Synthace Wins a Global Recognition Award 2026
Drug discovery has a problem no scientific talent alone can solve. Specifically, 72% of researchers acknowledge a reproducibility crisis. The annual cost is $100 billion in irreproducible preclinical research. Furthermore, the cause is structural: biology experiments are still mainly run as they were in the 1950s — one variable at a time, manually, with inconsistent protocols between labs. Synthace built the software answer. Its Digital Experiment Platform allows scientists to design multivariate experiments, simulate them digitally, execute them automatically on lab hardware, and receive fully structured AI-ready data — all from a browser, with no code required. AstraZeneca’s Principal Scientist called it “the platform that enables experiments that were previously impossible.” In February 2026, Charles River Laboratories — the world’s largest CRO — partnered with Synthace at SLAS 2026, following a proof-of-concept with 700+ conditions in a single 1536-well assay. For that platform, Synthace has earned a 2026 Global Recognition Award.
Technical Innovation and Architecture
Synthace connects four layers — experiment design, in silico simulation, automated execution, and automatic data structuring — in a single no-code browser environment. Most lab software solves one problem in isolation. Furthermore, Synthace connects all four without scientists having to switch systems, transfer data manually, or write code. The drag-and-drop DoE builder enables any biologist to design high-dimensional experiments with hundreds of variable combinations. Additionally, the in silico simulation layer optimizes protocols before any physical resource is consumed. Consequently, experiments run from click-to-run scripts generated by the platform — eliminating scripting errors, execution variability, and manual transcription.
Charles River, AstraZeneca, GSK
Three enterprise validations define Synthace’s trajectory. First, at SLAS Europe 2022, AstraZeneca’s Principal Scientist stated on stage that Synthace enables “experiments that were previously impossible.” Second, at ELRIG 2025, Synthace co-presented with GSK on “Smarter Experiments, Greener Outcomes” — demonstrating that high-dimensional DoE simultaneously reduces time-to-insight and per-experiment environmental waste. Third, at SLAS 2026, the Charles River partnership opened access to Synthace’s methodology for virtually every pharma company in the world. Furthermore, the 1536-well/700-condition proof-of-concept provides the definitive benchmark of high-dimensional performance.
Founding Vision and Conviction
Markus Gershater co-founded Synthace in London in 2011 from “a mixture of frustration and enthusiasm.” Specifically, the frustration was sophisticated biology constrained by one-dimensional manual methods. The enthusiasm was the conviction — shaped by a PhD in synthetic biology — that software could elevate biology the way CAD had elevated engineering. Gershater named this transformation “Computer Aided Biology.” Furthermore, his 2024 statement — “Every day we spend without optimised experimentation is a day we’re potentially delaying life-saving therapies” — is the moral weight behind every platform design decision. Additionally, CCO Richard Fry brings 25 years of drug discovery technology expertise and co-founded Titian Software’s Mosaic — the leading sample management platform in life science R&D globally.
Capital and Analyst Validation
The $25.6 million Series B was led by Horizons Ventures — Li Ka-shing’s fund, investor in DeepMind, Siri, Facebook, and Impossible Foods — with SOSV and Luminous Ventures. Furthermore, Gartner recognized Synthace as foundational to the Lab of the Future, and the World Economic Forum included it in its results in delayed therapies, failed trials, and patient harm from diseases that persist in Industry 4.0 frameworks. Consequently, Synthace holds the rare combination of scientific peer validation (AstraZeneca, GSK, Charles River), analyst recognition (Gartner, WEF), and category-conviction investment (Horizons Ventures) that defines life science software category leadership.
Industry Impact and Future Vision
The $100 billion annual cost of irreproducible preclinical research represents delayed therapies, failed trials, and patient harm from diseases that continue while science struggles to deliver definitive answers. Furthermore, Synthace’s platform frees human creativity from the mechanical constraints preventing it from operating at full power — not by replacing scientists, but by automating what machines should have been doing all along.
Three growth vectors compound simultaneously: Charles River distribution reaching every major pharma company globally, the AI data flywheel improving the platform with every experiment, and the ESG sustainability narrative growing as pharma faces regulatory and investor pressure on R&D environmental footprint. Most importantly, the platform Markus Gershater built, driven by the conviction that biology deserves better tools, is now trusted by AstraZeneca, GSK, and Charles River. These institutions define the rigor of global drug discovery. Synthace earns the 2026 Global Recognition Award for building the digital experiment infrastructure life-saving biology demands.
Digital Experiment Platform: end-to-end no-code, cloud-based system connecting DoE design, in silico simulation, automated execution, and automatic data structuring — four integrated layers in one browser environment
No-code drag-and-drop workflow builder: any biologist designs high-dimensional multivariate experiments without programming knowledge — democratizing DoE methodology from specialist teams to every scientist
In silico experiment simulation: digital preview and protocol optimization before physical execution — eliminates costly trial-and-error, reduces resource waste, and identifies errors before a pipette is picked up
Click-to-run automated execution scripts: platform generates direct instrument control code from experiment design — eliminating manual scripting, human transcription errors, and inter-scientist execution variability
Automatic data structuring: all experimental data and metadata automatically collected, structured, and contextualized during execution — AI-ready data foundation built with every experiment, zero manual data entry
Multi-device integration: simultaneous coordination of liquid handlers, plate readers, incubators, and other lab instruments within a single experiment workflow — no system switching or manual data transfer
1536-well assay, 700+ experimental conditions, multiple labs: Charles River proof-of-concept result — the definitive benchmark of Synthace’s high-dimensional performance at a scale no manual team can match
Charles River partnership (SLAS 2026, February 2026): world’s largest CRO distributing Synthace-powered assay development to virtually every major pharmaceutical company globally
AstraZeneca “experiments previously impossible” endorsement: on-stage statement by AstraZeneca Principal Scientist at SLAS Europe 2022 — most credible peer scientific conference endorsement in life science software
GSK + ELRIG 2025 co-presentation: live enterprise validation of Synthace’s dual scientific performance and ESG sustainability value proposition at Europe’s largest drug discovery conference
G2 rating 4.6/5.0 (2026): enterprise user validation on the world’s largest B2B software review platform — confirmed deployment satisfaction across pharma and biotech users
Gartner Lab of the Future + WEF Industry 4.0 recognition: analyst and global policy-level institutional validation of the platform as foundational life science R&D infrastructure
$100B annual reproducibility cost, 72% researcher concern: the two numbers that define Synthace’s TAM — every irreproducible preclinical study and every failed assay transfer is a Synthace use case
Computer Aided Biology category creation: Gershater’s explicit category framing — drawing the CAD engineering analogy — positions Synthace as infrastructure for a new discipline, not an improvement to existing lab tools
Horizons Ventures Series B lead: Li Ka-shing’s fund, investor in DeepMind, Siri, Facebook, Impossible Foods — category-conviction institutional backing confirming Computer Aided Biology as a transformative technology trajectory
SOSV IndieBio backing across multiple rounds: most selective biotech deep-tech accelerator globally providing sustained conviction from seed through Series B
Smarter Experiments, Greener Outcomes: GSK collaboration introducing ESG sustainability as a second commercial procurement driver — fewer experiments per insight = less reagent, plastic, and energy waste
AI-ready data flywheel: automatic metadata structuring with every experiment compounds platform intelligence over time — each experiment improves the AI analytics layer for all subsequent users
Browser-based, no installation required: full platform accessible from any connected device — no on-premise hardware, no IT deployment project, no software installation
Minimal training required: no-code interface designed for practicing biologists, not computational specialists — rapid adoption without specialist training programs
Protocol reuse and scaling: any experiment protocol can be adapted for different compounds, instruments, or labs without redesign — reducing the method transfer cost that is currently one of pharma’s largest operational expenses
Cross-lab reproducibility: standardized DoE execution and automatic metadata capture enable reliable protocol transfer between different labs, instruments, and scientists
Centralized experiment knowledge: all designs, execution records, and results stored in one platform — ending the fragmentation of experiment knowledge across individual scientist laptops and paper notebooks
Richard Fry CCO — 25 years drug discovery technology experience: engineering, automation, and sample management expertise translating Synthace’s scientific platform into enterprise pharma commercial reality
Fewer experiments per insight: high-dimensional DoE extracts more scientific value per run — directly reducing reagent use, plastic disposable consumption, and energy per drug discovery milestone
Democratizing advanced biology: no-code access means high-dimensional experimentation is no longer reserved for teams with computational biology specialists — any life science team can run complex DoE
Accelerating life-saving therapies: Gershater’s explicit moral framing — “every day without optimised experimentation delays life-saving therapies” — the ethical case for digital experiment infrastructure
Reducing preclinical waste: $100B annual reproducibility cost represents not just money but failed patient trials and delayed approvals — Synthace’s reproducibility architecture directly reduces this human cost
Open-source Antha legacy: Synthace’s original high-level programming language for biology was open-sourced — establishing a culture of scientific community contribution alongside commercial development
London-founded, globally deployed: UK deep-tech company serving global pharmaceutical enterprises — contributing to UK’s position as a life science innovation leader post-Brexit
