For decades, histopathology has been the foundation of cancer diagnosis and medical research. Yet, despite its critical role, the workflows inside pathology labs have barely evolved, causing workflow bottlenecks and delayed turnaround times. While radiology and hematology have embraced automation, pathology has lagged behind. Rising global cancer rates make this gap unsustainable. Core histology processes such as ultra-thin tissue slicing, slide preparation, and imaging remain intensely manual—repetitive, skill-heavy tasks that place enormous strain on already stretched lab teams.
As demand rises and margins come under pressure, the next phase of value creation in healthcare will be driven by rebuilding core infrastructure for scale with “Physical AI”. Platforms that can standardize complex processes while improving unit economics will define the next generation of healthcare companies. That belief is precisely why we backed Morphle Labs - a Physical AI company.
Histology—the microscopic study of tissues—is central to diagnosing cancer and a host of other diseases. But today’s labs face three major challenges:
As cancer incidence rises and demand for pathology services surges, these bottlenecks risk overwhelming existing systems.
Founded in 2017, Morphle Labs is tackling one of healthcare’s underserved yet essential areas: automation in histopathology. The team is re-engineering the entire workflow by bringing together robotics, precision hardware, advanced optics, and computer vision.
Morphle Lab’s high-throughput slide scanning platform, MorphoLens, digitizes over a hundred slides per hour using robust optical systems and AI-driven imaging. This enables remote pathology, collaboration across geographies, and scalable diagnostic operations—capabilities that are fast becoming indispensable for modern labs.
Building on this foundation, Morphle Labs introduced RoboTome®, a breakthrough in histology automation. As the world’s first robotic microtome, RoboTome® automates one of the most labor-intensive and skill-dependent steps in the lab: slicing biopsy blocks. It operates at more than twice the speed of an experienced histo-technologist while delivering exceptional consistency in section quality—a non-negotiable requirement for accurate diagnosis. By embedding intelligence and quality control directly into the physical process, Morphle is laying the groundwork for reliable, high-volume digital pathology.
What truly excites us is Morphle Lab’s end-to-end product vision. From tissue slicing to imaging—and eventually to automate other parts of pathology workflow—the company is building solutions to allow labs to do more, with fewer errors, and far greater confidence.
At the heart of Morphle Labs is Rohit Hiwale, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus and repeat entrepreneur, supported by a multidisciplinary leadership team that brings together deep engineering and go-to-market expertise. The software platform is led by Ashish Manmode, an IIT Kharagpur–trained engineer and former founder with experience building large-scale systems at Samsung Electronics, while Sunnel Daniel leads product and sales, bringing an operator’s perspective shaped by years of entrepreneurial, sales, and operations experience.
We were impressed not just by the technical ambition, but by the team’s execution discipline. In a field where quality cannot be compromised, Morphle Labs has successfully shipped products across geographies and earned the trust of demanding laboratory customers.
The convergence of three forces—automation in diagnostics, the global shortage of skilled lab talent, and the adoption of digital pathology—creates a perfect inflection point for Morphle Labs. The company has already proven product-market fit with its scanners and is now poised to scale globally with its robotic microtomy platform. In many ways, Morphle Labs is pioneering the future of “physical AI” in diagnostics, demonstrating that world-class medical hardware innovation can be built in India for global markets
At Inflexor Ventures, we back founders who tackle critical, infrastructure-level problems with a technology solution and global ambition. Morphle Labs embodies that ethos. We are excited to partner with Rohit and his team on their journey to redefine the future of pathology.
