Accelrys Acquires Long-time Partner Vialis AG

Jan. 17, 2013

Accelrys Inc., a provider of scientific lifecycle management software, announced the acquisition of its long-time partner Vialis AG, a systems integrator based in Liestal, Switzerland, serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemicals, and agro-science industries. Vialis’ experience implementing and supporting paperless laboratory solutions further strengthens Accelrys’ position in the laboratory informatics software market and expands the company’s capabilities in the downstream analytical development, quality control, and quality assurance and manufacturing areas.

Under terms of the deal, Accelrys has purchased all of Vialis’ outstanding stock for approximately $5 million in cash. The acquisition includes potential for additional incentive consideration of up to about $5 million in cash, contingent upon meeting specified growth objectives over the next three years.

“With demonstrated success in improving laboratory operations by integrating core software systems critical to improving innovation – including electronic laboratory notebooks, laboratory execution systems, and laboratory information management systems – Vialis brings key domain and delivery expertise to Accelrys, and we welcome them to our team,” said Accelrys president and CEO Max Carnecchia. “This acquisition is a natural complement to our two most recent software acquisitions of Velquest and Aegis Corp., furthering our strategy to deliver software solutions that optimize the laboratory-to-commercialization value chain.”

In addition to its systems integration services, Vialis’ business process consultancy delivers process improvements in lab data management. Employing a proprietary approach to analyzing existing lab processes, Vialis’ business process consultancy services help customers optimize efficiency, enhance quality by design efforts, increase compliance, maximize knowledge reuse and reduce cycle times.
The entire Vialis team is joining Accelrys. The team will be primarily focused on the recently announced Accelrys Process Management and Compliance Suite, which is designed specifically to enhance product and process insight, facilitate collaboration and streamline product development from research through late-stage quality control and manufacturing. The suite includes the Accelrys Electronic Laboratory Notebook, Accelrys Laboratory Execution System, Accelrys Electronic Batch Records, Accelrys Enterprise Platform and the Accelrys Discoverant solution recently acquired from Aegis.

“As a long-standing partner, we share Accelrys’ vision of transforming the innovation lifecycle by delivering paperless laboratory solutions that enhance our customers’ abilities to meet the operational challenges that are slowing scientific innovation,” said Vialis CEO Ulf Fuchslueger, PhD.

“Importantly, we share closely aligned go-to-market approaches, and we believe this transition will bring significant leverage to our customers and partners.”
For more information about Accelrys, visit www.accelrys.com.