IrsiCaixa

What IrsiCaixa does

IrsiCaixa is a private non-profit biomedical research foundation established in 1995 in Badalona, Spain, co-founded by la Caixa Foundation and the Ministry of Health of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. It is physically embedded within Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital alongside the Fight Infections Foundation, and operates 11 independent research groups across six strategic lines: global infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, SARS-CoV-2), emerging infectious diseases, immunopathology, microbiome, cancer, and therapies & vaccines. The institute employs 120+ professionals, has produced more than 1,400 publications with an H-index of 114–119, and holds an HIV-related biobank of approximately 120,000 patient samples built since 1993, processed at ~300 samples per month through a BSL-2 laboratory.

Its product surface consists of translational research output, scientific and technical services (sample processing, cryogenic storage, next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics), clinical studies, training programs (including a Chair of Infectious Diseases and Immunity with the University of Vic), and intellectual property that has generated two spin-offs — AELIX Therapeutics (HIV immunotherapy, €11.5M raised in 2016) and AlbaJuna Therapeutics (monoclonal antibodies for HIV, co-developed with Grifols). The institute also operates the Living Lab for Health, a participatory system-innovation methodology embedded in EU projects such as CONNECT, FoodCLIC, and CLEVERFOOD.

The revenue model is multi-stream and grant-driven: core funding from la Caixa Foundation and the Catalan government, ~143 concurrent research project grants from national, EU (Horizon Europe), and pharmaceutical sponsors (ViiV Healthcare, Gilead, AbbVie, MSD, Grifols, HIPRA, amfAR), fee-for-service scientific and technical services, donations with Spanish tax benefits, and technology transfer via patents and minority-held spin-offs. A Bioinformatics Department launched in 2025 is industrializing NGS, single-cell, and cloud-based data-governance workflows for both internal research and external clients.

Name

IrsiCaixa

Legal name

Fundació Privada Institut de Recerca de la Sida-Caixa

Website

https://irsicaixa.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IrsiCaixa is a Barcelona-based non-profit HIV/AIDS research foundation operating 11 research groups within a university hospital, conducting translational immunology, infectious disease, microbiome, and cancer research while offering biobanking, sequencing, and bioinformatics services to external partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

HIV/AIDS Medicine (HLAKAGAB), Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Medical & Clinical Reference (Physicians, Nursing, Allied Health) (EDAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Biomedical research services
• Infectious disease research
• Immunology and vaccines
• Sample biobanking services
• HIV/AIDS research

Headquarters

HQ city

Badalona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding and Donations: As a private non-profit foundation created in 1995, IrsiCaixa operates primarily through funding from 'la Caixa' Foundation and the Ministry of Health of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. Donations from individuals and companies are encouraged, with tax benefits available in Spain since 2020.
2. Research Project Grants: Funding from national and international research projects funded by both public and private entities. Approximately 143 active projects at any given time.
3. Scientific and Technical Services: Provides scientific and technical services to research centres, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and private companies including sample processing, storage, and sequencing services.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IrsiCaixa is a private non-profit research foundation that conducts translational biomedical research focused on understanding the immune system to combat HIV/AIDS, emerging infectious diseases, cancer, immunopathology, and microbiome disorders. The institute operates 11 research groups, provides scientific and technical laboratory services (sample processing, storage, and sequencing), runs clinical studies, manages patents, and offers training programs in biomedical sciences.

Product overview

IrsiCaixa is a private non-profit foundation (established 1995) operating as a research institute, not a traditional product company. Its portfolio consists of 11 research groups conducting translational biomedical research, a Living Lab for Health applying participatory system-innovation methodologies, scientific and technical services (biobanking, sequencing, bioinformatics), training programs, clinical studies, and intellectual property that has generated two spin-offs (AELIX Therapeutics and AlbaJuna Therapeutics). The research groups work independently and collaboratively on six strategic lines: Global Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Immunopathology, Microbiome, Cancer, and Therapies and Vaccines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Living Lab for Health: Living Lab for Health promotes the social impact of scientific research through participatory system innovation processes

Products and services

• Sample Processing and Storage Service Biosafety level 2 laboratory offering cryogenic processing and storage of human biological samples including PBMCs, plasma, serum, urine, feces, semen, vaginal fluid, and biopsy material, with a biobank of approximately 120,000 patient samples; processes approximately 300 samples monthly for external research centres, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals.
• Sequencing Service Next-generation sequencing services for genomics and transcriptomics research, provided to research centres, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and private companies.
• Bioinformatics Services Centralized computational biology hub providing standardized workflows for next-generation sequencing (NGS) including genomics, transcriptomics, and single-cell analysis, high-performance computing resources, cloud-based platforms, and data governance under FAIR principles and GDPR compliance.
• Living Lab for Health Services Participatory innovation methodology that engages multi-stakeholder networks (academic institutions, healthcare services, social services, educational community, private sector, NGOs, public administration, patients, and citizens) to address complex health challenges through co-creation, implementation, and reflexive monitoring phases.
• Training in Biomedical Sciences Educational programs including doctoral training, postdoctoral programs, other training programs, and the Chair of Infectious Diseases and Immunity for scientists and biomedical researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1400 publications in international scientific journals
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner where Dr. Bonaventura Clotet is an associate professor. Dr. Clotet directed the Master's in AIDS Pathogenesis and Treatment (Gimbernat-UAB-IrsiCaixa) from 2011-2016. UAB is listed as a cooperation partner.
• Fight Infections FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated adjacent to IrsiCaixa within the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital. Co-founded by Dr. Bonaventura Clotet in 1992. Creates a unique collaborative model between researchers, healthcare providers, patients, and community representatives.
• Germans Trias i Pujol University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrsiCaixa is located within this hospital in Badalona, enabling close collaboration between researchers and healthcare providers. Dr. Clotet was head of the HIV Unit from 1987-2015.
• GrifolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company listed as a cooperation partner. Co-developed AlbaJuna Therapeutics spin-off with IrsiCaixa researchers for monoclonal antibody HIV treatment.
• ViiV HealthcaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company specializing in HIV, listed as a cooperation partner supporting IrsiCaixa research activities.
• Gilead SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company cooperation partner. Has provided grants to IrsiCaixa researchers including Sara Morón-López for HIV research and funding for female researchers progressing in HIV and COVID-19 fields.
• AbbViemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company listed as a cooperation partner supporting IrsiCaixa research.
• MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company listed as a cooperation partner supporting IrsiCaixa research.
• ICREAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitución de la Generalidad de Cataluña listed as a cooperation partner.
• BCN CheckpointminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity center for rapid HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening in Barcelona, listed as a cooperation partner.
• HIPRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company listed as a cooperation partner.
• amfARmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican foundation for AIDS research, listed as a cooperation partner supporting IrsiCaixa HIV research.
• CERCA (Research Centers of Catalonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrsiCaixa is recognized as a CERCA center. The CERCA GINYS platform provides funding for sample processing and Living Lab services.
• University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Chair of Infectious Diseases and Immunity directed by Dr. Bonaventura Clotet since 2013 (originally as Chair of AIDS and Related Diseases).

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Institut Pasteur: Private non-profit foundation in Paris dedicated to biomedical research on infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, microbiology, immunology, and vaccine development. Closest comparable to IrsiCaixa by structure (private foundation), mission (HIV and emerging infections), translational hospital-linked model, and training programmes.
• Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard: Independent HIV immunology/vaccine research institute embedded within Massachusetts General Hospital, focused on HIV cure, broadly neutralizing antibodies, and immune-based therapies. Directly comparable to IrsiCaixa's HIV immunogen, mAb, and T-cell immunity programmes and to its hospital-embedded translational model.
• Gladstone Institutes: San Francisco-based non-profit biomedical research organization affiliated with UCSF, conducting disease-focused research in HIV, virology, immunology, and neuroscience. Highly comparable on structure (independent non-profit), disease-focused research themes, and translational science focus.
• The Wistar Institute: Independent non-profit biomedical research institute in Philadelphia focused on infectious diseases, immunology, and vaccine development, including HIV research. Comparable independent non-profit research institute with translational focus and similar funding model (foundation + NIH grants).
• Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp: European non-profit biomedical research and training institute focused on infectious and tropical diseases (HIV, TB, malaria, emerging pathogens). Comparable mission on emerging infectious diseases, translational research linked to clinical care, and training programmes for biomedical scientists.

Regional players

• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG): Barcelona-based CERCA biomedical research institute with overlapping strengths in genomics, systems biology, and bioinformatics, and sharing the same Catalan research ecosystem, CERCA affiliation, and 'la Caixa'-linked funding environment as IrsiCaixa.
• IDIBAPS / Fundació Clínic: Hospital-embedded Barcelona biomedical research institute associated with Hospital Clínic, with overlapping infectious disease and immunology research programmes. Comparable as a translational, hospital-embedded biomedical research institute in the same regional ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Scripps Research: Larger US non-profit biomedical research organization with broader portfolio across chemistry, immunology, neuroscience, and infectious disease (including HIV). Comparable in non-profit research structure and immunology focus, but materially larger, broader, and more endowed, positioning it as a broader incumbent rather than a direct peer.
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Large US non-profit research organization with strong infectious disease, immunology, and vaccine programmes (HIV, COVID-19). Comparable in research focus on immunology and vaccines and non-profit translational model, but materially larger in budget and overall scale than IrsiCaixa.

Emerging players

• AELIX Therapeutics SL: Barcelona-based spin-off created in 2015 from HIVACAT/IrsiCaixa research to develop the HTI immunogen as an HIV therapeutic vaccine; raised €11.5M in 2016. Comparable as a direct commercialization path for IrsiCaixa IP, but operates as an early-stage clinical biotech rather than a research institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irsicaixa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtq_9QH6CiNSPunXS833XjA/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irsicaixa
• Instagraminstagram.com/irsicaixa
• TikToktiktok.com/@irsicaixa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IrsiCaixa