labforward merges with LabTwin – Biotech Investments

Expanded possibilities for laboratory digitalization and connectivity: labforward merges with LabTwin

The two Berlin-based companies labforward and LabTwin, a subsidiary of the life science group Sartorius, are merging in order to be able to offer a significantly expanded portfolio of AI and voice-supported solutions for digitalization, connectivity and workflow optimization in the laboratory environment under the name labforward.

Berlin, September 17, 2024: labforward GmbH, a leading provider of solutions for digital transformation in the laboratory with a platform for the digital integration of laboratory equipment and the connectivity of entire workflows consisting of an electronic laboratory journal (ELN, Electronic Lab Notebook) and a laboratory execution system (LES) – and LabTwin, the pioneer in voice and AI-supported digital laboratory assistants, are announcing their merger today. For that reason, Sartorius, as the founder and previous owner of LabTwin, has brought their business into labforward GmbH. Sartorius will thus become a shareholder in labforward GmbH, whose future headquarters will be the previous location of LabTwin in Berlin. The merged company will be led by Joerg Hoffmann as CEO, who took over the management of labforward GmbH from the retiring founder Dr. Simon Bungers at the beginning of 2024.

“With the merger of our companies, the technological expertise of the respective products, the deep know-how of our employees and the wealth of experience built up over the past few years from various customer projects – especially with large pharmaceutical and chemical companies, as well as in the academic and start-up sectors – the new company has even greater opportunities in the growing environment of digital transformation. This means we can support our customers even more broadly, in an even more user- and service-oriented way,” said Joerg Hoffmann in an initial reaction. “With Sartorius as another strategic partner, labforward is gaining further strength and trust in this dynamically growing market segment,” adds Dr. Joachim Rautter, Chairman of the Advisory Board and representative of labforward GmbH shareholder PEPPERMINT Venture Partners GmbH. Other strategic partners are financially and strategically involved in the company, including the Swiss company TECAN and, since the beginning of 2024, the Aachen-based laboratory planning specialist CARPUS.

“We are proud to have developed voice control and the use of artificial intelligence in the laboratory over the years to this acceptance in the market and to this milestone,” says Magdalena Paluch, outgoing CEO of LabTwin. “With labforward as a strong partner, the next stage of growth and an even broader use and development of our technologies in the market can now be driven forward.” The first joint solutions are already expected later this year.

The company will continue to offer its individual products in partnership with other third-party lab informatics solutions. “We stand for openness and interoperability. Digitalization in the laboratory cannot be solved by one vendor alone in a closed system. This requires close exchange of hardware and software, secure data transfer and the interaction of a wide variety of software products at different levels in order to install the best possible solution for the customer. We are in close contact with our partners who have their own ELN (Electronic Lab Notebook), LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or similar systems,” concludes Joerg Hoffmann.
 

About labforward GmbH

labforward offers both a comprehensive electronic lab notebook (ELN) called LABFOLDER and an inventory tool called LABREGISTER, as well as a lab execution system (LES) called LABOPERATOR, all on the same platform. These systems support researchers in their quest for groundbreaking discoveries.

Labforward’s solutions are used internationally by more than 50,000 researchers across all disciplines in academic institutions and industrial and pharmaceutical laboratories. Leading pharmaceutical and chemical companies use labforward’s solutions.

Labforward was formed in 2019 through the merger of labfolder and cubuslab.

Over the last few years, labforward has experienced continuous growth, supported by venture and strategic investors including Peppermint Venture Partners, IBB VC, Vogel Ventures and Tecan.

About LabTwin GmbH

LabTwin GmbH is a laboratory software company with the goal of developing the next generation of integrated, smartly networked digital laboratory tools. The company’s leading AI and voice-controlled digital lab assistant enables hands-free data capture, structuring and sharing in real time with other informatics systems while the experiment is ongoing. LabTwin is both user- and data-centric, saving scientists time while improving data quality and interoperability.

About Sartorius AG

Sartorius (XETRA: SRT3 | STR) is a leading international partner of life sciences research and the biopharmaceutical industry. With innovative laboratory instruments and consumables, the Group’s Lab Products & Services Division focuses on laboratories performing research and quality control at pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies as well as academic research institutes. The Bioprocess Solutions Division, with its broad product portfolio focusing on single-use solutions, helps customers manufacture biotech medications, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies safely, rapidly, and economically. The company, based in Göttingen, Germany, has a strong global reach with around 60 production and sales sites worldwide. Sartorius regularly expands its portfolio through the acquisition of complementary technologies. In 2023, the company generated sales revenue of around 3.4 billion euros. Currently, around 14,000 employees are working for customers around the globe.

About Peppermint Venture Partners

Peppermint Venture Partners (PVP) is a private Venture Capital firm based in Berlin, Germany. PVP is dedicated to supporting outstanding entrepreneurs and innovative scientists in transforming life science. Along the continuum of care, PVP matches excellence in technology with excellence in business execution. PVP invests in disruptive and novel solutions that bring increased efficiency, improved accessibility, cost containment, and digitization of the healthcare system and the life science industry. The new LIIDO fund, currently being launched, will invest in future market leaders in the field of life science tools & services. With a target volume of €100 million, LIIDO will focus on investments in technology-oriented companies in Europe that ideally already have innovative products or services on the market and are generating initial revenues.