TMF
TMF e.V. is a Berlin-based nonprofit association founded in 2004 that develops concepts, infrastructure, and methods for networked medical research in Germany, coordinating national initiatives including MII, NUM, LongCARE, the European Health Data Space, and the newly launched Biobank-Plattform Deutschland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TMF does
TMF – Technologie- und Methodenplattform für die vernetzte medizinische Forschung e.V. is a German nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2004 and headquartered in Berlin (Charlottenstraße 42) that develops concepts, infrastructure, and methods for networked medical research. The organization functions as an umbrella body for German medical research networks, with membership spanning university medical centers, research institutions, clinical and epidemiological registries, biobanks, and professional societies. It is led by Managing Director Sebastian C. Semler (since 2004) and governed by a board chaired by Prof. Dr. Rainer Röhrig of Universitätsklinik RWTH Aachen, and operates with a small full-time secretariat supplemented by working-group-based expert engagement.
TMF's primary outputs are coordination, standards, and policy advocacy rather than commercial software products. Core offerings include the ToolPool Gesundheitsforschung portal (cataloging IT tools, eServices, expert opinions, and checklists for medical research with faceted/full-text search and a comparative product matrix), an IT requirements catalog for cohort studies and registries (44 top-level tasks, 203 use cases, available in Excel/PDF/Word), the German National Release Center for SNOMED CT, and the TMF-Akademie training programs. TMF also coordinates the Biobank-Plattform Deutschland launched in June 2026 as centralized national biobank infrastructure and publishes the TMF-Schriftenreihe book series (via MWV since 2016), White Papers, and position papers on health policy.
TMF's revenue model is non-commercial, drawing primarily on federal project funding from the Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG) and the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) for coordination of flagship initiatives — including the Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII) since 2016, Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM), LongCARE (29 projects), TEHDAS2 (European Health Data Space), and NFDI4Health — complemented by membership fees and free public-goods distribution. Named members and partners include Berlin Institute of Health @Charité, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), the Verband der Universitätsklinika Deutschlands, the Deutsches Kinderkrebsregister (DKKR), AKTIN e.V., gematik GmbH, and DNVF, alongside other German university hospitals and research networks.
TMF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TMF
- Legal name
- TMF – Technologie- und Methodenplattform für die vernetzte medizinische Forschung e.V.
- Website
- https://tmf-ev.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TMF e.V. is a Berlin-based nonprofit association founded in 2004 that develops concepts, infrastructure, and methods for networked medical research in Germany, coordinating national initiatives including MII, NUM, LongCARE, the European Health Data Space, and the newly launched Biobank-Plattform Deutschland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where TMF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
TMF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: TMF operates as a membership-based association (e.V.) with members from university medical centers, research institutions, registries, medical societies, and other stakeholders in German medical research.
- Government Project Funding: TMF receives federal government funding for coordinating national research projects including Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII), Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM), LongCARE coordination, TEHDAS2, NFDI4Health participation, and various BMG/BMBF research initiatives.
- Publications and Products: TMF publishes TMF-Schriftenreihe, annual reports, White Papers on medical research, and provides public goods including guidelines, expert opinions, and IT applications. Products are publicly available and free of charge.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels11 records
TMF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TMF is a German nonprofit association (e.V.) that develops concepts, infrastructures, and methods for networked medical research. It serves as the central coordinating umbrella organization for German medical research networks, providing IT tools and services (e.g., the ToolPool Gesundheitsforschung portal, IT requirements catalogs), coordinating national initiatives such as the Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII), Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM), LongCARE, and the Biobank-Plattform Deutschland, operating the National Release Center for SNOMED CT, and convening working groups, the annual TMF-Jahreskongress, and specialized symposia.
Product overview
TMF e.V. is an association that develops concepts, infrastructures, and methods for networked medical research in Germany. It operates primarily as a coordination and standards body rather than a software product company. Its core offerings include the ToolPool Gesundheitsforschung portal for IT tools, the IT-Anforderungen für Kohorten und Register requirements catalog, TMF-Schriftenreihe publications, TMF-Akademie training programs, and TMF-Jahreskongress annual congresses. TMF also coordinates national platforms like Biobank-Plattform Deutschland and publishes position papers on health policy matters.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ToolPool Gesundheitsforschung Online portal for IT tools and information supporting development, operation, and expansion of IT infrastructures for medical research. Features include faceted/full-text search and a feature matrix for comparing products within product groups. Targets researchers, IT managers, and project managers in German medical research.
- IT Requirements for Cohorts and Registries (Beschreibung der IT-Anforderungen für Kohorten und Register) Comprehensive requirements catalog for IT solutions supporting cohort studies and clinical/epidemiological registries, covering planning phases and revision processes. Distributed as Excel, PDF, and Word files. Aimed at operators of cohorts, registries, and clinical research projects.
- TMF-Schriftenreihe TMF publication series covering topics in medical research, published by MWV. Targets researchers, clinicians, and policy stakeholders in medical research.
- TMF-Akademie (TMF Academy) Training and education programs (TMF-School and TMF-Tutorials) providing professional development and capacity building for researchers and professionals in medical research.
- TMF-Jahreskongress (TMF Annual Congress) Annual congress serving as a platform for discussing health data, AI, and digital laws in medical research, with panel discussions, keynotes, and networking for ~200 medical research experts.
- Biobank-Plattform Deutschland National biobank platform providing centralized infrastructure for research, enabling standardized biobank operations and networking across Germany. TMF coordinates and develops this infrastructure.
- Stellungnahmen (Position Papers and Policy Statements) Official position papers and joint policy statements on health legislation and regulation in Germany, often co-developed with other medical and research organizations. Targets German federal ministries and legislative bodies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Coordination of 29 LongCARE research projects nationwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use TMF
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
TMF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
TMF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- TEHDAS2coreTEHDAS2 (Second Joint Action Towards the European Health Data Space) is an EU4Health joint action for secondary data use preparation in the European Health Data Space. TMF participates in developing guidelines and technical specifications for data holders, users, and health data access bodies.
- LongCAREcoreTMF coordinates LongCARE (Platform for Integrated Long-COVID Care And Research), overseeing 29 projects nationwide and conducting overall evaluation of the funding priority. This represents TMF's pandemic preparedness coordination role.
- NFDI4HealthmajorTMF participates in NFDI4Health which funds new projects in research data management. TMF contributes expertise on health research data infrastructure and interoperability.
- Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM)coreTMF serves as co-coordinator for NUM, the Network of University Medicine established during COVID-19. TMF co-led the national COVID-19 research data platform in 2020-21 and continues coordination activities.
- National Digital Health SymposiummajorTMF co-organizes annual National Digital Health Symposium since 2019, bringing together science, politics, and industry on digital health topics.
- Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR)coreBMFTR provides primary government funding for TMF coordination activities including Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII) coordination office since 2016, National Release Center for SNOMED CT, and various research infrastructure projects. TMF serves as key implementation partner for federal digital health research strategy.
- Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII)coreTMF has led the MII Coordination Office since 2016, coordinating the German Medical Informatics Initiative that connects university hospitals for data sharing. This is TMF's flagship national coordination project.
- Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI)majorTMF participates in NFDI for person-related health data, Germany's national research data infrastructure initiative for standardized data management.
- Biobanken-Symposium networkmajorTMF organizes the National Biobanken-Symposium since 2012 and leads the Biobank-Plattform Deutschland launched in 2026, coordinating national biobank infrastructure.
- Gematik GmbHcoreTMF Managing Director Sebastian C. Semler has served as statutory delegate in Gematik's governing body since 2006. TMF holds chair position on Gematik Advisory Board and provides expertise on digital health infrastructure and health data interoperability.
- Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e.V. (DNVF)majorJoint statement co-developer on Medizinregistergesetz with DNVF and 50+ other institutions. TMF and DNVF jointly address registry policy, health services research, and evidence-based healthcare.
- Registertage networkmajorTMF organizes annual Health Registry Summit (Registertage) bringing together registry operators, government officials, and researchers to discuss registry-based research and policy.
- Deutsche Hochschulmedizin e.V. (DHM)majorJoint statement on European Biotech Act with DHM addressing regulatory frameworks for clinical research, biotech translation, and digital health innovation.
- Koordinierungsgruppe Gesundheitsforschungsdateninfrastruktur (GFDI)coreTMF participates in GFDI Coordination Group organized by MII and NUM, coordinating health research data infrastructure initiatives and policy positions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
TMF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Gematik GmbH: German national agency for digital health infrastructure (telematics infrastructure, ePA). TMF holds a statutory seat on Gematik's advisory board, making Gematik both a regulator and a strategic counterpart shaping the standards TMF helps implement.
- Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII) / Koordinierungsstelle: Federal initiative connecting German university hospitals for data sharing, whose coordination office is operated by TMF. Thematically adjacent as the major national medical informatics program TMF coordinates; listed separately because it is a program rather than an independent peer organization.
- NFDI4Health (consortium within Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur): German consortium for health research data management within the national NFDI framework. TMF is itself a partner in NFDI4Health, but the consortium is thematically comparable as a publicly funded data infrastructure initiative.
Broad incumbents
- Helmholtz Association: Germany's largest scientific organization, including health research centers. Overlapping with TMF's role in coordinating large-scale health research infrastructure but operating across all scientific disciplines and at significantly larger scale.
- Fraunhofer Society (health-related institutes): Germany's largest applied research organization, with institutes in medical informatics, digital health, and biotechnology. Comparable in publicly funded applied research coordination but with much broader scope and scale than TMF's medical-research focus.
Direct peers
- BBMRI-ERIC: European research infrastructure consortium for biobanking and biomolecular resources. Directly comparable to TMF's Biobank-Plattform Deutschland and biobank coordination role, serving as the European-level umbrella for biobank networks.
- ELIXIR: Intergovernmental organization coordinating life science data infrastructure across Europe. Comparable to TMF as a publicly funded nonprofit coordinating research data infrastructure, standards, and interoperability for biomedical research.
- Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation (SCTO): Swiss nonprofit platform coordinating clinical research across universities and hospitals. Comparable in mission (clinical research coordination, training, standards) and governance (member-based association model).
- ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network): Pan-European nonprofit that coordinates national clinical trial infrastructures and provides services for multinational studies. Highly comparable to TMF as a publicly funded coordination body serving academic medical research networks across Europe.
- Lygature (formerly CTMM): Dutch nonprofit that drives public-private partnerships in medical research, including data infrastructure and clinical studies. Comparable in role as a neutral coordinator of medical research collaborations and infrastructure projects.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TMF social profiles
Digital presenceTMF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TMF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
TMF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TMF 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 TMF
What does TMF do?
TMF is a German nonprofit association (e.V.) that develops concepts, infrastructures, and methods for networked medical research. It serves as the central coordinating umbrella organization for German medical research networks, providing IT tools and services (e.g., the ToolPool Gesundheitsforschung portal, IT requirements catalogs), coordinating national initiatives such as the Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII), Netzwerk Universitätsmedizin (NUM), LongCARE, and the Biobank-Plattform Deutschland, operating the National Release Center for SNOMED CT, and convening working groups, the annual TMF-Jahreskongress, and specialized symposia.
Is TMF a public or private company?
TMF is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was TMF founded?
TMF was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TMF based?
TMF is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does TMF make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Project Funding and publications and Products.
Who are TMF's main competitors?
Others on record are Gematik GmbH, Medizininformatik-Initiative (MII) / Koordinierungsstelle and NFDI4Health (consortium within Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur). Broad incumbents are Helmholtz Association and Fraunhofer Society (health-related institutes). Direct peers are BBMRI-ERIC, ELIXIR, Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation (SCTO), ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) and Lygature (formerly CTMM).
Does TMF have an API?
No public API is recorded for TMF.