Key points from article :
US biotech startup Vivodyne has secured $40 million in Series A funding, led by Khosla Ventures, to expand its cutting-edge platform that aims to eliminate animal testing in drug development. The company combines robotics and AI to grow and analyze thousands of functional human tissues, offering a powerful alternative to traditional preclinical testing that often relies on animals—an approach that fails to predict human outcomes in around 95% of clinical trials.
Vivodyne’s system can produce over 10,000 human tissue experiments per robotic run, simulating complex human biology more accurately than animal models ever could. These lab-grown tissues, which include over 20 different types such as liver, lung, and bone marrow, are larger and more complex than typical organoids. They allow for high-resolution, multi-omic data collection—including imaging, single-cell transcriptomics, and proteomics—which provides insights into how real human bodies may respond to new drugs.
The new funding will go toward opening a 23,000-square-foot robotic facility in South San Francisco. The company says its platform is already in use by most major pharmaceutical firms, helping them to reduce risk and improve drug candidate selection before entering costly human trials. Investors in the round also include Lingotto Investment Management, Helena Capital, and Fortius Ventures, among others.
