Labstep Competitive Intelligence & Landscape

Labstep (labstep.com) is a company that provides an advanced Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform designed to empower researchers by leveraging the full power of real-time data [labstep.com]. Their mission, shared by a team of scientists and developers, is to accelerate research by offering a modern R&D cloud platform that helps users create, collaborate, and protect intellectual property [labstep.com/about-us]. The platform aims to improve data quality, integrity, and traceability through structured data capture, while also facilitating connections with other tools and systems, team collaboration, and multidisciplinary research in a secure environment [labstep.com].

Labstep offers two primary divisions: Labstep Academia and Labstep Industry.

Labstep Academia caters to university students, faculty, institute members, and independent researchers, allowing them to sign up for free.

Labstep Industry is designed for companies and teams in R&D, pharma, chemistry, and other research sectors, offering various pricing options and a free trial [labstep.com]. The core products include the ELN Platform, Notebook, Protocols, Inventory, Order Management, Instruments & Devices, and a Lab Automation Toolkit [labstep.com].

The company’s value proposition centers on efficiency and growth. Researchers using Labstep can reduce administration time by 17% and project duration by over 50%. The platform also helps customers gain 75% more value with 20% less cost, reduce time to market by over 18%, and improve productivity by over 20% [labstep.com]. This is achieved through an intuitive ELN software system that uses interactive step-by-step protocols for data collection, ensuring scientific data is structured, clean, and traceable, ultimately simplifying compliance and generating IP [labstep.com].

Labstep was acquired by STARLIMS, a provider of enterprise informatics solutions, on August 22, 2023, expanding STARLIMS' portfolio across R&D through product commercialization [labstep.com/blogs/starlims-acquires-labstep-expanding-its-portfolio-across-r-d-through-product-commercialization]. The company is built by scientists, for scientists, and maintains a continuous working relationship with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to ensure a secure and reliable cloud environment for its operations and hosting [labstep.com/about-us, labstep.com/security].

Labstep (labstep.com) offers a comprehensive Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform designed for modern R&D, serving both academic and industry researchers [labstep.com]. The platform's core product is its ELN, which includes modules for Notebook, Protocols, Inventory, Order Management, Instruments & Devices, and a Lab Automation Toolkit [labstep.com]. Key features involve real-time structured data capture, collaboration tools, and the ability to integrate with other systems [labstep.com]. The ELN functionality supports comprehensive lab reports, real-time experimental data recording, and the incorporation of notes and annotations [help.labstep.com/en/articles/7869589-1-labstep-platform-overview]. Additionally, Labstep provides Premium Spreadsheets, powered by SpreadJS, to enhance data management, analysis, and presentation directly within the platform [help.labstep.com/en/articles/9925338-using-premium-spreadsheets].

Labstep differentiates its pricing based on the user type: Academia and Industry [labstep.com]. For academic users, including university students, faculty, institute members, and independent researchers, Labstep Academia is available for free [labstep.com]. This free access offers the core platform, with options to upgrade for more extensive laboratory needs [labstep.com/academia-pricing].

For companies and teams in R&D, pharma, chemistry, and other research sectors, Labstep Industry offers three distinct pricing options [labstep.com]. While specific plan names and detailed pricing are not explicitly stated, users can explore these options and start a free trial [labstep.com]. Industry customers can also save 10% by paying annually [labstep.com/industry-pricing]. A recent pricing change indicates that "Blocks" – content pieces like paragraphs, to-do items, images, or embedded files – are now unlimited for all paid plans, though a 1,000 block limit applies during Team Plan trials [labstep.com/industry-pricing].

Labstep is actively seeking to expand its team, reflecting its mission "to accelerate science" by uniting scientists and developers [labstep.com/careers]. The company maintains a dedicated careers page, inviting individuals to join their mission [labstep.com/careers]. While specific job openings are not detailed in the provided content, the emphasis on a team comprising experienced researchers and expert developers highlights a strategic focus on bolstering both its scientific and technological capabilities [labstep.com/our-team]. This hiring approach aligns with Labstep's core identity as a platform "built by scientists, for scientists" [labstep.com/about-us].

Recent strategic developments indicate a significant shift in Labstep's hiring strategy, particularly following its acquisition by STARLIMS in the fall [labstep.com/blogs/get-to-know-labstep-a-q-a-with-the-heads-of-product-and-customer-success]. This acquisition was aimed at expanding STARLIMS' portfolio across the entire R&D and product commercialization value chain, suggesting that Labstep now plays a crucial role within a larger organizational structure [labstep.com/blogs/starlims-acquires-labstep-expanding-its-portfolio-across-r-d-through-product-commercialization]. The integration means that Labstep's ELN platform is now "backed by nearly 40 years of STARLIMS expertise," positioning it to address the challenges R&D leaders face in filling open roles, with 94% anticipating difficulty in 2024 [labstep.com/navigating-research-and-development-guide].

There is no information within the provided sources about any layoffs at Labstep. Instead, the focus is on growth and expansion, particularly in the context of supporting R&D, pharma, chemistry, and various research teams across industry and academia [labstep.com]. The company processes applicant data, including identity, contact, biographical, and user content, specifically to evaluate and establish employment relationships, without selling or sharing this information for other purposes [labstep.com/privacy-policy]. This indicates a structured and privacy-conscious approach to recruitment.

Labstep's hiring patterns signal a company strategy focused on strengthening its Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform and enhancing its capabilities for a diverse user base, from university students to enterprise labs [labstep.com]. The emphasis on accelerating R&D, improving data quality, and simplifying workflows points to a demand for talent in product development, customer success, and scientific roles [labstep.com]. The acquisition by STARLIMS further suggests a strategic push towards market expansion and deeper integration into the broader laboratory information management system (LIMS) landscape, requiring specialized expertise to fulfill these ambitious goals.

Overall, Labstep appears to be in a growth phase, driven by its innovative ELN platform and the strategic backing of STARLIMS. The company is actively seeking talent to support its mission of revolutionizing research through technology, with a clear focus on expanding its scientific and technical teams to meet the evolving demands of the R&D sector [labstep.com].

Labstep has demonstrated a strong financial impact on its users, with reported benefits including a 17% reduction in administration time, over a 50% decrease in project duration, 75% more value gained with 20% less cost, an 18% reduction in time to market, and over a 20% improvement in productivity for customers [labstep.com]. The company, founded by scientists, primarily offers an Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) platform and caters to both academia, with a free sign-up option, and industry, providing various pricing tiers for R&D, pharma, chemistry, and research teams [labstep.com].

A significant development in Labstep's financial journey was its strategic acquisition by STARLIMS, a leading provider of enterprise informatics solutions. This acquisition was officially announced on August 22, 2023, and was intended to expand STARLIMS' portfolio by integrating Labstep's cutting-edge R&D ELN. The aim of this merger is to provide a comprehensive platform that supports customers from R&D through to market surveillance [labstep.com/blogs/starlims-acquires-labstep-expanding-its-portfolio-across-r-d-through-product-commercialization].

The integration under the STARLIMS umbrella signifies Labstep's transition from an independent entity to a part of a larger enterprise informatics solution provider. This acquisition highlights Labstep's value in the R&D software market and its potential to contribute to a broader solution suite, addressing critical customer needs in laboratory informatics [labstep.com/blogs/get-to-know-labstep-a-q-a-with-the-heads-of-product-and-customer-success].

Labstep actively engages its audience through various webinar series, making valuable content accessible on-demand. Their webinar program commenced in January 2022 and encompasses several distinct series, including "The Labstepping Stone Webinar Series" and the "Labstep for Success Webinar Series" [help.labstep.com/en/collections/3347062-webinars][help.labstep.com/en/collections/3347067-the-labstepping-stone-webinar-series][help.labstep.com/en/collections/3576691-labstep-for-success-webinar-series].

These webinars cover a range of topics pertinent to research and development. Examples include a session on "Revolutionizing Research: Enhancing Experiment Efficiency with an ELN," which addresses the challenges R&D leaders face in innovating quickly and cost-effectively [www.labstep.com/blogs/webinar-revolutionizing-research-with-eln-driven-experiment-efficiency]. Another notable webinar, "The Replication Challenge: Charting a Course for Streamlined Science," delves into the significant issue of the "Replication Crisis" in science and R&D, which leads to billions in losses annually [www.labstep.com/blogs/webinar-understanding-the-replication-crisis].

Within the "Labstep for Success Webinar Series," specific topics covered include "Collaboration" [help.labstep.com/en/articles/6612218-collaboration-30-min] and "Growth and Scalability" [help.labstep.com/en/articles/6444852-growth-and-scalability-23min]. The "Labstepping Stone Webinar Series" also includes a session titled "Getting Started with Labstep" [help.labstep.com/en/articles/5989540-getting-started-with-labstep-28-min]. These webinars are designed to provide insights and guidance, making them a key component of Labstep's community engagement and knowledge sharing efforts.