Headlands Research

What Headlands Research does

Headlands Research is a multinational integrated clinical trial site organization operating 23 clinical research sites across the United States and Canada (with one Puerto Rico site and California, Texas, and Canadian presence). Founded in 2018 and backed by private equity (originally KKR, with THL Partners' acquisition announced in August 2025), the company provides Phase I–IV clinical trial services to pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations, specializing in large-volume recruitment of diverse and specialty participant populations including Hispanic/Latino, African American, elderly, and pediatric groups. Core therapeutic pillars are central nervous system (CNS), mental health, vaccines, and metabolic/endocrine conditions, with extended coverage across more than 25 therapeutic areas such as neurology, cardiology, dermatology, infectious disease, and gastroenterology.

The platform comprises an integrated network of wholly owned clinical sites with retained local brands (e.g., Toronto Memory Program, Summit Research Network, Peninsula Research Associates, Clinvest Research, AMCR Institute, Pharmasite, Trial Management Associates, CMRCenter, Clinical Research Research's Sacramento/Lincoln sites, and others). Each site contributes specialty expertise and patient access; the corporate layer aggregates the network with centralized management, a single point of contact for sponsors and CROs, electronic site operations (eSource, eRegulatory) for real-time data delivery, and consistent operating procedures. Specialized physical infrastructure includes -20C and -80C freezers, MRI with pdff and Dixon imaging, IV infusion, lumbar puncture, PBMC processing, and Fibroscan, alongside multiple staffed memory clinics supporting Alzheimer's trials.

Headlands Research generates revenue through professional services contracts with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs for the conduct of clinical trials. The organization engages enterprise-level relationships through direct sales to pharma and CRO buyers, serving both segments as primary customer segments per the company. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are contracted directly via centralized feasibility, budgeting, contracting, and study start-up processes. The company has completed over 5,000 clinical trials cumulatively, employs 650+ clinical research professionals including 50 principal investigators, and has executed multi-year strategic relationships such as the Pfizer diversity initiative that yielded five new research sites by April 2024.

Name

Headlands Research

Legal name

Headlands Research, Inc.

Website

https://headlandsresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Headlands Research is a multinational integrated clinical trial site organization operating 23 wholly owned research sites across the U.S. and Canada, providing Phase I–IV clinical trial services to pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs with a focus on large-volume, diverse-participant recruitment across CNS, mental health, vaccines, and metabolic/endocrine therapeutic areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Trial Site Network Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Site Start-Up & Activation (Regulatory/Ethics/Contracts) (HLAGACAC), Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI), Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA), Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Clinical trial services
• Clinical research sites
• Phase I-IV trials
• Patient recruitment services
• Site management organization

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Services: Headlands Research operates clinical trial sites providing Phase I-IV clinical trial services to pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. Revenue is generated through conducting clinical trials under contract with drug development companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Headlands Research operates as a multinational integrated clinical trial site organization providing Phase I-IV clinical trial execution services to pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs. The company runs a network of owned clinical research sites specializing in large-volume recruitment of diverse and specialty participant populations across therapeutic areas including CNS, mental health, vaccines, and metabolic/endocrine conditions. Services include site operations, participant recruitment, study start-up, data delivery through electronic systems, and centralized management acting as a single point of contact for sponsors.

Product overview

Headlands Research operates as a multinational integrated clinical trial site organization with a network of 24 clinical research sites across the United States and Canada. The company provides a unified platform for conducting Phase I-IV clinical trials, focusing on large-volume recruitment and retention of diverse populations through extensive site databases and physician partnerships. The network includes multiple acquired brand sites (Artemis Institute, Clinical Research Atlanta, Clinvest Research, Clinical Research Professionals, AMCR Institute, Headlands Research Brownsville, Detroit, Eastern Massachusetts, El Paso, Orlando, Scottsdale, JEM Research Institute, Okanagan Clinical Trials, Richmond Clinical Trials, Peninsula Research Associates, Headlands PharmaSite, Summit Research Network, Toronto Memory Program, Trial Management Associates, Twin Cities, CMR Center, Sacramento, and CTR Lincoln) that collectively cover therapeutic areas including CNS/neurology, mental health, vaccines, metabolic/endocrine, cardiovascular, dermatology, and more. The organization supports sponsors and CROs with centralized management, real-time data access through entirely electronic sites (eSource, eRegulatory), and access to diverse participant populations including Hispanic/Latino, African American, elderly, and pediatric groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Headlands Research - AMCR Institute: Metabolic research site dedicated to attracting, nurturing, and retaining participants for clinical research studies.
• Headlands Research - Brownsville
• Headlands Research - Detroit
• Headlands Research - Eastern Massachusetts
• Headlands Research El Paso
• Headlands Research - Orlando
• Headlands Research - Scottsdale
• Headlands Research Sacramento
• Headlands Research CTR Lincoln
• Headlands Research Twin Cities

Products and services

• Headlands Research Clinical Trial Site Network
• Artemis Institute for Clinical Research

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ clinical trials successfully completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Clinical Trials ResearchcoreOthers · 1 July 2026Headlands Research acquired Clinical Trials Research, a privately owned clinical research organization with sites in Sacramento and Lincoln, California. The deal expands Headlands' California presence and strengthens its cardiometabolic therapeutic area capabilities, adding two established clinical trial sites with 25 years of experience and over 300 completed Phase I-IV trials.
• CMRCentercoreOthers · 2 July 2025Headlands Research acquired CMRCenter, a clinical research site in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The acquisition expands the global network to 22 sites, emphasizing access to a large Hispanic patient population and enhancing enrollment capabilities for various clinical trials.
• Trial Management Associates (TMA)coreOthers · 4 November 2024Headlands Research acquired Trial Management Associates, a clinical research company with sites in North and South Carolina, expanding the network to 21 sites across the US and Canada. The acquisition enhances geographic reach, patient diversity, and expertise across therapeutic areas.
• Pharmasite ResearchcoreOthers · 29 February 2024Headlands Research acquired Pharmasite Research to expand mental health and CNS trials capabilities.
• AMCR InstitutecoreOthers · 27 July 2023Headlands Research acquired AMCR Institute, expanding its metabolic research capabilities.
• Eastern Massachusetts Research SitecoreOthers · 19 April 2023Headlands Research acquired an established clinical research site specializing in neurodegenerative diseases, now known as Headlands Research Eastern Massachusetts.
• Clinvest ResearchcoreOthers · 1 January 2023Headlands Research acquired Clinvest Research, a clinical research site network, as part of a series of expansions in 2023.
• Peninsula Research Associates (PRA)coreOthers · 30 June 2022Headlands Research acquired Peninsula Research Associates of Rolling Hills, California to expand clinical research network and capabilities in allergy, asthma, pediatric, and vaccine research areas in Southern California.
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2022Multi-year partnership between Headlands Research and Pfizer to increase diversity of participants in clinical trials. Under the collaboration, Headlands opened research sites in more diverse areas, including Brownsville, Texas. By April 2024, Headlands opened its fifth and final research site under this partnership.
• Summit Research NetworkcoreOthers · 13 May 2021KKR-backed Headlands Research acquired Summit Research Network, a clinical research entity focused on dementia and memory conditions. The deal signaled strategic expansion in the clinical research sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: Largest global CRO with embedded site network (IQVIA Site Management) and Prime Site program. Broad incumbent whose site services compete directly with Headlands but as part of a much larger CRO portfolio.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD): Owns PPD, a top-3 global CRO with significant clinical site operations. Competes with Headlands for sponsor study placement but at vastly greater scale and with broader service portfolio.
• ICON plc: Top-3 global CRO post-PRA Health Sciences acquisition, with site services capabilities. Competes for sponsor business as a broad incumbent across all major therapeutic areas.
• Syneos Health: Large clinical and commercial services provider with site network offerings (now private post-Elliott/Veritas take-private). Overlaps with Headlands as CRO with embedded site solutions.

Direct peers

• Velocity Clinical Research: One of the largest US integrated SMO networks acquired by GHO Capital in 2023. Directly comparable to Headlands as a multi-therapeutic site network targeting sponsors and CROs with centralized feasibility, start-up, and recruitment.
• CenExel: Private-equity-backed network of clinical research sites specializing in Phase I-IV trials across CNS, pain, vaccines, and metabolic indications. Closely comparable therapeutic-area focus and SMO model.
• Elligo Health Research: Tech-enabled SMO network using GoesDirect approach to bring trials into community physician practices. Directly comparable as a multi-site SMO targeting sponsor diversity and enrollment speed.
• Flourish Research: Integrated SMO network formed from roll-up of US clinical research sites, with therapeutic depth in CNS, metabolic, and vaccines. Directly comparable multi-site SMO business model.

Emerging players

• Clinical Trials of Texas: Multi-therapeutic independent SMO with deep CNS, vaccine, and metabolic exposure; recently partnered with private equity for expansion. Comparable emerging SMO platform.

Others

• WCG Clinical: Provider of clinical trial technology, site optimization, and central IRB services serving sponsors, CROs, and sites. Adjacent enabler to SMOs like Headlands rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HeadlandsRsrch
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeadlandsResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headlands-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/headlandsresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A9 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Headlands Research