TL Biolabs has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
TL Biolabs's investors include 305 Ventures, 75 & Sunny, Addition, Altimeter Capital, Bond, Buckley Ventures, Craft Ventures, Scott Hartley, General Catalyst, Hoxton Ventures, Human Augmentation Syndicate, Lux Capital.
TL Biolabs is a biotechnology company founded in 2016 in Santa Clara, California, that develops affordable genomic testing for livestock, primarily beef and dairy cattle.[1][2] It offers an end-to-end solution using proprietary microarray technology, including $15 genomic tests, custom ear tags for sample collection, and free herd management software (TLBi) that delivers actionable insights on cattle traits like health, productivity, and fertility in 1-2 weeks.[1][2][6] This vertically integrated system serves farmers by enabling data-driven breeding and management decisions at a fraction of traditional costs, with early funding of $4 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Refactor Capital, Y Combinator, and Josh Buckley supporting R&D and commercial launch.[1][2][7]
The company targets agriculture's selective breeding challenges, providing customizable, farmer-friendly results to accelerate genomics adoption in livestock farming.[1][3]
TL Biolabs originated in 2015 in the UK when 17-year-old Fred Turner, now CEO and CTO, won an award for genetics work and appeared on a breakfast show.[2] A farmer approached him complaining about expensive, slow genomic tests, prompting Turner to start single-gene tests for UK farmers and invent a low-cost microarray alternative.[2] In summer 2016, the team moved to the US for Y Combinator, living communally in Silicon Valley before raising seed funding and expanding.[1][2] This pivot formalized the company in Santa Clara, focusing on cattle genotyping with vertical integration from sample collection to analysis.[1][2]
TL Biolabs rides the agricultural genomics wave, applying Silicon Valley biotech innovation to livestock breeding amid rising global food demand and precision agriculture trends.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with falling sequencing costs and investor interest in foodtech, as seen in a16z's lead investment to disrupt expensive legacy testing.[2][4] Market forces like labor shortages, climate pressures, and protein demand favor data-driven farming, where genomics can enhance traits like fertility and productivity.[2][6] By democratizing tools for small farmers, it influences the ecosystem, potentially accelerating herd improvements and bridging agtech with VC-backed scale.[1][2]
TL Biolabs stands out for slashing genomics barriers in livestock, positioning it for expansion beyond cattle into broader ag genomics as R&D scales post-2017 seed.[2][7] Trends like AI-driven herd analytics and sustainable breeding will shape its path, with potential for global adoption if it navigates regulatory and supply chain hurdles. Its influence may grow by empowering farmers with VC-fueled tech, evolving from niche startup to agtech staple—reinventing breeding as TL Biolabs reinvents agriculture through genomics.[1]
TL Biolabs has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in February 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2017 | $4.0M Seed | 305 Ventures, 75 & Sunny, Addition, Altimeter Capital, Bond, Buckley Ventures, Craft Ventures, Scott Hartley, General Catalyst, Hoxton Ventures, Human Augmentation Syndicate, Lux Capital, Playground Global, Portal Ventures, Rebel Fund, SciFi VC, Smash Capital, Social Capital, SQN Venture Partners, ThirdLove, Tiger Global Management, Tribe Capital, Y Combinator, Jared Leto, Justin Mateen, Louis Beryl, Mark Cuban, Rashaun Williams, Zander Lurie |