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Labguru manages research labs. Seal runs development, the lab, the batch and quality.

Seal, the GxP execution system, is your eBR, your QMS and more. Neil, your AI agent, does the paperwork across your systems. You sign. MiAlgae cut documentation time by 75%. Start with one process beside Labguru.

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Where Labguru falls short.

From Labguru’s own pages, its 2011 launch and the trade press.

  • 2011
    For academic labs
    Since then
    Batch records (eBR)
    CAPA, change control
    Not on its product list

    A research tool, extended.

    BioData launched Labguru in 2011 as a research tool for academic labs, and later added batch records. Its product list names no CAPA or change control. In Seal, the lab, the batch and quality are one set of records.

    BioData via LabWrench, December 2011
  • Validated Cloud
    A separate package
    Seal
    Selected tests on each change

    Validation is a separate package.

    Labguru’s validated environment is a separate Validated Cloud package. In Seal, selected tests run on each change prepared for review.

    Labguru, Validated Cloud
  • Automation
    An add-on
    Custom code blocks
    Python, Ruby, C#
    Or Labguru’s service
    Workflow development
    Seal
    Neil, then your approval

    Configured by add-ons and services.

    Labguru’s Automation is an add-on: assemble predefined steps, add custom code in Python, Ruby or C#, or use its professional workflow development service. In Seal, Neil configures the first process from your procedure, and your team approves it.

    Labguru, Automation
  • Protocol Conversion agent
    Turns documents into protocols
    Automation agent
    Writes workflow code
    Neil
    Drafts the change

    Its AI writes code. Neil does the paperwork.

    Cenevo’s two agents of February 2026 turn documents into Labguru protocols and write workflow code. Neil prepares the change itself and the paperwork around it, for your team to approve.

    R&D World, February 2026

See it in Seal.

Real Seal screens with fictional test data: a protocol, the experiment run from it, and a release test on the same records.

  1. 1

    A protocol, structured.

    PR-014 defines each parameter, keeps the calculation with its units, and says what it may be used for.

    Protocol PR-014, assay development, in Seal: a preparation instruction, a table of parameters with defined values and what each experiment records, the method reference and its intended use as a research comparison, not a released QC method.
    1. Units and calculation keptDilute to 2 mg/mL in 10 mL, with the calculation retained.
    2. Structured, not free textEach parameter with its defined value and what the experiment records.
    3. Its intended useResearch comparison; not a released QC method.
  2. 2

    The experiment, linked.

    EXP-043 links its protocol and reagent lot, keeps the instrument file, and is compared with earlier runs.

    Experiment EXP-043, incubation comparison, in Seal: linked protocol PR-014 and reagent lot RG-018, the recorded incubation time, relative signal and source file, and a table comparing it with runs EXP-041 and EXP-042.
    1. Linked to protocol and lotPR-014 and reagent lot RG-018, as records.
    2. Values with their source file30 minutes and 0.76 relative signal, from EXP-043-reader.csv.
    3. Runs comparedSame incubation, different reagent lots; cause not yet established.
  3. 3

    Each result with its method and source.

    Release test S-041-12: every result carries its method version, instrument file and limit, and the batch it came from.

    Sample S-041-12, release testing, in Seal: linked to batch B-041 and a potency preparation, a table of results for potency, impurity A and water content with unit, limit, status, method and source, and water content outside its limit with the investigation open.
    1. The batch it came fromB-041, linked to the sample.
    2. Method and source on every rowEach result keeps its method version, instrument file and limit.
    3. The exception, at the resultWater content 0.72% against ≤ 0.50%, with the investigation open.

What Seal’s customers measured.

Each figure links to the customer’s story.

QualityAcclinate and Skye Biologics

−50%
quality cycle times at Acclinate, from a procedure change to everyone trained.Acclinate
−40%
non-conformances at Skye Biologics, with training checked before execution.Skye Biologics

RecordsMiAlgae and Bioventix

−75%
documentation time at MiAlgae, from the lab to commercial production.MiAlgae
−80%
document admin time at Bioventix, after two decades on paper.Bioventix

Labguru and Seal, side by side.

Every source is listed under References.

LabguruSeal
What it isELN, LIMS and inventory platform¹The GxP execution system: your eBR, your QMS and more
Built forResearch labs; GxP as an upgrade²Process development, the lab, manufacturing, batch release and quality
Data modelProjects and their experiments³⁴Primitives your team composes: record types, their relationships, steps and checks
AIAnswers over records; agents write automation code⁵⁶Neil, Seal’s AI agent, prepares changes to the process; your team approves them
Batch recordseBR module, each record from a process template⁷Batch records and batch release on the same records
Quality systemNot on its product list¹Deviations, CAPA, change control, training
Configuring itTemplates; no-code and low-code workflows in an add-on⁸Neil prepares it from your procedures; your team approves
ValidationA separate Validated Cloud package⁹Your team approves the intended use; selected tests run on each change prepared for review
Getting startedModular onboarding services¹⁰A 48-hour evaluation of one process, once the scope is agreed and the inputs received

Summary

The story
Labguru is good for research lab management.¹¹ It began in 2008 and launched in 2011 as a research management tool designed for academic labs, free for individual use,¹²¹¹ and its notebook is still a hierarchy with projects as the cornerstone, which its own FAQ calls experiment-centric.³⁴ It has since added electronic batch records, each created from a process template.⁷ Labguru promises onboarding that lets you start “immediately”, yet tailored workflows come from its automation specialists or from your own team in a Workflow Editor add-on,¹⁰ and validation is a separate Validated Cloud package, with PQ testing left to the customer.⁹ Its AI, Labguru Assistant from 2025 and two agents from 2026, answers questions over notebook and inventory records, converts documents into protocols and writes automation code.¹³⁶ If research is most of the work, it can work well. It rarely stays most of the work once a method nears GMP.

1What Labguru offers.

Labguru, now part of Cenevo with Titian Software’s Mosaic sample management,¹² integrates an electronic lab notebook, LIMS, inventory management, automation and informatics in one cloud platform.¹ Its notebook is a hierarchy with projects as the cornerstone, and folders inside a project organise its experiments.³ Its inventory tracks samples and storage locations and centralises ordering.¹¹⁴ An eBR module creates a batch record from a process template each time a process runs,⁷ and its QC labs offer covers tech transfer, method validation, stability studies, sample management and equipment calibration as “a bespoke solution”.¹⁵ Automation, the Workflow Editor and Dashboards are add-ons, and a validated environment is a separate Validated Cloud package.⁸¹⁶⁹

Labguru Assistant, launched in September 2025, lets scientists troubleshoot experiments, compare results and query ELN, inventory and experiment records in plain language.¹³⁵ Two agents followed in February 2026: one converts paper or document protocols into Labguru’s steps and forms, and the other generates workflow logic and code from a plain-language request, with approvals by people.⁶ Cenevo, its owner, also sells MCP servers that connect outside agents to its records, and agents that scientists configure.¹⁷

2Running Seal alongside Labguru.

Teams move to Seal one process at a time, with Labguru connected until the move is complete. Seal’s Labguru connector tracks a stock’s identity, lot and expiry alongside a Seal workflow. It reads selected stocks with a personal API token from a dedicated Labguru account, and it does not write to Labguru.

To set it up, generate the token for a dedicated account that can see only the intended stocks, then open Settings → Integrations → Labguru in Seal, enter the HTTPS workspace root ending in labguru.com and the token, and choose Test and connect. Select stocks by browsing or by exact numeric stock ID, choose the Seal groups to share them with, and compare lot and expiry in the first capture with Labguru. Shared stocks can then be referenced with @ in documents, comments and Neil.

The connector captures stock ID and name, the associated inventory-item ID and type, and the storage, lot, barcode, expiry and modification fields the API returns. Quantity and concentration, linked inventory-item content, experiments, analytical results, custom fields and attachments are not included, and a stock summary is not a release certificate. Labguru’s v1 API sends the token as a query parameter, so treat query strings in API access logs as sensitive. With the stocks shared, Neil can:

  • compare the lot, expiry and storage identifiers of selected stocks with a batch or experiment record before use;
  • identify which Seal records reference a selected stock, its lot and its barcode during an investigation;
  • list the selected stocks that expire before planned work.

3Moving from Labguru to Seal.

Start with one process and expand from there.

  1. Choose a process where changes need to be controlled: a batch record template, a QC test or a development method approaching transfer.
  2. Bring the procedure or template, a representative batch or run and the records it touches. Start with sample material, or arrange an NDA before sharing confidential records.
  3. Neil configures the workflow from your procedure, and your team checks it against how the work runs. Once the scope is agreed and the inputs received, Seal prepares the first working process and its validation pack to evaluate within 48 hours. Production timing then depends on scope, interfaces, migration and your release requirements.
  4. Connect the Labguru stocks the process uses, and exercise the workflow and its failure cases, including a change to a limit, before you approve release.
  5. If records move, scope exports, attachments, metadata, permissions and history first, map reusable fields, preserve the source records and keep gaps visible.

Retention obligations continue for the records that stay in Labguru. The ELN blueprint and sample management blueprint show the experiment and sample workflows in detail.

References

  1. 1Lab Management Software, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/ (read 5 November 2026)
  2. 2Labguru Accelerator Program, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/start-ups (read 5 November 2026)
  3. 3How to Set Up Projects, Labguru Support. https://labguru-support.cenevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/22786439724956-How-to-Set-Up-Projects (read 5 November 2026)
  4. 4FAQ, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/faq-labguru (read 5 November 2026)
  5. 5AI for pharma & biotech, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/ai (read 5 November 2026)
  6. 6Cenevo launches two AI agents for lab protocol conversion and workflow automation, R&D World, 10 February 2026. https://www.rdworldonline.com/cenevo-launches-two-ai-agents-for-lab-protocol-conversion-and-workflow-automation/ (read 5 November 2026)
  7. 7Electronic Batch Records (eBR) Management, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/electronic-batch-records-management (read 5 November 2026)
  8. 8Streamline Lab and Data Research with Automation, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/automation (read 5 November 2026)
  9. 9Validated Cloud Environment, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/validatedcloud (read 5 November 2026)
  10. 10IT Laboratory Services, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/services (read 5 November 2026)
  11. 11BioData Launches Labguru, a Collaborative Research Management Web Application for Academic Labs, BioData Ltd. via LabWrench, 20 December 2011. https://www.labwrench.com/article/6523/biodata-launches-labguru-a-collaborative-research-management-web-application-for-academic-labs (read 5 November 2026)
  12. 12About Cenevo, Cenevo (Labguru). https://www.labguru.com/about-us (read 5 November 2026)
  13. 13Cenevo launches AI-enabled assistant, MLO, 26 September 2025. https://mlo-online.com/information-technology/artificial-intelligence/news/55319487/cenevo-launches-ai-enabled-assistant (read 5 November 2026)
  14. 14Manage Your Inventory with Labguru, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/inventory (read 5 November 2026)
  15. 15Lab Management Solution for Quality Control Labs, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/qc-labs (read 5 November 2026)
  16. 16Developer tools for scientists, Labguru. https://www.labguru.com/developer-tools (read 5 November 2026)
  17. 17MCP servers, Cenevo. https://www.cenevo.com/ai/mcp-servers (read 5 November 2026)

AQuestions and answers

Is Seal better than Labguru?

Yes. Labguru is good for research lab management. It began in 2008 and launched in 2011 as a research management tool designed for academic labs, free for individual use, and its notebook is still a hierarchy with projects as the cornerstone, which its own FAQ calls experiment-centric. It has since added electronic batch records, each created from a process template. Labguru promises onboarding that lets you start “immediately”, yet tailored workflows come from its automation specialists or from your own team in a Workflow Editor add-on, and validation is a separate Validated Cloud package, with PQ testing left to the customer. Its AI, Labguru Assistant from 2025 and two agents from 2026, answers questions over notebook and inventory records, converts documents into protocols and writes automation code. If research is most of the work, it can work well. It rarely stays most of the work once a method nears GMP. Seal has no fixed model of one kind of work. It is built from primitives: record types, the relationships between them, and the steps and checks that use them, which your own team composes into your process, with Neil able to prepare each change for approval. So one platform runs process development, the laboratory, manufacturing, batch release and the quality system, and each change becomes a new version, released once its selected tests pass, while earlier runs keep theirs. Moving from paper, MiAlgae cut documentation time by 75% and went from the laboratory to commercial production on one platform.

Is Seal an alternative to Labguru?

Yes. Labguru is designed for research lab management. Seal covers the notebook, samples, inventory and batch records Labguru keeps, and runs deviations, CAPA, change control, document control and training on the same records. Each change to a workflow is released with its specifications and acceptance tests.

Is Seal an ELN and a LIMS?

Yes. Seal’s ELN, sample management, inventory and LIMS run on one platform with electronic batch records and the quality system, so an experiment, the sample it used, the batch it informs and any investigation are linked records.

Does Labguru have a quality system?

Labguru is designed for research lab management. It sells an electronic batch record module and a QC labs offer, but its product list names no CAPA, change control or training management. In Seal, deviations, CAPA, change control, document control and training run on the same records as the laboratory and batch work they concern.

Can Seal connect to Labguru?

Yes. Seal’s Labguru connector reads selected stocks with a personal API token from a dedicated account: stock ID and name, inventory item, storage, lot, barcode and expiry. It does not write to Labguru and does not include quantities, concentrations, experiments or results.

How does Labguru’s AI compare with Neil?

Labguru Assistant, launched in September 2025, answers natural-language questions over ELN entries, inventory and protocols. In February 2026 Cenevo added a Protocol Conversion agent, which turns documents into Labguru protocols, and an Automation agent, which generates workflow logic and code from a plain-language request, with approvals by people. They act on Labguru’s own records and workflows. Neil prepares changes to the process itself, configured from your procedures across Seal’s laboratory, manufacturing and quality records, for people to approve. In line with the EU’s draft GMP Annex 22 on AI, Neil is not used in GMP execution. It helps set up configuration, which your team verifies and releases under change control.

How long does it take to start with Seal?

Once the scope is agreed and the inputs received, Seal prepares a first working process and its validation pack to evaluate within 48 hours, configured from one of your protocols or procedures. Production timing then depends on scope, interfaces, migration and your release requirements.

Start beside Labguru.

Start with one controlled process. Seal’s Labguru connector reads selected stocks’ identity, lot and expiry, so nothing has to move on day one.

Book a demo