Where ShareVault comes from
ShareVault, founded in the United States in 2003, has made its name with pharmaceutical, biotech and IP-heavy companies. Its focus is controlling documents after they leave your hands: who can open them, print them or keep them. It scores 8.0 overall in our table, with security its strongest criterion and ease of use its weakest.
Life sciences use cases in the UK
UK life sciences companies share data in situations that do not look like a typical M&A sale. A spin-out licensing a compound to a larger pharma partner, a biotech running a partnering process with several potential collaborators, or a university technology transfer office sharing patent files: these rooms can stay open for a year or more, and the information is often the company’s core value.
Document rights control and watermarking are ShareVault’s main tools here, together with structured Q&A, a full audit trail and SSO.
| Use case | Why the controls matter |
|---|---|
| Out-licensing a compound | Rights control lets you withdraw access if talks end |
| Partnering with several pharmas | Watermarks trace any leaked page |
| IP diligence for investors | Audit trail shows who viewed patents |
| Long-running rooms | SSO simplifies access for partner staff |
The rhythm of a partnering room differs from a sale. Access is often staged: a non-confidential summary first, then a confidential data package under a confidentiality agreement, then deeper chemistry, manufacturing and regulatory files once a term sheet is agreed. Each partner may be at a different stage at the same time. Rights control that can be tightened or withdrawn as talks progress or stall is the feature that makes this manageable, and it is why IP-heavy companies tolerate ShareVault’s less modern interface. University spin-outs should also check whether the technology transfer office or the company itself is the controller for any personal data in the room, since that decides who signs the processing terms.
Security and data protection
ShareVault holds SOC 2 and ISO 27001 and supports single sign-on. Our data does not show two-factor login, which is unusual and worth raising directly: many UK organisations expect it for any external system holding sensitive information. If partners log in through SSO, their own identity provider may enforce it instead.
Clinical data may contain personal data and, in health settings, special category data under UK GDPR. If NHS data is involved, the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit sets standards your organisation may need to meet. Ask ShareVault where data is hosted; we have not confirmed its hosting regions.
Pricing
ShareVault quotes, and a free trial is available. For long-running rooms, a monthly subscription can add up, so ask for an annual figure in pounds and check VAT and storage limits. Data packages in life sciences can be large, with imaging, study reports and regulatory submissions, so storage is often the line that moves the price most. Our costs guide lays out the pricing models.
Comparison
iDeals offers SSO, two-factor login and redaction, with stronger ease of use. Ellty covers document rights control, watermarking and two-factor login with a modern interface and published pricing.
| ShareVault | iDeals | Ellty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.0 | 9.2 | 9.5 |
| Two-factor login | Not in our data | Yes | Yes |
| SSO | Yes | Yes | No |
| Document rights control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of use score | 6.8 | 8.5 | 9.8 |
Who should look elsewhere
A one-off share sale with a few hundred documents does not need ShareVault’s long-term control model, and buyers unfamiliar with it may find navigation slow. Teams that require two-factor login as standard should confirm it before shortlisting.
Questions people ask
Is ShareVault good for biotech licensing deals?
Yes. Its document rights control and watermarking suit long-running partnering and licensing rooms where IP is the main asset.
Does ShareVault support two-factor login?
Our data does not show it. Ask ShareVault directly, or check whether SSO through your partners' identity providers covers it.
Can ShareVault hold NHS-derived data?
That depends on your own obligations under UK GDPR and the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit. Confirm hosting and controls with ShareVault and your data protection officer first.
Is there a ShareVault free trial?
Yes. Full pricing is by quote.
