AI research company Lila Sciences has secured $115 million in new funding from investors including Nvidia’s venture arm, lifting its valuation above $1.3 billion and cementing its position as one of the most promising startups in AI-driven scientific discovery.
The round extends Lila’s Series A to $350 million and total funding to $550 million. Founded in 2023 by Flagship Pioneering, the Boston-based firm is building what it calls “AI Science Factories” — fully automated laboratories where AI-controlled robots conduct experiments continuously to generate new scientific data.
CEO Geoffrey von Maltzahn said the company’s mission is to create “scientific superintelligence,” combining advanced AI models with real-world experimentation. Lila recently signed a 235,500-square-foot lease in Cambridge, Massachusetts, among the region’s largest lab deals this year, to expand its physical research infrastructure.
The company plans to offer enterprise access to its AI and lab platforms, which have drawn interest from industries including energy, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. Lila argues that the future of AI in science depends not just on data centres but on owning the largest automated labs capable of producing proprietary experimental data.
With Nvidia’s investment, Lila joins a growing wave of startups — such as Periodic Labs — working to transform research and development using AI scientists. Von Maltzahn said Lila’s approach “will set in motion the scientific method in a new form,” enabling breakthroughs that benefit “almost everyone on the planet.”
