BioFi: Advancing biotech innovation in Switzerland with Proton’s privacy-first tools
At a glance
Company Profile: BioFi
Industry: Biotechnology | Scientific Research | Software Development
Company size: 10 employees | Collaborating with academia and pharmaceutical partners
Problem: BioFi needed a secure and reliable communication solution to protect sensitive research data, intellectual property, and partner confidentiality.
Achievement: BioFi now uses Proton to secure internal research, manage credentials, and protect communications with academic and pharmaceutical partners.
Why Proton was the right fit:
Secures confidential research, IP, and partner communications
Trusted Swiss provider with strong reputation in security and privacy
Combines email, VPN, and password management in one encrypted ecosystem
Supports secure collaboration with academic and pharmaceutical partners
In the heart of Basel, Switzerland — a global hub for pharmaceutical innovation — BioFi is building tools to unlock the secrets of biology. Their mission is ambitious: Help scientists model and simulate complex biological systems using a powerful digital platform. But as with any pioneering research, privacy is key.
A mission rooted in science and security
At the core of BioFi’s work is a drive to make biology more understandable through advanced digital tools — all while keeping their research environment secure.
“We help people better understand biology,” said Thomas Nirnberger, CEO and co-founder of BioFi.
“And we do this by developing novel solutions to model and simulate biological systems.”
For a company focused on the inner workings of life, security and privacy aren’t afterthoughts — they’re essential infrastructure. From the beginning, Thomas and his co-founder Bill Crowley prioritized protecting their research and internal communications.
“We’ve always been very privacy conscious,” he said. “Bill did run his own email server in his garage — which was not be the best solution, especially for backup purposes.”
That mindset led them to Proton.
Protecting intellectual property and industry relationships
When asked what kind of information BioFi needs to protect, Thomas is direct:
“We need to protect our IP — the trade secrets,” he said. “We are developing software and algorithms. We might go open source, but until then, this is very hard to protect with patents, at least in Europe. We want to ensure that what we're doing in house stays in house.”
But their privacy needs go beyond internal security. BioFi works with academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies, where confidentiality is non-negotiable.
“We wanted to ensure that any communications with our partners, collaborators, and customers are as secure as possible.”
Protect your business with Proton Mail
With Proton Mail, your organization’s communications are secured with the same battle-tested end-to-end encryption trusted by millions for over a decade.
Choosing privacy without compromise
As a fellow Swiss startup, Proton Mail felt like a natural fit. BioFi now uses Proton Mail for secure communications, Proton Pass for managing credentials, and Proton VPN to protect network traffic — a setup that balances privacy and usability.
“You guys have a good reputation,” Thomas said. “And Proton alleviated the privacy concerns we had with some of the other solutions out there.”
At BioFi, privacy protection is a strategic decision that supports their work at the frontier of biotechnology. Whether securing intellectual property or safeguarding confidential partnerships, Proton plays a central role in protecting what matters most.
If you’re interested in working with Proton Mail, contact our sales team to learn more.