Bio Detection Systems

Name

Bio Detection Systems

Legal name

BioDetection Systems BV

Website

https://biodetectionsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

In Vitro Bioanalytical Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays) (HLAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toxicology & Safety Assessment CROs (GLP) (HLAGAAAC), Quality Engineering & Risk Management (ICH Q9/Q10, validation, change control) (HLAGAKAL), Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF) (AFALAAAC)

Keywords

• In vitro bioassays
• Effect-based bioanalysis
• Endocrine disruption testing
• Reporter gene assays
• Food safety testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Service Laboratory Testing: BDS offers CALUX analyses as a direct service from its own ISO 17025-accredited laboratories in Amsterdam. Customers send samples for bioanalysis and receive quantitative results.
2. Technology Licensing: CALUX analyses are also performed under license by partner laboratories worldwide. BDS facilitates licensees with training at its Amsterdam facilities, follow-up coaching, and cross-validation certification. This generates licensing royalty income.
3. Training and Licensing Facilitation: BDS offers individual training programs at its facilities, follow-up coaching at licensee sites, and final cross-validation studies to certify licensee laboratories. Trainings are customizable upon request.
4. Reference Materials and Products: Sale of reference compounds, calibration standards, matrix reference materials, tissue culture products (trypsin, lysis mix, measuring solutions, FCS, stripped FCS, S9 mixtures), SPE extraction products, and clean-up columns to registered licensees.
5. Contract Research: BDS executes custom R&D projects combining routine analyses, development of novel bioanalytical methods, and complex validation studies guided by academically trained staff. Projects are flexible, tailored to customer needs, with predefined budgetary and time constraints.
6. Consultancy: Professional consultancy services for regulatory or legal compliance questions, data interpretation, and complex analytical issues, delivered by staff with academic training and long-standing experience in bioanalytics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

BioDetection Systems develops and commercializes the proprietary CALUX® (Chemically Activated LUciferase eXpression) panel of mammalian cell-based reporter gene bioassays for effect-based in vitro safety assessment. The company provides CALUX bioanalytical testing as a direct service from its ISO 17025-accredited laboratory in Amsterdam, licenses the technology to partner laboratories internationally, and supplies related reference materials, tissue culture products, calibration standards, and clean-up products. It also offers contract research, consultancy, and training programs for licensees and end users in food, feed, water, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and environmental safety applications.

Product overview

BioDetection Systems offers the CALUX® (Chemically Activated LUciferase eXpression) bioassay platform as its core technology, consisting of mammalian cell lines that produce quantifiable light signals in response to specific biological effects. The portfolio includes over 30 distinct CALUX assays covering endocrine receptors (ERalpha, ERbeta, AR, PR, TRbeta), metabolic receptors (PPARalpha, delta, gamma, LXR), stress pathways (p53, Nrf2, NFkappaB), and targeted chemical class assays (DR CALUX for dioxins, PAH CALUX, PFAS CALUX). The company provides these assays as laboratory services from its ISO 17025 accredited facility, and also offers them under license with training and certification programs. Supporting products include calibration standards, matrix reference materials, tissue culture reagents, and extraction/clean-up products. Complementary services include contract research, consultancy, and method validation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CALUX® Bioassay Platform Proprietary panel of mammalian cell-based reporter gene assays producing quantifiable luciferase light signals in response to specific biological effects, used for safety assessment and bioactivity profiling of chemicals and complex mixtures.
• DR CALUX Bioassay Dioxin Receptor-based CALUX assay for detection of dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs in food, feed, and water samples; ISO 17025 accredited and fully compliant with EU Commission Regulations 252/2012 and 278/2012.
• ERalpha CALUX Bioassay Estrogen Receptor Alpha CALUX assay for detecting estrogenic compounds in water samples, adopted as OECD TG455 and approved by California State Water Board for recycled water monitoring.
• AR CALUX Bioassay Androgen Receptor CALUX assay for detection of androgenic and anti-androgenic activity in chemicals and samples, adopted as OECD TG458.
• PPAR CALUX Assays (alpha, delta, gamma) Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor assays (PPARalpha, PPARdelta, PPARgamma) for measuring metabolic effects and obesogen activity in chemicals and mixtures.
• PFAS CALUX Bioassay CALUX assay measuring PFAS-induced disruption of transthyretin (TTR) binding, expressing results as PFOA equivalents, used to evaluate PFAS exposure in environmental and biological samples.
• PAH CALUX Bioassay Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon CALUX assay for detecting carcinogenic PAHs in complex mixtures across food, feed, and environmental samples.
• p53 CALUX Bioassay Genotoxicity assay detecting compounds that cause DNA damage, optionally run with S9 metabolic activation.
• Nrf2 CALUX Bioassay Assay for detecting oxidative stress and detoxification pathway activation in test compounds and complex mixtures.
• TRbeta CALUX Bioassay Thyroid hormone receptor beta assay for detecting thyroid-disrupting compounds in test substances and mixtures.
• Metabolic Modules for CALUX Assays Optional phase I and phase II metabolic enzyme fractions (S9 mixtures and metabolically competent liver cells) that can be added to CALUX assays to assess metabolic conversion of test compounds and mixtures.
• CALUX Calibration Standards Calibration standards for CALUX assays used for performance control during trainings and quality control of routine analyses, sold to registered licensees.
• Matrix Reference Materials Certified reference materials for matrices including feeding stuff, fish-oils, and egg powder, used for extraction efficiency and assay performance quality control.
• Tissue Culture Products Products for CALUX cell culture including trypsin, lysis mix, measuring solutions, FCS, stripped FCS, and S9-metabolic enzyme mixtures, all CALUX-tested for low backgrounds; sold to registered licensees.
• Extraction & Clean-up Products SPE-based water extraction products, TTR columns, and optimized clean-up columns for CALUX dioxin analysis; sold to registered licensees.
• CALUX Training & Licensing Program Individual training at BDS facilities in Amsterdam, follow-up coaching at licensee sites, and cross-validation certification to certify partner laboratories performing CALUX analyses. Trainings are customizable upon request.
• CALUX Analytical Services ISO 17025 accredited bioanalytical and chemical analytical services including effect-based and targeted testing of customer samples; customers submit samples and receive quantitative results.
• Contract Research Services Custom R&D projects combining routine analyses, development of novel bioanalytical methods, and complex validation studies guided by academically trained staff; projects flexible with predefined budgetary and time constraints.
• Consultancy Services Professional consultancy services for regulatory or legal compliance questions, data interpretation, and complex analytical issues, delivered by staff with academic training and long-standing experience in bioanalytics.

Quantifiable outcome

• DR CALUX bioassay fully compliant with EU requirements for dioxin and dioxin-like PCB determination in food and feed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

50 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• PROMISCES (Preventing Recalcitrant Organic Mobile Industrial chemicalS for Circular Economy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021EU-H2020 project focused on developing technologies to remove pollutants (particularly PFAS) from soil and water in a zero-pollution circular economy. BDS contributes in vitro toxicity profiling of persistent mobile chemicals using CALUX bioassays including cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and obesity panels.
• RISK-HUNT*3R* (RISK assessment of chemicals integrating HUman centric Next generation Testing strategies promoting the 3Rs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021EU-H2020 project running from 2021-2026 with a budget of EUR 22.9M. BDS serves as WP leader, building on EU-ToxRisk outcomes to promote animal-free chemical safety assessment using NAMs including CALUX bioassays.
• BIO-DIAGNOSTICSsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021TKI-BBE project for development of an integrated toolbox for biomass valuation and safety assessment for optimal biomass use in a circular economy.
• SAFFI (Safe Food for Infants in Europe and China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020EU-H2020 project targeting safe food for EU's 15 million and China's 45 million children under three. BDS serves as partner and WP leader, developing integrated approaches to enhance identification, assessment, detection, and mitigation of safety risks from microbial and chemical hazards along EU and China infant food chains.
• CHAMPION (Circular High-performance Aza-Michael Polymers)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020EU-H2020 BBI project with 14 partners from 6 countries coordinated by University of York, aimed at replacing conventional polymers with novel bio-based polymers for coatings, textiles, home care, and structural adhesives. BDS leads a work package and contributes safety evaluation using CALUX bioassays.
• BIOCONSOLEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018TKI-BBE project developing, optimizing and validating cellulosome-based consolidated bioprocesses for pre-treatment and fermentation of biobased feedstocks.
• RESOLVE (Renewable SOLVEnts with high performance)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017EU H2020 BBI project on renewable solvents with improved toxicity profiles. BDS led a work package and contributed high-throughput safety evaluation of novel biobased solvents using CALUX bioassay panels.
• BIOCOMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017TKI-BBE project for piloting biocommodities, testing, optimization and validation of novel fermentation feedstocks at pilot scale including CO2 capture.
• FUNGUSCHAINcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016EU H2020 BBI project coordinated by BDS (11 million euro budget). Focuses on valorization of mushroom agro-wastes to obtain high-value products including antimicrobials, antioxidants, proteins, polyols, and polysaccharides. BDS coordinates the project and develops early-stage safety evaluations using CALUX bioassays and green chemistry approaches. Partners include Corbion, Novamont, Monaghan Mushrooms Group, Saponia, Biotrend SA, Biozoon GmbH, Condensia Quimica SA, Mi-Plast, Neem Biotech, OWS, Tecnaro, AITIIP, European Centre for Nanostructured Polymers, University of Alicante, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
• ProtectED (PROTECTion against Endocrine Disruptors)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016EU H2020 ITN project on detection, mixtures, health effects, risk assessment and communication of endocrine disruptors.
• EU-ToxRiskcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Major EU H2020 flagship program (30 million euros) driving mechanism-based toxicity testing and risk assessment for the 21st century. BDS is a partner and leads a work package. Academia, SMEs, large industry, CROs and regulatory bodies collaborate. BDS led the integrated strategy to exploit and disseminate consortium tools and knowledge. CALUX methods are positioned as cost-effective, high-throughput alternatives to animal testing within the project's paradigm shift in toxicology.
• AQUANESsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015EU H2020 project demonstrating synergies in combined natural and engineered processes for water treatment systems, with 13 demonstration sites across Europe, India and Israel. BDS leads WP4 on risk assessment and water quality control, implementing CALUX bioassays for monitoring endocrine disrupting and toxic compounds in combined natural engineered treatment systems.
• DEMEAUminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012EU FP7 project for demonstration of promising technologies to address emerging pollutants in water and wastewater. BDS led a work area.
• BE-BasiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010FES project coordinated by BDS on Bio-based Ecologically Balanced Sustainable Industrial Chemistry.
• ECOLINCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010NGI project - Ecogenomics Innovation Centre, coordinated by BDS.
• ZonMw Dierproeven BegrensdminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Validation and implementation of rapid and cost-effective human in vitro screening assays to predict genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
• RAAK-PRO - Alternative Test BatteryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Development of alternative test battery for safety and efficacy assessment of natural substances.
• Chem*Screen*secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010EU FP7 project on chemical substance in vitro/in silico evaluation and exclusion system to predict human and ecotoxicological effects, coordinated by BDS.
• PlantlibraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010EU project on plant food supplements: levels of intake, benefit and risk assessment.
• MetaexploreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009EU FP7 project on metagenomics for bioexploration - tools and application.
• Netherlands Toxicogenomics CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Collaborative platform for toxicogenomics research in the Netherlands.
• Top Institute PharmaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008TI-Pharma project on translational safety biomarkers for adverse drug toxicity.
• Food and Nutrition Delta (FND)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Assay-toolbox for health effects of functional foods, coordinated by BDS.
• NewGenerisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006EU FP6 IP project on biomarkers of genotoxic exposure and precarcinogenic effects in mother-child birth cohorts and biobanks.
• TECHNEAUminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006EU FP6 IP project on technology enabled universal access to safe water.
• STW Mechanism-based ToxicogenomicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Development of in vitro high throughput test for human cancer hazard assessment of (non)-genotoxic chemicals.
• FACEiTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005EU FP6 STREP on fast advanced cellular and ecosystems information technologies.
• ZonMw Reproductive ToxicityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Development of in vitro test strategies for reproductive toxicity on male germ cell lines.
• Wada Anti-Doping ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Development and application of bioassay-based control system for steroids and other prohibited substances in sport doping, coordinated by BDS.
• ReProTectsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004EU FP6 IP on development of novel approach in hazard and risk assessment of reproductive toxicity by combination of in vitro, tissue and sensor technologies.
• Ecogenomics (NGI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Assessing the living soil through an ecogenomics approach to explore and unlock sustainable life-support functions of soils, coordinated by BDS.
• Technological Collaboration Project (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Development of techniques to detect and remove contaminants from water and sediment, coordinated by BDS.
• MLS (partner SME)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationMLS provides advanced metagenomics technologies. Through MLS, BDS gains access to the latest developments in DNA and RNA sequencing and metagenomics for complementing its bioanalytical services. This partnership extends BDS's capabilities for fractionation and chemical identification technologies.
• CAAT, TNO, JRC, Biopredic, BASF, DTU Training ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDS jointly organizes 2-day hands-on training programs on quantitative human cell and effect-based in vitro bioanalysis for assessing endocrine disrupting compounds with CAAT (Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing), TNO, JRC (Joint Research Centre), Biopredic, BASF, and DTU (Technical University of Denmark). Training held at Science Park Amsterdam.
• BDS Chile (Labser)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Chile, active since 2008 when the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture began its National Monitoring Program for food and feed using DR CALUX analysis.
• Shanghai Youlong Biotech Co., Ltd.secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in China.
• PT Kinglab IndonesiasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Indonesia.
• Dr. Gil Katz Technologies & Enterprises (KTE)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Israel.
• Tecna S.r.l.secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Italy.
• Young Sciences, Inc.secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Korea.
• Tri Alpha Co.secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Kuwait.
• Grida GroupsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Lithuania.
• LAB-IND Resource Sdn BhdsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Malaysia.
• DinelabsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Mexico.
• Stylab LLCsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Russia.
• AquimisasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Spain.
• Biolytix AGsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Switzerland.
• Alere Health CorpsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Taiwan.
• Sithiporn Associates Co., Ltd.secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Thailand.
• Sincer InternationalsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner for BDS in Turkey.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: SGS is one of the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification companies, providing food/feed contaminant testing (dioxins, PCBs, PFAS) and water quality services that overlap with BDS's regulated testing offering, often leveraging CALUX via licensed partner labs.
• Promega Corporation: Promega supplies cell-based reporter assay reagents, luciferase detection chemistries, and bioassay instruments widely used in toxicology and drug discovery labs, overlapping with CALUX's core reagent and detection chemistry stack while serving a broader life-science market.
• Agilent Technologies: Agilent provides analytical instruments, cell-analysis platforms, and contract laboratory services in pharma and food testing that complement - and sometimes compete with - effect-based bioassays for chemical safety assessment.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Bio-Rad manufactures life-science research and clinical diagnostics products, including bioassay platforms and reagents used in cell-based testing workflows that are adjacent to CALUX's life-science tools footprint.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a global testing-services giant that already runs DR CALUX under license from BDS and offers dioxin, PCB, PAH, PFAS, and effect-based testing across food, feed, water, and environmental matrices, making it both a major licensee and a competitive service provider.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC provider with substantial food, water, and environmental testing services, competing for the same regulated testing budgets that drive demand for BDS's CALUX-based dioxin and water assays.
• Charles River Laboratories: Charles River offers broad CRO services including in vitro toxicology, endocrine disruption assays, and regulatory safety packages that overlap with BDS's pharma/chemical and NAMs use cases, though from a much larger, more diversified base.

Others

• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): TNO is a Dutch applied-research organization that co-organizes BDS's training programs and is a partner in EU H2020 toxicology projects (e.g., EU-ToxRisk, RISK-HUNT3R); it is an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, developing adjacent NAMs and alternative in vitro methods.

Direct peers

• Indigo Biosciences: Indigo Biosciences offers nuclear receptor and cell-based reporter gene assays (ER, AR, AhR, PPAR, etc.) for chemical safety and drug screening, overlapping directly with CALUX in target pathways and customer use cases (endocrine disruption, dioxin-like activity, cosmetics/pharma safety).
• Attagene: Attagene develops FactorFinder reporter gene assay panels (e.g., GADD, GloResponse) that profile chemical pathway activity in vitro for toxicology and risk assessment, competing head-to-head with CALUX in effect-based bioanalysis for chemical safety.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BioDetectionSystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bio-detection-systems-b.v.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bio Detection Systems