What Bioscientifica does

Bioscientifica Ltd is a Bristol, UK-based biomedical publishing and society services company operating as a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the Society for Endocrinology. It runs three integrated business lines: Publishing (a 13-journal portfolio spanning endocrinology, thyroid, reproduction, orthopaedics, vascular biology, microbiome, and redox medicine, distributed via HighWire-hosted websites and indexed in PubMed), Events & Training (award-winning conference and meeting management for biomedical societies, including the BioHorizons research summit and masterclass event series), and Association Management (society administration, membership services, governance support, and marketing communications for biomedical learned societies). The company serves a concentrated base of nine core society partners — ESPE, BSPED, EFORT, ESE, SfE, UKINETS, SRF, ETA, and ISE — plus additional clients such as the Addison's Disease Self Help Group.

The core technology stack centres on Clarivate's ScholarOne Manuscripts for online submission and single-blind peer review, with a manuscript transfer service enabling seamless routing across Bioscientifica's endocrinology titles; Proof Central (delivered via the November 2024 TNQTech partnership) for browser-based collaborative proofing claimed to be 40% faster; Altmetric integration for article-level attention tracking; and HighWire as the digital publishing platform. Personalised article marketing is delivered by dedicated specialist teams working on a maximum of five journals each, producing bimonthly newsletters, social media promotion, and direct society-membership communications.

Revenue is generated through journal subscriptions, open-access article publication charges (APCs), Read and Publish institutional agreements, professional services fees for event management, managed services fees for association management, and quote-based corporate sponsorship and advertising packages. All profits are gift-aided back to the Society for Endocrinology to fund biomedical research and education. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no external institutional investors, and no public listing; it operates as a strategic subsidiary of its parent society with a board of directors that includes representatives from partner organisations.

Name

Bioscientifica

Legal name

Bioscientifica Ltd

Website

https://bioscientifica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bioscientifica is a UK-based biomedical publishing and society services company that publishes 13 journals and provides event management and association management services to biomedical learned societies, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Society for Endocrinology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Publishing Services

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical, Clinical & Biomedical Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Biomedical journal publishing
• Society management services
• Conference event management
• Open access publishing
• Learned society administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Journal publishing: Bioscientifica publishes high-impact subscription and open-access journals in partnership with leading biomedical societies. Revenue is generated through journal subscriptions, open access article publication charges (APCs), and Read and Publish agreements with institutions.
2. Event management: Award-winning event management services for learned societies, covering strategic planning, delivery, evaluation, scientific programme management, sponsorship and exhibition sales, delegate management, press and media services, and conference websites and apps.
3. Association management: Specialist Association Management services enabling biomedical societies to thrive, including administrative office services, membership services, committee management, and project management.
4. Corporate sponsorship and advertising: Corporate supporters gain access to specialist clinicians, nurses, and scientists through exhibition stands, satellite symposia, print/digital advertising, strategic involvement, meetings with society representatives, and communications with members. Journal advertising is also offered.
5. Proceedings and abstracts publishing: BiosciAbstracts provides permanent, citable, free-to-read records of conference abstracts; Bioscientifica Proceedings provides open-access publication of full peer-reviewed conference proceedings. Revenue from conference organizers for these services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bioscientifica publishes a portfolio of peer-reviewed scientific journals (subscription and open access) in partnership with leading biomedical societies, and provides award-winning event management and full-service association management to those societies. Its publishing portfolio spans endocrinology, thyroid, reproduction, vascular biology, orthopaedics, and related biomedical fields, with revenue derived from journal subscriptions, open access article publication charges, event management fees, association management retainers, and corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

Bioscientifica is a biomedical publisher and society services company that operates three core divisions: Publishing (journals and academic resources), Events & Training (award-winning event management), and Association Management (society administration services). The publishing portfolio includes high-impact subscription titles, open-access journals, and conference-related products. The journal portfolio includes Endocrine Connections, Endocrine Oncology, Endocrine-Related Cancer, Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports, European Thyroid Journal, Journal of Endocrinology, Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, Reproduction, Reproduction & Fertility, Vascular Biology, EFORT Open Reviews, Microbiota and Host, and Redox Experimental Medicine. Supporting products include BiosciAbstracts (abstract database) and Bioscientifica Proceedings (open-access conference proceedings). The company also provides author services (Resource Centre, English editing via Enago), reviewer services, event management (BioHorizons events, client events), and association management services (membership, society governance, marketing). All profits are gift-aided to the Society for Endocrinology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BiosciAbstracts: Abstract publication platform providing permanent, citeable, free-to-read records of conference abstracts for biomedical and life science conferences.
• Bioscientifica Proceedings
• BioHorizons

Products and services

• Publishing Portfolio Collaborative biomedical publishing of high-impact subscription and open-access journals in partnership with biomedical societies, generating revenue from subscriptions, APCs, and Read and Publish agreements.
• Events & Training Award-winning event management services for learned societies covering strategic planning, scientific programme management, sponsorship and exhibition sales, delegate management, conference websites and apps, and CPD accreditation coordination.
• Association Management Specialist association management for biomedical societies covering membership management, governance, programme development, marketing, communications, and finance.
• Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising Corporate sponsorship packages that give pharmaceutical, medical device, and life sciences companies access to specialist clinicians, nurses, and scientists through exhibition, satellite symposia, and advertising channels at society events and within journals.
• Endocrine Connections Open-access journal covering endocrinology research, published in collaboration with the Society for Endocrinology and European Society of Endocrinology.
• Endocrine Oncology Fully open-access peer-reviewed journal covering basic, translational, and clinical research in hormone-related cancer and cancers of endocrine organs.
• Endocrine-Related Cancer High-impact journal publishing research on endocrine-related cancers.
• Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports Case reports publication dedicated to endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism.
• European Thyroid Journal Flagship publication of the European Thyroid Association, transitioned to fully open access under Bioscientifica publishing. Achieved a 4.7 Impact Factor, a 15% increase and 30 place ranking improvement.
• Journal of Endocrinology High-impact subscription journal covering endocrinology research.
• Journal of Molecular Endocrinology Journal covering molecular aspects of endocrinology research.
• Reproduction Official journal of the Society for Reproduction and Fertility covering reproductive biology and medicine.
• Reproduction & Fertility Open-access journal covering reproduction and fertility research, with first Journal Impact Factor of 2.1.
• Vascular Biology Journal covering cardiovascular and vascular biology research.
• EFORT Open Reviews Open-access journal for orthopaedic reviews published in partnership with the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT).
• Microbiota and Host Journal covering microbiome and host interaction research.
• Redox Experimental Medicine Open-access journal covering redox medicine research.
• BiosciAbstracts Abstract publication platform providing permanent, citable, free-to-read records of conference abstracts for biomedical and life science conferences.
• Bioscientifica Proceedings Open-access publication of full peer-reviewed conference proceedings across bioscience and biomedical fields.
• BioHorizons Events Event series developed to serve the needs of research or clinical communities, including the BioHorizons Research Summit and BioHorizons Masterclass.
• Client Events Virtual and physical meeting management for learned societies covering programme management, sponsorship, exhibition, and press and media services to optimise financial return.
• Conference Abstract Management Service Full conference abstract management service for conference organizers, including submission, review, and publication of abstracts.
• Membership Management Service helping societies manage and grow their membership bases, including join, renew, and benefit fulfilment for society members.
• Society Management Administrative services helping biomedical societies run smoothly and meet strategic aims, including committee management and project coordination.
• Marketing and Communications Specialist communications services that connect societies with their members through newsletters, social media, and direct communications.

Quantifiable outcome

• European Thyroid Journal achieved Impact Factor of 4.7, a 15% increase and climbing 30 places to rank 42nd out of 145 journals in SCIE 'Endocrinology and Metabolism'
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• TNQTechcoreTechnology or Integration · 11 November 2024Bioscientifica partnered with TNQTech in November 2024 to streamline journal production processes and enhance the author experience during proofing. A dedicated team at TNQTech manages end-to-end production for Bioscientifica's 13 journals, from acceptance to publication, including copy editing, XML conversion, typesetting, and pagination. Authors gain access to Proof Central, a browser-based interface for proofing, editing, and collaboration, enabling authors to work 40% faster.
• Society for EndocrinologycoreOthersBioscientifica is a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the Society for Endocrinology. All profits from Bioscientifica are gift-aided to the Society for Endocrinology to help fund training, educational, and other activities for members and the wider endocrine community. This ownership relationship is the foundation of Bioscientifica's identity and mission.
• European Society of Endocrinology (ESE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica provides publishing and society management services for ESE. The partnership is characterised by a full understanding of and support for ESE's objectives, with professional, efficient, and effective service delivery.
• European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica manages ESPE's annual meetings and provides publishing and society management services. ESPE has provided positive feedback on the organisation and planning of their events.
• European Thyroid Association (ETA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica acquired the European Thyroid Journal from ETA in 2021 and moved it from a subscription to an open access model. ETA has facilitated and disseminated knowledge in thyroid science for over 50 years, and the journal has been a key vessel for that mission.
• Society for Reproduction and Fertility (SRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica publishes the journal Reproduction for SRF. Professor Tom Fleming, former Editor-in-Chief, praised the enduring support, administrative skill, and publishing acumen of the Bioscientifica staff.
• European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica provides publishing services for EFORT, including the journal EFORT Open Reviews.
• British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes (BSPED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica provides BSPED with event management, membership management, and society management support, contributing to improved membership figures and annual meeting attendance.
• UK and Ireland Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (UKINETS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica provides society management and publishing support services to UKINETS.
• International Society of Endocrinology (ISE)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica provides society management services to ISE.
• Addison's Disease Self Help GroupsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica provides association management and membership services to the Addison's Disease Self Help Group, supporting their members through join, renew, and membership benefit processes.
• Society for Endocrinology (SfE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioscientifica manages SfE's annual conference (SfE BES) and provides publishing for SfE-affiliated journals. SfE is the parent organisation of Bioscientifica.
• HighWire (Digital publishing platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationAll Bioscientifica journals are available on HighWire desktop and mobile websites. HighWire provides the digital publishing infrastructure for journal websites, ensuring discoverability and accessibility of published content.
• ScholarOne (Clarivate)coreTechnology or IntegrationAll of Bioscientifica's journals use the ScholarOne Manuscripts online submission and peer review system, enabling seamless manuscript transfer between endocrinology journals and providing a unified submission experience for authors.
• Dotdigital (Email marketing)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationBioscientifica uses Dotdigital as its third-party provider to deliver marketing emails, collecting data on email consumption including open rates, link clicks, device type, browser, operating system, and geographic location (for opted-in recipients).
• Google AnalyticssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBioscientifica uses Google Analytics, provided by Google LLC, to analyse cookie data and understand trends in the way users interact with the website.
• Enago (Academic editing services)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBioscientifica collaborates with Enago, one of the world's leading academic editing service providers, to offer English editing services at a discounted rate to authors who are non-English speakers, helping improve manuscript quality before submission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Thieme: Medical and scientific publisher with a strong journal and society publishing portfolio in clinical and biomedical specialties. Comparable as a specialist biomedical publisher actively competing for society journal partnerships.
• The Endocrine Society: US-based endocrinology society publishing several leading endocrinology journals (e.g., Journal of the Endocrine Society, Endocrinology) and hosting the ENDO annual meeting. Direct peer as a society publisher in the same endocrinology niche as Bioscientifica.
• Portland Press (Biochemical Society): Publishing arm of the Biochemical Society publishing life sciences journals and providing society services. Closely comparable to Bioscientifica's mission-aligned society publisher model in adjacent biomedical disciplines.
• BMJ (British Medical Association): Medical publisher owned by the British Medical Association, publishing clinical journals and offering society services. Direct peer sharing the society-owned medical publishing model and operating in overlapping biomedical content areas.
• Karger Publishers: Independent medical and scientific publisher with a long history in society journal publishing across biomedical specialties. Directly comparable in its focus on niche biomedical society publishing with a similarly sized portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Springer Nature: One of the largest academic publishers globally, publishing thousands of journals across sciences including biomedicine. Competes with Bioscientifica for society publishing deals and offers a broader portfolio, deeper institutional reach, and stronger technology infrastructure.
• Wiley: Global publisher with a substantial scientific, technical, and medical journal portfolio including many society-published titles. Directly competes for biomedical society partnerships and offers comprehensive publishing, society services, and corporate event capabilities.
• Elsevier: Largest academic publisher with an extensive biomedical journal portfolio and society publishing relationships. Competes for the same society customers as Bioscientifica but with vastly greater scale, digital platforms, and analytics offerings.
• Oxford University Press: Major academic publisher with a large journal portfolio including biomedicine titles and society publishing partnerships. Directly competes with Bioscientifica for society publishing contracts but operates at much greater scale and across all disciplines.
• Cambridge University Press: University press publishing a broad range of academic journals including biomedicine titles in partnership with societies. A broader incumbent that competes with Bioscientifica for society publishing contracts across multiple disciplines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bioscientifica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bioscientifica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Bioscientifica