Bluefield Project

What Bluefield Project does

Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation, founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, that funds and orchestrates therapeutic development for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) caused by progranulin (GRN) gene mutations. Originating from the UCSF-based Consortium for Frontotemporal Dementia Research (CFR) established in 2008, the organization transitioned to direct grant funding in 2017 and now supports 26 investigators across leading academic institutions (UCSF, Washington University, UCL, Erasmus MC, UAB, University of Wisconsin-Madison), with outputs spanning 100+ peer-reviewed publications, ~500,000 compounds screened, two patent applications, and two clinical trials advanced from Bluefield-funded research.

Its core programs center on the biology of progranulin—an endo-lysosomal protein cleaved into granulins—and on biomarkers that enable clinical trial design. The Bluefield Research Consortium funds discovery, translational, and clinical work; the Neurofilament Surveillance Project (NSP), launched in 2020, is a longitudinal biomarker study measuring neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood of 342 enrolled participants with genetic FTLD (C9orf72, GRN, or MAPT) across 8 US academic sites; the FTD Disorders Registry, co-founded with AFTD, supports recruitment; and non-exclusive licensing of progranulin-FTD tools, assays, and animal models provides industry access to drug discovery assets.

Bluefield operates a precompetitive consortium model rather than a commercial revenue model. Funding flows from donations (tax-deductible, Tax ID 27-2444495), foundation grants (ADDF Diagnostics Accelerator, AFTD, Rainwater Charitable Foundation), and a pharma/biotech consortium including Alector, Arkuda Therapeutics, Biogen, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Passage Bio, and UCB Biopharma SRL. The organization runs with a small staff (1-10 employees) led by President Laura Mitic, Ph.D., and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Robin Richards Donohoe, with UCSF's Dr. Bruce Miller directing its clinical research program.

Name

Bluefield Project

Legal name

Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia

Website

https://bluefieldproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bluefield Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation that funds discovery, translational, and clinical research to develop therapeutics for frontotemporal dementia caused by progranulin gene mutations, supporting academic investigators, a precompetitive pharma consortium, and longitudinal biomarker studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Neurological Disease Research Foundation

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurogenetics & Rare Neurologic Diseases (HLAKAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Gene Therapy for Rare/Monogenic Diseases (HLAAACAE), Genetic & Genomic Rare Disease Therapeutics (HLAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Neurodegenerative disease research
• Frontotemporal dementia research
• Biomarker development studies
• Drug discovery tools licensing
• Clinical research consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Bluefield Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, including employer matching gift programs. Donations are tax-deductible (Tax ID: 27-2444495).
2. Pharmaceutical and Biotech Consortium Funding: Funding from a consortium of nonprofit foundations, small and large biotechs, and pharmaceutical companies including Alector, Arkuda Therapeutics, Biogen, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Passage Bio, and UCB Biopharma SRL for the Neurofilament Surveillance Project.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations such as the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) Diagnostics Accelerator and The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), and Rainwater Charitable Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bluefield Project is a UCSF-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation that funds discovery, translational, and clinical research on frontotemporal dementia (FTD) caused by progranulin (GRN) gene mutations. It operates the Neurofilament Surveillance Project (a longitudinal biomarker study of neurofilament light chain in genetic FTLD patients), co-founded the FTD Disorders Registry, runs the Bluefield Research Consortium of 26+ funded investigators, and licenses progranulin-FTD drug discovery tools and assays to pharmaceutical and biotech partners.

Product overview

The Bluefield Project is a nonprofit foundation organized as a single unified research initiative rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization operates through four interconnected programs: the Bluefield Research Consortium (which funds academic research), the Neurofilament Surveillance Project (a longitudinal biomarker study tracking NfL levels in genetic FTLD patients), the FTD Disorders Registry (a patient contact and research database), and the FTD-GRN Primer (educational resource). The organization reports 2 drugs in clinical trials, 100 peer-reviewed publications, and 26 funded investigators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Neurofilament Surveillance Project (NSP) A longitudinal biomarker study that measures neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein levels in the blood of individuals with genetic FTLD caused by C9orf72, MAPT, or GRN gene mutations. Operated at 8 study sites including Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, UCSF, Penn, Washington University, and MGH; designed to inform clinical trial endpoints for therapeutic development.
• FTD Disorders Registry A patient contact and research registry co-founded with AFTD that collects de-identified data to support natural history studies, therapeutic development, and clinical trial enrollment for frontotemporal dementia disorders.
• Bluefield Research Consortium A funded discovery, translational, and clinical research program at leading academic institutions (UCSF, Washington University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UCL, Erasmus MC, University of Wisconsin-Madison) that fosters relationships between discovery scientists and clinical neurologists to advance FTD treatments. Has funded 26 investigators and trained 50+ scientists.
• Progranulin-FTD Drug Discovery Tools and Reagents In-licensed research tools, know-how, methods, assays, animal models and reagents in the field of FTD caused by mutations in progranulin, made available through non-exclusive license to pharmaceutical and biotech partners for drug discovery and development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 clinical trials advanced from Bluefield-funded research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2020Co-founded the FTD Disorders Registry together to facilitate and advance research into FTD disorders. Also a partner in the ADDF Diagnostics Accelerator collaboration.
• ALLFTD ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2020NIH-funded natural history study (ARTFL-LEFFTDS Longitudinal FTLD) that NSP is an ancillary study to. The ALLFTD collects annual cognitive, imaging, behavioral assessment data, and biospecimens that are matched with NSP data.
• UCSF Memory and Aging CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research center that houses the original CFR consortium and continues to be a key research partner. Dr. Bruce Miller directs the Memory and Aging Center and oversees Bluefield's clinical research program.
• Bluefield Research Consortium InvestigatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of academic investigators at institutions including UCSF, Washington University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University College London, Erasmus Medical Center, and University of Wisconsin-Madison conducting discovery, translational and clinical research funded by Bluefield.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD): AFTD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on FTD research, support, and advocacy and is Bluefield's co-founder of the FTD Disorders Registry. The two organizations share mission, target population, and a joint research infrastructure asset, making AFTD the most directly comparable peer.
• Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF): ADDF is a nonprofit funder of translational neuroscience research, including the Diagnostics Accelerator that co-funds Bluefield's NSP study. It is a structural peer as a neurodegenerative-disease research grantmaking organization with shared funding models.

Emerging players

• Alector: Alector is a clinical-stage biotech developing immuno-neurology treatments including programs for progranulin (GRN)-related FTD. As both a Bluefield NSP consortium funder and an independent developer of FTD therapeutics, Alector is a key industry counterpart.
• Arkuda Therapeutics: Arkuda is a biotechnology company developing progranulin-modulating therapies for FTD-GRN. It is both an NSP consortium funder and a direct translational peer working on the same progranulin biology Bluefield funds.
• Passage Bio: Passage Bio is a gene therapy company with programs in FTD caused by GRN mutations and an NSP consortium member. It is directly comparable to Bluefield's mission of advancing GRN-FTD therapeutics, on the gene-therapy modality side.
• Prevail Therapeutics (a Lilly company): Prevail Therapeutics develops AAV-based gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases including FTD-GRN. It is directly comparable to Bluefield's gene-therapy translation work and to partners like Passage Bio in the same modality and indication.

Broad incumbents

• Rainwater Charitable Foundation: Rainwater Charitable Foundation supports neurodegenerative disease research, including contributions to the FTD Disorders Registry alongside Bluefield. It is a comparable philanthropic funder operating in the same disease space.
• Cure Alzheimer's Fund: Cure Alzheimer's Fund is a venture-style nonprofit that funds high-risk, high-reward Alzheimer's research. Its model of funding translational neuroscience through grants to leading academic labs is structurally analogous to Bluefield's consortium approach.
• ALS Association: The ALS Association is a large nonprofit that funds research, runs a disease registry, and partners with pharma/biotech on biomarker and therapeutic development. It is a comparable neurodegenerative-disease nonprofit infrastructure peer, though in a different disease.
• Denali Therapeutics: Denali is a clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics for neurodegeneration, with relevant biomarker and lysosomal biology programs that overlap with progranulin/granulin science. It is a broader-incumbent industry peer pursuing adjacent neuroscience targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bluefield Project