Berkeley Lights is a company.
Berkeley Lights has raised $152.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Berkeley Lights.
Berkeley Lights has raised $152.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Berkeley Lights.
Berkeley Lights has raised $152.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Berkeley Lights's investors include Sequoia Capital Israel, State of Mind Ventures, Michael Moritz.
Berkeley Lights is a life sciences tools company specializing in digital cell biology platforms that enable rapid functional characterization of single live cells at scale, accelerating the development and commercialization of biotherapeutics and cell-based products.[1][2][3] Its Berkeley Lights Platform, including OptoSelect™ chips, automation systems, reagent kits, and software like Beacon® and Lightning™, captures phenotypic, functional, and genotypic data from thousands of cells in parallel, delivering optimal live cells to pharmaceutical researchers and bioengineers.[1][3][4] The company serves biotech and pharma firms by solving inefficiencies in cell screening—reducing time and costs compared to traditional methods—while showing growth through a 2020 IPO (NASDAQ: BLI) and 2022 acquisition of IsoPlexis, rebranding to PhenomeX (NASDAQ: CELL).[2][5]
Founded in 2011 in Emeryville, California, by Bill Davidow, Igor Khandros, and Ming C. Wu, Berkeley Lights emerged from advancements in micro-droplet technology and optical manipulation to revolutionize biological R&D processes.[2][1] The idea stemmed from harnessing cells' natural scalability for manufacturing therapeutics, biofuels, and proteins, addressing why legacy methods lagged in efficiency.[4] Early traction built through proprietary platforms that enabled high-throughput single-cell analysis, culminating in a successful 2020 IPO and market leadership in digital cell biology, with strong Q3 results pre-announced that year.[5][2]
Berkeley Lights rides the cell therapy and biomanufacturing boom, fueled by demand for faster biotherapeutic development amid rising chronic diseases and personalized medicine trends.[1][3] Timing aligns with advances in CRISPR, synthetic biology, and AI-driven drug discovery, where single-cell resolution is critical; market forces like pharma's $1T+ R&D spend favor tools slashing discovery timelines.[2][4] It influences the ecosystem by enabling scalable cell-based manufacturing—shifting from bulk to precision biology—and earning accolades like Fast Company's 2019 Most Innovative Companies list, democratizing access for startups and big pharma.[6]
PhenomeX (post-rebrand) is positioned to dominate single-cell analysis as AI integrates with functional phenotyping for next-gen therapies, potentially expanding into synbio and agrotech.[2][1] Trends like automated workflows and multi-omics will amplify growth, with influence evolving through platform-as-a-service models and partnerships. Berkeley Lights' legacy of "finding the best cells first" ties back to its founding vision, powering a cell-driven biotech revolution.[4]
Berkeley Lights has raised $152.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $95.0M Series E in October 2018.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2018 | $95.0M Series E | Sequoia Capital Israel, State of Mind Ventures, Michael Moritz | |
| Sep 1, 2015 | $57.0M Series C | Sequoia Capital Israel, State of Mind Ventures |
