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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
AI software developer creating AI interfaces for lab automation, streamlining chemical research and drug discovery for pharma and biotech.
b-12 has raised $500K across 1 funding round.
Key people at b-12.
b-12 was founded in 2025 by Zlatko Jončev (Founder) and Andres Bran (Founder).
b-12 has raised $500K in total across 1 funding round.
Based in San Francisco, California, b-12 develops artificial intelligence interfaces and software platforms designed to automate complex laboratory workflows for chemical research without requiring specialized programming skills. The company's primary software product, known as the Chemical Copilot, functions as a conversational assistant that streamlines chemical synthesis, experimental execution, and drug discovery processes specifically for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Operating as an early-stage enterprise business-to-business software provider, the firm currently maintains a highly concentrated operational scale with a total headcount of exactly two employees. By replacing traditional coding requirements with advanced natural language processing capabilities, the platform enables research chemists and laboratory technicians to directly interface with automated scientific equipment to accelerate experimental timelines and reduce manual operational bottlenecks. The laboratory automation startup b-12 was officially founded in 2025 by co-founders Andres Bran and Zlatko Jončev.
Key people at b-12.
b-12 was founded in 2025 by Zlatko Jončev (Founder) and Andres Bran (Founder).
b-12 has raised $500K in total across 1 funding round.
b-12's investors include Sunset Ventures, Y Combinator.
b-12 has raised $500K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $500K Seed in September 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2025 | $500K Seed | — | Sunset Ventures, Y Combinator | Announced |
b-12 Labs is a cutting-edge AI-driven chemistry copilot designed to accelerate drug discovery for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Its platform leverages AI agents to translate natural language goals into automated chemical experiments, significantly speeding up research workflows. For an investment firm, b-12 Labs represents a mission-driven opportunity to back transformative AI automation in drug discovery, focusing on sectors like pharma, biotech, contract research organizations (CROs), and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). The firm’s investment philosophy centers on infrastructure arbitrage—unlocking productivity by converting idle lab robotics into efficient drug development tools, addressing a $9B+ market with high ROI potential. Its impact on the startup ecosystem includes enabling faster molecule design and reducing costly development timelines.
For a portfolio company, b-12 Labs builds a comprehensive end-to-end automation platform that serves pharma and biotech researchers by automating complex chemical experiments. It solves the critical problem of slow, manual, and error-prone lab processes, offering up to 30x speed improvements in drug discovery workflows. Early traction includes paid pilots with major pharma companies, indicating strong growth momentum and validation of product-market fit in a highly specialized domain[1][6].
Founded in 2025 and headquartered in San Francisco, b-12 Labs emerged from the combined expertise of its co-founders Zlatko Jončev and Andres Bran. Jončev holds a PhD in chemistry and has over a decade of experience as an automation chemist at Roche and as an AI researcher at EPFL. Bran, the CTO, developed the first AI agent for chemistry and has a background in chemical data science at the Max Planck Institute and EPFL. The idea originated from recognizing the inefficiencies in chemical experimentation and the untapped potential of AI and robotics to automate these processes. Early pivotal moments include securing paid pilots with two major pharmaceutical companies and backing from Y Combinator, which helped validate the platform’s value proposition[1].
For the product:
b-12 Labs rides the wave of AI-driven automation and digital transformation in drug discovery, a sector traditionally burdened by slow, costly experimental cycles. The timing is critical as advances in AI (e.g., AlphaFold) and robotics converge, creating market forces favoring automation to reduce time-to-market for new drugs. This platform addresses a large, underserved market where productivity gains translate directly into competitive advantage and cost savings. By enabling labs to unlock idle robotics and automate complex chemical workflows, b-12 Labs influences the broader ecosystem by setting new standards for AI integration in pharma R&D, potentially reshaping how molecules are designed and tested[1].
Looking ahead, b-12 Labs is positioned to scale its platform across diverse lab environments and chemistry types, expanding its customer base beyond early adopters. Key trends shaping its journey include increasing AI adoption in pharma, growing demand for faster drug development, and the push for automation in lab operations. Challenges remain in navigating complex enterprise sales cycles and integrating with varied robotic systems, but successful scaling could establish b-12 Labs as a foundational infrastructure player in drug discovery. Its influence may evolve from a niche automation tool to a critical AI-powered platform that accelerates innovation across the pharmaceutical industry, fulfilling its mission to transform drug discovery workflows and reduce development costs[1].
