Institut du Cerveau

What Institut du Cerveau does

Institut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute / ICM) is a French non-profit neuroscience research foundation established in 2006 and located at Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris, one of Europe's largest teaching hospitals. The institute studies the brain and nervous system with the objective of discovering new treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases, operating across five research domains: cellular and molecular neurobiology, integrative neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, clinical and translational neuroscience, and computational modeling. It coordinates 29 research teams selected by an international scientific committee, drawing on a workforce of 878 collaborators (as of September 30, 2024) representing 51 nationalities, with 84% in scientific, medical, or paramedical roles.

The institute's core infrastructure consists of 12 specialized technological platforms and a biobank. Key platforms include CENIR (neuroimaging/MRI), IGenSeq (genomic sequencing), ePHYS (electrophysiology), ICV (cellular engineering and viral vector production for gene therapy), DAC (biomedical data analysis and AI/ML), and PRISME (human cognition and behavior). The institute has formalized AI/ML as a transversal pillar through its Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, with the ARAMIS team applying machine learning to neuroimaging analysis and neurodegenerative disease prediction. Clinical research is anchored by CIC Neurosciences in partnership with AP-HP, and supported by the iCRIN clinical research infrastructure. An innovation stack comprising NeurAL (startup studio), iPEPS (incubator), Care Lab (patient-centered living lab), Sleeping Beauties (dormant-drug revival), and GENOV (gene and cell therapy) is designed to translate discoveries into startups and clinical applications. Educational programs (Open Brain School, Summer School Brain to Market, iMIND international Master's, Masterclass Créativité & Neurosciences) train researchers and entrepreneurs.

The institute operates as a public-interest foundation (reconnue d'utilité publique) under a hybrid non-profit revenue model. Primary funding comes from French national programs (France 2030, Investissements d'Avenir, ANR) and flagship institutional partners (CNRS, Inserm, AP-HP, Sorbonne Université), supplemented by individual and corporate donations, patent licensing, and professional services. It serves a multi-sided audience: international academic and clinical research collaborators, patients and patient advocacy groups, healthcare institutions, and the general public through science outreach. There is no commercial product pricing; the institute monetizes impact through published research, licensed IP, trained talent, and spinout companies.

Name

Institut du Cerveau

Legal name

Institut du Cerveau

Website

https://institutducerveau.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Institut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute) is a French non-profit neuroscience research foundation at Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris. It operates 12 technological platforms and a biobank supporting 29 research teams across five neuroscience domains, serving academic collaborators, patients, and healthcare institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Translational Neuroscience Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Biomedical Research Universities (Academic Medical Center–Affiliated) (EDAHABAC), Neurogenetics & Rare Neurologic Diseases (HLAKAIAO), Clinical Research Support (CRC/CTA) (EDAOAJAO)

Keywords

• Neuroscience research
• Brain disease research
• Translational neuroscience
• Neuroimaging services
• Clinical investigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream for this public interest foundation. Individual donors, corporate donors, and charitable foundations contribute to support the institute's research mission.
2. Patent Licensing: Revenue generated from licensing of patents arising from research discoveries and innovations developed at the institute.
3. Professional Services: Revenue from specialized services potentially including consulting, research partnerships, and educational programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Institut du Cerveau is a public-interest neuroscience research foundation that operates 12 technological platforms and a biobank supporting 29 research teams across five integrated research domains, with the goal of translating basic brain science into clinical applications and new treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases. It also delivers structured education and training programs (Open Brain School, Summer School Brain to Market, Masterclass Créativité & Neurosciences) and operates an innovation arm (NeurAL Startup Studio, Care Lab, GENOV, Sleeping Beauties) that supports startups, drug development, gene and cell therapy, and patient-centered innovation.

Product overview

Institut du Cerveau is a neuroscience research institute (Paris Brain Institute) organized as a platform-and-services model. The core infrastructure consists of 12 technological platforms (CENIR for neuroimaging, IGenSeq for genomic sequencing, ePHYS for electrophysiology, ICV for cellular engineering, DAC for data analysis, PRISME for cognition research, and others) supporting 29 research teams studying brain diseases. The innovation arm includes NeurAL startup incubator, Startup Studio, and Care Lab living lab for patient-centered innovation. The Open Brain School education division offers programs including Summer School Brain to Market (neuroscience entrepreneurship training), Masterclass Créativité & Neurosciences, and international master's programs. Clinical research is coordinated through CIC Neurosciences, a partnership with AP-HP for translating research into patient care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Care Lab: Living lab focused on patient-centered innovation and healthcare solutions development.
• Sleeping Beauties
• GENOV
• NeurAL
• iPEPS
• Open Brain School

Products and services

• CIC Neurosciences (Centre d'Investigation Clinique Neurosciences) Clinical investigation center dedicated to researching neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, combining fundamental research with clinical care through AP-HP and Inserm partnership. Used by clinical researchers, hospitals, and patients enrolled in clinical studies.
• CENIR (Plateforme de neuroimagerie) Advanced neuroimaging platform providing MRI and related imaging services for brain research and clinical studies. Used by academic and private research teams.
• IGenSeq (Plateforme de séquençage génomique) Genomic sequencing platform enabling DNA and genetic analysis for neuroscience research and neurodegenerative disease studies. Used by research teams studying genetic underpinnings of brain disease.
• ePHYS (Plateforme d'électrophysiologie) Electrophysiology platform for studying electrical activity in neural circuits and brain function. Used by neuroscience research teams.
• ICV (Plateforme d'ingénierie cellulaire et vectorologie) Cellular engineering and viral vector production platform supporting gene therapy development and cellular biology research. Used by research teams developing gene and cell therapies.
• DAC (Data Analysis Core) Biomedical data analysis platform providing bioinformatics support, AI, and machine learning expertise for brain research data. Used by research teams across the institute and collaborators.
• PRISME (Plateforme cognition et comportement humain) Platform dedicated to studying human cognition and behavior, supporting clinical and translational neuroscience research. Used by clinical and translational research teams.
• Centre d'intelligence artificielle et science des données AI and data science center developing machine learning approaches for brain disease research, diagnostics, and treatment optimization, including the ARAMIS team (Apprentissage automatique et science des données pour les maladies du cerveau) and tools like SMARTinMS.
• Care Lab (Living Lab) Living laboratory focused on patient-centered healthcare innovation, bringing together patients, researchers, and healthcare professionals to co-develop healthcare solutions.
• NeurAL Startup Studio & Incubator Startup incubator and studio program supporting neuroscience and psychiatry startups with funding (NeurAL fund), mentorship, and access to institute resources. For neuroscience and psychiatry entrepreneurs.
• Open Brain School Education division of the institute offering neuroscience and entrepreneurship training programs, including Summer School Brain to Market, Masterclass Créativité & Neurosciences, and international master programmes. For students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and the general public.
• Summer School Brain to Market Annual intensive training program combining neuroscience and entrepreneurship to foster health innovation. For researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of brain science and commercial health applications.
• International Master Programme in Neurodegenerative Diseases (iMIND) International Master's program in neurodegenerative diseases, a high-level academic training program for students pursuing advanced study in neurodegeneration.
• EPICA training program Professional training program launched under the France 2030 investment plan, aimed at supporting innovative professional training projects in healthcare.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational health and medical research institute, France's largest public research organization focused on human health. Core institutional partner providing fundamental research expertise, clinical research capabilities, and integration with the French healthcare system.
• Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Center for Scientific Research, France's largest fundamental research organization. Key partner providing extensive scientific expertise across multiple disciplines relevant to neuroscience research.
• Sorbonne UniversitéflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor French university with strong science and medicine faculties. Provides academic integration, student talent pipeline, and collaborative research environment for neuroscience programs.
• Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParis Public Hospital Association, Europe's largest hospital system. Provides clinical research environment, patient access for clinical studies, and integration with Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière where the institute is located.
• Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire France (IHU France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity Hospital Institute network, French centers of excellence in specific medical fields. Network of specialized institutes driving innovation in healthcare research and clinical practice.
• Réseau des Instituts CarnotminorOthersCarnot Institute Network, French network of research institutes with strong industry partnerships. Provides framework for collaborative research and technology transfer activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Allen Institute for Brain Science: Large non-profit research organization dedicated to large-scale brain science, including cell atlasing and connectomics. Directly comparable as a non-profit neuroscience research institute with platform infrastructure, international talent, and a translational mission targeting brain disease.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus: HHMI's dedicated neuroscience research campus in Ashburn, Virginia, focused on fundamental neuroscience with a small-team, well-funded model and advanced imaging/tooling platforms. Comparable as a non-profit neuroscience research entity operating shared technology platforms supporting international research teams.
• UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI): UK national institute dedicated to dementia and neurodegeneration research with multiple centers across UK universities. Directly comparable as a government-backed, multi-site neuroscience research consortium focused on neurodegenerative diseases, a primary research domain for Institut du Cerveau.
• Max Planck Institute for Brain Research: Germany's leading fundamental neuroscience research institute with strong focus on cellular/molecular and systems neuroscience. Comparable as a non-profit, government-funded neuroscience research institute with international talent and focus on brain disease mechanisms.
• McGovern Institute for Brain Research: MIT-based neuroscience research institute combining basic and translational neuroscience. Comparable as a large non-profit brain research institute with research teams across multiple neuroscience domains, advanced technology platforms, and significant external funding.
• Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute (Columbia): Columbia University's neuroscience research institute integrating molecular, cellular, systems, and cognitive neuroscience with translational goals. Comparable as a multidisciplinary brain research institute with shared technology platforms and a translational mission bridging basic science and clinical applications.

Regional players

• Champalimaud Foundation - Centre for the Unknown: Portugal-based private biomedical research foundation with strong neuroscience and oncology programs. Comparable as a non-profit biomedical research foundation combining clinical research with platform infrastructure, though primarily focused on European neuroscience from a non-French base.
• Einstein Center for Neuroscience Berlin: Berlin-based cross-institutional neuroscience research network involving Charité and Humboldt University. Comparable as a European non-profit neuroscience research consortium with platform infrastructure and international research teams, though operating across multiple host institutions rather than a single site.

Broad incumbents

• Karolinska Institutet - Department of Neuroscience: Sweden's leading medical university with a major neuroscience department focused on brain disease research. Comparable neuroscience research scope and academic medical center affiliation, but as a degree-granting university rather than a standalone research foundation.
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies: California-based non-profit biomedical research institute with major neuroscience and molecular biology programs. Comparable as a large, well-funded non-profit research institute combining basic discovery with translational programs, though broader than neuroscience alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ParisBrainInst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdvPnbYIv4bHKsqgFxS2k3w
• Facebookfacebook.com/institutducerveau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institutducerveau
• Instagraminstagram.com/institutcerveau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institut du Cerveau