"Open source inventory automation robotics"
US open-source robotics startup (est. 2023, NYC) automating pharmacy and life-sciences inventory with the modular LB AR/RS autonomous robot system.
OpenShelf (trading as Openshelf) is a New York City-based robotics startup founded in 2023 by Chiu Chau, who previously co-founded Opentrons, a laboratory liquid-handling robot company. OpenShelf develops open-source modular robotics for autonomous physical inventory management, initially targeting pharmacy operations and expanding into life-sciences laboratories and broader healthcare settings. Its flagship product, the LB AR/RS (Lab/Pharmacy Autonomous Robot/Retrieval System), is a fully open-source hardware and software platform designed to automatically store, track, and retrieve a wide range of inventory items.
The system integrates robotics with real-time inventory tracking, AI-driven analytics, and human-readable interfaces to dramatically reduce labor costs and human error in high-stakes environments such as hospital pharmacies. OpenShelf's commitment to open-source design lowers adoption barriers, enabling institutional buyers to audit, customize, and extend the system. The company launched open-source lab inventory automation at Brooklyn biolab Genspace in early 2026.
Investors include Cybernetix Ventures, HAX, Pioneer Fund, S16VC, and SOSV.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Open-source modular autonomous robot for storing, tracking, and retrieving pharmacy and lab inventory with real-time AI-driven analytics.
Company Facts
Founded
2023
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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