Hanson Wade
Hanson Wade is a London-based private company that runs 200+ annual life sciences conferences, a proprietary drug and trial database platform (Beacon), bespoke market intelligence consulting, and year-round expert networks (Searchlight) for the global biopharmaceutical industry, including all top-25 pharma companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hanson Wade does
Hanson Wade is a London-based private life sciences information and events company that structures data, content, and expert networks around emerging and complex niches of drug discovery and development. The company operates four product lines: (1) Conferences, a portfolio of 200+ annual industry events delivering 6,600 speakers and 30,000 attendees across therapeutic topics such as ADCs, cell therapy, gene therapy, RNA therapy, protein degradation, microbiome, precision oncology, CNS, autoimmune and immunology, and process development; (2) Beacon, a proprietary life sciences data platform with 15+ specialised database modules tracking 35,000+ deals and companies, 40,000 drugs, and 70,000 clinical trials, on which 24 of the world's top 25 drug developers are documented as customers; (3) Intelligence, a bespoke market research and scientific consultancy executing over 5,000 research calls per year through a 25,000+ expert network; and (4) Searchlight, year-round expert networks including the LEAP HR life sciences and construction communities.
The core technology is a proprietary ontology layer combined with manually curated databases and a content management stack supporting the Beacon platform, conference content production, and custom market intelligence research tooling. The business generates revenue through a mix of one-time conference registrations, sponsorships, and exhibition fees; recurring annual Beacon database subscriptions sold via dedicated enterprise field sales; project-based Intelligence consulting engagements; and Searchlight membership subscriptions. Customer concentration is anchored in the top 25 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D investment, with named enterprise logos including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Merck, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Moderna, and BioNTech.
The company was founded around 2013, scaled under Graphite Capital's private equity ownership from 2019, and in 2026 announced the carve-out and sale of Beacon to Corten Capital, a transaction expected to close by end of June 2026 and delivering Graphite Capital approximately 4x cash-on-cash. Headquartered at 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London, Hanson Wade employs 101-250 people and operates globally across Europe, North America, and Asia with dedicated sales functions for sponsorship, delegate, and Beacon subscription revenue.
Hanson Wade firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hanson Wade
- Legal name
- Hanson Wade
- Website
- https://hansonwade.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Hanson Wade is a London-based private company that runs 200+ annual life sciences conferences, a proprietary drug and trial database platform (Beacon), bespoke market intelligence consulting, and year-round expert networks (Searchlight) for the global biopharmaceutical industry, including all top-25 pharma companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hanson Wade industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Sciences Events and Intelligence
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)
Keywords
Where Hanson Wade is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hanson Wade business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Conference Revenue: Revenue from hosting 200+ annual conferences across life sciences topics including registration fees, sponsorships, and exhibition space. Conferences curate premium content presented by world-class speakers and assemble qualified audiences for networking.
- Beacon Database Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to Beacon drug and trial intelligence platform with multiple specialized modules covering ADC, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy, RNA, Protein Degradation, Microbiome, CNS, Precision Oncology, and other therapeutic areas. Annual recurring revenue model.
- Intelligence Consultancy Services: Custom market research and scientific intelligence services including KOL interviews, market landscape analysis, competitive profiling, brand surveys, and value proposition testing. Bespoke project-based consulting.
- Searchlight Expert Networks: Year-round expert networks providing HR leaders and teams with industry-specific insights and connections through membership subscriptions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Beacon Platform Subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hanson Wade product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hanson Wade delivers a portfolio of premium life sciences information products: 200+ niche industry conferences annually bringing together senior biopharma decision-makers around emerging therapeutic modalities; Beacon, a proprietary drug and clinical trial data platform with annual subscriptions; Intelligence, a bespoke market research and scientific consulting service; and Searchlight, year-round expert networks for life sciences HR and R&D leaders. The portfolio is anchored by proprietary ontologies, comprehensive data coverage across therapeutic areas, and a 25,000+ expert network serving top pharma and biotech companies globally.
Product overview
Hanson Wade is a life sciences research and events company offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core portfolio consists of four main products: Conferences (200+ industry events annually with world-class speakers), Beacon (proprietary life sciences data and analytics platform with 15 specialized database modules covering drug and trial information), Intelligence (bespoke market research and scientific consulting services), and Searchlight (year-round expert networks including LEAP HR communities). The company focuses on emerging and complex niches of drug discovery and development across ten therapeutic topics: ADCs & Engineered Antibodies, Autoimmune & Immunology, Cell Therapy, CNS, Gene Therapy, Microbiome, Precision Oncology, Process Development & Manufacturing, Protein Degradation, and RNA Therapy. Beacon was recently carved out as a standalone entity under Corten Capital acquisition (expected completion June 2026).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Beacon: World leading data analysis tool for preclinical and clinical trial information with unrivaled granularity of search function, data quality, and exhaustiveness. Tracks 35,000+ deals and companies, 40,000+ drugs, and 70,000+ trials.
- Conferences
- Intelligence
- Searchlight
Products and services
- Conferences Hanson Wade Conferences curate premium content presented by world-class speakers and assemble like-minded communities that make meaningful connections within clearly defined niches of R&D. The portfolio delivers 200+ events annually with 6,600 speakers and 30,000 attendees across emerging therapeutic modalities including ADCs, cell therapy, gene therapy, RNA therapy, protein degradation, microbiome, precision oncology, and CNS.
- Beacon Beacon is the world leading data analysis tool for preclinical and clinical trial information, providing unrivaled granularity of search function, data quality, and exhaustiveness. It tracks 35,000+ deals and companies, 40,000 drugs, and 70,000 trials, and is trusted by 24 of the world's top 25 drug developers. Subscriptions are sold on an annual recurring basis with multiple specialized modules covering ADC, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy, RNA, Protein Degradation, Microbiome, Precision Oncology, CNS, Autoimmune, Oncology, Neuroscience, and CVRM therapeutic areas.
- Intelligence Hanson Wade Intelligence provides precise and targeted market research and scientific intelligence custom-made for unique R&D objectives. Services include KOL interviews, market landscape analysis, competitive profiling, brand surveys, and product message testing. The team makes over 5,000 research calls into the life science industry each year, supported by an extensive network of 25,000+ drug development experts.
- Searchlight Searchlight by Hanson Wade is a year-round expert networks offering where group members regularly unite around highly specialized content areas and gain access to an exclusive KOL network to overcome shared drug development challenges. Includes LEAP HR: Life Sciences and LEAP HR: Construction, with 2 industry-specific expert networks, 50 member organizations, and 150 value-adds per year.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24 out of 25 top drug developers trust Beacon for drug development decisions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hanson Wade
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hanson Wade technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Hanson Wade partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hanson Wade competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Clarivate (Cortellis): Clarivate's Cortellis and Web of Science platforms compete head-to-head with Beacon for pharma R&D intelligence budgets. Multiple Hanson Wade senior leaders joined from Clarivate/Thomson Reuters, underscoring the direct competitive overlap and product benchmark.
- Citeline (Informa Pharma Intelligence): Citeline is the leading subscription pharma intelligence suite covering drug development, clinical trials, and regulatory intelligence — directly comparable to Beacon's coverage of 70,000+ trials, 40,000+ drugs, and company/deals data within biopharma R&D.
- Oxford Global: Oxford Global runs life sciences conferences in drug discovery and development niches that overlap with Hanson Wade's 200+ annual events. Jessica Thomson joined Hanson Wade in 2024 from Oxford Global, evidencing direct competition for sponsors, speakers, and delegates in therapeutic conferences.
- Cambridge Healthtech Institute: Cambridge Healthtech Institute runs established life sciences conferences in drug discovery, genomics, and bioprocessing that compete directly with Hanson Wade for sponsors and delegates across biopharma R&D niches.
- Tarsus Group: Tarsus is a B2B events organizer whose pharma and life sciences portfolio overlaps with Hanson Wade's conference business; Hanson Wade's CFO Mark Pennington joined directly from Tarsus, indicating deep familiarity between the two event portfolios.
Broad incumbents
- GlobalData: GlobalData offers syndicated and custom industry research across pharma and healthcare; Andy Cook joined Hanson Wade from GlobalData. Comparable on intelligence/research services layer of the Hanson Wade business and on industry research subscription analytics.
- Informa (Pharma & Life Sciences Division): Informa is the global events and B2B information powerhouse whose Pharma Intelligence (Citeline) and vast conference portfolio compete with both the Beacon data business and Hanson Wade's conference business at enterprise scale.
- Elsevier / RELX (Reaxys, Embase): Elsevier competes in pharma R&D data and analytics via Reaxys, Embase, and ClinicalPathway, and runs adjacent life sciences content and reference databases that overlap with Beacon's drug and trial intelligence.
Emerging players
- Kisaco Research: Kisaco Research produces commercial life sciences conferences in similar drug-modality niches to Hanson Wade (e.g., TPD, Small Molecules, Biomarkers) and competes for sponsor and delegate spend in overlapping therapeutic areas.
- BioCentury: BioCentury is an established life sciences intelligence and analysis provider focused on biopharma strategy and pipeline analysis; competes for the same senior R&D decision-maker audience that Beacon and Hanson Wade Intelligence serve.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hanson Wade social profiles
Digital presenceHanson Wade financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hanson Wade leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Hanson Wade subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Hanson Wade funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hanson Wade 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 Hanson Wade
What does Hanson Wade do?
Hanson Wade delivers a portfolio of premium life sciences information products: 200+ niche industry conferences annually bringing together senior biopharma decision-makers around emerging therapeutic modalities; Beacon, a proprietary drug and clinical trial data platform with annual subscriptions; Intelligence, a bespoke market research and scientific consulting service; and Searchlight, year-round expert networks for life sciences HR and R&D leaders. The portfolio is anchored by proprietary ontologies, comprehensive data coverage across therapeutic areas, and a 25,000+ expert network serving top pharma and biotech companies globally.
Is Hanson Wade a public or private company?
Hanson Wade is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Hanson Wade founded?
Hanson Wade was founded in 2013. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hanson Wade based?
Hanson Wade is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Hanson Wade make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Conference Revenue is the primary driver. The others are beacon Database Subscriptions, intelligence Consultancy Services and searchlight Expert Networks.
Who are Hanson Wade's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Clarivate (Cortellis), Citeline (Informa Pharma Intelligence), Oxford Global, Cambridge Healthtech Institute and Tarsus Group. Broad incumbents are GlobalData, Informa (Pharma & Life Sciences Division) and Elsevier / RELX (Reaxys, Embase). Emerging players are Kisaco Research and BioCentury.
Does Hanson Wade have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hanson Wade.
What industry is Hanson Wade in?
Hanson Wade's product category is Life Sciences Events and Intelligence. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAM, Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF), with a secondary code of BPAHALAE, Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom). Its NAICS code is 54169.