CTSNet

What CTSNet does

CTSNet (legal name CTSNet Inc., dba Cardiothoracic Surgery Network) is a Chicago-headquartered not-for-profit organization that operates the largest online community for cardiothoracic surgeons worldwide. The platform is jointly overseen by three of the most authoritative specialty societies — the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), and the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS) — with numerous additional participating organizations globally. CTSNet delivers communication, collaboration, education, and professional networking services to practicing cardiothoracic surgeons, trainees, and adjacent clinical care providers (anesthesiologists, cardiologists, perfusionists, physician assistants, nurses, and data managers).

The platform's product surface is content-centric and community-driven. CTSNet.org serves as the central hub, with a content library of 8,000+ items organized across cardiac (4,232+ items), thoracic (2,765+), and congenital (1,265+) subspecialties, comprising peer-reviewed videos, journal articles, podcasts, webinars, and Master Classes. Core products include the JANS (Journal and News Scan) curated journal service, four podcast series (The Beat with Joel Dunning, The Atrium, The Cardiac Recovery Room, The Lifeline), the Atlas of Cardiac Surgery video library, the US and European Career Centers (jobs.ctsnet.org and eurojobs.ctsnet.org), an events calendar, a journals gateway, and the Pulse weekly newsletter. Member-facing features include editable professional profile pages, a contributor badge system, and submission/peer-review workflows overseen by Senior Editors and Associate Editors across subspecialties. The site was relaunched in April 2026 with improved navigation and design.

The business model is freemium at the member level (no registration fee for surgeons or associates) with monetization concentrated in four commercial streams: banner advertising on the homepage, blast email services to the community, survey services for organizations, and featured sponsorships (Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease is the disclosed Gold Sponsor). Participating Organizations receive 25% discounts on commercial rates and toolkit access for member management. The platform is supported by a small staff of approximately five full-time employees plus a Board of Directors and a network of volunteer Senior Editors, Associate Editors, and JANS Editors. CTSNet does not publicly disclose revenue, has no disclosed funding rounds, and is not subject to traditional equity ownership.

Name

CTSNet

Legal name

CTSNet Inc.

Website

https://ctsnet.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CTSNet is a not-for-profit online community and content platform serving the global cardiothoracic surgery specialty, jointly overseen by STS, AATS, and EACTS. It provides peer-reviewed clinical videos, articles, podcasts, a job board, and educational programming to surgeons, trainees, and clinical care providers at no membership cost, monetizing through advertising, blast emails, surveys, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Banner Advertising: Commercial banner ad placements on the CTSNet homepage, with 25% discount for Participating Organizations.
2. Blast Email Services: Sending blast emails to CTSNet community members, with additional blast emails charged at discounted rates and 25% discount for Participating Organizations.
3. Survey Services: CTSNet conducts surveys for organizations of the entire community or subsets, with 25% discount for Participating Organizations.
4. Featured Sponsorships: Gold sponsor arrangement with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease for premium exposure to the CTSNet community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CTSNet operates a not-for-profit online platform that serves as the largest global community for cardiothoracic surgeons and related healthcare professionals. It aggregates peer-reviewed clinical content (videos, articles, podcasts, webinars, atlases) across cardiac, thoracic, and congenital subspecialties, while also operating dedicated career/job boards (US and European), educational competitions, and providing advertising/sponsorship opportunities to healthcare industry partners.

Product overview

CTSNet is a not-for-profit online platform and professional community for cardiothoracic surgeons, providing comprehensive educational resources across four subspecialties: Cardiac, Thoracic, Congenital, and Clinical Care Providers. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem combining CTSNet.org as the central hub with multiple integrated products including the Career Center job board, JANS (Journal and News Scan) article curation service, four podcast series (The Beat, The Atrium, The Cardiac Recovery Room, The Lifeline), the Atlas of Cardiac Surgery video library, Webinars, Master Classes, Guest Interviews, and Conference Sessions. Additional offerings include three annual video competitions (Innovation, Instructional, and Resident), an Events Calendar, and the Pulse weekly newsletter. The platform is jointly overseen by STS, AATS, and EACTS, and serves the largest online community of cardiothoracic surgeons worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTSNet.org Platform The primary online platform and community for cardiothoracic surgeons, providing comprehensive educational content, professional networking, and access to clinical resources across cardiac, thoracic, and congenital subspecialties.
• Career Center Premier job board for cardiothoracic surgery professionals, featuring listings across the specialty including surgeon positions, academic roles, and healthcare leadership opportunities. Includes US Career Center (jobs.ctsnet.org) and European Career Center (eurojobs.ctsnet.org).
• JANS (Journal and News Scan) Curated collection of journal articles and news from cardiothoracic surgery literature, curated by JANS Editors and distributed via weekly newsletter.
• Atlas of Cardiac Surgery Comprehensive video library of cardiac surgery techniques curated by Dr. Vince Gaudiani, covering procedures including aortic valve replacement, mitral valve repair, aortic root reconstruction, and coronary artery disease.
• CTSNet Podcast Series Four podcast series including The Beat With Joel Dunning (weekly expert discussions), The Atrium (interviews hosted by Dr. Alice Copperwheat), The Cardiac Recovery Room (postoperative care hosted by Dr. Rawn Salenger), and The Lifeline (crisis management hosted by Jill Ley).
• CTSNet Webinars Educational webinar series featuring expert-led presentations on cardiothoracic surgery topics, often in partnership with medical companies and professional organizations.
• Innovation Video Competition Annual video competition showcasing innovative solutions to cardiothoracic surgery challenges, including new technologies and novel surgical approaches.
• Master Class In-depth educational video series providing comprehensive instruction on specific cardiothoracic surgery procedures and techniques.
• Journals Gateway Portal providing access to major cardiothoracic surgery specialty journals including Journal of Chest Surgery, Seminars in Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, and others.
• Events Calendar Comprehensive calendar of cardiothoracic surgery events, conferences, and educational programs worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 content items in Cardiac subspecialty (1,811 JANS Articles, 2,134 Videos, 247 Podcasts, 1 Journal)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three major organizations jointly overseeing CTSNet as the premier online cardiothoracic surgery platform. STS is a founding governance partner providing strategic direction and content endorsement.
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three major organizations jointly overseeing CTSNet. AATS provides governance oversight and is a key strategic partner in directing the platform's mission.
• European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three major organizations jointly overseeing CTSNet. EACTS represents the European cardiothoracic surgery community and contributes to the international scope of the platform.
• Participating OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNumerous cardiothoracic surgery organizations from around the world are involved in CTSNet as Participating Organizations. These organizations receive toolkit access, event posting capabilities, announcements, and advertising discounts.
• Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare DiseaseflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of CTSNet, providing premium exposure through the Featured Sponsors page to leading surgeons, clinicians, and decision-makers worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Doximity: Doximity is the largest U.S. physician professional network, combining a verified directory, news feed, and career/job board. It is directly comparable to CTSNet's professional community and Career Center offerings, with a much broader multi-specialty scope.
• Sermo: Sermo is a physician-only social and discussion platform offering community, paid market research, and collaboration tools. It mirrors CTSNet's community-led, member-contribution model for clinical professionals.
• PracticeLink: PracticeLink is a physician job board and career resource platform serving U.S. doctors across specialties. It directly competes with CTSNet's Career Center for employer job postings and physician candidates.
• HealtheCareers: HealtheCareers is a healthcare-focused job board with deep physician and advanced-practice placement, including specialty surgery roles. It competes head-to-head with CTSNet's US Career Center for cardiothoracic surgery job listings.

Broad incumbents

• Medscape: Medscape, operated by WebMD, is a leading medical news, education, and professional engagement platform covering all specialties. It is comparable to CTSNet in providing clinical content and career resources but at far greater scale and breadth.
• American Heart Association (AHA): AHA is a major cardiovascular organization providing scientific journals, professional education, and clinical resources to a broad cardiovascular audience. It overlaps with CTSNet's audience and educational mission at substantially greater scale.
• NEJM Knowledge+: NEJM Knowledge+ is the New England Journal of Medicine Group's adaptive learning and continuing education platform for physicians. It is comparable to CTSNet's educational and assessment offerings but serves all specialties.

Emerging players

• Figure 1: Figure 1 is a clinical case-sharing platform where physicians post and discuss anonymized medical images. It overlaps with CTSNet's community and educational content focus but with a narrower visual-case orientation and broader specialty coverage.
• QuantiaMD: QuantiaMD is a physician collaboration and learning community that delivers expert-led content and case-based discussions. It shares CTSNet's community-led content approach but with multi-specialty rather than specialty-specific focus.

Regional players

• American College of Cardiology (ACC): ACC is the leading U.S. cardiology professional society, offering education, journals, and community to cardiologists. It mirrors CTSNet's society-led community and education model but targets a related but distinct specialty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctsnetorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CTSNetVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/CTSNet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ctsnet-cardiothoracic-surgeons-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/ctsnet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CTSNet