Clients of both firms will eventually be able to use BenchSci’s software to design experiments that use Thermo Fisher’s equipment and technology. They can then analyze the results and feed the data generated back into the system “to guide the next discovery,” BenchSci CEO Liran Belenzon said. He declined to disclose whether the deal has any financial terms. (The Logic)

Talking point: Founded in November 2015, BenchSci’s software compiles data from academic publications, patent filings, clinical trials and pharmaceutical clients’ own experiments. Workers can use an AI chatbot to ask questions based on that information. Toronto-based BenchSci is also developing a new agent that will generate its own scientific hypotheses, as well as the one with Thermo Fisher that will help come up with tests. Headquartered in Waltham, Mass., Thermo Fisher is a major player in the lab equipment market. The partnership helps BenchSci expand into “the physical world of science,” Belenzon said.