R&D World
R&D World is a B2B trade media publication covering research and development news across aerospace, biotech, chemistry, energy, life sciences, and other scientific disciplines. It serves R&D professionals, scientists, and engineers through its magazine, newsletters, the R&D 100 Awards, and digital platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersCleveland, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What R&D World does
R&D World is a B2B trade media publication covering research and development news, analysis, and technology trends across multiple scientific disciplines, including aerospace, automotive, biotech, chemistry, energy, life science, material science, physics, nanotechnology, and semiconductors. Founded in 1959 and operating from Cleveland, United States, the company is owned by Arrowfly LLC (formerly WTWH Media, rebranded in July 2026) and employs 51-100 people. Its core product is the R&D World Magazine and its associated digital platform at rdworldonline.com, supplemented by weekly email newsletters, digital issues, video content, and ON24-hosted webinars covering 14+ topic areas.
The company monetizes through a diversified revenue model spanning paid magazine subscriptions (digital and print), digital advertising and sponsored content, event sponsorships anchored by the prestigious R&D 100 Awards program (in its 63rd year in 2025) and the PharmSci 360 pharmaceutical science conference, and proprietary data products including the R&D World Index (RDWI) tracking 25 R&D-intensive companies weekly and the Global Funding Forecast platform for R&D investment intelligence. Related offerings include the Top Labs research laboratory directory.
R&D World serves three primary customer segments: R&D professionals and scientists seeking consolidated access to research news and trends (primary audience), R&D career professionals, and B2B technology and science companies that advertise to reach technical decision-makers. The publication operates with a horizontal segmentation approach spanning multiple scientific verticals rather than concentrating on a single industry vertical, and its distribution is global.
R&D World firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- R&D World
- Legal name
- Arrowfly LLC
- Website
- https://rdworldonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- R&D World is a B2B trade media publication covering research and development news across aerospace, biotech, chemistry, energy, life sciences, and other scientific disciplines. It serves R&D professionals, scientists, and engineers through its magazine, newsletters, the R&D 100 Awards, and digital platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
R&D World industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Trade Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)
Keywords
Where R&D World is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cleveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
R&D World business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscription: Paid subscriptions to R&D World magazine providing access to digital issues and content.
- Advertising: Digital advertising on rdworldonline.com including sponsored content, display ads, and branded content opportunities.
- Event Sponsorships: R&D 100 Awards event sponsorships and gala attendance revenue.
- Webinar Platform: Webinar hosting services through ON24 gateway platform for industry webinars.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Magazine subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
R&D World product offering
Product offeringCore offering
R&D World is a B2B trade media publication that publishes news, analysis, technical articles, and research reports covering research and development across more than a dozen scientific disciplines, including aerospace, automotive, biotech, chemistry, energy, life science, material science, physics, and nanotechnology. Its offerings include a flagship magazine, the R&D 100 Awards competition, the PharmSci 360 conference, digital issues, a weekly e-newsletter, webinars, video content, and proprietary research tools (Global Funding Forecast, Top Labs, R&D World Index).
Product overview
R&D World is a science and technology news publication covering research and development across multiple disciplines including aerospace, automotive, biotech, chemistry, energy, environment, life science, material science, physics, and technology. The company's offerings include the core R&D World Magazine publication, the prestigious R&D 100 Awards program recognizing innovative breakthroughs, PharmSci 360 conferences for pharmaceutical science professionals, Digital Issues for online magazine access, the Global Funding Forecast for R&D investment intelligence, Top Labs directory, a weekly newsletter (eNews), video content, and webinar programs. The publication is owned by Arrowfly LLC (formerly WTWH Media).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- R&D 100 Awards: Annual worldwide science and innovation competition recognizing breakthrough innovations in technology and science
- R&D World Index (RDWI)
- R&D World Index (RDWI)
- Top Labs
Products and services
- R&D World Magazine
Quantifiable outcome
- R&D World Index tracks 25 companies' R&D performance weekly
Companies that use R&D World
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
R&D World technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
R&D World partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Arrowfly (formerly WTWH Media)coreR&D World's parent company WTWH Media underwent a corporate rebranding to become Arrowfly LLC in July 2026. This is an internal corporate restructuring of the parent company, not an external partnership. R&D World operates as a publication under the Arrowfly LLC umbrella.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
R&D World competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN): American Chemical Society's flagship news publication covering chemistry, biotech, materials, and adjacent R&D disciplines. Both R&D World and C&EN are B2B trade publications serving scientists and engineers with editorial content plus awards and events.
- IEEE Spectrum: IEEE's flagship publication covering engineering, computing, and technology R&D worldwide. Directly comparable to R&D World as a society-published B2B media outlet reaching engineering R&D professionals with news, analysis, and multimedia.
- Physics Today: American Institute of Physics' flagship publication covering physics research and technology. Comparable to R&D World's physics coverage and audience model of serving specialist scientific R&D readers with subscription and advertising-supported content.
- Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN): B2B publication covering biotech, drug discovery, and life sciences R&D. Operates a similar editorial + advertising + event model to R&D World, overlapping substantially on the biotech and life sciences R&D audience.
- Drug Discovery & Development: Sister publication under Arrowfly LLC (formerly WTWH Media) covering drug discovery and development. Direct portfolio peer operating the same media business model with overlapping pharma R&D audience and shared sales infrastructure.
- Pharmaceutical Processing: Another sister publication under Arrowfly LLC covering pharmaceutical processing and manufacturing. Comparable B2B trade publication model with shared parent ownership and overlapping pharma buyer audience.
- BioSpace: Leading life sciences and biotech industry news and jobs platform. Comparable to R&D World in serving life sciences R&D professionals with editorial content, events, and recruiting/advertising revenue streams.
Emerging players
- Technology Networks: Digital-first B2B publication covering life sciences, drug discovery, and laboratory R&D topics. Comparable to R&D World's content model but younger and digital-native, representing the kind of digitally focused competitor pressuring traditional trade publishing.
Broad incumbents
- Science (AAAS): Flagship journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science covering scientific R&D across disciplines. Broader and more prestigious than R&D World but serves an overlapping R&D readership with similar advertiser access.
- Springer Nature / Nature: Large established scientific publishing platform covering R&D across all disciplines. Operates a much broader portfolio than R&D World but overlaps on the same horizontal R&D audience and competes for advertiser and reader attention in the same scientific categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
R&D World social profiles
Digital presenceR&D World financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
R&D World leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
R&D World subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
R&D World funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
R&D World 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 R&D World
What does R&D World do?
R&D World is a B2B trade media publication that publishes news, analysis, technical articles, and research reports covering research and development across more than a dozen scientific disciplines, including aerospace, automotive, biotech, chemistry, energy, life science, material science, physics, and nanotechnology. Its offerings include a flagship magazine, the R&D 100 Awards competition, the PharmSci 360 conference, digital issues, a weekly e-newsletter, webinars, video content, and proprietary research tools (Global Funding Forecast, Top Labs, R&D World Index).
Is R&D World a public or private company?
R&D World is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was R&D World founded?
R&D World was founded in 1959. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is R&D World based?
R&D World is headquartered in Cleveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does R&D World make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscription is the primary driver. The others are advertising, event Sponsorships and webinar Platform.
Who are R&D World's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), IEEE Spectrum, Physics Today, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), Drug Discovery & Development, Pharmaceutical Processing and BioSpace. Technology Networks is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Science (AAAS) and Springer Nature / Nature.
Does R&D World have an API?
No public API is recorded for R&D World.
What industry is R&D World in?
R&D World's product category is Scientific Trade Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAGAG, Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols), with a secondary code of MPAAALAA, B2B / Industrial Market Research. Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 2741.