- virtual lab simulations
- 300+
- learners, according to Labster
- 6M+
- institutions in 100 countries
- 3,000
- raised by April 2022
- $147M
About Labster
Labster makes virtual lab simulations for science courses at universities, colleges and high schools. Its catalogue has 300+ simulations in biology, chemistry, physics and health sciences, and its UbiSim product trains nurses in virtual reality. Mads Bonde and Michael Bodekaer Jensen started the company in Copenhagen, and today it gives Boston as its headquarters and works remote-first. Institutions buy a licence on a quote, with annual engagements typically from $5,000, or students buy access per course through campus bookstores. Labster has raised about $147 million, the last disclosed round was $47 million in April 2022.
Labster builds 3D lab simulations that students play in a browser. Each simulation has a storyline, lab equipment, theory pages and quiz questions that Labster grades automatically. Instructors add simulations to their courses through Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, Schoology or Sakai, and see results in a dashboard.
Mads Bonde, a biotechnology researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, started the project after he saw students struggle to stay engaged in lab work. He built the platform with Michael Bodekaer Jensen, a computer scientist. Labster ApS was registered in Copenhagen in March 2012. Balderton Capital, Owl Ventures, GGV Capital and Andreessen Horowitz led its rounds from 2017 to 2021.
In 2021 Labster agreed to buy UbiSim, a Swiss VR platform for nursing education. Jensen handed the CEO role to Shawn Boom in January 2024. In 2026 the Labster website lists Phil Salopek as interim CEO and names offices in Boston and Valencia. The Danish operating company reported 17 employees in 2025, down from 103 in 2022.
History
- 2011 Mads Bonde and Michael Bodekaer Jensen found Labster in Denmark.
- 2012 Labster ApS is registered in Copenhagen on 12 March.
- 2017 Raises a $10 million Series A led by Balderton Capital. The library has 64+ simulations.
- 2019 Raises a $21 million Series B led by Owl Ventures to grow in the US.
- 2020 Raises $9 million led by GGV Capital. Google adds 15+ Labster 3D chemistry models to Search.
- 2021 Raises a $60 million Series C led by Andreessen Horowitz in February. Agrees to buy UbiSim in October.
- 2022 Raises $47 million from Sofina and Pirate Impact in April, for $147 million in total.
- 2024 Shawn Boom becomes CEO in January. Jensen moves to the board. TIME names UbiSim a Best Invention of 2024.
- 2025 Labster is shortlisted for the Global EdTech Prize in July.
- 2026 Publishes research on online STEM student retention in July. The website lists Phil Salopek as interim CEO.
Labster funding and investors
- September 2017
- April 2019 Series B $21 million
Lead: Owl Ventures Balderton CapitalNorthzoneSwisscom Ventures
Source: Balderton Capital - August 2020
- February 2021 Series C $60 million
Lead: Andreessen Horowitz GGV CapitalOwl VenturesBalderton CapitalNorthzoneSwisscom VenturesEduCapitalDavid Helgason
Source: Pulse 2.0 - April 2022 Series C extension $47 million
Lead: Sofina and Pirate Impact Owl VenturesAndreessen HorowitzEduCapitalNPF TechnologiesGGV Capital
Source: Balderton Capital, Auganix
Total as reported by Auganix in April 2022. Labster has not announced a round since. Sofina reports a 3.84% stake. Rounds before 2017 are not covered by the sources we opened.
Leadership
- PS Phil Salopek Interim Chief Executive Officer
- CF Christina Fleming Chief Revenue Officer
- MA Morten Andersen VP Business Development
- FM Fran Moreno VP Engineering
- AL Arantxa Lasa VP Product
- MTB Mads Tvillinggaard Bonde Co-founder, chairman of Labster Group ApS
Leadership as listed on labster.com/about on 6 October 2026. Co-founder Michael Bodekaer Jensen led Labster as CEO until January 2024 and then moved to the board. Shawn Boom was CEO from January 2024. Labster has not announced when he left.
Careers
Careers site
- Product1
Perks
- Healthcare plan
- Flexible time off
- Paid parental leave
- Remote-first work
How Labster works
- simulations
- 300+
- disciplines
- 4
- LMSs with LTI 1.3 guides
- 6
- 3D lab equipment
- Storylines with a real-world problem
- Theory pages
- Automatic grading
- Unlimited attempts
- Instructor dashboard
- Course and textbook matching
- Skills mapped to ACS and AAPT
- LTI 1.3 for six LMSs
- SOC 2 compliance
At Yavapai College the online completion rate rose from 66% to 80% within a year of adopting Labster, according to a Labster case study.
Simulation areas
Biology9
- High School Biology
- Introduction to Biology
- AP Biology
- General Biology I and II
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Molecular Biology
- Microbiology
- Evolution
- Ecology
Chemistry7
- High School Chemistry
- Introduction to Chemistry
- AP Chemistry
- General Chemistry I and II
- Organic Chemistry
- General Bioorganic Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Physics4
- High School Physics
- Introduction to Physics
- AP Physics
- General Physics I and II
Health and other sciences7
- Health Sciences
- Food Science and Nutrition
- Environmental Science
- AP Environmental Science
- Bioengineering
- Materials Science
- High School Earth and Space Science
Courses listed in the labster.com simulation catalogue on 6 October 2026. The catalogue filters by four disciplines, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Health Sciences, and by two levels, high school and higher education. Nursing is covered by UbiSim.
Video, blogs and resources
Products
- Virtual labs 300+ 3D simulations of 15 to 50 minutes, with theory, quiz questions and automatic grading. Students can replay them without limits. Simulation catalogue
- 3D Chemistry Models Interactive 3D models of molecules and chemistry concepts. In 2020 Google added 15+ of them to Search. 3D models
- UbiSim by Labster VR simulations for nursing students with lifelike patients and a scenario editor. Aligned with NCLEX, AACN and INACSL standards. ubisimvr.com
- Institutional licence One campus-wide agreement gives every student access, with LMS integration, admin dashboards and onboarding. Pricing
How much is Labster?
- Typical starting point Institutional licence From $5,000 a year campus-wide, on a quote
- Bookstore access Per course voucher via VitalSource, Follett, eCampus, BibliU or Kivuto
- Card payment Per course student pays by card, if the institution allows it
- Advanced and Elite On request with a Customer Success Manager
Is Labster free?
Qualified institutions can get a free trial. Students do not get a free plan.
Prices on labster.com on 6 October 2026, in US dollars. Labster does not publish a price list: annual engagements typically start at $5,000 and depend on student numbers and support tier. Student prices are set in each institution’s deal and are not public.
Labster for institutions
Pricing for institutions- 01A campus-wide licence gives all students access without per-course purchases.
- 02Departments can also adopt Labster through the bookstore without an institution-wide deal.
- 03Advanced and Elite plans add a Customer Success Manager who maps syllabi to simulations.
- 04Multi-year agreements get a discount.
Annual engagements typically from $5,000, on 6 October 2026.
Ratings and integrations
- WebSimulations run in the browser, Course Manager at my.labster.com
- LMSCanvas, Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace/D2L, Schoology and Sakai, LTI 1.3
- BookstoresAccess codes through VitalSource, Follett, eCampus, BibliU and Kivuto
- VR headsetsUbiSim nursing simulations
- SecuritySOC 2, trust center
Is Labster worth it?
What users like
- Gives a lab-heavy microbiology course labs on a campus with no laboratories.Marc Behrendt, Trustpilot, May 2023
- Adds lab experiences to online classes, and students enjoy them.Charli, Trustpilot, July 2022
- Interactive tool for Biology 101 and Anatomy students.Lauren Estep, Trustpilot, August 2024
- G2 reviewers rate it 4.8 out of 5.G2, 18 reviews
What users criticise
- Simulations load slowly and crash in the classroom.Tenille Wright, Trustpilot, May 2024
- Quiz questions go beyond the theory in the simulation.Amber M., Trustpilot, December 2023
- No phone line for complaints, and marketing emails kept coming.Konstantinos Banitsas, Trustpilot, October 2023
- Paid licence fees are not refunded, and access periods renew automatically.Labster terms of 21 January 2026
What users write in reviews, not our rating. Trustpilot reviews come in English only, 12 of 21 give five stars and 6 give one star.
Labster reviews
- I love Labster
“It is a great interactive tool to use for my Biology 101 and Anatomy students!”
Lauren Estep · 1 August 2024 · App Store - It is very laggy
“It is very laggy and difficult to navigate.”
Henry Laubach · 15 October 2024 · App Store - Very Disappointed
“After spending countless class periods trying to wait for it to load, it crashes on students.”
Tenille Wright · 23 May 2024 · App Store
Latest news
- 2025Global EdTech Prize shortlist
- 2024TIME Best Inventions 2024, UbiSim
- 2024TIME and Statista, World’s Top EdTech Companies
- 2023EdTech Breakthrough, Overall STEM Education Solution Provider
- Labster research on a confidence gap in online STEM programmes
- Labster named to the Global EdTech Prize shortlist
- Labster adds a VP of Sales and a nursing simulation specialist
- Labster appoints Shawn Boom as CEO
- Labster announces $47 million in Series C funding, Auganix
- Labster expands into clinical nursing education with UbiSim, Halldale
Contacts and company data
- Legal entity
- Labster ApS, c/o TMF Denmark A/S, H.C. Andersens Boulevard 38, 3. th, 1553 Copenhagen V, Denmark
- CVR
- 34457808, Labster ApS
- Registered
- 12 March 2012
- Parent
- Labster Group ApS, CVR 38597183, since 2017
- US entity
- Labster Inc., Delaware, Boston
- Staff, Labster ApS
- 103 in 2022, 39 in 2023, 31 in 2024, 17 in 2025
Alternatives to Labster
-
Kognity🇸🇪 Sweden Interactive digital textbooks for IB and Cambridge IGCSE science, sold to schools, from Stockholm. → -
Lecturio🇩🇪 Germany Video courses and question banks for medicine and nursing, from Leipzig. → -
CENTURY Tech🇬🇧 United Kingdom Adaptive English, maths and science lessons for schools, from London. →
How we built this profile
- Sources. Facts come from the company’s own website, press room, imprint and careers page, from Wikipedia, the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. Every source is listed on the page.
- Checks. Kinescope checked every number on 6 October 2026. Prices, ratings and job counts change, and we refresh them with each update.
- Our words. Descriptions are written by the Kinescope team. Quotes from reviews are marked with the author and source, and we do not rate the company ourselves.
- Corrections. The company can send new facts or corrections, and we update the profile.
Other virtual labs companies
More EdTech from Denmark
-
Area9 LyceumCorporate learning - C ClioK-12 learning
Is this your company?
Send us new facts, products, numbers or a fresh logo, and we will update the Labster profile on the EdTech map.
<a href="https://kinescope.com/edtech-map/labster"><img src="https://kinescope.com/images/edtech-badge.svg" alt="Featured on Kinescope EdTech Map" width="220" height="56"></a> Labster FAQ
Host your courses on Kinescope.
DRM, a white-label player and analytics for online schools and EdTech platforms.
