Life sciences venture firms have invested $30 million in Dash Bio to accelerate the expansion of its automated bioanalysis platform for pharmaceutical companies. Oak HC/FT led the financing round alongside existing investors Freestyle Capital and Swift Ventures.
The funding will support laboratory expansion, enhancement of proprietary software, and the introduction of additional bioanalysis testing services globally. Dash Bio’s platform aims to accelerate drug discovery by increasing testing capacity across early and late-stage therapeutic development programmes.
Bioanalysis remains one of Healthcare’s longest, most complex and expensive processes for determining treatment safety and effectiveness during development. Despite automation advances elsewhere, the field still depends heavily on manual operations and paper-based laboratory data management systems. Dash Bio’s automated system reduces laboratory testing timelines from months to days through modernised scientific workflow automation technology.
The company operates a 24,000-square-foot GLP facility using robotic workcells controlled by proprietary software automation. The platform supports ELISA, MSD, qPCR, ddPCR, and LC-MS assays while reducing laboratory time and manual effort. Unlike conventional contract research organisations, Dash Bio delivers preclinical testing results within days instead of several months.
Chief executive Dave Johnson, chief operating officer Ander Tallett, and chief scientific officer Ely Porter founded the company on the belief that scientific progress should determine development timelines rather than laboratory process limitations. The founding team previously built digital and automation infrastructure at Moderna, experience Oak HC/FT cited as a key factor behind its investment.
Since launching its go-to-market strategy approximately nine months ago, Dash Bio has secured contracts with more than 30 customers, including four of the world’s top 15 pharmaceutical companies. Customers have highlighted rapid turnaround times and transparent pricing as key advantages over traditional laboratory service providers.
As pharmaceutical companies continue adopting advanced technologies throughout research and development, demand for automated laboratory infrastructure is expected to increase. Dash Bio plans to use the new funding to strengthen its position in this growing market while helping customers bring new medicines to patients more quickly.
