Novarum DX to expand into new markets and technologies after MBO

Novarum DX, the mobile software arm of BBI Solutions, has been bought out by a small group of specialist investors and the existing management. The acquisition means Novarum can build on its lateral flow test customer base and extend into adjacent markets.

A group of investors including Innova Partnerships, the existing Novarum CEO, Neil Polwart and past chairman, Dennis MacPhail, have recently acquired Novarum DX, the mobile development firm that specialises in reading lateral flow tests with a smartphone. Novarum which was bought by BBI in 2016 supports customers across a wide range of industries including healthcare, aviation, veterinary and pharmaceutical development. The buyout will enable Novarum to expand the range and type of tests it supports, as well as providing the opportunity to deliver its technology differently and with alternative business models.

Neil Polwart, CEO of Novarum DX, said: “We are excited to announce this move and are thrilled about the possibilities it presents for the future of the company. The team have some exciting possibilities in the pipeline and are confident that their technical expertise, and the experience of the investors, across software and healthcare will transform the way we operate. We will continue our close working relationship with BBI to maximise the benefit to both customer bases.”

BBI Solutions, the Wales based company who sold the business for an undisclosed sum, is an independent producer of Immuno-diagnostics reagents.

Group CEO, Mario Gualano, said: "Novarum has been part of the BBI portfolio for the past seven years and we will maintain a close relationship going forward for the benefit of current and future lateral flow customers looking for a complete solution."

Sale of the business represents a strategic move by BBI Solutions which will allow Novarum DX to expand its software-based solutions beyond lateral flow and BBI to sharpen our focus on our core diagnostics business. A prime illustration of this commitment is our significant ongoing investment in the advancement of our recombinant enzyme development and manufacturing capabilities.

The new owners (NDX Holdings) strategy builds on Novarum’s IP, including a recently granted US patent, to deliver a mixture of app development services, easy to adopt software-as-a-service solutions and modular software capabilities to support scalability. Combined with APIs for data upload and Electronic Health Record integration Novarum can provide entire solutions for diagnostic customers, or to form strategic partnerships with others to achieve its vision that anyone, anywhere, anytime, should be able to run a test and understand its result.

Polwart explained: “When we first started talking about this digital health solution 12 years ago, that idea seemed like a pipedream. It is clear COVID has not only rewritten the playbook on how diagnostics can work but has changed the public’s expectations about their role in testing.”