Labster, a provider of virtual lab simulations, has raised $9 million in a strategic growth funding round led by GGV Capital Group, a firm with roots in Asia and Silicon Valley. Previous investors including Balderton, Owl Ventures and Northzone also chipped in. To date, the Copenhagen, Denmark-based startup has raised more than $40 million.
Founded in 2012, Labster offers over 100 virtual simulations on a range of science subjects, from chemistry and lab safety to cloning and genetics, that may otherwise be inaccessible or expensive to experience in real life. The company claims its content is used by more than 1,000 high schools and higher-ed institutions around the world. They include the California Community Colleges, a network of over 100 institutions, which signed on in April 2020.
The company’s previous fundraise was a $21 million Series B round in 2019.
According to a statement Wednesday, the funding will support the company’ efforts to expand its business to Asia and grow its catalog of virtual courses. Labster also announced that some of its STEM visualizations have been incorporated into Google’s AR/3D Asset Project, which will surface that content in search results.
