Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

What Indiana Biosciences Research Institute does

Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is a nonprofit translational medicine institute founded in 2016 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was established through a coalition of founding partners that included Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics, Cook Medical, Corteva, Lilly Endowment, Indiana University Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, BioCrossroads, and the State of Indiana. IBRI's stated mission is to bridge the "valley of death" between academic discovery and commercial drug development by combining the scientific capabilities of a research institute with the drug-discovery expertise of a biopharmaceutical company. Its research focuses on metabolic diseases (diabetes and obesity), Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and pediatric rare diseases, supported by platforms including induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, microphysiological systems and organoids, computational and generative AI drug design, structural biology, and peptide chemistry. The institute runs the NIH-NIA-funded TREAT-AD Center as a co-lead with Indiana University School of Medicine and Purdue University.

IBRI distributes its impact through three operating arms. Its core research operations advance an internal pipeline spanning peptides, small molecules, antibodies, and protein degraders across discovery, preclinical, and clinical stages. The Future Legends Lab incubator provides laboratory space, shared equipment, and scientific mentorship to early-stage life sciences startups (Adipo Therapeutics, AKICept, Amplicore, BiomEdit, Helix BioStructures, Kovina Therapeutics, MBX Biosciences, Monument Biosciences, Volari Therapeutics, among others). Libris Innovations, a for-profit subsidiary, creates new biotech companies from IBRI discoveries and provides strategic, operational, and capital-formation support. Revenue is generated through four streams: NIH and other federal research grants, philanthropic donations, sponsored research agreements with pharmaceutical and animal-health companies (Eli Lilly, Elanco), and downstream economics from portfolio companies via the Libris subsidiary. Marketing and ecosystem-building activities include peer-reviewed publications, the Life Science Lab podcast, the annual IBRI Global Forum, and the Inside IBRI blog.

Name

Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

Legal name

Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

Website

https://indianabiosciences.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Indiana Biosciences Research Institute is a nonprofit translational medicine institute in Indianapolis that combines academic research with biopharmaceutical drug-discovery expertise. It operates iPSC, organoid, and computational drug-design platforms to advance therapies in metabolic disease, Alzheimer's, and pediatric rare diseases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Translational Medicine Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital & AI-Enabled Diagnostics (algorithmic interpretation, decision support tied to assays) (HLAAALAO)

Keywords

• Translational medicine research
• Drug discovery services
• Biopharmaceutical research
• Life sciences incubation
• Biotech venture creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Research Grants: IBRI receives significant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the NIH-NIA TREAT-AD Center grant ($11.3M secured in December 2024 for 5 years) and other federal research grants supporting drug discovery programs in Alzheimer's disease, metabolic diseases, and pediatric rare diseases.
2. Philanthropy and Donations: Philanthropy fuels discoveries at IBRI. The institute accepts donations through planned giving, corporate partnerships, donor-advised funds, stock gifts, and matching gifts. Contact: Chief Philanthropy Officer Christopher C. Conway.
3. Venture Creation (Libris Innovations): Libris Innovations, the for-profit subsidiary, creates new biotech companies from IBRI discoveries, attracting capital and talent to advance therapies. Portfolio companies include Volari Therapeutics and others from the Future Legends Lab incubator.
4. Sponsored Research Partnerships: Fee-for-service research collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies such as the partnership with Elanco Animal Health for feline iPSC-derived renal cell model development.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IBRI is a translational medicine research institute that conducts drug discovery and development research spanning metabolic diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and pediatric rare diseases. It operates an incubator (Future Legends Lab) for early-stage biotech startups and a for-profit venture creation subsidiary (Libris Innovations) that launches new biotech companies from IBRI discoveries. The institute offers fee-for-service sponsored research collaborations, access to its proprietary iPSC, organoid, computational drug design, and peptide platforms, and shares research tools openly through the NIH-NIA funded TREAT-AD Center.

Product overview

IBRI operates as a multi-component translational medicine institute with a unified platform approach. The core offering combines premier research institute capabilities with biopharmaceutical drug development expertise. Key products include: (1) IBRI's own research operations advancing drugs across metabolic diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and pediatric rare diseases; (2) Future Legends Lab incubator supporting early-stage life sciences companies with laboratory space and resources; (3) Libris Innovations subsidiary creating new biotech ventures from IBRI discoveries; (4) TREAT-AD Center for Alzheimer's disease drug discovery; and (5) iPSC Platform for human cell-based disease modeling. The pipeline spans from discovery through clinical development, covering peptide therapeutics, small molecules, therapeutic antibodies, and protein degraders. The 2026 IBRI Global Forum and Life Science Lab podcast extend the ecosystem's reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Libris Innovations: For-profit subsidiary and venture creation arm of IBRI that creates new life sciences companies to advance discoveries.
• Future Legends Lab
• Life Science Lab

Products and services

• Translational Medicine Research Services Fee-for-service drug discovery and translational research collaborations leveraging IBRI's iPSC, organoid, computational drug design, peptide, and structural biology platforms to advance therapeutic candidates for pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic partners.
• Future Legends Lab Incubator Membership-based incubator providing laboratory facilities, research technologies, tools, scientific expertise, and community engagement for high-potential early-stage life science startup companies.
• Libris Innovations Venture Creation For-profit subsidiary of IBRI that creates new life sciences companies from IBRI discoveries, advising on capital attraction and talent recruitment to advance portfolio companies such as Volari Therapeutics.
• TREAT-AD Center NIH-NIA sponsored center co-led by IBRI, IU School of Medicine, and Purdue that focuses on novel Alzheimer's disease therapy discovery, develops research tools, produces target-enabling packages, and shares resources openly with the research community.
• Life Science Lab Podcast A free public podcast featuring conversations with scientists, innovators, and leaders shaping translational research and biomedical innovation, distributed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• 2026 IBRI Global Forum An annual paid forum convening leaders across science, philanthropy, and investment to explore how combined strengths accelerate translational medicine and drug development from discovery to patients.

Quantifiable outcome

• NIH-NIA TREAT-AD grant of $11.3 million over 5 years secured in December 2024 for Alzheimer's disease research.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

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 capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BiomEditcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026Animal health biotechnology company leveraging microbiome and synthetic biology to develop solutions for livestock and pet health. Founded in 2022, backed by Anterra Capital, Viking Global, Nutreco, AgriZeroNZ, Elevate, and Betagro Ventures. Relocating to IBRI facilities at 16Tech in summer 2026 following integrated drug discovery partnership since 2023.
• Elanco Animal HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026One-year research partnership developing a novel feline induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived renal cell model for chronic kidney disease. Leverages IBRI's iPSC and cellular pharmacology teams led by Dr. Abdul Syed and Dr. Louis Stancato.
• Indiana University School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and primary academic collaborator. Dr. Alan Palkowitz maintains appointment as research professor. TREAT-AD consortium co-lead with Purdue. Dr. Timothy Richardson serves as co-director of TREAT-AD Center. Dr. D. Wade Clapp serves as Chairman of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief at Riley Hospital.
• Purdue UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead of TREAT-AD consortium with IU School of Medicine and IBRI. NIH-NIA funded $11.3M grant secured December 2024. Dr. Jeffrey Rhoads serves on IBRI Board.
• Eli Lilly and CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and major industry collaborator. IBRI CEO Alan Palkowitz spent nearly 3 decades at Lilly. Collaborating on long-acting peptide therapeutics for metabolic disease. $40M Alzheimer's research collaboration with IU. Multiple IBRI staff with Lilly backgrounds.
• Indiana University HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and largest integrated healthcare system in Indiana. Dennis Murphy, President and CEO, serves on Libris Innovations Board. Dr. David Ingram serves as CMO/EVP. Over 38,000 employees, 16 hospitals, 300+ clinical sites.
• National Institute on Aging (NIA)/NIHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of TREAT-AD Consortium with $11.3M five-year grant (secured December 2024) to advance novel Alzheimer's disease therapeutics through target identification, validation, and tool development.
• TREAT-AD Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Institute on Aging-funded effort to accelerate Alzheimer's disease treatment discovery. IBRI leads work on target identification, validation, and openly shares resources to speed field-wide drug development.
• Breakthrough T1DminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient advocacy group collaborating on diabetes research, particularly type 1 diabetes, to accelerate translation of discoveries into patient-benefiting therapies.
• MODEL-AD ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium generating better preclinical mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, deeply characterizing them, and establishing standardized preclinical testing protocols for the research community.
• Princess Máxima CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading pediatric oncology center collaborating with IBRI on pediatric sarcoma research including rhabdomyosarcoma and osteosarcoma.
• Children's Cancer Therapy Development InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution supporting IBRI's pediatric rare disease research programs with focus on pediatric sarcomas.
• Undiagnosed Disease NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to identify treatment options for patients with rare and extremely debilitating genetic mutations who lack diagnoses or approved therapies.
• University of TorontominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator accelerating translation of metabolic disease discoveries into medicines, particularly in diabetes research.
• NVIDIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner whose AI infrastructure supports IU's research capabilities. NVIDIA co-founder visited IU in May 2026 to explore AI research and bioscience capabilities. IU's Big Red 200 supercomputer supports 500+ AI research projects powered by NVIDIA technology.
• Grasshopper ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on pediatric sarcoma research supporting IBRI's pediatric rare disease platform.
• ITCC-P4minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit gGmbH created from EU-funded public-private partnership spanning 30 institutions across 8 countries. Founded in 2023 to accelerate pediatric cancer drug development. Dr. Louis Stancato co-led the original consortium.
• Ultra-Rare Cancer Treatment Advancement Program (ULTRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-private partnership led by Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in collaboration with NCI and FDA Oncology Center of Excellence. Addresses long-term sustainability and patient access for ultra-rare pediatric cancer therapeutics.
• Indiana Economic Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency that provided R&D grants to BiomEdit when founded, supporting initial collaboration with IBRI researchers.
• BioCrossroadscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and key Indiana life sciences economic development organization. Vince Wong serves as President and CEO. Supports IBRI's role in strengthening Indiana's biotech ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indiana-biosciences-research-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/inbiosciences
• Xx.com/INBiosciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/INBiosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indiana Biosciences Research Institute