Versa Biomedical

What Versa Biomedical does

Versa Biomedical is a preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) headquartered in El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, that designs and executes in vivo studies using porcine models for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sponsors globally. Founded in 2013 as Specipig and rebranded to Versa Biomedical in April 2025 as part of a strategic split from its sister breeding entity Specipig, the company operates a 2,400-2,500 m² facility with two surgical rooms, a neonatal intensive care unit, and a 3-hectare breeding and housing site capable of holding 300+ animals of its proprietary SPECIPIG miniature pig line. The service portfolio spans preclinical drug development (PoC, PK/PD/TK, toxicology under GLP), medical device testing aligned with ISO 10993, and ad hoc customized disease and surgical models — including over 20 specialized pig models across nine medical and surgical disciplines (dermatology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular, neonatal, sepsis, stroke, dental, robotic/laparoscopic surgery, and renal), plus the OncoSpecipig transgenic line for translational oncology.

The business operates on a professional-services, quote-based pricing model with personalized proposals per study, supported by a lean commercial team led by a Head of Commercial and Business Development. Customer acquisition is event-driven (BIO International Convention, MedFit, NLSDays, Medica, Meet in Italy for Life Sciences) and direct-touch. Revenue credibility is anchored by a triple-quality certification framework: GLP certification held since 2016 and renewed biennially, ISO 13485 obtained in 2024, ISO 9001 obtained in July 2025, plus compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 58 and ISO 10993. In January 2026 the company also secured CIR (Crédit d'Impôt Recherche) approval in France to make contracts more economically attractive to French sponsors. Across its history the company reports 200+ customized projects delivered to sponsors in 14 countries, with a customer base spanning startups (e.g., UPyTher), mid-market medtech (e.g., Zircon Medical), public biopharma (Almirall, ReNeuron), and government research institutes (LIST, IGTP/CMCiB).

Versa Biomedical is privately held under founder and CEO Jaume Amat, with no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or M&A activity. The organization runs on 30+ professionals across Sales/Administration/Quality, Services, and Housing & Breeding, complemented by an external network of expert surgeons and clinicians across cardiology, neurology, dental, ophthalmology, radiology, urology, and endoscopy. The proprietary biological assets — particularly the SPECIPIG line and the OncoSpecipig transgenic — together with the integrated breeding-plus-CRO ecosystem and the Triple Quality framework, form the structural basis of its competitive position in the European large-animal preclinical CRO market.

Name

Versa Biomedical

Legal name

Versa Biomedical, SL

Website

https://versabiomedical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Versa Biomedical is a Barcelona-based preclinical CRO that designs and executes customized in vivo studies using its proprietary SPECIPIG miniature pig line for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device sponsors across 14 countries. It operates a 2,400 m² GLP, ISO 13485, and ISO 9001 certified facility and serves 200+ completed projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Preclinical Contract Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Preclinical CRO services
• Medical device testing
• Drug development studies
• Porcine biomedical models
• Biomedical contract research

Headquarters

HQ city

El Prat de Llobregat

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Preclinical CRO Services: Versa Biomedical generates revenue through providing preclinical contract research services including drug development studies (PoC, efficacy, PK/PD/TK, toxicology), medical device testing (biocompatibility, safety, ISO 10993), and regulatory submission support. Services are priced through personalized quotes based on study complexity, duration, and requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Versa Biomedical is a preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) that plans and executes preclinical studies in porcine (swine) models for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. It provides full-service in vivo testing from proof of concept and efficacy through pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and regulatory submission support, plus specialized disease models (sepsis, ischemic stroke, neonatal/preterm) using its proprietary Specipig miniature pig line and the OncoSpecipig transgenic model.

Product overview

Versa Biomedical is a preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) offering a integrated portfolio of services centered on swine-based preclinical models. The core portfolio consists of proprietary animal models (Specipig miniature pig and OncoSpecipig transgenic pig), comprehensive CRO services (drug development, medical device testing), and specialized disease models (sepsis, stroke, neonatal/preterm). The company differentiates through its ad hoc model customization capabilities, experimental design consultation, and network of expert collaborators. Services span from proof of concept through regulatory submission, supported by triple quality certification (GLP, ISO 13485, ISO 9001).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preclinical Drug Development Services In vivo preclinical drug development services including proof of concept, efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), toxicokinetics (TK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and toxicology studies for pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors under GLP certification when required.
• Medical Device Testing Services In vivo preclinical testing services for medical devices from prototype through regulatory phase, including proof of concept, efficacy trials, verification, validation, usability tests, and ISO 10993 biocompatibility studies for surgical instruments, implants, prostheses, and other medical materials.
• Ad Hoc Customized Preclinical Models Flexible, personalized preclinical model design service that develops customized swine-based animal models tailored to specific sponsor requirements, including experimental design consultation from study conception through execution.
• Neonatal and Preterm Research Services Specialized preclinical research services for neonatal, preterm, and maternity studies delivered through a dedicated neonatal intensive care unit with incubators, dosing pumps, and temperature/oxygen control, plus the preterm swine model and surgical recovery units.
• Sepsis and Endotoxemia Model Validated dose-dependent LPS-induced sepsis and endotoxemia model in swine with continuous physiological monitoring, serial blood sampling, and cytokine profiling (TNFα peaks up to 10,000 pg/mL, IL-6 exceeding 40,000 pg/mL).
• Ischemic Stroke Model Novel, reproducible, and minimally invasive endovascular ischemic stroke model in swine using the 'pressure cooker technique' for selective occlusion without mortality during intervention, suitable for translational neurology research.
• Preterm Swine Model Preterm swine model suitable for preclinical studies on new treatments for diseases with unmet medical needs and for testing medical devices in neonatology, including preterm necrotic enterocolitis (NEC) studies.
• OncoSpecipig Transgenic Miniature Pig First transgenic miniature pig in Europe, developed with Sus Clinicals using Oncopig technology, capable of expressing colon, subcutaneous, and bladder tumors on demand with defined onset timing for translational oncology research and interventional or device-based therapy studies.
• Human Cadaver Studies Human cadaver study services used as an alternative preclinical model option for studies requiring human anatomical context or surgical procedure validation prior to or alongside animal testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Large-animal models such as pigs have increased the success rate of clinical translation by up to 30% (Science Translational Medicine, 2021)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• SpecipigcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025Versa Biomedical was launched as a separate entity from Specipig in April 2025. Specipig now focuses on breeding and marketing the SPECIPIG miniature pig line, while Versa Biomedical handles all preclinical CRO research services. The 'two specialized companies in one' model provides integrated value: Specipig breeds the animals, Versa conducts the research. Specipig has 13 years of experience and completed over 200 customized projects before the strategic split.
• Germans Trias i Pujol Institute (IGTP) and Centre for Comparative Medicine and Bioimage (CMCiB)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2023Collaborative research partnership for the development of a novel ischemic stroke model in swine. Researchers from IGTP conducted work at CMCiB, a translational medicine center, resulting in publication in JCI Insight.
• UPyThercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2023UPyTher, a Netherlands-based company specializing in custom drug delivery solutions and spin-off from Eindhoven University of Technology, partnered with Versa Biomedical for preclinical studies of an innovative therapy for peritoneal cancer. This partnership represents Versa's ability to support advanced oncology drug delivery research.
• Zircon MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2022Zircon Medical, a Swiss-based ceramic implant manufacturer, partnered with Versa Biomedical for preclinical development of Y-TZP Zirconia implant solution (Patent™ dental implant). Multiple studies were conducted at Versa's facilities resulting in publications in the International Journal of Implant Dentistry (2022).
• Sus ClinicalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop OncoSpecipig, a hybrid GM oncology model combining SPECIPIG miniature pig line with Oncopig technology. This represents the first transgenic miniature pig in Europe capable of expressing tumors on demand, developed specifically for translational oncology research.
• IRTA (Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology) and Semen CardonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the development and breeding of the SPECIPIG miniature pig breed. IRTA is a research institute and Semen Cardona is a semen distribution company, together supporting the proprietary pig breeding program.
• Impex, Neosurgery, Mimetis, Medytox, Manremyc, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Hospital Sant Pau, Clinic Barcelona, Grifols, Ascil Biopharm, Sorbonne University, ReNeuron, AlmirallsupportingOthersListed as pioneering companies and healthcare/research institutions in the expert collaborators network. These partners provide specialized expertise across various therapeutic areas and support collaborative research projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• WuXi AppTec: Global CRO/CDMO offering preclinical research services alongside broader drug development capabilities. Broad incumbent competing for preclinical outsourcing from biotech and pharma clients worldwide.

Direct peers

• Envigo (Inotiv): Preclinical CRO and research models provider offering contract research services across multiple species. Comparable in delivering outsourced preclinical study execution with integrated animal model supply.
• Sinclair Research: US-based preclinical CRO specializing in small and large animal models for drug development. Direct competitor in the large-animal preclinical CRO space with overlapping sponsor base in pharma and medical devices.
• Marshall BioResources: Provider of purpose-bred research animals and preclinical services with vertically integrated animal model supply. Closely comparable to Versa's Specipig/Versa integrated breeding-plus-CRO model.
• Crown Bioscience: Preclinical CRO with strength in oncology and translational models, including proprietary platforms. Comparable specialty focus on translational preclinical research for pharma sponsors.
• Bionova Scientific: Preclinical CRO offering in vivo and in vitro services for biologics and small molecules. Comparable boutique-scale preclinical CRO competing for similar biotech sponsor engagements.
• Preclin Biosystems: Swiss-based preclinical CRO offering in vivo pharmacology and proof-of-concept studies. Comparable European specialty preclinical CRO competing for biotech and pharma sponsor preclinical work.

Regional players

• Oncodesign: France-based preclinical CRO with strength in oncology and translational drug discovery. Comparable specialty CRO in the European market with overlapping therapeutic-area focus.

Broad incumbents

• Labcorp Drug Development (Covance): Global CRO with extensive preclinical and clinical offerings across multiple therapeutic areas and species. Broad incumbent that outsources portions of large-animal work and competes on enterprise contracts.
• Charles River Laboratories: Largest global preclinical CRO offering end-to-end discovery, safety assessment, and manufacturing services. Competes for the same pharma/biotech preclinical outsourcing dollars but at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Versa Biomedical