Key Products

AI-Powered Marketplace: World’s largest marketplace for pharmaceutical and biotech research. Platform is used by most large pharma companies and has grown YOY research sales for 34 straight quarters.

Disease Model Finder: Proprietary disease model selection platform that uses machine learning algorithms to help researchers sift through large amounts of data and find the most appropriate in vitro models for their drug research projects.

Biopharma Services: The platform offers advertising, science webinars (InsideScientific brand), content marketing (HealthEconomics.com brand), software services, e-blasts and other digital marketing services.

Products Hub: Scientist.com recently added 15 million off-the-shelf reagents, lab supplies and consumables to the marketplace.

Compliance Services: COMPLi is Scientist.com’s award-winning compliance module that enables clients to find and order regulated services and products with confidence.

Investor Services: BioPharmCatalyst (BPC) houses stock catalyst and drug pipeline information for hundreds of public and private pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Customer Insights

The Scientist.com founders realized that despite being part of a multi-trillion dollar industry, pharmaceutical drug research was horrendously inefficient, and that this inefficiency was greatly slowing the creation of new treatments for the 7,000+ human diseases for which there is no current cure. Scientist.com was founded to solve this enormous research inefficiency problem.

Scientist.com connects scientists at pharma and biotech companies with technical experts at global laboratories and contract research organizations (CROs) in over 100 countries. Pharma and biotech clients use the marketplace to enable their scientists to run more innovative experiments in less time and at lower cost. On average, scientists can come up with a new idea and then have an outside research laboratory start the research experiment needed to test that idea in under 1 week, much faster than the 2-4 month industry average. Scientist.com customers also save about 16% per order when they receive multiple quotes.

Research organizations seeking digital transformation know they can turn to Scientist.com for a truly collaborative effort. Scientist.com’s Supplier Relations team introduces the cost benefits of sourcing from multiple suppliers, makes preferred suppliers accessible, and quickly onboards any new suppliers. Scientist.com’s Customer Success team provides onsite training and support in multiple languages and locations. Scientist.com´s Professional Services Team works to implement marketplace configurations to adjust and optimize user experience and reporting capabilities.

Once fully integrated and adopted, marketplace usage can see growth in a variety of areas, including user count, orders placed, total R&D spend, cost and time savings and requests that receive bids from multiple suppliers. In some cases, multi-sourced orders double, user count increases exponentially, orders go up and marketplace spend increases greatly. All of these increases resulted in a boost in both hard and soft savings, like actual spend and FTE hours.

Here is what some of clients had to say:

“Scientist.com simplified the purchase of our lab supplies and research services, and enabled our researchers to spend more time on science and less time on paperwork. They provided outstanding customer service and supported every research request from start to finish. Our finance team particularly appreciated one consolidated bill and the ability to leverage pre-negotiated discounts. We highly recommend Scientist.com to any stealth or established biotech that wants to improve research efficiency.” – John Donello, Boost NeuroScience

“The [Scientist.com] marketplace is an intuitively designed, transparent, and straightforward primary resource for outsourcing research services, but that’s just scratching the surface. The marketplace is a mechanism-in-place to pressure-test and ripen new ideas in R&D with the help of experts from a breadth of technical know-how and experiences. Most importantly, the Scientist.com Customer Success Team are most helpful, knowledgeable and responsive to help clients navigate their network, find & introduce service providers and contract research organizations, in a most timely and efficient manner”. – Hovik Gukasyan, Pharma Scientist

“The platform really has been transformative for me these last three years or so – there’s just no way I would be able to handle my current volumes of multi-sourced projects without it.” – Leuan Roberts, Oncology Chemistry Outsourcing Lead, AstraZeneca

Statistics

• Founded: 2007


• Number of employees: 120


• Number of biopharma clients: 150+


• Number of research suppliers: 4,000+


• Total revenue 2020-date: $1B+


• Revenue CAGR 2019-2022: 44%


• Average marketplace order: $34K


• Number of Straight Quarters of YOY Growth: 34

Scientist.com's Video

Key Executives

Kevin Lustig, PhD, CEO & Founder

Kevin co-founded Scientist.com in 2007 and is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chair of the Board. He is also co-founder of the life science incubator Bio, Tech and Beyond (2011) and the biotech company Kalypsys (2001). Kevin directed lead discovery at Tularik (1997-2001), did a postdoc at Harvard and received a PhD from USCF and an AB magna cum laude from Cornell. His research has been published in Science and Nature, and he holds eight technology patents.

Chris Petersen, CTO & Founder

Chris co-founded Scientist.com in 2007 and is Chief Technical Officer (CTO). He is a software engineer who has led the product development team at Scientist.com since inception. From 2003-2006 he was Director of Software Development at Kalypsys, a biotech startup. He was Director of Engineering at Learning Framework from 2000-2003. Chris received a B.S. in Computer Science in 1999 from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he received the Provost’s award for work in evolutionary programming and genetic algorithms.

Dan Kagan, PhD, COO & President

As Scientist.com’s President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dan helped create an innovative business and legal framework that is now used by most of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs). Prior to Scientist.com, he advised startups at eBoost Consulting, started a company called ChemoTactics and was the CTO of the UC-San Diego 100K Entrepreneur Challenge. Dan received an M.S. and Ph.D in Bioengineering from Joseph Wang’s lab at UCSD, where he was a Gordon Scholar.

Diana Ourthiague, PhD, Chief Customer Officer (CCO)

As Scientist.com’s Chief Customer Officer Diana runs a global team that manages marketplace operations and customer service. Her work enables the thousands of scientists who use the marketplace to connect with global labs and carry out groundbreaking research experiments. Since joining in 2014, Diana has played a pivotal role in building Scientist.com into one of the country’s fastest-growing private companies. In 2013, she received an M.S. and PhD in Biochemistry from the Signaling Systems Lab at UCSD.

Organizational Insights

Scientist.com was created and still operates under the assumption that a small group of likeminded individuals with a common goal can change the world. In this case, our founders wanted to change the way medical R&D is done by creating a world in which scientists are limited only by their imagination. With this vision statement as its roadmap, Scientist.com is constantly looking for opportunities to support the local community and connect with the larger life science community.

The company believes in supporting all of its team members and creating a culture of diversity, acceptance and innovation. Scientist.com has integrated DEI priorities and diversity training into every step of its hiring and onboarding process. The company supports each person’s right to express their unique identity and background while encouraging everyone within the company to share new ideas and original points of view. Scientist.com prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer and giving all individuals the opportunity for career growth through various feedback opportunities, internship and professional development programs.

As a global company, Scientist.com believes that the community it is part of truly has no borders, so when it comes to getting involved, the company tries to give equitably among the myriad of worthy causes.

Quotes from our Management Team:

“What connects groundbreaking scientific advancements, a dynamic company culture, and a steadfast dedication to fostering novel ideas and solutions?” asked Kevin Lustig, PhD, Founder and CEO at Scientist.com.

“The answer is innovation. Since its inception, Scientist.com has been driven by a passion for innovation, aiming to transform the scientific research landscape and enable more effective collaboration among researchers worldwide.”

“Scientist.com has created a solution to some of the biggest problems facing biopharma research organizations today, including a decline in R&D efficiency and the rising cost of bringing new drugs to market,” said Chris Petersen, Founder and CTO at Scientist.com. “By eliminating paperwork and bureaucracy and creating a more automated and intelligent R&D process, Scientist.com is helping drive tomorrow’s great discoveries, today.”

“Scientist.com’s mission is to empower and connect scientists and make medical research dramatically more efficient,” stated Dan Kagan, PhD, President and COO at Scientist.com. “Our AI-powered marketplace is used by tens of thousands of pharmaceutical and biotech researchers in their search for vaccines and cures for COVID-19, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and thousands of other common and rare diseases.”

We are thrilled to be at the forefront of efforts to accelerate life-changing medical research and find vaccines and cures for global diseases like Covid-19,” stated Diana Ourthiague, PhD, Chief Customer Officer at Scientist.com. “AI-powered marketplaces like Scientist.com have the potential to solve the major challenge facing the pharmaceutical industry – how to create more drugs and find more cures in less time for less money.”

Board Members

Parker Hinshaw, Bootstrap Ventures

Parker Hinshaw was the former CEO and founder of maxIT Healthcare, a consulting services company that fulfilled the needs of health care provider organizations by getting more out of their information technology investments. A successful leader over his 35-year career, Parker now supports innovative organizations and start-ups by serving as a board member and advisor. He helps entrepreneurs in life sciences and other industries build their businesses, create new solutions and achieve their professional goals.

Jared Kesselheim, PhD, Managing Partner, Transformation Capital

Jared’s journey began during his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he witnessed firsthand the incredible dedication and intellect of doctors and nurses. However, he was shocked and horrified by the outdated technology systems they had to use which dramatically decreased the efficiency and effectiveness of care for patients. This experience ignited his interest in healthcare investing, where he saw the opportunity to help build companies that leverage data and technology to unlock the full potential of talented clinicians.

Kevin Lustig, PhD, CEO & Founder, Scientist.com

Kevin co-founded Scientist.com in 2007 and is Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He is also co-founder of the life science incubator Bio, Tech and Beyond (2011) and the biotech company Kalypsys (2001).  Kevin directed lead discovery at Tularik (1997-2001), did a postdoc at Harvard and received a PhD from USCF and an AB magna cum laude from Cornell. His research has been published in Science and Nature, and he holds eight technology patents. 

Andrew B. Martin, PhD, Informatics Specialist, Stanford University School of Medicine

Andy is an informatics expert and problem-solving guru specializing in the organization, analysis and visualization of big data. He co-founded the Assay Depot in 2007. He was head of informatics at Kalypsys, where he led efforts to build state of the art data analysis, data storage and data mining tools for drug profiling assays used during each stage of the drug discovery process. Currently, he is building tools to mine electronic medical records and securely store clinical patient data at Stanford University.

Andy Schwab, Founder & Managing Partner, 5AM Ventures

Prior to founding 5AM in 2002, Mr. Schwab was a Principal at Bay City Capital where he was involved with companies such as Cubist, PTC Therapeutics and Syrrx. Previously, Mr. Schwab was Vice President of Business Development at Digital Gene Technologies and a Vice President in the life science investment banking group of Montgomery Securities. At 5AM, he has led the firm’s investments in and served on the Boards of Bird Rock Bio, Camp4 Therapeutics, DVS (acquired by Fluidigm), Enliven (NASDAQ ELVN), Escient Pharmaceuticals, Flexion Therapeutics (acquired by Pacira), Ikaria (acquired by Mallinckrodt and spun-out), Ilypsa (acquired by Amgen), Novome, Pear Therapeutics, Precision NanoSystems (acquired by Danaher), Purigen, Radionetics, RareCyte, Scientist.com and TMRW. 

Investors

Bootstrap Venture Partners

Bootstrap Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage healthcare and technology companies. The firm was founded in 2012 by David Lee, the former CEO of Healthgrades, and Michael Krass, a former partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Partners have raised over $500 million. Bootstrap Venture Partners’ investment focus is on early-stage healthcare and technology companies. The firm looks for companies that are solving real problems with innovative solutions. Bootstrap Venture Partners also invests in companies that have strong management teams and a clear path to profitability. Bootstrap Venture Partners has a strong track record of success. The firm has invested in over 100 companies, many of which have gone on to achieve significant milestones. Bootstrap Venture Partners is committed to helping its portfolio companies succeed and is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs.

5AM Ventures

5AM Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage life science companies. It was founded in 2002 by Kush M. Parmar, MD, PhD, and Andy J. Schwab, MD.5AM. The firm’s portfolio companies include Achaogen (AKAO), Expansion Therapeutics, Flexion (FLXN), and GlycEra. The firm looks for companies that have strong scientific teams and a clear path to clinical development. 5AM Ventures also invests in companies that have the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of patients.

Transformation Capital

Transformation Capital is a growth equity fund focused on healthcare IT and services companies, was founded in 2015 by Todd Cozzens, Jared Kesselheim, MD, and Michael Dixon. Has raised over $200 million in capital and has invested in over 20 companies.The firm’s portfolio companies include Aledade, CareMore, and Oscar Health.Transformation Capital is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Their investment focus is on healthcare IT and services companies that are transforming the way healthcare is delivered. The firm looks for companies that have strong management teams and a clear path to growth.

Heritage Group

The Heritage Group started in 1930 with a man, a truck, and a dream. Today, they’re a fourth-generation, family-owned and privately held business managing a diverse portfolio of operating companies in heavy construction and materials, environmental services and specialty chemicals. They employ thousands of people around the world, with operations across North America, Europe and China.

Jack Giarraputo (Hollywood Producer)

Jack Giarraputo is an American film producer who co-founded Happy Madison Productions with Adam Sandler. He has been involved in the creation of more than 30 films in a little over a decade, generating approximately $4 billion at the box office.

Key Milestones

• Launched public research services marketplace on September 15, 2008


• Launched private “research exchanges” for Pfizer and AstraZeneca in 2011 and 2012


• Built enterprise software for procurement of custom research services from 2011-2014


• Launched a new type of business to enterprise (B2E) research marketplace in January 2015


• Raised $24M in equity financing co-led by Transformation Capital and 5AM Ventures in 2017


• Named the 9th Fastest-Growing Private Company in the US by Inc. magazine in 2018


• Named Overall BioPharma Solution of the Year in the 2022 BioTech Breakthrough Awards


• Acquired HealthEconomics.Com, InsideScientific, Notch8 and BioPharmCatalyst in 2021-22


• Named America’s 11th Most Innovative Company by Fortune in March 2023

News and Press Releases

• 4 May 2023: Scientist.com Reaches 10 Million Human Sample Milestone in Drug Research (Read)


• 17 April 2023 Scientist.com Marketplace Expands to Include a Broad Selection of Ready-to-Use Life Science Reagents and Lab Supplies (Read)


• 30 March 2023 Scientist.com Named America’s 11th Most Innovative Company by Fortune (Read)


• 20 March 2023 Scientist.com Expands Disease Model Platform with Thousands of Additional Models from Top CROs (Read)


• 01 February 2023 Scientist.com Launches Compliance Mobile App for iOS (Read)

Competitors

Science Exchange

Established in 2011, Science Exchange is an R&D marketplace for the buying and selling of scientific services.

Zageno

Established in 2015, Zageno is a life sciences marketplace with a database of 20 million product items from 3,500 suppliers.

Quartzy

Established in 2011, California-based company Quartzy is a life sciences marketplace and lab inventory management system.

Corporate Responsibility

Founded in beautiful Solana Beach California, Scientist.com has a deep sense of appreciation for the land, air, water and ocean that we all appreciate each day. The office is run in an environmentally conscious way and provides resources to its employees so that they can take eco-friendly actions in their daily lives. The company supports local environmental groups and their efforts to create a better planet. Globally, Scientist.com adheres to local, national and international standards to lessen its carbon footprint.

With a strong sense of purpose and a high moral code, the company expects nothing less than the best from its employees, from new hires to the leadership team. Scientist.com empowers every employee to act respectfully. The company recognized that it has a responsibility to support the lives and work of its employees, its clients and those in the larger biopharma community. Building strong and trustworthy relationships has been the compass when conducting business.

Scientist.com believes that words, actions and resources are all necessary to make the greatest impact on the issues that we care about. The company participates in various types of philanthropic work each year. It donates company funds and matches the donations of our employees to groups that support wildlife preservation, supplies for refugees, STEM education for students, childhood cancer research, community initiatives and more.