TL;DR: If you are replacing Opentrons, the closest options are Biocogniv, Docbot, Excepgen. The table below compares 12 alternatives on what they do, stage, size and status.
Every alternative below is compared on what it actually does, not just its category — so you can see which one genuinely replaces Opentrons (YC Winter 2016).
Last verified:
The three closest alternatives to Opentrons are:
| Alternative | What it does | Stage | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biocogniv | — | YC Summer 2020 | 6 | Acquired |
| Docbot | — | YC Winter 2019 | — | Acquired |
| Excepgen | — | YC Winter 2019 | 3 | Active |
| Radix Labs | Operating systems for biology labs | YC Summer 2018 | 7 | Inactive |
| Epinoma | We engineer proteins that control the operating system of biology. | YC Summer 2021 | 8 | Active |
| Mind Emulation Foundation | — | YC Winter 2018 | 1 | Active |
| Kenota (formerly ExVivo Labs) | Kenota is revolutionizing the way we test for disease | YC Summer 2016 | 35 | Inactive |
| Verifiable | API for healthcare compliance | YC Summer 2020 | 12 | Active |
| inSoma Bio | Helping Plastic Surgeons Rebuild Fat | YC Summer 2020 | 4 | Active |
| BrainKey | Brain Longevity | YC Winter 2019 | 20 | Active |
| Numen | Engineering a future without cancer deaths. | YC Summer 2023 | 18 | Active |
| Data Driven Bioscience | Cancer Diagnosis 10X faster, 10X cheaper | YC Summer 2018 | 10 | Active |
It depends on your size. Biocogniv is the closest match on what Opentrons actually does. If you need something more established, sort the table by team size — larger teams generally mean more support and a longer track record. If budget is the constraint, the earlier-batch companies are usually the ones still competing on price.
Opentrons is still operating, so switching is a choice rather than a forced migration. Compare on fit and price rather than urgency.
Every company here is Y Combinator-backed and was matched to Opentrons on what it actually does — its own description of its product — rather than on a broad category label. Batch, team size and operating status come from the YC directory and are shown as-is. We do not rank by payment.
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