BioMed Central Ltd.

Acquired by Springer Science + Business Media, October 2008. Notable for its pioneering use of open access publishing models, BioMed Central provides immediate free access to peer-reviewed biomedical research. Has ~200 journals (2008) in the biomedical journal space. Achieving high impact factors in select areas, most notably malaria. Authors can pay to publish, but institutions can buy in bulk via membership, and BMC also offers repository services. Founded in May 2000, profitable by 2007. Outsell estimates Springer paid around £30m (although the terms of the deal have not been disclosed), and that BMC's sale at an industry-standard multiple to big player marks a maturing of the OA model.