Life Science Network

What Life Science Network does

Life Science Network gGmbH, founded in 2011 in Heidelberg, Germany by alumni of EMBL and Heidelberg University, operates a modular professional networking and information-sharing platform for the global life sciences community. The platform serves academic research institutions (including KU Leuven, Columbia, EMBL, Max Planck, Francis Crick, and the European Patent Office), life sciences and biotech companies (Thorlabs, Coherent, BioMed X, D.E. Shaw Research), and individual researchers seeking career opportunities, scientific publications, and peer networking. The company has built an interconnected ecosystem of five platforms — Life Science Network, Science HR, Engineering HR, Science Events, and Scientific Today — sharing a single database, single sign-on, and a combined 100,000+ registered users across more than 20 countries.

The core Life Science Network platform comprises nine functional modules — Jobs, Protocols, Events, Publications, Preprints, News, Journal Content, Abstracts, and a Network/World directory — built on a Python/Django stack with PostgreSQL on Heroku/AWS infrastructure. The platform integrates OAuth authentication via LinkedIn and Google, embeds Google Maps API for event localization, ingests journal content from publications such as Science, Cell, and Nature, and uses Plotly for interactive data visualizations. Beyond the marketplace, the company delivers custom web application development, data repositories, and dissemination platforms for research organizations and EU-funded consortia, drawing on more than a decade of platform engineering experience (including the EPI-Net epidemiology platform operated for the University of Verona under the COMBACTE-MAGNET consortium from 2017 to 2022).

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: paid job postings starting at 225 EUR / 275 USD (with promoted tiers up to 1,100 USD and bundle discounts of up to 30%), event posting fees across three tiers (275 / 550 / 1,100 USD), commercial article publishing at 275 / 1,100 USD, premium user subscriptions, prepaid accounts with bulk pricing, and bespoke web development and EU-consortium communication services. Distribution is self-serve and global, with cross-network syndication automatically propagating paid job posts to Science HR and Engineering HR. Since 2016, the platform has hosted 67,833 job ads from 904 employers, evolving from a niche job board into a multi-module research infrastructure provider for the life sciences community.

Name

Life Science Network

Legal name

Life Science Network gGmbH

Website

https://lifescience.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Life Science Network gGmbH operates a modular professional networking platform for life sciences researchers, offering job postings, publications, preprints, protocols, events, and news across interconnected sub-brands serving 100,000+ global users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Professional Networking Platform

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Information (51), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54199)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGAJAN

Knowledge Management & Scientific Collaboration / Literature Intelligence

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Life Science Software & Informatics (LIMS/ELN/Bioinformatics)

SECONDARYTHAHAJAB

Life Sciences & Biotechnology Congresses

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Association, Government & Academic Congresses

SECONDARYBPAHALAH

Technical & Scientific Expert Networks

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

Keywords

• Scientific job board
• Researcher networking platform
• Life sciences recruiting
• Academic recruitment services
• Scientific event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Job Posting Services: Paid job posts starting at 225 EUR (275 USD) for standard listings. Promoted job posts offer increased visibility with additional promotion. Job post packages with up to 30% discount available. Fully automated integration and import of job posts. Paid job posts have unlimited duration until application deadline.
2. Event Posting Services: Commercial event posting: Standard 275 USD (225 EUR), Standard Plus 550 USD (450 EUR) with social media sharing, Promoted 1100 USD (900 EUR) with personalized content streams and home page features. Non-commercial events (non-profit, academic) are free.
3. News Article Publishing: Commercial article publishing: Standard 275 USD (225 EUR) for 12+ month visibility, Promoted 1100 USD (900 EUR) with personalized content streams. Non-commercial articles from academic institutions are free.
4. Premium Subscriptions: Premium subscription services offering enhanced features and visibility for users seeking additional platform benefits.
5. Web Development Services: Custom web application development, data repository and management systems, and data analysis and visualization services for research organizations and consortia.
6. Communication and Dissemination Services: Professional services for EU-funded research consortia including website development, custom networking platforms, content dissemination, event organization support, and data repository management.
7. Prepaid Account: Users can deposit funds into prepaid accounts for quick and easy posting until depleted, with significant discounts available for bulk orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Life Science Network operates a modular professional networking and information platform for the life sciences, combining paid job postings, event promotion, article publishing, and free content modules (publications, preprints, protocols, journal content) with optional premium user subscriptions. The company also sells custom web development and communication/dissemination services to research organizations and EU-funded consortia.

Product overview

Life Science Network operates a modular platform for professional networking and information sharing in life sciences, comprising core modules including Jobs, Protocols, Events, Publications, Preprints, News, Journal Content, and Abstracts. The platform is supplemented by related platforms (Science HR for scientific career resources, Science Events for scientific meeting management, and Scientific Today for science news) and services including custom web development and communication/dissemination services for EU research consortia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Science HR: A specialized career portal for scientists and engineers, connecting top talent with job opportunities in academia and industry.
• Science Events
• Scientific Today
• Research Elements

Products and services

• Life Science Network Platform Modular professional networking and information platform for the life sciences, combining paid job postings, event promotion, article publishing, and free content modules (publications, preprints, protocols, journal content, abstracts) with optional premium user subscriptions. Targets employers (universities, research institutes, biotech/pharma companies) and individual researchers globally.
• Science HR

Quantifiable outcome

• 67,833 job ads featured since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Science HRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScience HR is a related platform sharing resources with Life Science Network. It uses the same database and single-sign-on system. Job posts on Life Science Network are automatically featured on Science HR. Part of the Life Science Network gGmbH ecosystem of platforms.
• Engineering HRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEngineering HR is a related platform sharing resources with Life Science Network. It uses the same database and single-sign-on system. Part of the Life Science Network gGmbH ecosystem of platforms for scientific professionals.
• Science EventscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScience Events (sci.events) is a platform under Life Science Network gGmbH that helps scientists organize conferences and workshops. It shares resources with Life Science Network. Over 30 scientific meetings have been hosted on early versions of the platform.
• Scientific TodaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScientific Today is a related platform sharing resources with Life Science Network. It uses the same database and single-sign-on system. Content may be displayed across related sites to maximize visibility.
• EPI-NetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPI-Net (epidemiology network) was established in 2015 under the EU-funded COMBACTE-MAGNET consortium of the ND4BB programme. Life Science Network gGmbH created and managed the EPI-Net platform from 2017 to 2022, supporting the University of Verona. The platform facilitates handling of antimicrobial resistance and outbreak data.
• University of VeronamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for EPI-Net platform development and management. Life Science Network gGmbH supported the university from 2017 to 2022 in building the epidemiology network platform.
• EMBL AlumniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife Science Network was founded by alumni of EMBL and Heidelberg University. This connection provides domain expertise and network access within the European life sciences community.
• Heidelberg University AlumniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife Science Network was founded by alumni of Heidelberg University. This connection provides academic credibility and connection to the German research community.
• EU Research ConsortiamajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLife Science Network gGmbH provides communication and dissemination services to EU-funded research projects. They join consortia as partners to manage communication work packages. Experience with Horizon Europe MSCA-DN grants.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BioSpace: BioSpace is a leading life sciences and biotechnology industry job board and news platform, directly comparable to Life Science Network's biotech/industry customer segment. Both platforms combine job postings, company profiles, and news content for the life sciences workforce.
• ResearchGate: ResearchGate operates a scientific professional networking and publication-sharing platform with tens of millions of researchers, directly competing with Life Science Network's networking, publications, and preprint modules. Both target life sciences communities with integrated profile, content, and job functionality.
• Academia.edu: Academia.edu is a large academic social networking and paper-sharing platform serving researchers across disciplines including life sciences. It competes with Life Science Network's publication sharing and networking modules with a much larger global user base.
• Science Careers (AAAS): Science Careers, operated by AAAS, is a dedicated scientific job board and career resource hub competing directly for life sciences job postings. It serves the same employer base (universities, research institutes) with similar paid job posting models.
• Nature Portfolio (Naturejobs): Nature Portfolio's Naturejobs is the leading dedicated life sciences and scientific job board, directly competing for paid job postings from the same academic and biotech employer base that Life Science Network serves. Both monetize recruitment in the same vertical with tiered pricing models.

Broad incumbents

• Mendeley (Elsevier): Mendeley, owned by Elsevier, is a reference manager and academic social network with literature management features competing with Life Science Network's publication and protocol modules. It serves a similar scientific researcher audience at much larger scale.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the dominant broad professional networking platform with a massive life sciences user base and integrated recruiting tools, competing with Life Science Network's job board and networking functionality at scale. It serves as both a substitute and a complementary channel via OAuth integration.
• Karger Publishers: Karger Publishers is a scientific publishing company specializing in biomedical and life sciences content with journals, news, and event listings. It overlaps with Life Science Network's news, journal content, and event modules from a publisher-side perspective.

Emerging players

• ORCID: ORCID provides persistent researcher identifiers and a research information infrastructure increasingly embedded in academic publishing workflows. It is an emerging complementary infrastructure that overlaps with Life Science Network's researcher profile and publication modules.
• Conference Compass: Conference Compass provides event management and conference app solutions for scientific and professional associations, directly comparable to Life Science Network's Science Events platform offering registration, abstract handling, and program features.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifesciencenet
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifesciencenet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/life-science-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Life Science Network