UL Research Institutes

What UL Research Institutes does

UL Research Institutes (ULRI) is an independent nonprofit safety science research organization founded in 1894 as part of Underwriters Laboratories and now headquartered in Evanston, Illinois. The organization operates as a federation of six specialized research institutes — Chemical Insights, Digital Safety, Electrochemical Safety, Fire Safety Research Institute, Materials Discovery, and Research Experiences & Education — each addressing a distinct public-safety domain spanning lithium-ion battery thermal runaway, wildfire risk, chemical exposure, AI/digital safety, and STEM education. ULRI does not commercialize products in a conventional sense; instead, it conducts rigorous independent research, publishes findings openly, and routes discoveries into its sister organization UL Standards & Engagement for translation into standards and policy.

Revenue is generated through a mix of government grants and contracts (DHS Science & Technology Directorate, FEMA, EPA), fee-for-service corporate research collaborations (e.g., battery safety testing with industry partners such as Stress Engineering Services), and academic partnerships with institutions including Penn Engineering, Oregon State University, and Northwestern University. The organization's flagship public-facing assets are the NERIS platform (a fire-incident reporting and National Fire Risk Atlas system adopted by fire departments across all 50 states and now exceeding one million reports) and Xplorlabs, a free K-12 STEM and safety-science education platform. Customer segments are predominantly government fire and emergency services, battery and energy storage manufacturers, chemical and consumer products firms, and digital/AI developers; the pricing model is anchored on grant funding and partnership fees rather than product licensing.

Recent strategic activity centers on talent acquisition — notably absorbing 16 EPA scientists from the Center for Computational Toxicology in late 2025, including former director Russell Thomas — alongside geographic expansion into North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, leadership appointments in electrochemical and chemical safety, and active operational partnerships with FDNY, DHS, FEMA, the American Red Cross, and Northwestern University to scale community-safety programs and research translation.

Name

UL Research Institutes

Legal name

UL Research Institutes (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.)

Website

https://ul.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

UL Research Institutes is an independent nonprofit safety science organization operating six research institutes covering fire, electrochemical, chemical, digital, and materials safety, funded by government grants, corporate research partnerships, and academic collaborations, serving public-safety agencies, industry, and educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Research funded by government agencies including DHS Science & Technology Directorate, FEMA, and EPA for public safety research initiatives
2. Academic Partnerships: Collaborative research programs with universities including Penn Engineering, Oregon State University, Northwestern University, and others
3. Grant Programs: Sustainable Communities Grants Program awarding funding to nonprofit organizations for community-driven sustainability initiatives
4. Corporate Research Partnerships: Fee-for-service research collaborations with industry partners on battery safety, chemical safety, and other safety science topics

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UL Research Institutes is an independent nonprofit safety science research organization that conducts objective investigations into fire safety, electrochemical/battery safety, chemical insights, digital/AI safety, materials discovery, and STEM education through six specialized research institutes. The organization translates independent research into practical safety standards via its sister organization UL Standards & Engagement and disseminates knowledge through platforms such as Xplorlabs and the National Fire Risk Atlas (NERIS) for the public good.

Product overview

UL Research Institutes is a leading independent safety science organization that operates as a platform of six specialized research institutes: Chemical Insights, Digital Safety, Electrochemical Safety, Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), Materials Discovery, and Research Experiences & Education. The organization also offers Xplorlabs, a free STEM education platform, and NERIS (National Fire Risk Atlas), a fire risk research platform. The institutes collaborate to address global safety challenges ranging from fire mitigation and air quality to safe energy storage and digital privacy, conducting rigorous independent research and sharing knowledge for public good.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemical Insights A research institute that investigates environmental exposures and their impact on human health, conducting toxicology research on chemical pollutants for manufacturers and public agencies. Based in Marietta, GA.
• Digital Safety A research institute that develops new frameworks for data privacy, cybersecurity, trustworthy software/AI, and assured autonomy for companies developing AI systems, autonomous vehicles, and digital platforms requiring safety validation.
• Electrochemical Safety A research institute that conducts safety testing and characterization of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, energy storage systems, and emerging electrochemical technologies for manufacturers and developers.
• Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) A research institute that conducts fire dynamics research, firefighter health and safety studies, full-scale fire experiments, and develops fire risk assessment frameworks for fire departments and emergency response agencies.
• Materials Discovery A research institute that develops and deploys new materials to address global safety challenges across energy, chemical, and industrial applications.
• Research Experiences & Education A research institute that develops safety science STEM education resources, educator fellowship programs, and professional development for teachers and students.
• Xplorlabs An open-access educational platform providing free safety science education resources, interactive modules on thermal runaway, fire forensics, and STEM solutions for K-12 teachers and students.
• National Fire Risk Atlas (NERIS) A research platform and standardized framework for measuring fire risk at the local level, integrating fire behavior science with data science and economics for fire departments and public safety agencies. Reached 1 million reports with adoption across all 50 states.

Quantifiable outcome

• NERIS platform reached 1 million fire incident reports across all 50 states
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association / NFPA / IAFCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Fire Safety Research Institute will support World Fire Congress's learning, research, and insight efforts through global Communities of Practice designed to sustain collaboration between Congresses.
• Fire Department of the City of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Supported full-size railcar experiments examining lithium-ion battery thermal runaway hazards from e-mobility devices on passenger railcars. Research found passengers within 10 feet of a burning device face rapid incapacitation.
• Christiana Fire CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Collaborated on railcar fire safety research supporting full-scale experiments for e-mobility device battery hazards
• Oregon State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Joint research investigating wildfire-induced depressurization of water distribution systems and VOC contamination. Developed methodology using modular, instrumented vacuum test setup.
• DHS Science & Technology DirectoratecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Support for development of National Fire Risk Atlas, creating first standardized framework for measuring fire risk at local level. Collaboration building on single-structure fire risk and WUI research.
• FEMA U.S. Fire AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Collaboration on National Fire Risk Atlas development. Atlas will be integrated into NERIS platform ensuring nationwide accessibility for local fire and public safety agencies.
• Penn Engineering (University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Extended educator fellowship partnership into its second year, creating a hub connecting middle and high school educators with research expertise in safety science, data science, artificial intelligence, and STEM education. Penn Engineering Regional Educator Fellows serve as visiting staff with access to faculty and campus resources.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Partnership for Sound the Alarm home fire safety event installing 105 free smoke alarms for 32 families in Evanston. Continues shared commitment to reducing home fire deaths and injuries.
• EPA (departing scientists)coreOthers · 2 December 2025Sixteen high-achieving EPA scientists from Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure joined UL Research Institutes. EPA eliminated Office of Research and Development, reassigning scientists to regulatory-focused offices.
• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Collaborative Sustainable Communities Grant Program supporting community-driven sustainability initiatives in Evanston and Skokie, Illinois. Awards two $5,000 grants annually to eligible nonprofit projects.
• South Fulton Fire Rescue DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2025Camp E.M.B.E.R.S. partnership providing STEM education and fire safety career exposure to young women ages 14-18. Xplorlabs resources used to connect safety phenomena to classroom learning.
• Northwestern Student GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2025Partnership with Northwestern University student group to promote laboratory safety
• UL Standards & EngagementflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2024Sister organization translating research discoveries into standards and policies. Both organizations relocated headquarters together to Evanston, Illinois in 2023.
• Stress Engineering Services (SES) Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2024Collaborated with ESRI researchers on safety testing of commercially manufactured 18650 sodium-ion cells. SES in Texas conducted performance type tests in ESRI test facilities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): Federal laboratory conducting measurement science, fire research (e.g., NIST fire modeling), and standards-related work. Comparable as an independent authority producing foundational safety science that underpins private-sector testing.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection, certification, and training provider with deep capabilities in battery, fire, and product safety. Comparable to the testing and standards-influencing layer adjacent to ULRI's research mission.
• CSA Group: Standards development organization and testing/certification provider covering industrial, electrical, and energy products. Analogous to UL's standards and solutions ecosystem surrounding UL Research Institutes.
• UL Solutions: Sister organization within the broader UL enterprise that conducts commercial safety testing, inspection, and certification across industries. Most direct institutional relative of UL Research Institutes and the primary translation arm for its research into commercial standards.

Direct peers

• Battelle Memorial Institute: Large nonprofit research organization that operates federally funded and commercial research programs in energy, materials, health, and national security. Matches ULRI's diversified research institute structure and federal partnership model.
• Southwest Research Institute: Independent, nonprofit applied R&D organization delivering contract research in fire, materials, energy, and chemical safety across multiple institutes. Closest functional analog to UL Research Institutes' multi-institute, grant-and-fee-funded research model.
• The Aerospace Corporation: Federally funded R&D center operating as a nonprofit scientific advisory organization for a single industry domain. Closely analogous to ULRI's structure as a mission-driven, grant-funded independent research entity.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): Independent, member-funded research organization focused on electricity generation, storage, and safety. Highly comparable to ULRI's Electrochemical Safety and energy-storage research programs.
• RTI International: Nonprofit research institute that conducts contract and government-sponsored research across energy, environment, and health sciences. Comparable in scale, funding mix, and mission-driven research portfolio to UL Research Institutes.

Others

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): Standards-developing organization for fire and electrical safety that partners with ULRI on World Fire Congress and standards work. Adjacent ecosystem participant that consumes and amplifies ULRI's fire safety research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ulresearchinstitutes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulresearchinstitutes
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulresearchinstitutes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UL Research Institutes