Bingda Li, a graduate student in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), transformed a common lab frustration into a promising robotics startup. While researching exosome therapy for organ transplants, Li encountered a persistent challenge, the labor-intensive, manual process of culturing large volumes of cells. Recognizing how inefficient this system was, he joined forces with fellow Carnegie Mellon University student Xinyu Wang to create a solution.
In 2023, the duo launched Mito Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based company focused on integrating robotics into life science laboratories. Their mission: to automate critical lab procedures, especially cell culturing, thereby saving time and reducing human error. The goal was to make advanced automation accessible even to underfunded research labs.
For Li, the entrepreneurial spark was ignited long before Mito’s launch. Originally from China, he moved to the U.S. at age 14 and was inspired by the country’s entrepreneurial spirit. At Wake Forest University, he studied kinesiology, biology, and entrepreneurship, and later enrolled at CMU to combine engineering and innovation through the Engineering and Technology Innovation Management Program. This experience laid the groundwork for his leap into tech entrepreneurship.
Early Struggles and a $1M Milestone
Despite the innovative idea behind Mito Robotics, Li and Wang faced an uphill battle securing funding. As first-time founders without a product on the market, they encountered skepticism, particularly since their product was not a typical software solution but a physical robot the size of a refrigerator.
Initial fundraising efforts in Pittsburgh proved difficult, even with Carnegie Mellon University strong reputation. “A lot of people didn’t think we could build it,” Li recalled. However, perseverance paid off. In early 2024, Mito Robotics secured a $1 million pre-seed investment from Draper Associates, a Silicon Valley firm with a track record of backing major startups like Tesla, Robinhood, and Twitch.
With funding in hand, the company accelerated development of its robot, with parts already delivered to research labs and a full rollout expected by the end of the year. Li’s biggest takeaway from the fundraising journey: confidence is crucial. He advises other founders to trust their knowledge and insights especially if they’ve done the groundwork through customer discovery and market research.
Building a Startup in Pittsburgh’s Innovation Ecosystem
Pittsburgh’s startup support network also played a pivotal role in Mito Robotics’ development. Programs like Carnegie Mellon University NSF I-Corps bootcamp and Ascender, a local innovation hub, provided essential training in customer discovery, business analysis, and financial support. These resources helped the founders validate that their problem wasn’t unique many scientists were actively seeking automation solutions for lab work.
Li credits his bicultural perspective for shaping his entrepreneurial approach. Drawing on innovation models from both the U.S. and China, he emphasized the importance of blending technical advancement with cost-effectiveness to build scalable, impactful solutions.
Reflecting on his journey, Li says aspiring founders should remain resilient and open-minded. “You know something the investors don’t, you’ve spoken to the scientists and understand the problem deeply,” he said. With Mito Robotics now backed by serious investment and growing traction in the biotech community, Li is proving that real-world problems often spark the best innovations.
