bioMérieux acquires Applied Maths and enhances its bioinformatics capabilities with cutting-edge expertise and solutions for the smart use of complex biological data

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced the acquisition of Applied Maths, a company that develops state-of-the-art software solutions for the biosciences, in particular for databasing, analysis and interpretation of complex biological data. Since it was founded in 1992, the company has gained worldwide recognition by leveraging its strong and unique combined expertise in informatics and microbiology.

The interpretation of extensive and highly complex biological information generated by technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), mass-spectrometry and molecular biology is becoming a critical success factor to provide high-precision diagnostic information to the scientific community and healthcare professionals. The in-depth understanding of biology also supports a trend towards more integrated therapeutic and diagnostic products. At the crossroads between biology and computing, the bioinformatics market is undergoing sustainable double-digit growth with the potential to turn big data into meaningful and actionable decisions for improved patient management.

With an installed base of over 81,000 instruments worldwide, bioMérieux’s automated diagnostic solutions are generating rapidly-increasing quantities of biological information that is key to improve clinical knowledge about disease-causing microorganisms. Strengthening its bioinformatics know-how is instrumental to enable bioMérieux to enhance its offering in the analysis and interpretation of biological data. Initially, the acquisition of Applied Maths will enrich and expand the bioMérieux EpiSeq™ service in NGS for the epidemiological monitoring and control of healthcare-associated infections. Taking a more long-term perspective, synergies are foreseen in the field of clinical microbiology, particularly for the optimization of bioMérieux’s data management tools and unique collection of clinically-relevant bacterial strains, the consolidation of data from different instruments (including the recently-acquired FilmArray®), as well as in industrial microbiology to facilitate the traceability and investigations of epidemics all along the food chain.

Building on more than 20 years of expertise, Applied Maths develops and commercializes BioNumerics universal software for microbiology applications, including in bacteriology, virology and mycology. Through its ability to manage a wide range of different data types (phenotypic information, molecular PCR, genetic sequences, spectral profiles, whole genome maps, metadata, etc.), its superior reliability and excellent networking capabilities, BioNumerics has become the preferred software in many prestigious national and international projects, networks, and critical-mission applications for the integrated analysis of biological data.

“Bioinformatics unleashes the potential of big data management and may have an impact on in vitro diagnostics by progressively breaking down barriers between service offerings from laboratories and diagnostic solutions commercialized by IVD companies,” said Jean-Luc Belingard, Chairman of bioMérieux. “True to our pioneering spirit, we are opening up new markets. The acquisition of Applied Maths with its powerful BioNumerics software suite will help answer the most recent expectations of our customers, facing a growing digitalization of the laboratory environment and requiring more insights to make more informed clinical decisions for better patient care.”

Alain Pluquet, Chief Technology Officer at bioMérieux, added, “we are delighted to welcome on board the extremely talented team from Applied Maths. Their knowledge and energy are important foundation stones on which we will build a dedicated team focused on data analytics and content-oriented services within bioMérieux.”

“Applied Maths is very pleased to join the bioMérieux family”, said Koen Janssens, Chief Executive Officer of Applied Maths. “Our common passion for microbiology forms a very solid basis to build our future synergies on the short and longer term. By combining our fields of expertise, we will improve the quality of public health and food safety worldwide.”

Applied Maths is a privately-held company based in Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium. Its 25 employees serve more than 2,000 customers worldwide, mainly in Europe and the U.S., including leading public health organizations, research and academic institutions, industrial companies and hospitals. The scientific impact of Applied Maths' software is evidenced by the vast number of research studies in peer-reviewed publications that use it, as well as the company’s impressive portfolio of customers from academia and industry.

The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.