Hellenic Pasteur Institute

What Hellenic Pasteur Institute does

The Hellenic Pasteur Institute (HPI, Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Παστέρ) is a Greek non-profit research and public health organization founded in 1920 in Athens, and the oldest research institute in Greece. It is a core member of the International Network of Pasteur Institutes (32 institutes across all continents), with the Pasteur Institute in Paris acting as the network's coordinating anchor. HPI is supervised by the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) of the Ministry of Development and operates three research departments — Microbiology, Neurobiology, and Immunology — alongside seven specialized research infrastructure units: a BSL3 laboratory (accredited by an independent international body), the Bioinformatics and Applied Genomics Unit (BiGen) running Illumina, Ion, Nanopore, and Sanger sequencing with automated pipelines, the Bioimaging Unit (LSM 980 Airyscan 2, confocal/2-photon, FLECT/CT), the Flow Cytometry Unit, the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Unit (with brain organoid capability), the Biotechnology Unit (part of the national INSPIRED structural biology infrastructure), and the Animal Models Department. On the public health side, HPI runs a Diagnostic Department, five National Reference Laboratories (Influenza, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Poliovirus/Enterovirus, Leishmaniasis, Measles/Rubella), a Vaccines Unit, and a Quality Control Department operating under EU GMP, ISO 9001, and ISO 17025, contributing to WHO and ECDC surveillance networks.

HPI's revenue model is a public-sector, grant-and-fee hybrid. The principal funding sources disclosed are Greek government appropriations routed through GSRI, the €26.2M Greece 2.0 / Recovery and Resilience Facility grant for the Pathogen Research Centre (2021-2026), EU program funding (LEAPS under Horizon, FP7, INSPIRED-RIS), private foundation grants (Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Bodossaki Foundation), and a small contribution (0.2% of the network budget) to the Pasteur network. Fee-for-service revenue comes from diagnostic and reference laboratory testing for healthcare providers and public health authorities, research infrastructure access for academic and commercial users, vaccine production, and auditorium rental for conferences. The customer base is concentrated in Greek public health authorities, the National Health System, WHO, and ECDC, with no publicly disclosed pricing. HPI's go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial: it engages the scientific community through research collaborations, training of ~25 postgraduate programs at Greek universities, public science events (DNA Day, Science Lecture Series), and the Young Scientists Conference co-organized with Institut Pasteur Paris. Strategic priorities are codified in a five-year framework and a 2023-2027 LEAPS participation, with major capacity expansion underway via the Pathogen Research Centre construction.

Name

Hellenic Pasteur Institute

Legal name

Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Παστέρ (Hellenic Pasteur Institute)

Website

https://pasteur.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Hellenic Pasteur Institute is a 1920-founded Greek non-profit research and public health organization operating BSL3, sequencing, bioimaging, and stem cell infrastructure, five National Reference Laboratories, and vaccine/QC services, serving the Greek state, WHO, and ECDC as a member of the 32-institute Pasteur network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research and Public Health Services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Laboratories & Diagnostic Oversight (BPAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vaccine Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs (HLAIAEAM), Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs (HLAGAAAE), Travel & Tropical Disease Vaccines (HLAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Infectious disease research
• Public health laboratory services
• National reference laboratories
• Biomedical research infrastructure
• Vaccine development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: HPI receives substantial funding from government sources including the Recovery and Resilience Fund (€26.2 million for Pathogen Research Centre), Operational Programs, and national research grants.
2. Public Health Services: Revenue from diagnostic services, reference laboratory testing, and vaccine unit operations serving public health needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hellenic Pasteur Institute is a non-profit research organization that conducts basic and applied biomedical research on infectious diseases, provides public health diagnostic and reference laboratory services, develops and quality-controls vaccines, and delivers training and educational programs. It operates as a Center of Excellence for emerging infectious diseases with a BSL3 laboratory, five National Reference Laboratories, and multiple specialized research units.

Product overview

The Hellenic Pasteur Institute operates as a unified platform combining public health services, research infrastructure, and educational programs. The core offerings include: (1) Public Health Services through Diagnostic Department, five National Reference Laboratories, Vaccines Unit, and Quality Control Department; (2) Research Technological Infrastructure comprising seven specialized units: Bioinformatics and Applied Genomics (BiGen), Bioimaging, Flow Cytometry, Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell, Biotechnology, BSL3, and the Evolutionary Genomics Group; (3) Education and Training Programs. The institute serves as a Center of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases with 26.2 million euros in Recovery Fund funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pathogen Research Centre (PRC): A Center of Excellence for research, surveillance, and prevention of Emerging Infectious Diseases, funded by Greece's Recovery and Resilience Fund.

Products and services

• Diagnostic Department Services Comprehensive infectious disease diagnostic services including pathogen identification, isolation, and storage, serving public health authorities and healthcare providers.
• National Reference Laboratories Five designated National Reference Laboratories for Influenza, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Poliovirus/Enterovirus, Leishmaniasis, and Measles/Rubella providing specialized testing and confirmation services.
• Vaccines Unit Vaccine development and production services supporting national immunization programs, with renovation support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
• Quality Control Department Quality control services for pharmaceutical products, vaccines, and biological products operating under EU GMP, ISO 9001, and ISO 17025 standards as a Qualified Person facility (EOF approval number 132316).
• Bioinformatics and Applied Genomics Unit (BiGen) Sequencing and bioinformatics services including WGS, WES, RNAseq, single-cell RNAseq, metagenomics, epigenomics, and bioinformatics pipelines using Illumina NextSeq 2000, Ion S5, MinION, and SeqStudio platforms for academic and pharmaceutical industry clients.
• BSL3 Unit Accredited Biosafety Level 3 laboratory with three independent workspaces, biological safety cabinets, CO2 incubators, ultra-low temperature freezers, high-resolution Scanning Electron Microscope, automated RNA extraction, and lyophilization for safe handling of highly infectious pathogens.
• Bioimaging Unit Advanced light microscopy facility with LSM 980 Airyscan 2, Leica TCS-SP8 and SP5II confocal/2-photon systems, Thunder Imager, and FLECT/CT Small Animal Tomography providing 2-photon intravital imaging, super-resolution, and live cell imaging services.
• Flow Cytometry Unit Flow cytometry and cell sorting services using BD FACSCalibur 4CS IVD, BD FACS Aria I, and BD FACSMelody with 11-parameter detection and 4-way sorting for immune cell analysis, cell cycle, apoptosis, and metabolic studies.
• Biotechnology Unit Protein production services using bacterial, yeast (Pichia pastoris), protozoan (Leishmania tarentolae), insect, and mammalian cell systems, including phage display, hybridoma technologies, and recombinant virus systems.
• Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Unit Stem cell culture, induced pluripotent stem cell generation, 2D and 3D cellular model development for neurological/neurodegenerative diseases, and preclinical drug evaluation in patient-derived models.
• Education and Training Programs Multidimensional educational activities including undergraduate and postgraduate student training, MSc and PhD programs, postdoctoral training, research seminars, and conference facilities supporting approximately 25 postgraduate programs at Greek universities.
• Conference Auditorium Rental 200-capacity modern auditorium available for external rental for conferences, seminars, and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Operates BSL3 laboratory for handling highly infectious pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and arboviruses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• INSPIRED-RIS (National Research Infrastructure on Integrated Structural Biology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPI's Biotechnology Unit participates in INSPIRED, a national distributed research infrastructure of 14 academic and research institutions providing integrated structural biology, drug screening, and functional characterization services.
• International Network of Pasteur Institutes (RIPIIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 32 Pasteur Institutes across all continents. HPI participates in Board of Directors meetings, contributes to common budget (0.2% of budget), and benefits from researcher mobility programs (ACIP, PTR grants) and predoctoral fellowships.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPI functions as National Reference Centre connected to WHO for infectious disease surveillance and epidemiological alertness.
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPI collaborates with ECDC on infectious disease monitoring and public health response within Europe.
• BIOIMAGING-GR ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPI Bioimaging Unit is a member of the Greek Bioimaging-GR Consortium and European Light Microscopy Initiative (ELMI), providing shared access to advanced imaging infrastructure.
• ELIXIR-GR / HYPATIA Cloud InfrastructuresupportingTechnology or IntegrationHPI's Bioinformatics Unit utilizes ELIXIR-GR HYPATIA Cloud infrastructure for additional computing power and storage via 24/7 VMs and storage volumes.
• National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with NHRF through shared research personnel (Dr. Vasiliki Pletsa serves on HPI Ethics Committee) and joint research initiatives.
• Greek UniversitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPI staff supports approximately 25 postgraduate programs and several undergraduate programs at Greek universities through lectures and research supervision. Collaborates on joint master's programs including 'MA Animal Welfare, Ethics and the Law' with NKUA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute: Switzerland's publicly affiliated institute combining tropical medicine, public health, and biomedical research with extensive reference laboratory and vaccine-related work. Comparable scope across diagnostics, reference lab services, and applied research.
• Institut Pasteur: Core founding member and coordinator of the 32-institute Pasteur network of which HPI is part. Both operate as non-profit biomedical research institutes with public health missions, infectious disease surveillance, vaccine development, and reference laboratory functions — making them the most directly comparable peer.
• Institut Pasteur de Lille: Another French Pasteur network institute with similar infectious disease research, public health, and educational missions. Closely matches HPI in governance model (network member), scope, and historical role.
• Centro Nacional de Microbiología (ISCIII): Spain's national microbiology center under the Carlos III Health Institute, providing national reference laboratory functions and infectious disease research. Comparable regional public-health laboratory role within Southern Europe.
• Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine: German federal institute specializing in tropical and emerging infectious disease research with BSL3/BSL4 capabilities and WHO reference roles. Overlaps with HPI's Leishmaniasis reference lab and emerging infectious disease focus.
• Robert Koch Institute: Germany's federal public health institute, similarly operating national reference laboratories, infectious disease surveillance, and biomedical research with government oversight. Comparable mandate, scale, and reference-lab role to HPI within its national system.
• Istituto Superiore di Sanità: Italy's national public health research institute with a similar tripartite role in research, reference laboratory services, and public health surveillance. Highly comparable in mission, scale, and government-supervised non-profit structure.

Broad incumbents

• Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology: Larger, well-funded German basic research institute focused on infectious disease and immunology. Overlaps with HPI's microbiology and immunology research departments but operates at substantially greater scale and budget.
• Karolinska Institutet: One of Europe's largest and most prestigious biomedical research universities with extensive infectious disease and public health research. Overlaps with HPI's research and training missions but at much broader scope and scale.
• Francis Crick Institute: Large UK biomedical discovery institute with significant infectious disease research and advanced research infrastructure. Comparable technology-stack orientation (genomics, imaging, cell biology) but at materially greater scale and funding base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HellenicPasteurInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hellenic-pasteur-institute

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hellenic Pasteur Institute