Halo Labs

Halo Labs, established in 2010 and initially known as Optofluidics, Inc., operates in the life sciences instrumentation sector, providing specialized tools for biopharmaceutical quality control and development. The company was founded by David Erickson, Robert Hart, and Bernardo Cordovez. Cordovez, who serves as the Chief Science Officer, has a background in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, with expertise in particle analysis, microfluidics, and nanophotonics, which has been central to the company's technological foundation.

The company's core business revolves around the development and sale of scientific instruments that analyze subvisible particles in biologic drug products. Its client base consists of biopharmaceutical companies, from startups to major global players, who use the technology for drug formulation, stability testing, and quality control. Revenue is generated through the sale of these instruments and associated consumables. In 2023, Halo Labs introduced a subscription program, Aura+, to provide more accessible pricing models for smaller biotech companies, bundling the instrument, consumables, and support services for a flat monthly fee.

Halo Labs' flagship product line is the Aura™ platform, which utilizes a combination of Backgrounded Membrane Imaging (BMI) and Fluorescence Membrane Microscopy (FMM) to count, size, and identify particles. This technology is differentiated by its ability to analyze very small sample volumes (as low as 5 microliters) with high throughput, a significant advantage in early-stage drug development where samples are precious. The system can distinguish between different types of particles, such as protein aggregates and other contaminants, which is a critical quality attribute for injectable therapies, including cell and gene therapies. The Aura family includes several models tailored for different therapeutic areas, such as the Aura GT for gene therapy and the Aura CL for cell therapy.

Throughout its history, Halo Labs has achieved significant financial and strategic milestones. The company raised a total of $23.7 million over 10 funding rounds, including a $12 million Series B in 2020 and a $6 million Series C in 2022 led by Agilent Technologies. This funding supported the commercialization of the Aura platform and expanded manufacturing capacity. On May 21, 2025, Waters Corporation acquired Halo Labs, integrating its imaging-based particle analysis technology with Waters' existing portfolio to enhance offerings for large molecule and biologics development.

Keywords: particle analysis, biopharmaceutical, life science instrumentation, subvisible particles, drug development, quality control, cell therapy, gene therapy, biologics, formulation stability, Aura particle analyzer, Backgrounded Membrane Imaging, Fluorescence Membrane Microscopy, microfluidics, protein therapeutics, scientific instruments, acquired by Waters, aggregate analysis, drug product quality, biopharma workflows