Volta Labs
Volta Labs develops the Callisto Sample Prep System, a digital fluidics benchtop instrument automating DNA extraction, library preparation, and target enrichment for next-generation sequencing. The sequencer- and chemistry-agnostic platform serves clinical, translational, and biotech research laboratories globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Volta Labs does
Volta Labs, founded in 2016 as an MIT spinout and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, develops the Callisto Sample Prep System, a benchtop instrument based on proprietary electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) digital fluidics. Callisto automates next-generation sequencing (NGS) sample preparation by performing DNA extraction, library preparation, and target enrichment / hybridization capture on a single walk-away platform, reducing hands-on time to under 30 minutes and eliminating manual pipetting variability. The platform is marketed as sequencer-agnostic and chemistry-agnostic: it supports short-read sequencers (Illumina, Element AVITI, MGI DNBSEQ-G50, Ultima Genomics UG 100, Roche AXELIOS 1) and long-read sequencers (PacBio, Oxford Nanopore), and integrates with reagents from Twist Bioscience, IDT, New England Biolabs, Watchmaker Genomics, QIAGEN, and other chemistry providers through pre-validated apps. Sub-branded consumables include VoltaPure (extraction), VoltaPrep (library prep), and VoltaHyb (hybridization capture).
The company primarily targets clinical and translational research laboratories, hospital-based genomics centers, sequencing service providers / core facilities, and biotech and pharma R&D operations. Documented customer deployments include UMC Utrecht (clinical WGS for prenatal and postnatal testing aligned with ISO 15189), Hartwig Medical Foundation (oncology profiling), Prinses Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, GeneDx (clinical genetics), Ginkgo Bioworks (synthetic biology), Norwegian Sequencing Centre at the University of Oslo, and Rush University. Volta's value proposition is structured around eliminating operator dependency, compressing hybrid capture turnaround from overnight manual protocols to same-day walk-away operation, achieving sub-2% sequencing redo rates, and maintaining >98% robustness across sample types, chemistries, and sequencing technologies.
Volta operates a direct, enterprise field-sales go-to-market with proof-of-value evaluation cycles. Revenue is generated from Callisto instrument placements plus recurring consumables (proprietary extraction, library prep, hybridization, and accessory kits) required for each app run; customers purchase partner chemistry separately from third-party reagent providers. The company has raised approximately $32M+ in disclosed venture funding, including a $20M Series A in March 2022 led by Maverick Ventures with participation from Khosla Ventures, Casdin Capital, Blindspot Ventures, and E14 Fund, followed by a 2024 round of approximately $12.7M led by Catalio Capital Management and a $20M Form D equity filing. Major strategic partnerships and compatible program memberships have been established with PacBio, Oxford Nanopore, Element, Roche, QIAGEN, Twist, IDT, NEB, and Watchmaker. The company employs between 11 and 50 people and is privately held.
Volta Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Volta Labs
- Legal name
- Volta Labs, Inc.
- Website
- https://voltalabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Volta Labs develops the Callisto Sample Prep System, a digital fluidics benchtop instrument automating DNA extraction, library preparation, and target enrichment for next-generation sequencing. The sequencer- and chemistry-agnostic platform serves clinical, translational, and biotech research laboratories globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Volta Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Genomics Automation Instruments
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scientific Data Management & Data Platforms (SDMS/Data Lakehouse for R&D) (HLAGAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Analytical Development & QC Testing (Release/Stability/Potency) (HLAGAGAF)
Keywords
Where Volta Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Volta Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Callisto Instrument Sales: Sale of benchtop Callisto Sample Prep System instrument to laboratories. The instrument enables walk-away automated sample preparation and forms the hardware platform for all downstream consumables revenue.
- Consumables and Kits: Recurring revenue from proprietary kits and reagents including extraction kits (EX0001), accessory kits (HC0001, HC0003, HC0004), and third-party chemistry reagents. Apps require Volta Labs kits alongside chemistry provider reagents (Twist, IDT, NEB, Watchmaker, etc.).
- Third-Party Reagent Partnerships: Revenue from integration with partner reagent chemistries (Illumina, New England Biolabs, Twist Bioscience, KAPA/Roche, Qiagen, Watchmaker Genomics). Volta provides automated platform while customers purchase chemistry separately from partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Volta Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Volta Labs develops and sells the Callisto Sample Prep System, a benchtop instrument using proprietary digital fluidics (electrowetting-on-dielectric) technology to automate next-generation sequencing (NGS) sample preparation workflows, including DNA extraction, library preparation, and hybridization capture/target enrichment. The platform is sequencer-agnostic and chemistry-agnostic, supporting multiple third-party reagent providers and major sequencing platforms (Illumina, PacBio, Oxford Nanopore, Element, MGI, Ultima Genomics). Revenue is generated through instrument sales, recurring consumables/reagent kits (VoltaPure, VoltaPrep, VoltaHyb), and validated pre-loaded apps.
Product overview
Volta Labs offers the Callisto Sample Prep System, a benchtop instrument with digital fluidics technology that provides automated, walk-away sample preparation for genomic sequencing. The system is designed as a platform-plus-apps architecture: Callisto serves as the core instrument, while plug-and-play apps (preloaded applications) provide validated workflows for specific chemistries and sequencing platforms. The product ecosystem includes VoltaPure (extraction chemistry), VoltaPrep (library prep chemistry), and VoltaHyb (hybridization capture chemistry) as supporting reagent brands. Apps available on the platform cover DNA extraction (HMW and standard), DNA library preparation (for Illumina, PacBio, Oxford Nanopore, Element, MGI, Ultima Genomics), and target enrichment via hybridization capture (IDT xGen, Twist Standard v2, Twist Fast Hyb). The platform is sequencer-agnostic and chemistry-agnostic, supporting multiple third-party reagent providers while maintaining consistent, operator-independent results.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Callisto: The flagship benchtop sample prep system providing walk-away automated DNA/RNA library preparation for next-generation sequencing
- VoltaPure
- VoltaPrep
- VoltaHyb
Products and services
- Callisto Sample Prep System Benchtop sample preparation instrument that brings push-button, walk-away automation to genomic sequencing workflows using digital fluidics technology. Automates DNA extraction, library prep, and target enrichment with up to 24 reactions per run, processing 4-24 samples per batch and supporting both short-read and long-read sequencing workflows for clinical and research laboratories.
- HMW DNA Extraction App
Quantifiable outcome
- >98% robustness across sample types, chemistries, and sequencing technologies
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Volta Labs
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Volta Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature7 records
Volta Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Twist BiosciencecoreDevelopment partnership to integrate Twist Bioscience's hybrid capture chemistry (Fast Hybridization Kit and Standard Hybridization v2) onto the Callisto platform. Full portfolio integration completed with both Fast and Standard Hyb workflows available as fully automated apps. Combined Twist's trusted chemistry with Volta's digital fluidics automation for consistent, walk-away target enrichment.
- Roche Sequencing (AXELIOS 1)strategicIntegration of Callisto platform with Roche Sequencing's AXELIOS 1 system, announced at AGBT 2026. Expands platform compatibility and enables automated workflows for Roche's sequencing ecosystem.
- Oxford Nanopore TechnologiescoreDNA Library Preparation Application for the Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ligation Sequencing Kit V14, developed under Oxford Nanopore Compatible Products Programme. Automated workflow for PromethION platform with 120 Gb output and 99.66% SNV recall demonstrated at UMC Utrecht.
- Watchmaker GenomicscoreLaunched Callisto Complete Kit for DNA EF (Enzymatic Fragmentation) Library Prep - fully automated PCR-free whole genome sequencing workflow combining Watchmaker's sample prep chemistry with Volta's digital fluidics automation. Joint presentation at AGBT 2026. Targets clinical and translational research laboratories.
- New England Biolabs (NEB)strategicPartnership to expand NEBNext NGS library prep reagents for use with the Callisto automated platform. Integrates NEB's reagents into Callisto to support high-quality, automated whole-genome sequencing workflows across multiple sequencing platforms.
- Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT)coreIDT Collab Network Partner recognition. Partnership to create platform-agnostic solutions with goal of walk-away sample prep starting with target enrichment workflows and IDT xGen NGS Hyb Capture app for Callisto. IDT xGen v2 Hybridization Capture app delivers <2% redo rates with up to 20-plex multiplexing.
- Element BiosciencesstrategicCollaboration to enable walk-away sample prep and sequencing on the AVITI System. Integration to support automated workflows for Element's sequencing platform.
- PacBio Compatible ProgramcoreFormal compatible program membership. PacBio SMRTbell 3.0 DNA Library Prep app available on Callisto. HiFi long-read sequencing applications with validated workflows for PacBio platforms.
- OEM by QIAGENstrategicPartnership to unlock potential of NGS sample prep through OEM integration. QIAseq FX DNA Library Prep app available on Callisto platform.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Volta Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Opentrons: Opentrons makes benchtop pipetting robots and workflows for NGS library prep and genomics sample preparation, directly competing with Volta Labs for walk-away, app-driven automation in translational and clinical labs.
- S2 Genomics: S2 Genomics offers the Singulator, an automated tissue and nucleic acid sample preparation system for NGS, directly competing with Volta's extraction and library prep automation in clinical genomics workflows.
Broad incumbents
- Hamilton Company: Hamilton's Microlab STAR and NGS STAR automation platforms are established workhorses for NGS library prep in clinical and research labs, representing a much larger installed base that Volta must displace.
- Tecan: Tecan's Fluent and Freedom EVO liquid handling systems are widely deployed for genomics sample preparation across clinical and pharma labs, making it one of Volta's most consequential incumbent competitors.
- Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Danaher): Beckman's Biomek series is a long-standing standard for automated NGS library prep, with global service and support reach that significantly exceeds Volta's footprint.
- Revvity (formerly PerkinElmer): Revvity's Sciclone and automated NGS workstation product line competes directly with Callisto for clinical and translational genomics sample prep budgets.
- Agilent Technologies: Agilent's Bravo automated liquid handling platform and NGS prep chemistries are established competitors in genomics sample preparation, with a far larger commercial organization than Volta.
- Illumina: Illumina's DNA Prep and PCR-Free library prep chemistries run on Callisto but Illumina also sells its own automation (e.g., Illumina DNA PCR-Free Prep app) and could move further upstream into the front-end layer Volta targets.
Emerging players
- 10x Genomics: 10x Genomics sells sample prep instruments (Chromium) and assays for single-cell and spatial genomics, partially overlapping Volta's sample prep automation opportunity in adjacent applications.
Others
- Watchmaker Genomics: Watchmaker Genomics is a chemistry partner on Callisto (Callisto Complete Kit for DNA EF Library Prep) but also sells its own library prep reagents and may compete on chemistry-attached automation over time.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Volta Labs social profiles
Digital presenceVolta Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Volta Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Volta Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Volta Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Volta Labs
What does Volta Labs do?
Volta Labs develops and sells the Callisto Sample Prep System, a benchtop instrument using proprietary digital fluidics (electrowetting-on-dielectric) technology to automate next-generation sequencing (NGS) sample preparation workflows, including DNA extraction, library preparation, and hybridization capture/target enrichment. The platform is sequencer-agnostic and chemistry-agnostic, supporting multiple third-party reagent providers and major sequencing platforms (Illumina, PacBio, Oxford Nanopore, Element, MGI, Ultima Genomics). Revenue is generated through instrument sales, recurring consumables/reagent kits (VoltaPure, VoltaPrep, VoltaHyb), and validated pre-loaded apps.
Is Volta Labs a public or private company?
Volta Labs is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Volta Labs founded?
Volta Labs was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Volta Labs based?
Volta Labs is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Volta Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Callisto Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are consumables and Kits and third-Party Reagent Partnerships.
Who are Volta Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Opentrons and S2 Genomics. Broad incumbents are Hamilton Company, Tecan, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Danaher), Revvity (formerly PerkinElmer), Agilent Technologies and Illumina. 10x Genomics is listed as an emerging player. Watchmaker Genomics is listed as an others.
Does Volta Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Volta Labs.
What industry is Volta Labs in?
Volta Labs's product category is Genomics Automation Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAC, Scientific Data Management & Data Platforms (SDMS/Data Lakehouse for R&D), with a secondary code of HLAGAGAF, Analytical Development & QC Testing (Release/Stability/Potency). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.