Elsevier Acquires 3D4Medical to Expand Its Health Education Portfolio

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that on November 27, 2019, the global information analytics company Elsevier announced the acquisition of 3D4Medical, a global anatomy education company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Elsevier, a subsidiary of RELX, an information analytics and decision solutions provider, specializes in global information analytics for science and health. Elsevier is a global leader in human anatomy education and content, owning world-leading brands such as Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy, Gray’s Anatomy Atlas, Sobotta Atlas of Human Anatomy, and McMinn & Abrahams’ Clinical Atlas of Human Anatomy. More than 30% of physicians learn anatomy from these branded products.

This acquisition brings a world-class 3D technology platform to complement these brands and will further expand Elsevier’s health education products, improving learning outcomes for health students and professionals.

3D4Medical, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dublin with 75 employees, is a technology company specializing in the development of medical, health, and fitness applications. Leveraging its proprietary, pioneering 3D medical technology, 3D4Medical has transformed medical learning and practice worldwide. By delivering revolutionary applications, this technology has disrupted traditional educational approaches, enabling educators, students, healthcare professionals, and patients to explore and experience medical education like never before, making high-quality 3D anatomical information readily accessible.

3D4Medical has received numerous prestigious awards, including the “Design and Innovation Award,” “Best of 2015,” and “Best of 2016,” as well as the US-Ireland Research Innovation Award.

3D4Medical’s flagship platform, Complete Anatomy, is the world’s most advanced anatomy platform. In 2019, its registered users exceeded 1.2 million, and its app suite under 3D4Medical had amassed over 25 million downloads, ranking first in download charts across Apple, Microsoft, and Google app stores in 160 countries. By 2019, 3D4Medical’s SaaS-based subscription business had grown significantly, with annual subscribers surpassing 100,000.

John Moore, founder of 3D4Medical, stated: “When we founded 3D4Medical, our goal was to revolutionize the teaching and learning of anatomy. Our advanced and proprietary technology and content are tailored for the devices used by a new generation of students. As Elsevier is a global leader in providing medical content, we look forward to embarking on this exciting new chapter.”

Jan Herzhoff, Managing Director of Health Education at Elsevier, stated: “We look forward to accelerating the enhancement of our medical education products through our partnership with 3D4Medical. Leveraging 3D4Medical’s advanced technology and high-quality content, we aim to bring this 3D anatomy platform to more learners, educators, and professionals. We view 3D4Medical as a perfect extension of our ClinicalKey and ClinicalKey Student platforms. We are delighted to welcome 3D4Medical to Elsevier and look forward to serving a global audience dedicated to advancing the understanding of anatomy.”

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in approximately 40 countries. It employs more than 30,000 people, nearly half of whom are in North America. The shares of its parent company, RELX PLC, are traded on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges under the following tickers: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The company’s market capitalization is approximately £36.5 billion (€42.5 billion; $46.8 billion).

(Compiled by Wang Fang)