Human Cell Atlas
The Human Cell Atlas is a global, open-science research consortium founded in 2016 that builds comprehensive single-cell reference maps of all human cell types. It serves the worldwide life sciences, biomedical, clinical, and pharmaceutical research community through freely accessible data and peer-reviewed publications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Human Cell Atlas does
The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) is a non-profit, open global scientific consortium founded in 2016 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a distributed operating model spanning more than 3,900 members across over 1,700 institutes in 100+ countries. Its mission is to build comprehensive reference maps of all human cell types as a foundation for understanding health and diagnosing, monitoring, and treating disease. The consortium is organized into 18 Biological Networks covering organ systems (lung, heart, liver, immune, gut, kidney, skin, brain, eye, pancreas) and four Regional Networks (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America), with governance through a collaborative structure rather than traditional corporate hierarchy.
The HCA's core technical asset is the Human Cell Atlas Data Portal (data.humancellatlas.org), which aggregates single-cell genomics data—including scRNA-seq, snRNA-seq, snATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and multi-omics approaches (e.g., UDA-seq, multiDGD generative models)—into open-access datasets. The data coordination platform was co-developed with the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and, as of June 2025, is distributed globally via a partnership with Amazon Web Services. By November 2024 the consortium had published a collection of 45+ peer-reviewed papers in Nature and Nature Portfolio journals, with cumulative citations exceeding 100,000 by February 2026.
The business model is non-commercial: all Atlas data is freely available, with no pricing tier. Operating funding flows from grants and institutional support, including a foundational grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced in June 2017 and a flagship open-science partnership with UNESCO announced in March 2025. End users—life sciences researchers, biomedical and clinical scientists, and pharmaceutical/biotech researchers—access the Atlas for reference mapping, disease mechanism research, drug target identification, and precision medicine applications.
Human Cell Atlas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Human Cell Atlas
- Legal name
- Human Cell Atlas Consortium
- Website
- https://humancellatlas.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Human Cell Atlas is a global, open-science research consortium founded in 2016 that builds comprehensive single-cell reference maps of all human cell types. It serves the worldwide life sciences, biomedical, clinical, and pharmaceutical research community through freely accessible data and peer-reviewed publications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Human Cell Atlas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biomedical Research Data and Genomic Reference Atlas
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Single-Cell & Spatial Omics Discovery Platforms (target ID/validation, functional profiling) (HLAAAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bioinformatics, Multi-Omics Data Analysis & Interpretation Services (HLAGANAI), Genomics & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services (HLAGANAA)
Keywords
Where Human Cell Atlas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Human Cell Atlas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Funding and Grants: The Human Cell Atlas operates as a non-profit research consortium funded through grants and institutional support. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) has provided financial support for the data platform. Funding comes from multiple international sources to support the global scientific initiative.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Human Cell Atlas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Human Cell Atlas is an open global research consortium that creates comprehensive reference maps of all human cell types using single-cell genomics technologies such as scRNA-seq, snRNA-seq, snATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and multi-omics profiling. It operates through 18 Biological Networks and 4 Regional Networks, coordinating scientists from over 1,700 institutes across more than 100 countries, and provides open access to its cell atlas data through a centralized cloud-based data coordination platform.
Product overview
The Human Cell Atlas is a global scientific consortium that creates comprehensive reference maps of all human cell types through an open, collaborative effort. The primary offerings include the Human Cell Atlas Data Portal—a centralized platform for accessing cell atlases—and the coordinated network of 18 Biological Networks (covering tissues such as lung, heart, liver, immune system, gut, kidney, skin, brain, eye, and pancreas) plus 4 Regional Networks (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America). The consortium publishes research in peer-reviewed journals and provides open-access data to the global scientific community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Human Cell Atlas Data Portal An open-access cloud-based data platform where researchers can access, explore, and download cell atlases, datasets, and analysis tools generated by the global HCA consortium across multiple human tissues and organs.
- HCA Biological Networks Atlases Specialized cell reference atlases covering specific tissue systems including lung, heart, liver, immune system, gut, kidney, skin, brain, eye, and pancreas, each developed by dedicated biological research networks within the consortium.
- HCA Regional Networks Geographic coordination networks covering Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America that enable regional participation, expand global reach, and build local capacity within the Human Cell Atlas initiative.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 100,000 citations of HCA publications by February 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Human Cell Atlas
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Human Cell Atlas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Human Cell Atlas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreAWS partnership enables worldwide access to open HCA data through cloud infrastructure, announced June 2025. Amazon Web Services helps give global access to the consortium's data.
- UNESCOflagshipHCA entered into partnership with UNESCO to help advance open science and increase global capacity to deliver the benefits of genomics at a global scale. The partnership was announced in March 2025 with a joint press release. UNESCO collaboration aims to expand global participation and promote open science principles.
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics InstitutecoreThe UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute partnered with HCA to build the data-coordination platform, contributing technical infrastructure for the consortium.
- HCA Biological Networks (18 networks)core18 HCA Biological Networks covering organ systems (lung, heart, liver, immune system, gut, kidney, etc.) organize and champion the Atlas building effort across specific biological domains.
- HCA Regional Networks (4 networks)core4 HCA Regional Networks (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America) coordinate global participation and expand the initiative's reach across different geographic regions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Human Cell Atlas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Tabula Muris: Single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the mouse organism across organs, sharing HCA's open-data philosophy and standardized single-cell pipelines, but narrower in species and scope.
Broad incumbents
- 10x Genomics: Commercial leader in single-cell and spatial genomics instrumentation and software that underpins much of HCA's data generation and downstream analyses. Sets de facto standards and productizes cell-atlas-adjacent workflows.
Direct peers
- Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project: NIH consortium producing a tissue-level gene-expression reference across many human tissues, complemented more recently by single-cell extensions. Provides a closely analogous tissue-by-tissue reference-data model.
- Human Biomolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP): NIH-funded consortium building a 3D spatial-cellular atlas of healthy human tissues, organized into HUBs with shared data infrastructure. Same scientific mission of cataloguing human cell types at scale via open data.
- Single Cell Portal (Broad Institute): Broad Institute's open repository for single-cell datasets, mirrors HCA's Data Portal role of distributing single-cell datasets to the research community and supporting side-by-side dataset comparison.
- BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN): NIH-funded effort to create comprehensive cell-type atlases of the mouse and human brain using single-cell genomics. Same bottom-up, community-built atlas methodology applied to one organ system.
- Allen Brain Atlas: Allen Institute's open gene-expression and cell-type reference resources for the brain, predating HCA and using many of the same single-cell/single-nucleus profiling methods. A precedent-setting cell reference project.
Others
- ENCODE Project: NIH-funded encyclopedia cataloguing functional elements in the human genome organized as a multi-institute open consortium. A precedent for large-scale, open, cataloguing-style reference projects that HCA's model echoes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Human Cell Atlas social profiles
Digital presenceHuman Cell Atlas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Human Cell Atlas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Human Cell Atlas subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Human Cell Atlas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Human Cell Atlas M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Human Cell Atlas
What does Human Cell Atlas do?
The Human Cell Atlas is an open global research consortium that creates comprehensive reference maps of all human cell types using single-cell genomics technologies such as scRNA-seq, snRNA-seq, snATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and multi-omics profiling. It operates through 18 Biological Networks and 4 Regional Networks, coordinating scientists from over 1,700 institutes across more than 100 countries, and provides open access to its cell atlas data through a centralized cloud-based data coordination platform.
Is Human Cell Atlas a public or private company?
Human Cell Atlas is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Human Cell Atlas founded?
Human Cell Atlas was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Human Cell Atlas based?
Human Cell Atlas is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Human Cell Atlas make money?
One revenue line is on record: research Funding and Grants.
Who are Human Cell Atlas's main competitors?
Tabula Muris is listed as an emerging player. 10x Genomics is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project, Human Biomolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP), Single Cell Portal (Broad Institute), BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) and Allen Brain Atlas. ENCODE Project is listed as an others.
Does Human Cell Atlas have an API?
No public API is recorded for Human Cell Atlas.
What industry is Human Cell Atlas in?
Human Cell Atlas's product category is Biomedical Research Data and Genomic Reference Atlas. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAF, Single-Cell & Spatial Omics Discovery Platforms (target ID/validation, functional profiling), with a secondary code of HLAGANAI, Bioinformatics, Multi-Omics Data Analysis & Interpretation Services. Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8731.