Cris Against Cancer

What Cris Against Cancer does

CRIS Contra el Cáncer (Cris Against Cancer) is a private, Madrid-based non-profit foundation (Fundación) established in 2010 that is dedicated exclusively to financing and supporting cancer research, with no commercial product revenue. The foundation has financed more than 140 research projects and supported more than 500 researchers, and it operates five dedicated research units physically hosted inside three major Madrid teaching hospitals: the Unidad CRIS de Investigación Biofísica en Cáncer and the Unidad CRIS de Nuevas Terapias Experimentales at Hospital Clínico San Carlos; the Unidad CRIS de Inmuno-Oncología and the Unidad CRIS de Tumores Hematológicos at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre; and the Unidad CRIS de Terapias Avanzadas para Cáncer Infantil at Hospital Universitario La Paz, the last of which includes an in-house Advanced Therapy Drug Production Unit for CAR-T and NK cell manufacturing. Supported research spans CAR-T cell therapy (including pediatric brain tumors and sarcomas), NK cell therapy (SANKOMA), immunotherapy, digital twin patient modeling (DIGITWINS), supercomputing-driven drug discovery, and liquid biopsy.

The foundation co-funds and collaborates with the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad de Navarra / Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer (CIC-CSIC) Salamanca, and Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas in Spain, and participates in the Fight Kids Cancer pan-European consortium alongside Gustave Roussy (Paris), Princess Maxima Center (Utrecht), Great Ormond Street Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research (London), Karolinska Institutet, and Champalimaud Foundation, with additional Out-back partnerships with Stanford University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston).

The business model is community-led philanthropy: the foundation raises capital through five diversified streams — individual one-time donations via criscancer.org and a free-call center, a recurring membership (hazte socio) subscription, corporate CSR donations, event-based fundraising (annual Carrera CRIS Cáncer, solidarity weddings, school programs), and legacy/estate gifts (testamento solidario) — and disburses it as research funding, infrastructure, and grants. Beyond hospital research units, the foundation runs national grants (Becas Nacionales), a fellowship program (CRIS Fellowships), an annual scientific congress (CRIS Scientific Congress & Awards), and an international coordination program (CRIS Internacional). As a Spanish registered foundation governed by a Patronato (Board of Trustees), CRIS has no shareholders, parent company, or external capital investors.

Name

Cris Against Cancer

Legal name

CRIS Contra el Cáncer

Website

https://criscancer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CRIS Contra el Cáncer is a Madrid-based Spanish non-profit foundation that funds cancer research, operating five hospital-embedded research units across Madrid and international collaborations spanning pediatric oncology, CAR-T, immunotherapy, and computational drug discovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Cancer Research Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Cancer research funding
• Nonprofit foundation
• Research grants
• Donor programs
• Clinical oncology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation raises funds through direct donations from individuals via its website and call center (900 81 30 75). Supporters can make one-time or recurring donations to fund cancer research projects.
2. Membership Program (Hazte Socio): Monthly or annual subscription-style membership program where individuals commit to regular contributions to support ongoing cancer research funding.
3. Corporate Donations: Partnerships with businesses that provide funding for specific research projects or general operations, often with visibility benefits.
4. Solidarity Initiatives and Events: Fundraising through community events like Carrera CRIS Cáncer, school programs, and wedding celebrations that generate donations.
5. Legacy Gifts (Testamento Solidario): Inheritance and legacy donations from supporters who include CRIS in their wills to fund long-term research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cris Against Cancer is a non-profit foundation that raises funds from individuals, members, and corporate sponsors to finance cancer research. It operates dedicated research units inside Spanish hospitals, awards national grants and CRIS Fellowships to researchers, and channels resources into advanced therapy development, immunotherapy, pediatric oncology, and translational bioinformatics projects.

Product overview

CRIS Contra el Cáncer is a foundation dedicated 100% to promoting cancer research projects. The organization operates a portfolio of specialized research units (Unidades CRIS) hosted in leading Spanish hospitals, including units focused on biophysical cancer research, experimental therapies, immuno-oncology, hematological tumors, and advanced therapies for childhood cancer. Beyond the research units, the foundation offers national grants, fellowships, an annual scientific congress, and fundraising initiatives like the Carrera CRIS solidary race. Together, these components form an integrated ecosystem supporting cancer research from fundamental studies through clinical trials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hazte Socio (Recurring Membership Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 140 cancer research projects funded since foundation inception
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Hospital Clínico San CarloscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to two CRIS research units: Unidad de Investigación Biofísica en Cáncer and Unidad de Nuevas Terapias Experimentales. The foundation funds laboratory space, equipment, and research staff within the hospital's biomedical research infrastructure.
• Hospital Universitario 12 de OctubrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Unidad CRIS de Inmuno-Oncología (led by Dr. Luis Paz-Ares) and Unidad CRIS de Tumores Hematológicos (led by Dr. Joaquín Martínez). Key site for clinical trials and immunotherapy research.
• Hospital Universitario La PazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to the Unidad CRIS de Terapias Avanzadas para Cáncer Infantil (led by Dr. Antonio Pérez Martínez), including an in-house Advanced Therapy Drug Production Unit for CAR-T and NK cell manufacturing.
• Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on multiple research projects including hematological tumors, childhood cancers, and liver cancer research. Provides access to advanced research infrastructure and expertise.
• Fight Kids Cancer ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean consortium for pediatric cancer research funding coordination across 15+ countries including France, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Italy, Israel, and others. Co-funds international clinical trials and research projects.
• Institute Gustave Roussy (Paris)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading French cancer research institute collaborating on multiple projects including MiMiC-Kids, PATOI, MedulloDrugs, and immunotherapy research. Key partner in European pediatric oncology trials.
• Princess Maxima Center (Utrecht)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Dutch pediatric oncology research center partnering on REMODELING, Cure2MLL, HEM-iSMART, and ATG4ALL projects for childhood leukemia and solid tumors.
• Great Ormond Street Hospital / University College London (UK)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner for CAR4ALL clinical trial (leukemia) and CARINA trial (acute myeloid leukemia). Provides access to cutting-edge CAR-T research and clinical expertise.
• Institute of Cancer Research (London)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Centre for Translational Immunotherapy, cordoma research, sarcoma research, and cancer evolution studies. Key partner for UK-based research projects.
• Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish oncology research institute collaborating on BEACON2 trial, OPT-PEMBRO, ETNA-cohort2, prostate cancer evolution, and metastasis research.
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner integrated with the Unidad CRIS de Investigación Biofísica en Cáncer, providing computational resources and research expertise.
• Universidad de Navarra / Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on viral therapies for gliomas, multiple myeloma research, lung cancer radioimmunotherapy, and ovarian cancer CAR-T projects.
• Centro de Investigación del Cáncer (CIC-CSIC), SalamancamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on breast cancer research (Dr. Atanasio Pandiella) and advanced models for colorectal cancer research.
• Stanford UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on CAR-T metastasis research through the CRIS Out-back program for international research projects.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on breast cancer immunotherapy research with Dr. Elia Seguí through the CRIS Out-back international program.
• Banco de Sangre y Tejidos (BST), BarcelonasupportingTechnology or IntegrationBlood and tissue bank providing biological materials and support for the Unidad CRIS de Inmuno-Oncología research activities.
• Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas (IMIM), BarcelonasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on colorectal cancer microenvironment research and immune-oncology projects within the Inmuno-Oncología unit network.
• Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (Barcelona)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric hospital collaborating on MLL leukemia research in infants and children.
• Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on skeletal late effects research following pediatric cancer treatment through Fight Kids Cancer consortium.
• Champalimaud Foundation (Lisbon)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese research foundation collaborating on FIGHT4MB project for medulloblastoma research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Cancer Society: The largest US voluntary health organization focused on cancer, funding research grants and conducting awareness/prevention programs. Directly comparable donation-funded model funding cancer research and patient support, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• St. Baldrick's Foundation: US volunteer-driven charity funding childhood cancer research through grants to research institutions. Comparable model to CRIS's event-driven fundraising (Carrera CRIS Cáncer) combined with research grantmaking for pediatric oncology.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: US pediatric cancer research foundation funding treatment research and clinical trials for childhood cancers. Highly comparable to CRIS's pediatric oncology focus (Unidad CRIS de Terapias Avanzadas para Cáncer Infantil) and Fight Kids Cancer consortium participation.
• Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C): US charitable program funding collaborative cancer research "Dream Teams" across multiple institutions. Comparable in funding translational cancer research through multi-institutional collaborations, though using celebrity-driven mass-market fundraising rather than hospital-embedded models.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: US cancer research foundation funding translational and clinical research through competitive grants to leading academic centers. Comparable donation-driven grantmaking model targeting research excellence, though without CRIS's hospital-embedded unit model.
• Cancer Research UK: The UK's largest cancer research charity, funding basic, translational, and clinical research across multiple institutions. Directly comparable model of donation-funded cancer research grantmaking with hospital and university partnerships, though at much greater scale than CRIS.
• José Carreras Leukaemia Foundation: Spanish foundation specifically funding leukemia research and supporting the José Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute. Closely comparable Spanish-based donation-funded cancer research model, with narrower focus on hematological malignancies.
• Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC): Spain's largest cancer-focused non-profit, funding research, providing patient services, and running awareness campaigns nationally. Directly comparable mission and geographic footprint to CRIS, but operates at substantially greater scale with broader territorial presence and larger volunteer infrastructure.
• Fundación FERO: Spanish cancer research foundation that funds translational oncology projects, particularly through VHIO and other Barcelona/Madrid centers. Comparable model of small focused foundation funding high-quality cancer research with hospital-based distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Fundación Bancaria "la Caixa": Large Spanish philanthropic foundation with a healthcare research program that funds hospital and biomedical research in Spain. Broader scope than CRIS (covering many social causes), but overlaps directly on Spanish biomedical and clinical research funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/criscancer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CrisContraElCancer
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacionCrisCancer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundaci-n-cris-contra-el-c-ncer
• Instagraminstagram.com/criscontracancer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Cris Against Cancer