Heading the digital transformation in the life sciences industry

Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, BioLizard is a go-to partner for data strategy and execution with companies ranging from drug discovery to clinical research and diagnostics, as well as food and agriculture. The company sees itself as a driver for sustainability in the industry, as its technology helps to transfer research from in vitro to in silico settings, which can save natural resources and minimize waste.

In line with this philosophy, BioLizard is head­ing digital transformation in the life ­sciences industry by creating bespoke software solutions for each of their ca. 70 clients’ data challenges, while also advising on compliance measures and regulatory adherences.

The “Lizards” at BioLizard

BioLizard houses 50+ ”Lizards” – employees who bring together the rare expertise of biology combined with IT and AI, and are thereby able to comprehend and work with any scientific and biomedical data their clients approach them with. They provide insights and tools that are aligned with the client’s goals and maximize R&D return on investment. In short, the company enables clients to make the most of their data.

Empowering citizen data scientists

The company has recently productized its services via the BioVerse Platform, with three initial applications for literature search (BioReflect), multi-omics-driven target and biomarker identification and development (BioMx) and microbiome analysis (ProBiome). Paul Vauterin, PhD, CTO at BioLizard, explains, “Our goal with the platform is to allow users to truly become citizen data scientists. We are realizing this via a superior user experience, underpinned by advanced data science concepts such as knowledge graphs.”

Smart solutions for food and agriculture

The company also fully addresses the smart food and agriculture market by enabling data-driven solutions for the agricultural industry. In doing so, the company combines bioinformatics, data analytics and biological expertise. The term smart agriculture refers to the usage of technologies like IoT, sensors, location systems, robots and artificial intelligence on farms. The ultimate goal is to increase the quality and quantity of the crops while optimizing the human labour used. To support this digital transformation in food and agriculture, BioLizard targets the very large smart agriculture market, which is expected to reach USD 36.2 bn globally by 2023, grow­ing at a CAGR of 10.8% from 2022–2030 (Smart agriculture market share, growth, forecast to 2030 by Straits research).

Collaboration for innovation

A related example: BioLizard collaborates with Paleo Taste, a company which provides food ingredients that authentically replicate the taste, appearance, flavour and nutri­tional value of meat. With the support of BioLizard’s data analytics know-how and technology, Paleo Taste develops its port­folio of GMO- and animal-free heme proteins by improving its production yields and validating the equivalence of these proteins to those derived from meat. BioLizard’s strategic data analytics support plays a critical role in obtaining regulatory approvals and accelerating the market introduction of Paleo Taste’s innovative plant-based proteins.

Accelerated growth and strategic partnerships

Testament to the importance of making biological research and development more data-driven, BioLizard’s growth has skyrocketed since its founding in 2018. The private company has expanded internationally and grown to over 50 employees, and is currently consider­ing accelerated growth through partnerships – for which financing may be beneficial. ­BioLizard is already cooperating with a variety of partners in the Belgian biotech hub, as well as renowned stakeholders and com­panies in the life sciences. These include Flanders.Bio, Pistoia Alliance, Illumina, ­Pierre Fabre Oncology, Tercen and Parean Biotechnologies. Liesbeth Ceelen, PhD, CEO of BioLizard says, “In addition to increasing the number of our international offices, we are expanding our service and product ­offer­ing towards an even greater number of ­clients with our BioVerse platform, realizing our vision of improving the quality and l­ongevity of human life around the world by better leveraging data.”

Foundation: 2018
Sector: Services in data architecture, management and analytics, AI, and ­software development
Location: Offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, US
Employees: 50+
Internet: www.lizard.bio