Labstep
Labstep is a cloud-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook platform that unifies ELN, LIMS, LES, and order management for R&D teams. The UK-based subsidiary of STARLIMS Corporation serves enterprise labs, research institutes, and academic institutions globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Labstep does
Labstep is a cloud-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform provider that combines ELN, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Laboratory Execution System (LES), and order management into a single collaborative R&D environment. The platform is built around interactive step-by-step protocols that serve as templates for real-time structured data capture, with QR code-based inventory tracking for sample and reagent lineage, a Universal Device Client and API for instrument connectivity, and integrated Jupyter Notebooks for in-platform data processing and analysis. The product surface comprises discrete modules — Notebook, Protocols, Inventory, Order Management, Instruments & Devices, Lab Automation Toolkit, and Security — and is delivered through two sub-brands: Labstep Academia (free for students, faculty, and independent researchers) and Labstep Industry (paid tiers for companies and R&D teams).
The company is incorporated as Labstep Ltd. in the United Kingdom (Sale, Cheshire) and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of STARLIMS Corporation, a US-based laboratory informatics company. Revenue is generated through per-seat annual subscription SaaS contracts with auto-renewal, supplemented by separately billed support services and professional services for implementation, configuration, migration, and training delivered as fixed-price packages or on a time-and-materials basis. Distribution combines product-led growth (free academic sign-up and industry free trial) with enterprise field sales supported by dedicated account management and 24/7 support.
Labstep serves a globally distributed customer base spanning large enterprise pharmaceutical, biotech, and testing organizations (GSK, Exscientia, SGS), research institutes (Max Planck Institute, Francis Crick Institute), mid-market firms (Liquiglide), and a long tail of early-stage biotech, food-tech, and agri-tech startups. Founded in 2013, the company has raised modest disclosed funding from Seedcamp, Nidobirds Ventures, and Google for Startups across rounds between 2015 and 2021, and now operates within the STARLIMS corporate group with worldwide reach.
Labstep firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Labstep
- Legal name
- Labstep Ltd.
- Website
- https://labstep.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Labstep is a cloud-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook platform that unifies ELN, LIMS, LES, and order management for R&D teams. The UK-based subsidiary of STARLIMS Corporation serves enterprise labs, research institutes, and academic institutions globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Labstep industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) (HLAGAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lab Automation, Instrument Control & Workflow Orchestration Software (HLAGAJAG), Lab Middleware, Instrument Connectivity & Automation (HLACAMAI), Lab Analytics, Utilization Management & Operational Intelligence (HLACAMAK)
Keywords
Where Labstep is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Labstep business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription SaaS: Subscription-based SaaS offering with access provided on a per Authorized User basis. Subscriptions are sold per seat with pricing based on number of users. Subscription Terms auto-renew unless cancelled with 45 days notice.
- Support Services: End user support provided in accordance with Service Level Agreement. Support Services Fees are charged separately from Subscription Fees.
- Professional Services: Implementation, configuration, and enablement services provided pursuant to Professional Services Addendum. Includes Service Packages for account setup, workspace setup, training, data migration, database structuring, workflow mapping, device setup, API support. Charged at firm fixed price per package or time-and-materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Labstep Academia - Free tier for educational institutions |
| Subscription | Annual | Labstep Industry - Three pricing options |
| Per seat | Annual | Enterprise - Custom pricing for large organizations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Labstep product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Labstep provides a cloud-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform that unifies ELN, LIMS, LES, and order management capabilities into a single collaborative R&D environment. The platform enables real-time structured data capture via interactive step-by-step protocols, QR code inventory and sample lineage tracking, instrument connectivity through a universal Device Client and API, and integrated Jupyter Notebooks for immediate data analysis. It is offered as Labstep Academia (free for universities and independent researchers) and Labstep Industry (paid per-seat subscription for R&D and enterprise labs).
Product overview
Labstep is a unified cloud-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform that combines multiple modules into a single, collaborative research environment. The core product is 'The ELN Platform' which serves as the central hub, complemented by discrete modules including Notebook, Protocols, Inventory, Order Management, Instruments & Devices, and the Lab Automation Toolkit. Additional features include integrated Jupyter Notebooks for data analysis and a Security module for data protection. The platform is offered through two sub-brands: Labstep Academia (free for academics and students) and Labstep Industry (paid tiers for companies and R&D teams). Built by scientists for scientists, the system uses interactive step-by-step protocols as templates for data collection to capture and structure research data and metadata in real-time.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Labstep ELN Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Researchers using Labstep reduce administration time by 17% and project duration by over 50%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Labstep
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Labstep technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Labstep partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Labstep competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Arxspan: Cloud ELN provider for pharma and academic research, with similar notebook and inventory features. Comparable to Labstep's structured-protocol and sample-tracking approach in the chemistry/biopharma niche.
- SciNote: Cloud-based ELN with a free tier and academic-leaning positioning. Comparable to Labstep Academia for individual researchers and small labs, though with narrower compliance and instrument integration capabilities.
- ZONTAL Data: Data-centric lab informatics platform emphasizing data integration and FAIR principles. Comparable to Labstep's device integration and structured-data capture value proposition for scientific R&D teams.
Direct peers
- IDBS (E-WorkBook): Long-established ELN provider for biopharma and chemistry R&D. Comparable to Labstep's regulated-industry positioning (21 CFR Part 11), enterprise deployment model, and protocol-driven experiment capture.
- Benchling: Leading cloud-based ELN and R&D platform purpose-built for life sciences. Direct competitor to Labstep across biotech, pharma, and academic segments with comparable notebook, inventory, and workflow capabilities, but at much larger scale and broader feature set.
- Dotmatics: Enterprise scientific R&D platform combining ELN, LIMS, and study registration. Insight Partners-backed and directly comparable to Labstep across pharma and biotech R&D workflows, particularly its ELISA/biology focus and instrument integration.
- LabVantage: Modular LIMS/ELN platform serving pharma, biotech, food & beverage, and analytical labs. Overlaps with Labstep's instrument connectivity, sample tracking, and audit trail capabilities across enterprise and mid-market segments.
- LabArchives: Widely-adopted ELN particularly strong in academic and institutional settings. Closely comparable to Labstep Academia's freemium model and protocol/structured-data approach, with significant overlap in the academic segment.
- Sapio Sciences: Unified ELN, LIMS, and lab informatics platform for biotech and pharma R&D. Comparable product breadth (notebook + inventory + sample management) and similar mid-market-to-enterprise positioning as Labstep Industry.
Broad incumbents
- STARLIMS: Labstep's parent company, providing LIMS and laboratory informatics solutions across QC, manufacturing, and clinical labs. Closely related via subsidiary relationship and overlapping LIMS/sample-management technology stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Labstep social profiles
Digital presenceLabstep financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Labstep leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Labstep funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Labstep 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 Labstep
What does Labstep do?
Labstep provides a cloud-based Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform that unifies ELN, LIMS, LES, and order management capabilities into a single collaborative R&D environment. The platform enables real-time structured data capture via interactive step-by-step protocols, QR code inventory and sample lineage tracking, instrument connectivity through a universal Device Client and API, and integrated Jupyter Notebooks for immediate data analysis. It is offered as Labstep Academia (free for universities and independent researchers) and Labstep Industry (paid per-seat subscription for R&D and enterprise labs).
Is Labstep a public or private company?
Labstep is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Labstep founded?
Labstep was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Labstep based?
Labstep is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Labstep make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription SaaS are the primary driver. The others are support Services and professional Services.
Who are Labstep's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Arxspan, SciNote and ZONTAL Data. Direct peers are IDBS (E-WorkBook), Benchling, Dotmatics, LabVantage, LabArchives and Sapio Sciences. STARLIMS is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Labstep have an API?
No public API is recorded for Labstep.
What industry is Labstep in?
Labstep's product category is Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAB, Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN), with a secondary code of HLAGAJAG, Lab Automation, Instrument Control & Workflow Orchestration Software. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.