Cognivia
Cognivia is a Belgium-based AI company that develops behavioral intelligence solutions, including Placebell and Cognivia Signal, to predict placebo response and patient dropout risk in pharmaceutical and biotechnology clinical trials. The company sells via direct enterprise licensing to trial sponsors and CROs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMont-saint-guibert, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cognivia does
Cognivia is a Belgium-based AI company that develops behavioral intelligence solutions for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clinical trials. Founded in 2013 by Dominique Demolle (formerly operating as Tools4Patient), the company combines behavioral science, patient psychology data, and proprietary machine learning models to predict placebo response and patient dropout risk in randomized clinical trials. Its two commercial products are Placebell™, a covariate-adjustment solution that generates prognostic baseline covariates from psychological and behavioral inputs to reduce placebo-related data variability and improve statistical study power, and Cognivia™ Signal, a real-time behavioral-risk intelligence dashboard for monitoring dropout and placebo-response drivers during trial execution. Underlying inputs include the proprietary Multi-Dimensional Psychological Questionnaire (MPsQ) and Compl-AI engagement questionnaire, plus the Unik patient data management platform.
Cognivia's underlying AI stack relies on in-house machine learning models, including gaussian process with linear kernel, multivariate Cox models, and transfer learning approaches, trained on data from actual randomized placebo-controlled trials across pain, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, Type 1 diabetes, and CNS indications. The Placebell methodology has received FDA acknowledgment as a "special case" of covariate adjustment aligned with existing FDA/EMA guidance. Cognivia sells through a direct enterprise field-sales motion to pharmaceutical sponsors, biotechnology companies, and CROs, complemented by scientific publications, webinars, and industry-conference presence (BIO, OARSI, CNS Summit, ATTD, USASP, Neupsig). Pricing is quote-based, structured as per-trial or enterprise software licensing with associated professional services. The company is venture-backed (€15.5M round in 2024 led by Vesalius Biocapital IV with SFPIM and Wallonie Entreprendre), operates from Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, and has expanded into the United States through Cognivia USA Inc. in Red Bank, New Jersey. In 2025, Cognivia was recognized as one of the Top 50 Healthcare Technology Companies and was a Fierce Life Sciences Innovation Award finalist.
Cognivia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cognivia
- Legal name
- Cognivia
- Website
- https://cognivia.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cognivia is a Belgium-based AI company that develops behavioral intelligence solutions, including Placebell and Cognivia Signal, to predict placebo response and patient dropout risk in pharmaceutical and biotechnology clinical trials. The company sells via direct enterprise licensing to trial sponsors and CROs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cognivia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clinical Trial Analytics Software
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety Software (HLAGAJAK)
Keywords
Where Cognivia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mont-saint-guibert
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cognivia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software/SaaS Platform Licensing: Enterprise licensing of Placebell and Cognivia Signal platforms to pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors for use in clinical trials. Revenue generated through software subscriptions and usage fees.
- Professional Services: Consulting and implementation services to help clients integrate Cognivia's behavioral intelligence solutions into their clinical trial processes, including statistical analysis support and training.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cognivia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cognivia develops AI-powered behavioral intelligence software for pharmaceutical and biotech clinical trials. Its core products, Placebell™ and Cognivia™ Signal, use machine learning models combined with proprietary psychological questionnaires (MPsQ, Compl-AI) to predict individual patient placebo response and dropout risk, reducing data variability by up to 30% and improving treatment effect estimation precision by 40%. The platform is licensed to clinical trial sponsors conducting Phase II and III studies across therapeutic areas including pain, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Type 1 diabetes.
Product overview
Cognivia offers a unified platform of AI-powered behavioral intelligence solutions for clinical trials. The core portfolio consists of Placebell™ (predictive placebo response covariate adjustment) and Cognivia™ Signal (real-time dropout risk monitoring), both leveraging proprietary questionnaires (MPsQ, Compl-AI) and machine learning models. Placebell generates individual patient prognostic covariates for statistical analysis to reduce placebo-related variability and increase study power. Signal provides an early-warning dashboard for proactive patient retention management. These products are complementary—Signal monitors behavioral risks in real-time while Placebell provides covariate adjustment for retrospective analysis—enabling sponsors to address both proactive and analytical dimensions of behavioral variability in clinical trials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Placebell™: AI solution for predicting placebo response in clinical trials
- Cognivia™ Signal
Products and services
- Placebell™ A covariate adjustment solution that uses machine learning to predict individual patient placebo response based on psychological traits, expectations, and behavioral factors. Generates prognostic baseline covariates that reduce placebo-related data variability, increase statistical study power, and improve treatment effect estimation precision. Recognized as a finalist for the Fierce Life Sciences Innovation Award and acknowledged by FDA as aligned with covariate adjustment guidance.
- Cognivia™ Signal An early-warning behavioral risk intelligence dashboard for clinical trial teams that predicts participant dropout and monitors placebo response drivers in real time. Uses behavioral data and machine learning to help sponsors, CROs, and clinical teams detect and mitigate hidden behavioral risks before they disrupt trial performance. Achieves up to 93% sensitivity in predicting patient dropout with a C-index of 0.82.
- Compl-AI Questionnaire A proprietary questionnaire used to collect baseline predictors of patient engagement including study site perception, belief in medicine, and health literacy. Data feeds predictive models for dropout and non-adherence risk assessment in clinical trials.
- MPsQ (Multi-Dimensional Psychological Questionnaire) A proprietary questionnaire measuring patient personality traits, expectations, and psychosocial factors associated with placebo response. Collects data used as input for Placebell machine learning models to predict placebo response variability in clinical trials.
- Unik Patient Data Management Platform A data collection and management platform designed to capture and manage patient data while minimizing burden on patients and study teams. Supports patient engagement throughout clinical trials.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30% reduction in clinical trial data variability
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cognivia
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cognivia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Cognivia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mayo CliniccoreCollaboration to advance behavioral intelligence integration across clinical research and clinical care settings. The partnership initially focuses on three key behavioral drivers: therapeutic non-adherence, missed appointments, and clinical trial retention. The goal is to make patient behavior measurable and actionable, enabling healthcare organizations to identify risk factors earlier and implement targeted interventions to improve patient adherence and trial execution.
- Unity BiotechnologyminorCollaboration on Phase II clinical trial for UBX101 intra-articular injection in osteoarthritis patients. Cognivia's Placebell model was used to predict placebo response and improve treatment effect estimation precision by 40%.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cognivia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Medidata Solutions (Dassault Systèmes): Medidata offers the Rave clinical trial platform including eCOA, randomization, and trial analytics. Direct comparable as a clinical trial SaaS provider serving pharma/biotech sponsors with software that improves trial execution and data quality.
- Veeva Systems: Veeva provides life sciences cloud software including CTMS, eTMF, and clinical operations tools. Direct comparable as a SaaS platform serving pharma/biotech clinical development teams, overlapping with Cognivia's enterprise sales motion.
- Cytel: Cytel provides statistical software and services for clinical trial design, including East Bayes for adaptive trials. Direct comparable as a biostatistics/clinical analytics vendor targeting pharma/biostatistics decision-makers, similar to Placebell's buyer profile.
- Clario: Clario delivers clinical trial endpoint technologies including eCOA, imaging, and respiratory solutions used in decentralized and hybrid trials. Direct comparable as a clinical trial technology vendor focused on endpoint quality and data capture.
Emerging players
- Saama Technologies: Saama applies AI/ML to clinical trial data management, site monitoring, and patient journey analytics for pharma sponsors. Emerging peer with overlapping AI-for-clinical-trials value proposition but broader operational scope than Cognivia's behavioral focus.
- Deep 6 AI: Deep 6 AI uses AI to mine EHR data for clinical trial patient matching and recruitment. Emerging peer operating in the AI-for-clinical-trials space with overlapping buyer base (sponsors, CROs) but different functional focus.
- Science 37: Science 37 operates a decentralized clinical trial platform addressing patient recruitment and retention. Emerging peer addressing overlapping trial execution pain points (especially dropout) with a different delivery model.
- Medable: Medable provides a decentralized clinical trial platform focused on eCOA, eConsent, and remote patient engagement. Emerging peer addressing related trial execution and patient retention challenges faced by Cognivia's customers.
Broad incumbents
- IQVIA: IQVIA is the world's largest CRO and clinical analytics provider, offering technology alongside services including its E360 platform. Broad incumbent with overlapping clinical trial analytics capabilities but operating at much greater scale and scope.
- Oracle Health Sciences: Oracle Health Sciences provides Clinical One and other clinical trial applications for sponsors. Broad incumbent offering similar SaaS to pharma R&D with extensive enterprise IT integration but lacking Cognivia's behavioral AI specialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cognivia social profiles
Digital presenceCognivia compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cognivia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cognivia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Cognivia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cognivia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cognivia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cognivia
What does Cognivia do?
Cognivia develops AI-powered behavioral intelligence software for pharmaceutical and biotech clinical trials. Its core products, Placebell™ and Cognivia™ Signal, use machine learning models combined with proprietary psychological questionnaires (MPsQ, Compl-AI) to predict individual patient placebo response and dropout risk, reducing data variability by up to 30% and improving treatment effect estimation precision by 40%. The platform is licensed to clinical trial sponsors conducting Phase II and III studies across therapeutic areas including pain, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Type 1 diabetes.
Is Cognivia a public or private company?
Cognivia is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cognivia founded?
Cognivia was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cognivia based?
Cognivia is headquartered in Mont-saint-guibert, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Cognivia make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software/SaaS Platform Licensing is the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are Cognivia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Medidata Solutions (Dassault Systèmes), Veeva Systems, Cytel and Clario. Emerging players are Saama Technologies, Deep 6 AI, Science 37 and Medable. Broad incumbents are IQVIA and Oracle Health Sciences.
Does Cognivia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cognivia.
What industry is Cognivia in?
Cognivia's product category is Clinical Trial Analytics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAO, AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization, with a secondary code of HLAGAJAK, Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety Software. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 7372.