Revolutionizing Microscopy: How Cytely’s €3 Million Funding is Accelerating Lab Analysis by 75%

Cytely Secures €3 Million in Funding to Expand Smart Microscopy Platform

Recently, Lund-based DeepTech startup Cytely announced that it has successfully secured €3 million in a new funding round. The funding is aimed at fueling the expansion of Cytely’s smart microscopy platform, which has the capability to transform standard laboratory microscopes into real-time data engines. This innovation significantly reduces the time scientists spend on manual analysis.

The funding round was led by Ugly Duckling Ventures, with continued support from existing investor Icebreaker.vc. Cytely, which is part of the portfolio at SmiLe Venture Hub, has team members based in Lund, San Diego, and Singapore.

Philip Nordenfelt, Cytely Co-founder & CEO, emphasized the impact of their technology, stating, “Scientists have been constrained by workflows built for images, not data. Cytely transforms any microscope into a real-time measurement instrument, closing the loop from acquisition to decision on an experiment-day timescale rather than a grant cycle.“

The funding secured by Cytely aligns with a broader European DeepTech and HealthTech trend seen in 2025. Other companies, like QT Sense in the Netherlands and Pixel Photonics in Germany, have also received significant funding for their innovative technologies.

Founded in 2023, Cytely specializes in building data-centric tools for biological discovery. Their platform enables labs to capture, process, and analyze complex cellular data automatically, making microscopy analysis faster and statistically robust.

Impact of Cytely’s Technology

Dr. Vinay Swaminathan, Head of the Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Mechanobiology at Lund University, praised Cytely’s software as a democratising force in science, stating, “Cytely is turning the ‘wild west’ of possibility into a powerful, accessible platform that will accelerate discovery for researchers everywhere.“

Cytely’s system automates image acquisition, quantifies entire samples, and offers real-time, analysis-ready results that are standardized and reproducible. This approach aims to revolutionize the field of microscopy by prioritizing data over pictures.

Prof. Alex Evilevitch shared his positive experience with Cytely, highlighting the platform’s impact on their research on viral latency. By using Cytely, researchers were able to process nearly 100% of their samples and identify previously unobservable cell-line defense mechanisms.

Commercial Success and Future Plans

Beyond academia, Cytely has delivered strong returns in commercial settings. For instance, a cancer research lab using the platform reduced manual analysis time by 75%, resulting in significant cost savings.

The newly secured funding will support the development of intelligent acquisition tools compatible with all microscope brands, as well as create one-click workflows for researchers of all skill levels. These enhancements aim to transform the platform into a fully integrated discovery network.

Louise Lachmann, Partner at Ugly Duckling Ventures, expressed excitement about Cytely’s vision, stating, “We’re thrilled to lead this round and support the mission to make smart, data-centric microscopy accessible to every lab.“