Brain Tumour Research
Brain Tumour Research is a UK charity funding sustainable brain tumour research through six Centres of Excellence and four funded initiatives, having invested £37.5 million since 2009, and campaigning to grow national research spend to £35 million annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersShenley, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Brain Tumour Research does
Brain Tumour Research is a UK-registered charity (founded 2008 and launched at the House of Commons in 2009, successor to The Diana Ford Trust registered in 2002) whose sole purpose is to fund sustainable research into brain tumours and campaign for increased national research investment. It operates a network of six Centres of Excellence at UK universities and four funded initiatives, including BRAIN UK (a national virtual brain tissue bank at the University of Southampton cataloguing over 120,000 tumour tissue samples), the Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA, in partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission), and the Patient Research Involvement Movement (PRIME, in partnership with sister charity brainstrust). The charity has invested £37.5 million directly into research since establishment, supports 315 research personnel across its portfolio, and currently contributes to supporting 217 researchers, with a Research Strategy 2026-2031 committing £24.3 million over five years.
The organisation raises funds through diversified channels: individual donations and regular giving, community fundraising groups (70+) and challenge events (skydives, marathons, treks, Run 31 Miles in August, Walk of Hope, Wear A Hat Day), a weekly lottery operated in partnership with Unity Lotteries (£1 per entry, 50p to charity, £25,000 jackpot), corporate partnerships including a Sponsor a Day programme at £2,740 per day of research, and a legacy giving programme via Octopus Legacy. It campaigns in Westminster and the devolved nations and holds the secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT), pursuing a public target of £35 million per year in national brain tumour research spend against the current 1% share of national cancer research funding.
Revenue is generated through charitable donations and fundraising rather than product sales; the charity is a company limited by guarantee governed by a Board of Trustees, registered in England and Wales (No. 1153487) and Scotland (No. SC046840), with headquarters in Milton Keynes. Its customer base spans three primary segments: people affected by brain tumours (patients, families, carers, served directly and via brainstrust), brain tumour researchers and academics at UK universities (grants and infrastructure), and corporate partners (charity-of-the-year, cause marketing, and research sponsorship). The charity operates a small team (headcount band 11-50) under CEO Dan Knowles, who joined in September 2023 from Oxfordshire Mind, with a leadership team that has been substantially refreshed in 2024-2026.
Brain Tumour Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brain Tumour Research
- Legal name
- Brain Tumour Research
- Website
- https://braintumourresearch.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brain Tumour Research is a UK charity funding sustainable brain tumour research through six Centres of Excellence and four funded initiatives, having invested £37.5 million since 2009, and campaigning to grow national research spend to £35 million annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brain Tumour Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Cancer Research Funding
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
Keywords
Where Brain Tumour Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shenley
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Brain Tumour Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The charity raises funds through individual donations (one-time and regular), community fundraising events, challenge events (skydives, marathons, treks), and fundraising groups. The charity also receives donations in memory of loved ones and legacy gifts through wills.
- Lottery: Weekly lottery game operated in partnership with Unity Lotteries. Players pay £1 per week for a unique 6-digit number. Top prize is £25,000. After prizes and admin costs, 50p of every £1 played goes towards the charity's work.
- Corporate Partnerships: Businesses partner with the charity through corporate fundraising, charity of the year partnerships, and Cause Related Marketing. Organisations can sponsor multiple days of research at £2,740 per day.
- Legacy Giving: Gifts in wills allow supporters to leave a legacy to the charity. The charity has partnered with Octopus Legacy to offer free will writing services to supporters who pledge a legacy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Lottery: £1 per week entry |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Sponsor a Day of Research: £2,740 per day |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Cardiff University Partnership: £500,000 project award |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Brain Tumour Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brain Tumour Research is a UK charity that funds a network of six Centres of Excellence and four Funded Initiatives at UK universities, including BRAIN UK (national virtual brain tissue bank), the Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA), and the PRIME patient involvement programme. It raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, a weekly lottery, challenge events, and legacy gifts, while campaigning in Westminster and the devolved nations to increase national research investment to £35 million per year.
Product overview
Brain Tumour Research is a UK-based charitable organisation offering a portfolio of fundraising products and services centred on its mission to find a cure for brain tumours. The core offering includes research funding through six Centres of Excellence and four Funded Initiatives, supplemented by public-facing fundraising products including the Brain Tumour Research Lottery (operated via Unity Lotteries), signature events (Walk of Hope, Run 31 Miles in August, Wear A Hat Day), challenge events (skydiving, marathons, treks), and a Sponsor a Day initiative for direct research sponsorship. Additional services include tribute pages for memorial donations, a legacy gifts programme via partnership with Octopus Legacy, and community fundraising support through regional fundraisers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brain Tumour Research Lottery: Weekly lottery game where players pay £1 per week for a chance to win up to £25,000 jackpot, with 50p of every £1 played going towards the charity's work.
Products and services
- Brain Tumour Research Lottery
Quantifiable outcome
- 6 Centres of Excellence and 4 Funded Initiatives established
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Brain Tumour Research
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brain Tumour Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Brain Tumour Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and supporting.
- Beatson Cancer CharitycorePartnership to fund the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Launched 2025, this game-changing collaboration addresses the challenge of moving laboratory discoveries into clinical testing by focusing on drug discovery and developing better disease models.
- brainstrustcoreSister charity partnership for PRIME (Patient Research Involvement Movement) connecting patients and caregivers with researchers to provide patient perspectives for setting up effective clinical trials. brainstrust also provides support services for brain tumour patients referenced on the charity's website.
- Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM)corePartnership to operate the Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA), which provides research groups with promising therapeutics or devices robust review by academic and industry experts to accelerate progression to human trials.
- University of Southampton / BRAIN UKcoreBRAIN UK at the University of Southampton is the world's first national virtual brain tissue bank, a unique resource for researchers. The charity funds this initiative which catalogues over 120,000 tumour tissue samples across NHS and Academic Pathology Centres in the UK.
- Medical Research Council (MRC)corePartnership with MRC to fund £500,000 project at Cardiff University led by Dr Ben Newland to develop an innovative surgically-implanted drug-delivery system for glioblastoma patients.
- Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce (LSCT)majorJoined LSCT which represents cancers with five-year survival rate under 30% (lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic, stomach). The taskforce accounts for 42% of UK cancer deaths. Partnership strengthens ability to influence increase in national research spend.
- The Neurological AllianceminorCoalition partner for influencing broader health policy changes benefiting brain tumour patients.
- One Cancer VoiceminorCancer coalition working to influence policy and increase awareness.
- Cancer 52minorCoalition partner representing rare and less common cancers.
- NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)minorCoalition partner for broader voluntary sector policy influence.
- Northern Ireland Cancer Charities CoalitionminorDevolved nations coalition for policy influence in Northern Ireland.
- Scottish Cancer CoalitionminorDevolved nations coalition for policy influence in Scotland.
- Wales Cancer AllianceminorDevolved nations coalition for policy influence in Wales.
- Unity LotteriescoreAdministered lottery partnership providing the Brain Tumour Research Lottery platform. Unity offers fixed odds through number match game.
- Octopus LegacysupportingPartnered to offer free will writing services to supporters who pledge a legacy gift to the charity.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brain Tumour Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- British Heart Foundation: The UK's largest dedicated medical research charity outside cancer. Comparable in scale of research investment, multi-channel fundraising (shops, donations, legacies), and policy influence, though operating in cardiovascular disease rather than oncology.
- Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK cancer charity combining fundraising, campaigning, and patient support. Comparable operating model (mass fundraising, parliamentary lobbying, partnerships) and a coalition partner in the broader cancer policy space, but focused on holistic support rather than dedicated research funding.
- Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest cancer research charity. Comparable as a research funder and policy campaigner, and the dominant incumbent in the brain tumour research field where Brain Tumour Research is a specialist challenger; CRUK's 'Cancers of Unmet Need' programme directly overlaps Brain Tumour Research's strategic focus.
Direct peers
- The Brain Tumour Charity: The UK's largest dedicated brain tumour charity, funding research and providing support. Directly comparable mission — both fund research, both campaign for awareness and government investment, both operate in the UK — but The Brain Tumour Charity is materially larger and focused on the full research-to-support pipeline, while Brain Tumour Research is concentrated on sustainable basic research at Centres of Excellence.
- Anthony Nolan: UK charity funding blood cancer and stem cell research with a dedicated research infrastructure and donor registry model. Comparable in operating a national research infrastructure with central coordination, and as a disease-specific funder with a public-affairs footprint, though focused on blood cancers rather than solid tumours.
- Blood Cancer UK: UK charity dedicated to research into blood cancers, with a focused research strategy and policy campaigning. Comparable as a disease-specific research funder operating in a low-survival, underfunded cancer niche, though smaller in scale than Brain Tumour Research.
- Pancreatic Cancer UK: Fellow Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce member and disease-specific UK research charity. Closely comparable in scale, mission (underfunded cancer, low survival, dedicated research funding), and strategy (Centres of Excellence model, parliamentary campaigning, coalition advocacy).
- Alzheimer's Research UK: UK charity dedicated to funding research into a single disease area (dementia), with a network of Research Centres and high-profile campaigning. Highly comparable in structure: a single-disease research funder, AMRC member, parliamentary advocacy, and dedicated Centres of Excellence model.
Emerging players
- Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission: Mission established in memory of Dame Tessa Jowell to improve brain cancer outcomes, with which Brain Tumour Research co-operates the BTR-NTA. Overlapping objective (accelerating brain tumour research and trial access), but operating as a mission/coalition rather than a mass-membership fundraising charity.
Others
- Cancer 52: Coalition of more than 50 rare and less common cancer charities that Brain Tumour Research is a member of. Comparable as a coalition-driven policy and awareness partner; not a direct fundraising peer, but a strategic alliance that amplifies the charity's parliamentary and media reach on rare cancers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brain Tumour Research social profiles
Digital presenceBrain Tumour Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brain Tumour Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Brain Tumour Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brain Tumour Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brain Tumour Research
What does Brain Tumour Research do?
Brain Tumour Research is a UK charity that funds a network of six Centres of Excellence and four Funded Initiatives at UK universities, including BRAIN UK (national virtual brain tissue bank), the Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA), and the PRIME patient involvement programme. It raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, a weekly lottery, challenge events, and legacy gifts, while campaigning in Westminster and the devolved nations to increase national research investment to £35 million per year.
Is Brain Tumour Research a public or private company?
Brain Tumour Research is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Brain Tumour Research founded?
Brain Tumour Research was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brain Tumour Research based?
Brain Tumour Research is headquartered in Shenley, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Brain Tumour Research make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are lottery, corporate Partnerships and legacy Giving.
Who are Brain Tumour Research's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK. Direct peers are The Brain Tumour Charity, Anthony Nolan, Blood Cancer UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK and Alzheimer's Research UK. Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission is listed as an emerging player. Cancer 52 is listed as an others.
Does Brain Tumour Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brain Tumour Research.
What industry is Brain Tumour Research in?
Brain Tumour Research's product category is Charitable Cancer Research Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations.