The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

What The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute does

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is an independent, not-for-profit medical research facility founded in 1994 in Sydney in memory of cardiac surgeon Dr Victor Chang AC. It operates 26 laboratories across a national hub network spanning Sydney (Darlinghurst HQ on the St Vincent's Healthcare Campus), Perth (UWA), Melbourne (St Vincent's Institute) and South Western Sydney (Ingham Institute), staffed by more than 250 scientists, doctors and support staff. Its core work is basic, translational and clinical cardiovascular research spanning cardiac electrophysiology, transplantation, heart failure, inherited and childhood heart disease, vascular biology, computational cardiology, embryology and stem cell biology.

The institute's technology portfolio includes the registered Heart-in-a-Box preservation solution (extending heart viability from 4 to 8 hours), a spider venom-derived drug candidate for heart attack and stroke in Phase 1 clinical trials, individualised genetic risk prediction tests for sudden cardiac arrest and Brugada Syndrome, a non-invasive virtual biopsy MRI technique for transplant rejection monitoring, sonoperfusion ultrasound treatment, and the newly published Biomechanical-well-plate platform for monitoring cardiac organoids. It also operates specialised infrastructure including the Innovation Centre (cardiogenomics, gene editing, metabolomics), BioCORE animal research facilities, and Zebrafish facilities, supported by AI-assisted imaging, computational genomics, and population health analytics labs.

Revenue is sourced from Australian federal and state government research grants, individual philanthropic donations, bequest programs, corporate partnerships (notably Wesfarmers and Woodside), and community fundraising, with services to the public delivered free of charge through the mobile Heart Health Check program and education tools such as the Heart-Healthy Balanced Plate Guide. The institute is governed by an independent Board chaired by Matthew Grounds AM and led by Director and CEO Professor Jason Kovacic (since March 2020), and distributes outputs via peer-reviewed publications, clinical translation through partner hospitals, and technology adoption such as Heart-in-a-Box at hospitals worldwide.

Name

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

Legal name

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

Website

https://victorchang.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is an Australian independent, not-for-profit medical research facility with 250-plus scientists across 26 laboratories, conducting cardiovascular disease research, developing diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, and delivering community heart health programs nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cardiovascular Medical Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Hemodynamic Monitoring & Cardiac Diagnostics (Cath Lab, FFR/IVUS/OCT) (HLAHAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging (Echo/CT/MRI/Nuclear) (HLAKABAE), Cardiac Diagnostic Centers (Echo/Stress Testing/Holter) (HLAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Cardiovascular disease research
• Heart health screening
• Cardiac transplantation research
• Cardiac genetic testing
• Medical research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Darlinghurst

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Research Grants: Primary funding through competitive government research grants from Australian federal and state governments for scientific research programs.
2. Philanthropic Donations: Funding from individual donors, charitable foundations, and corporate philanthropy to support research operations and specific projects.
3. Bequests and Legacy Gifts: Legacy giving programs where supporters leave gifts in their wills to support ongoing heart research.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with corporations such as Wesfarmers and Woodside who provide funding for specific research initiatives and facilities.
5. Heart Health Check Services: Mobile heart health screening program providing cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar testing at community events and workplaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is an independent, not-for-profit medical research facility conducting basic, translational and clinical cardiovascular research across 26 specialised laboratories. It delivers a free mobile Heart Health Check screening service to the community, licenses and globally disseminates proprietary cardiac innovations (such as Heart-in-a-Box and BWP), publishes peer-reviewed research, and partners with universities, hospitals and industry to translate discoveries into clinical care.

Product overview

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute operates as a comprehensive heart research organization with 26 specialised research laboratories covering cardiovascular disease areas including cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac imaging, cardiac mechanics, heart failure, and transplantation. The Institute provides community health services through its mobile Heart Health Check Program, operates specialised facilities including the Innovation Centre (for cardiogenomics and gene editing), BioCORE animal research facilities, and Zebrafish Facilities. Additional offerings include a journal repository of published research, educational tools like the Heart-Healthy Balanced Plate Guide, and comprehensive diagnostic information resources. The Institute functions as a not-for-profit medical research facility dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heart Health Check Program A free mobile screening service providing blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol testing at workplaces and community events across Australia, aimed at early detection of cardiovascular risk for the general public.
• APEXHeart Laboratory Services APEXHeart provides AI-assisted cardiovascular image analysis, cardiometabolic disease research, eye-based cardiovascular diagnostics, heart failure monitoring technologies, and bioelectronic medicine and neurostimulation research.
• Innovation Centre Services A specialised research facility offering cardiogenomics and gene editing, children's cardiac research, metabolomics, and cell function and screening capabilities to support internal researchers and external collaborators.
• Heart Disease Diagnostic Services Diagnostic information and clinical services covering ECG, echocardiogram, stress tests, cardiac MRI, CT coronary angiogram, Holter monitor and invasive coronary angiogram, plus genetic risk tests including the Brugada Syndrome test and the individualised sudden cardiac arrest risk test.
• Heart-Healthy Balanced Plate Guide A free interactive web-based educational tool that lets users construct a heart-healthy balanced plate using science-backed dietary guidance from the Institute.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heart-in-a-Box technique has saved 30% more patients with severe heart failure worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of TokyominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2026International research partnership for development of biomechanical-well-plate (BWP) technology for monitoring cardiac organoids.
• Icahn School of Medicine in New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2026International collaboration identifying genes most likely to trigger a heart attack, led by Professor Jason Kovacic.
• Vanderbilt University Medical CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International partnership for major study developing powerful new genetic test for Brugada Syndrome diagnosis.
• Harry Perkins Institute of Medical ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025New collaboration announced in 2025 with Perth-based Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research to expand research capabilities.
• Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research (IIAMR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2023Partnership between Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and South Western Sydney-based Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, backed by South Western Sydney Local Health District and UNSW Sydney. Professor Negishi's lab is based at IIAMR.
• St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research (Melbourne/SVI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2023Partnership to establish new Heart Exercise and Research Trials (HEART) laboratory at St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. Led by Professor André La Gerche focusing on sudden cardiac arrest research.
• University of Western Australia (UWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Official strategic partnership signed in March 2022 to significantly boost heart disease research in WA and across the country. Includes opening of second laboratory at UWA headed by Dr Lee Nedkoff.
• St Vincent's Sydney Health Innovation PrecinctcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership includes St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, St Vincent's Private Hospital Sydney, and St Vincent's Clinic. The precinct brings together leading medical research and healthcare institutions.
• University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing academic partnership; UNSW relationship includes Head of Students & UNSW Relations position at the institute; location situated in St Vincent's Healthcare Campus area.
• University of SydneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration including studies on recurrent miscarriage and other research projects.
• NSW Non-animal Technologies NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartial funder of biomechanical-well-plate (BWP) research published in Nature Sensors.
• Karolinska InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Professor Kovacic providing first comprehensive map of gene operation in coronary heart disease.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centenary Institute: Sydney-based independent medical research institute affiliated with the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and University of Sydney, focused on cancer, immunology, and cardiovascular biology. Comparable scale and Australian non-profit research model.
• Heart Research Institute: An Australian non-profit medical research institute headquartered in Sydney dedicated specifically to cardiovascular disease research. Operates with a similar model of scientific discovery, translational pipelines, and community fundraising.
• Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research: Perth-based non-profit medical research institute and recent (2025) collaboration partner of VCCRI's WA hub. Comparable structure: independent research institute with translational mission, hospital affiliation, and Australian philanthropic funding model.
• Garvan Institute of Medical Research: Co-located within the St Vincent's Sydney Health Innovation Precinct with VCCRI. While broader in scope (genomics, immunology, cancer), it shares the same precinct, similar translational research model, and overlapping academic partnerships (UNSW, St Vincent's).
• Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute: Australia's other major independent cardiovascular and metabolic disease research institute, headquartered in Melbourne with comparable scale (400+ staff). It is the closest analog: an independent non-profit research organization focused on cardiovascular and related disease, with similar translational and clinical-trial missions.
• St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research: Melbourne-based partner institute where VCCRI established the HEART laboratory in 2023. Operates a similar translational research model focused on cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, and inflammatory disease under the St Vincent's hospital network umbrella.

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association: The largest US cardiovascular research and advocacy organization, funding billions of dollars of research annually and operating multi-site research initiatives. Represents the global benchmark for combined research, advocacy, and community prevention in cardiovascular medicine.
• British Heart Foundation: The UK's largest cardiovascular research funder, operating its own research centers and funding major university units. Comparable in mission (combining research funding, direct research operations, and prevention programs) but on a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute: One of the largest US cardiovascular clinical and research centers, with major heart failure, transplant, and imaging research programs. Comparable in translational focus on heart failure, transplantation, and cardiac imaging, but operating within a large US hospital network rather than as a standalone institute.
• Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Research: Major US academic medical center with one of the largest cardiovascular research divisions globally. Directly comparable in cardiovascular scientific output, translational pipelines, and clinical adoption pathways, though embedded within a much larger hospital system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp2JZKdj9jzyhM3rnf4NZvg
• Facebookfacebook.com/VICTORCHANGINST
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/victor-chang-cardiac-research-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/victorchanginst
• Xx.com/VictorChangInst

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute