Brandweerinformatiecentrum Voor Gevaarlijke S VZW

What Brandweerinformatiecentrum Voor Gevaarlijke S VZW does

Brandweerinformatiecentrum Voor Gevaarlijke S VZW (BIG vzw) is a Belgian non-profit association (vzw) headquartered in Geel, Belgium, that develops and distributes chemical safety information products and regulatory compliance services. The company's core technology is the Kaleidos database — a curated hazardous substances repository covering 20,000 substances across 17 languages with 675 properties organized into 15 sections and 50 subsections, delivered through mobile apps (iOS, Android, Windows), a web platform (Kaleidos Online), physical publications, and an XML export module (Kaleidos Export) for integration with enterprise systems such as SAP, ExESS, and SOFOS 360. Complementary products include MixLab (CLP mixture classification software under Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008), Safety Data Sheet (SDS) preparation, Workplace Instruction Cards (WIC), annual reference books (First Responder Book and WIC-book, each with 1,160+ entries), intervention cards, and a 24/7 Emergency Response hotline (EMRES).

BIG vzw serves four primary customer segments: fire brigades and emergency response services (use case: rapid intervention data on hazardous substances), industry and manufacturing (REACH/CLP compliance, SDS management), educational institutions, and government authorities. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but is anchored on annual subscription licenses for Kaleidos Lite and Pro tiers, supplemented by professional-services revenue from custom SDS and WIC preparation, one-time book sales, and recurring MixLab access. The go-to-market is largely product-led: free demo versions across app stores, downloadable trial databases, and self-serve online licensing for Kaleidos Online, with inside-sales email ordering ([email protected]) for enterprise and customized engagements. With no disclosed revenue, headcount, or funding data, the company's scale is opaque, but its product breadth and integration footprint indicate a small-to-mid sized specialized information vendor operating in a regulatory-driven niche rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

Brandweerinformatiecentrum Voor Gevaarlijke S VZW

Legal name

BRANDWEERINFORMATIECENTRUM VOOR GEVAARLIJKE STOFFEN VZW

Website

https://big.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Belgian non-profit (BIG vzw) that builds and distributes the Kaleidos hazardous substances database (20,000 substances, 17 languages), MixLab CLP classification software, SDS/WIC services, and reference publications for fire brigades, industry, government, and educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Geel

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (Kaleidos): Annual subscription licenses for Kaleidos database access through app or online platform. Two tiers available: Lite (compact, 4 languages) and Pro (comprehensive, 17 languages). License validity is 1 year from purchase date.
2. MixLab Software: Desktop application for mixture classification calculation. Access provided upon request via email ([email protected]).
3. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Services: Customized SDS preparation services compliant with REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and (EU) 2020/878. SDSs prepared for EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, USA/Canada, Australia/New Zealand, and Asian markets including China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia.
4. Workplace Instruction Cards: Customized WIC development for specific workplace requirements. BIG creates WICs based on specific requirements for workplace and employee needs.
5. Books Publications: Annual publications in June: First Responder Book on Hazardous Substances (over 1160 intervention cards) and Workplace Instruction Cards book (over 1160 practical sheets in two volumes).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BIG vzw develops and licenses the Kaleidos hazardous substances database (20,000 substances in 17 languages across 675 properties), delivered via mobile apps and a web platform under annual Lite and Pro subscriptions. It complements this with MixLab mixture-classification software, custom Safety Data Sheet preparation, Workplace Instruction Card creation, annual printed reference books, and a 24/7 Emergency Response telephone service for chemical incidents.

Product overview

BIG vzw offers a comprehensive portfolio of chemical safety products and services. The core offering is Kaleidos, a hazardous substance database in 17 languages accessible via mobile apps (iOS, Android, Windows) and online platform with Lite (5,000 substances, 8 sections, NL/FR/GB/DE languages) or Pro (20,000 substances, 15 sections, 50 subsections, 675 properties) licenses. MixLab provides CLP classification calculation for mixtures. These digital products complement physical publications including the First Responder Book (1,160+ intervention cards) and WIC-book (workplace instruction cards), both published annually in June. BIG also delivers services including Safety Data Sheet preparation, Workplace Instruction Card creation, Emergency Response hotline (EMRES), and regulatory compliance services (REACH, CLP, CHESAR, Transport security). Kaleidos Export enables XML data integration into management systems like SAP, ExESS, and SOFOS 360.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kaleidos: Database and app for hazardous substance information in 17 languages with Lite and Pro license options.
• MixLab
• EMRES
• SDS
• WIC

Products and services

• Kaleidos Hazardous substances database application covering 20,000 substances with 675 properties in 17 languages, available as a mobile app (iOS, Android, Windows 10+) and online platform. Sold under Lite (5,000 substances, 8 sections, 4 languages) and Pro (20,000 substances, 15 sections, 50 subsections, 675 properties, 17 languages) annual licenses. Used by fire brigades, industry safety staff, and regulators to look up chemical hazard and intervention data.
• MixLab Desktop software that calculates the CLP hazard classification and labelling of mixtures based on the concentration of components according to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008, taking into account health and environmental hazards across different ATP versions. Used in laboratories and R&D environments to classify chemical mixtures.
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) preparation Custom authoring of Safety Data Sheets compliant with REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and Regulation (EU) 2020/878, covering EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, USA/Canada, Australia/New Zealand, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and GHS variants. Sold as a bespoke professional service to manufacturers and importers placing chemicals on these markets.
• Workplace Instruction Cards (WIC) Customized single-page A4 Workplace Instruction Cards that illustrate Safety Data Sheet information through clear pictograms and concise wording for specific workplace requirements. Helps employers fulfil their obligation to inform employees about chemical product hazards. Sold as a tailor-made professional service.
• First Responder Book on Hazardous Substances Annual print publication (released each June) containing more than 1,160 intervention cards covering the most common hazardous substances, providing vital reference information for first responders at chemical incidents.
• WIC-book (Workplace Instruction Cards for chemical agents) Two-volume annual print publication containing more than 1,160 practical and visual sheets with crucial information for working safely with hazardous substances, intended for production environments, laboratories, logistics, and education.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,160 intervention cards in First Responder Book covering most common hazardous substances for emergency response
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sphera: Large EHS software provider whose product stewardship, SDS authoring and chemical compliance modules overlap with BIG's database and regulatory services, but Sphera addresses a broader EHS portfolio across enterprise customers.
• Verisk 3E: Provider of regulatory content and chemical compliance data (formerly 3E Company), comparable to BIG's Kaleidos content library but with broader global coverage and deeper enterprise software integration capabilities.

Direct peers

• WERCS (The WERCS): Specialist in chemical management, SDS authoring and hazard communication for product safety, directly comparable to BIG's Kaleidos database and SDS preparation services for industrial and consumer goods manufacturers.
• EcoMundo: European regulatory consultancy offering REACH, CLP and chemical compliance services and software, comparable to BIG's regulatory service portfolio and targeting similar multinational industrial customers in the EU.
• National Chemical Emergency Centre (NCEC): UK-based provider of chemical emergency response (including a 24/7 hotline) and hazardous substance information services, directly comparable to BIG's EMRES hotline and First Responder Book emergency response offering.
• UL Solutions (ChemADVISOR): Global chemical regulatory compliance business offering regulatory data, SDS authoring tools and hazard communication services directly comparable to BIG's Kaleidos database and SDS service lines.
• Lisam Systems: Belgian-headquartered provider of ExESS, a chemical/SDS management platform explicitly integrated with BIG's Kaleidos Export. Overlaps with BIG on SDS authoring, CLP classification and REACH compliance for industrial customers across Europe.
• knoell (formerly KFT): International regulatory services provider focused on REACH, CLP, biocides and chemical notification across the EU, comparable to BIG's REACH/CLP service lines and CHESAR-related offerings.

Others

• DHI Group: Denmark-based environmental and chemical regulatory consultancy with software tools for REACH/CLP compliance, adjacent to BIG's regulatory services portfolio and serving overlapping European industrial customers.
• Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS): Division of the American Chemical Society providing authoritative chemical information and databases (SciFinder, CAS Registry). Comparable as a foundational chemical data provider, though focused on research/scientific rather than emergency-response use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp2xOH6zHsMmV_VOLRn9KcA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 →

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