Dogpatch Biotech Multiply Labs Raised $75 Million
The San Francisco company will scale production of its robotic systems for gene and mRNA therapies.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Biotech
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Multiply Labs has secured $75 million in a Series B funding round to expand its reach in the biotech sector. The Dogpatch-based company specializes in building complex robots designed to automate the manufacturing of sensitive gene and mRNA treatments.
Why it matters
The company aims to solve manufacturing bottlenecks like scalability and contamination risks that drive up the price of cutting-edge therapies. By moving lab production from manual work to automation, Multiply Labs hopes to lower costs for patients who currently face prices reaching $1 million per dose.
Multiply Labs raised $75 million in Series B funding, bringing its total capital to over $100 million since 2016. The company currently has a high single-digit number of machines deployed at customer facilities.
The players
Multiply Labs
A San Francisco-based company headquartered in the Dogpatch neighborhood that develops robotic automation for drug manufacturing.
NantWorks
The investment firm that led the latest funding round for Multiply Labs.
The details
The funding round was led by NantWorks, with participation from AstraZeneca, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund. Drugmakers purchase the machines—which use robotic arms to manage test tubes—and operate them in their own facilities. The company now plans to scale its business model, which relies on machine sales, service contracts, and proprietary cartridges.
Timeline
2016: Multiply Labs was founded.
October 6, 2026: The $75 million Series B funding was announced.
Across the Bay
Multiply Labs' push for automation follows the industry trend set by the FDA's 2024 guidance on manufacturing human cell and gene therapies. The investment signals a local effort to meet these updated federal safety and scalability requirements.
Residents in the Dogpatch neighborhood may see increased activity at the company's local warehouse as it shifts from a research focus to broader manufacturing operations. The scaling of these robots is intended to eventually reduce the cost of specialized medical treatments.
The takeaway
The growth of automated drug manufacturing is a key metric to watch as gene therapies remain prohibitively expensive for many patients. Keep an eye on local manufacturing jobs in the Dogpatch industrial zone as the company moves to scale its machine production.
Further reading
For more on how local firms are shaping the future of health technology, visit our Biotech section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Business Insider.
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