Published: 06 November 2025

Doctors Against Animal Experiments launches a unique company directory

With the NATworks database (www.nat-works.org), the world’s first platform mapping companies driving the transition toward animal-free research and testing goes online today. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of providers and services in the field of animal-free technologies, to connect stakeholders from science, industry, and regulatory authorities, and to accelerate the shift toward modern, human-relevant methods. Due to its international significance, the directory—developed by Doctors Against Animal Experiments (DAAE)—is available in English and is already recognized by the European Commission.

At launch, nearly 400 companies worldwide are listed in the database—from major corporations and specialized service providers to innovative start-ups. They develop animal-free methods based on human cell models, organoids, multi-organ-chips, or computer-based simulations, or they offer related products and services. Extensive search filters and interactive charts enable in-depth and dynamic analysis by country, research field, or endpoint. NATworks is currently the only database that reflects the current landscape of applied human-relevant research and helps decision-makers, such as the EU, to target funding measures effectively.

NATworks is already listed in the European Commission’s catalogue of Transitional Initiatives—initiatives supporting the EU Commission’s roadmap for phasing out animal testing in chemical safety assessment, scheduled for publication in early 2026. With NATworks, the current status of applied animal-free research can be dynamically analysed and visualised. This helps ensure that, during the implementation of the roadmap, the right steps are taken to abolish animal testing as quickly and effectively as possible.

The first NATworks prototype was presented in August 2025 at the World Congress on Animal-Free Methods in Rio de Janeiro, where it attracted great international interest. In addition, NATworks will be introduced at the next meeting of the EU Commission with representatives of EU member states, which will focus on animal testing and its abolition.

The platform allows targeted searches by topic, country, or area of application, making it a digital meeting point for animal-free research.

“With NATworks, we are creating the first platform that brings together innovation and expertise from both industry and science to help human-relevant research achieve a breakthrough. The market in particular can accelerate this paradigm shift,” says biologist Julia Radzwill, Science Officer at DAAE and project coordinator of NATworks.

The data are automatically collected, analysed, categorised, and continuously updated using artificial intelligence (AI)—exclusively based on publicly available company information. Quality control and final approval are always carried out manually by scientific experts. The central inclusion criterion for NATworks is, of course: no animal testing!

In the future, NATworks will also serve as a networking and career platform, enabling researchers, students, and companies to connect and collaborate directly.

“Young people who want to do research without using animals often face major obstacles. With NATworks, we want to show: It’s possible without animal testing—and it’s much better,” says Radzwill. “These researchers are key to building a human-relevant scientific landscape. NATworks therefore actively connects different target groups—this is how the paradigm shift can succeed.”