Doroth secures $4.5M to build Latin America's first automated microfluidic chip plant
Brazilian deeptech startup Doroth has closed a R$23 million round (approximately $4.51 million) led by biotechnology and molecular diagnostics company Loccus. The funding combines private capital with public support from Finep and Fapesp, Brazil's research and innovation agencies, and will finance construction of what Doroth describes as Latin America's first microfluidic chip manufacturing facility.
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Doroth develops lab-on-a-chip platforms that integrate molecular biology, microfluidics, engineering, electronics, optics, automation and software into compact diagnostic equipment. The technology identifies pathogens, genetically modified organisms and resistance genes in agricultural samples including leaves, seeds, grains, milk and meat, serving the agribusiness value chain from plant health to traceability and quality control.
The planned facility will produce up to 4 million chips annually, according to founder and Director of New Business Rodrigo Gurdos. Production will be fully automated, with precision robots handling lyophilized beads containing dehydrated diagnostic reagents and delta robots assembling chips without human contact. Doroth will also manufacture proprietary enzymes for qPCR, LAMP and Extreme PCR molecular amplification techniques in-house. Gurdos noted that Extreme PCR can deliver results in under five minutes.
The partnership divides responsibilities strategically. Doroth will focus on product development and fundraising, while Loccus contributes manufacturing capacity, infrastructure, regulatory support and integration of existing portfolio technologies. Loccus CEO Eduardo Araújo explained the arrangement addresses a core commercialization constraint: while Loccus has production and innovation capabilities focused on human and animal health, Doroth possesses scientific expertise but lacks production capacity to scale.
What do you need?
Choose the hiring path that fits
After reading "Doroth raises $4.5M to build Brazil microfluidic chip plant", most teams compare these options before deciding how to hire.
How Brazil's deeptech manufacturing shift creates demand for specialized engineering talent
The transition from laboratory validation to industrial-scale production represents a structural shift in Brazil's deeptech sector, creating distinct workforce requirements. Doroth's planned facility demands expertise at the intersection of multiple disciplines: robotics engineers capable of programming delta and precision automation systems, molecular biologists with enzyme production experience, microfluidics specialists who understand chip fabrication tolerances, and quality assurance professionals trained in regulatory frameworks for diagnostic devices.
Hiring in Brazil's deeptech sector presents specific challenges. The talent pool for automated microfluidic manufacturing is limited globally and virtually nonexistent domestically at scale. Companies entering this space must either invest in extensive training programs to upskill engineers from adjacent fields or compete internationally for experienced professionals, often requiring relocation packages and bilingual work environments. Specialized recruitment in Brazil reflects these constraints.
The Loccus-Doroth partnership model offers one approach. By combining Loccus's existing manufacturing personnel and regulatory knowledge with Doroth's research team, the companies can cross-train staff and distribute specialized roles across a larger organizational base. This structure may become a template for other Brazilian deeptechs seeking to industrialize without building every capability from scratch.
The facility will also require supply chain managers familiar with reagent sourcing and cold chain logistics, software developers to build quality control and traceability systems, and commercial teams trained in both agribusiness and molecular diagnostics. Emerging biotech and manufacturing trends across Latin America suggest that companies able to assemble multidisciplinary teams will hold a competitive advantage as the region seeks to reduce dependence on imported diagnostic technologies.
The investment signals growing public-private coordination in deeptech workforce development. Finep and Fapesp funding typically includes requirements for domestic job creation and technology transfer, potentially accelerating partnerships between manufacturers and technical universities in São Paulo state.
Scaling production: talent and infrastructure needs as Doroth targets 4 million chips annually
Reaching high-volume output of microfluidic chips requires more than automation. It demands process engineers who can optimize production workflows, maintenance technicians trained on specialized robotics platforms, and cleanroom operators who understand contamination control protocols critical to diagnostic accuracy.
The facility's planned self-sufficiency in enzyme production adds complexity. Producing proprietary enzymes for qPCR, LAMP and Extreme PCR at commercial scale requires fermentation specialists, purification chemists and stability testing experts. These roles are typically found in pharmaceutical or industrial biotech settings, not agricultural diagnostics startups, creating competition for talent with Brazil's established life sciences companies.
Doroth's existing client base in agribusiness provides a foundation for commercial scale-up. Servicing major agricultural companies at volume will require field application specialists who can train customers, troubleshoot on-site and gather performance data to refine product iterations. The technology also extends to public health applications, including detection of pathogens in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which would require separate regulatory pathways and customer education strategies.
The transaction strengthens Loccus's venture-building strategy through its Bios and Nanos programs, which have selected more than 20 deeptechs since inception. Bios focuses on biotechnology, healthcare, agribusiness and molecular diagnostics, while Nanos targets nanotechnology and advanced materials. This ecosystem approach allows Loccus to identify talent across portfolio companies and create internal mobility pathways, helping retain specialized professionals in a competitive market.
Araújo emphasized that the partnership creates access to creative talent on both sides, shared production infrastructure and distribution channels that Doroth can leverage. The objective is to transform technologies developed entirely in Brazil into products manufactured at scale, reducing reliance on imported reagents and sensors while expanding decentralized molecular diagnostics access across the agribusiness sector.
For employers tracking Brazil's deeptech manufacturing build-out, Doroth's facility represents an early indicator of talent demand in a sector that has historically been import-dependent. As more companies pursue domestic production of diagnostic consumables, competition for engineers with automation, microfluidics and molecular biology expertise will intensify, likely driving compensation premiums and requiring more aggressive retention strategies.