Medra
"Hand over lab work."
San Francisco startup building Physical AI lab robots that autonomously run drug discovery experiments end-to-end in an autonomous 38,000 sq ft lab facility.
Medra is a San Francisco-based robotics and AI company founded in 2021 by Michelle Lee, PhD (CEO), who previously held roles at NVIDIA, SpaceX, and McKinsey, and was an assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering at New York University. The company develops what it calls a Physical AI Scientist platform — an autonomous lab system that combines robotic manipulation with AI-driven experimental reasoning to run scientific experiments end-to-end without constant human oversight. Medra's platform interfaces with standard laboratory instruments and tools already present in research labs.
Scientists interact with the system through natural-language instructions to set up, modify, and adapt experimental workflows. The system's companion Scientific AI module interprets experimental results and co-pilots protocol improvements, creating a continuous learning loop between experiment execution and hypothesis refinement. Medra's primary application focus is early-stage drug discovery and bioscience research.
The company signed an agreement with Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche Holding AG, to work on early drug discovery projects. Medra emerged from stealth in September 2025 and announced the opening of Medra Lab 001, described as a 38,000 square foot autonomous laboratory — one of the largest autonomous lab facilities in the United States — in San Francisco. In December 2025, Medra closed a $52 million Series A funding round led by Human Capital, with participation from Lux Capital, Neo, NFDG, Catalio Capital Management, Menlo Ventures, and 776.
Total funding as of December 2025 stands at approximately $63 million, including pre-seed and seed rounds. Medra's team size is listed at 2–10 employees on LinkedIn as of late 2025, reflecting its early-stage status. The company's LinkedIn page is at linkedin.com/company/medra-ai and Crunchbase profile at crunchbase.com/organization/medra-ai.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Physical AI Scientist Platform
- Launch Year: 2025
Autonomous lab system that runs drug discovery experiments end-to-end using robotic manipulation and natural-language instructions.
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Contact Medra
WEBSITE
https://www.medra.aiHEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2021
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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