microscopy, and experiment planning modules that suggest protocols based on prior results. OpenLens emphasized strict data governance, offering on-prem deployment to meet institutional compliance needs.

Early adopters include three university labs and a biotech startup that used the assistant to synthesize literature, propose experiment sequences, and predict reagent shortages. OpenLens CEO Rafael Moretti said the funding will accelerate partnerships with instrument manufacturers and LIMS providers.