The efficiency of fermentation processes is a key factor for the success of modern biotechnology. New designed flower-shaped microplates (Flowerplate) with integrated online sensors offer new possibilities to gain a deeper process understanding in the early stages of bioprocess development. Additionally, automation of the mass transfer-optimized Flower-plates in the RoboLector provides the potential of a systematic, high-throughput approach to study bioprocesses and promises to reduce time to market. This review gives an overview about the current state of the art in shaken microbioreactors with online monitoring and their automation approach.