Accenture to Acquire LabAnswer

Expanding life sciences and cross-industry research and laboratory informatics capabilities

06-Jun-2017 - Germany

Accenture has agreed to acquire LabAnswer, a leading U.S.-based research and laboratory informatics technology consulting firm. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

By combining LabAnswer’s industry knowledge and experience in scientific and laboratory informatics with Accenture’s consulting expertise, industry platforms, innovation capabilities and global scale, the acquisition will enhance Accenture’s ability to apply digital technologies to revolutionize scientific and laboratory processes across a variety of industries.

Following the acquisition, Accenture will establish Accenture Scientific Informatics Services, which will combine the capabilities and resources acquired through LabAnswer with Accenture’s existing R&D informatics capabilities. Leveraging digital technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, analytics and cloud, in combination with a fundamental redesign of the scientific user experience, Accenture Scientific Informatics Services will help life sciences companies better capture, manage, integrate and analyze complex research data that can lead to the identification of new and more effective treatments for patients.

“New technologies are transforming the life sciences industry by offering entirely new ways to understand human biology and identify new treatments to improve patient outcomes,” said Kevin Julian, who leads Accenture’s Life Sciences practice in North America. “This acquisition is part of our strategy to be a leading provider of scientific and laboratory consulting and technology services to a variety of innovation-based industries. By connecting these services to our existing capabilities, we will be able to help our clients improve their end-to-end R&D efficiency and decision-making.”

Brad Michel, a managing director in Accenture’s Life Sciences practice and lead for Accenture Scientific Informatics Services said, “LabAnswer is a market leader, trusted advisor, and innovator known for creating advanced solutions at the intersection of science and technology. This acquisition will enable us to expand our capabilities and provide consulting services that simplify research processes and deliver transformative and scalable solutions to clients.”

A privately held company with approximately 250 employees, LabAnswer is based in Sugar Land, Texas. It serves clients in several industries in addition to life sciences, including consumer goods, resources, chemicals, energy and government. LabAnswer’s services support scientific and laboratory functions in the research, quality and manufacturing functions of many of its clients.

“By becoming part of Accenture Scientific Informatics Services, we are excited to be able to offer an enhanced range of market-leading services that transform our clients’ operations by streamlining processes from early-stage research through development to manufacturing and quality control,” said Mark Everding, CEO of LabAnswer. “Becoming part of Accenture will also give us the opportunity to expand our US-focused business to a global client base.”

This acquisition is the latest step in Accenture’s commitment to help its life sciences clients make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives by combining new science with leading-edge technology to revolutionize the research function and how medical treatments are discovered, developed and delivered to people around the world.