Kolling Institute

What Kolling Institute does

The Kolling Institute is a non-profit medical research institute established in 1920 at Royal North Shore Hospital in St Leonards, New South Wales, operating as a joint venture between the University of Sydney and the Northern Sydney Local Health District (ABN: 63834171987). It conducts translational and clinical research across four principal domains — musculoskeletal disease, neuroscience and pain, cardiovascular and renal disease, and cancer — supported by over 100 active research projects, more than 620 peer-reviewed publications per year, and research partnerships spanning 130+ countries.

The institute's product surface spans clinical trials infrastructure (including the AU$20 million NORTH STAR Cancer Trials Centre and a nine-hospital network across NSW, Queensland, and Western Australia), digital health tools (OA Coach mobile app for knee osteoarthritis, ATLAS e-Learning Program, Spinal Cord Injury Health Maintenance Tool), diagnostic technologies (MuscleMap AI-based MRI/CT analysis, Drug Burden Index clinical tool, liquid biopsy analysis for cancer), and open-access research resources such as the Meniere Disease Atlas of Genes and Cells. Notable proprietary capabilities include computer vision AI for whole-body muscle composition analysis and precision medicine programs combining liquid biopsies with patient-derived organoids for BRAF-mutated bowel cancer.

The institute's revenue model is grant-funded and philanthropic rather than commercial, with AU$18 million+ in average annual competitive grant success from bodies including the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), NSW Health, and NIH, supplemented by tax-deductible donations (from AU$2 and above) processed through the NORTH Foundation as official fundraising partner, and clinical trial income from government, industry, and research organisations. Its customer-facing activities are directed at healthcare providers, the Australian public health system, and patient communities, with no commercial product pricing model.

Name

Kolling Institute

Legal name

Kolling Institute

Website

https://kollinginstitute.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Kolling Institute is a non-profit medical research institute established in 1920, operating as a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Northern Sydney Local Health District at Royal North Shore Hospital, conducting translational research across musculoskeletal, neuroscience/pain, cardiovascular/renal, and cancer domains for the Australian healthcare system and global patient communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ), KOL Engagement & Medical Education (Advisory Boards/CME Support) (HLAGALAM)

Keywords

• Medical research
• Clinical trials
• Translational research
• Biomedical research
• Health research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Leonard

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grant Funding: Competitive government grants from bodies including Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), NSW Government, and National Institutes of Health for specific research projects and clinical trials
2. Philanthropic Donations: Donations from individuals, families, and community organizations; tax-deductible donations (AU$2 and over); one-off donations, regular giving, memorial donations, and bequests
3. Clinical Trial Services: Conducting clinical trials for healthcare conditions with funding from government, industry, and research organizations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kolling Institute is a medical research institute that conducts translational and clinical research across musculoskeletal, neuroscience/pain, cardiovascular/renal, and cancer disease areas. It operates clinical trial centres, develops digital health and e-learning tools, and delivers research-led health interventions, jointly with the University of Sydney and Northern Sydney Local Health District.

Product overview

The Kolling Institute is a medical research institute offering a diverse portfolio of research programs, clinical trials, and digital health products across four main research areas: Musculoskeletal Research, Neuroscience and Pain Research, Cardiovascular and Renal Research, and Cancer Research. The institute provides technology-enabled interventions including the OA Coach mobile app for osteoarthritis management, the ATLAS e-Learning Program for health professionals, the MuscleMap AI diagnostic tool for muscle composition analysis, and the BRIDGE precision medicine program for bowel cancer. Additional offerings include the Drug Burden Index clinical tool, liquid biopsy analysis services, and the Meniere Disease Atlas research resource. The institute also hosts the NORTH STAR Cancer Trials Centre and conducts over 100 active research projects annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tomorrow's Medicine Today Podcast: A podcast from the Kolling Institute and Northern Sydney Local Health District, highlighting the latest research and medical advancements
• Osteoarthritis Clinical Research Group
• John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research
• Cancer and Stem Cell Laboratory
• Sutton Arthritis Research Lab
• Ageing and Pharmacology Lab
• Renal Research Laboratory
• Michael J Cousins Pain Management Research Centre
• Women and Babies Research

Products and services

• Clinical Trials Program Multi-disciplinary clinical trials conducted across Kolling Institute's four disease-area research streams (musculoskeletal, neuroscience/pain, cardiovascular/renal, cancer), embedded within Northern Sydney Local Health District's hospital network, for patient participants and clinical partners.
• NORTH STAR Cancer Trials Centre Dedicated cancer clinical trials unit within Kolling Institute that delivers oncology trial infrastructure and patient access for cancer research.
• BRIDGE Program Translational research program developed at Kolling Institute to support bench-to-bedside research translation.
• OA Coach Digital health mobile application for self-management of osteoarthritis, developed by Kolling Institute researchers for individual patients and consumers.
• MuscleMap AI-based tool for muscle measurement developed at Kolling Institute to support musculoskeletal research and assessment.
• ATLAS e-Learning Online e-Learning platform developed by Kolling Institute for medical education and clinician training.
• Drug Burden Index Clinical decision-support tool developed at Kolling Institute to help clinicians assess medication burden in patients.
• Meniere Disease Atlas Disease-specific knowledge resource developed at Kolling Institute for Meniere's disease information and research.
• Kolling Institute Podcast Public engagement podcast produced by Kolling Institute, communicating the Institute's research and findings to lay and professional audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• AU$18 million+ in annual grant funding
• +4 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 capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• AGRF (Australian Genome Research Facility)coreTechnology or Integration · 3 November 2025Australia's leading genomics provider establishing a laboratory within the Kolling Institute. Partnership with University of Sydney and Kolling to provide specialized team and cutting-edge genomic technology.
• HaleonmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024Consumer healthcare company sponsoring a five-year fellowship to investigate supplements in osteoarthritis management and digital health technologies.
• NORTH STAR VNP Cancer Trials CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2024Australia's premier cancer clinical trials centre on Royal North Shore Hospital campus, enabled by $20 million gift from Kay Van Norton Poche and husband Greg.
• University of SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner providing academic oversight, research infrastructure, and university affiliation. The Kolling Institute is a research institute under the University's Northern Clinical School.
• Northern Sydney Local Health DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner providing clinical settings, hospital infrastructure, and healthcare system integration through Royal North Shore Hospital and other facilities.
• NORTH FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial fundraising partner of Northern Sydney Local Health District and the Kolling Institute. Handles donations, manages the donation portal, and supports philanthropy.
• Harvard Medical SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration partner in the ROCKET Consortium for heart and kidney disease research.
• Tufts Medical Center, BostonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration partner in the ROCKET Consortium for heart and kidney disease research.
• University of Groningen, NetherlandsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration partner in the ROCKET Consortium for heart and kidney disease research.
• Wake Forest University, North CarolinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration partner for The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study (TOPS) clinical trial.
• Brigham and Women's Hospital, BostonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration partner for The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study (TOPS) clinical trial.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel HillmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration partner for The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study (TOPS) clinical trial.
• Dutch and Flemish Rehabilitation InstitutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean collaboration partners in phase 3 spinal cord injury rehabilitation study involving 220 people across Australia and Europe.
• Spinal Cord Injuries AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer organization partnering in international mental health research collaboration for spinal cord injury.
• Back Up Trust-UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity organization partnering in international mental health research collaboration for spinal cord injury.
• Spinal Injuries Association UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity organization partnering in international mental health research collaboration for spinal cord injury.
• MD Anderson Cancer Centre, HoustonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit from Professor Matthew Katz (pioneer in pancreatic cancer treatment) exploring collaborative opportunities in gastrointestinal cancer research.
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, BaltimoremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit from Professor Cynthia Sears (global leader in colorectal cancer research) for potential collaboration on microbiome and cancer research.
• University of WashingtonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Michael Bruchas as keynote speaker at Optogenetics Australia meeting hosted at Kolling Institute.
• Beijing UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Yulong Li as keynote speaker at Optogenetics Australia meeting.
• Institute de la Vision, FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Deniz Dalkara as keynote speaker at Optogenetics Australia meeting.
• Stanford UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssistant Professor Guosong Hong as keynote speaker at Optogenetics Australia meeting.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centenary Institute: Sydney-based independent medical research institute within the University of Sydney/Bosch/Royal Prince Alfred Hospital precinct. Comparable operating model of cardiorespiratory, cancer and inflammation research with similar translational mission and headcount band.
• Hudson Institute of Medical Research: Melbourne-based medical research institute co-located with Monash Medical Centre, focused on cancer, inflammation and women's health. Comparable academic-hospital joint venture structure and clinical research portfolio.
• QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute: Queensland's largest medical research institute covering cancer, infectious diseases and chronic disorders. Comparable in scale and funding profile with broad research remit and clinical trial partnerships; a broad incumbent-style peer in the Australian sector.
• Telethon Kids Institute: Perth-based paediatric medical research institute under Curtin University/Perth Children's Hospital. Comparable academic-hospital research institute model with grant and philanthropy funding and translational research output.
• Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI): Sydney-based independent medical research institute with strengths in cancer, genetics and cell biology, affiliated with the Children's Hospital at Westmead. Comparable grant/philanthropy-funded non-profit model with translational research and clinical research outputs.
• Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute: Cardiovascular and genetics-focused medical research institute based in Sydney adjacent to St Vincent's Hospital. Comparable joint venture structure with UNSW and similar grant/philanthropy revenue mix; directly overlaps with Kolling's cardiovascular and renal program.
• Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research: Western Australian medical research institute affiliated with the University of Western Australia and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, with strengths in cancer, cardiovascular disease and rare diseases. Comparable mid-sized institute structure with clinical translation focus.
• SAHMRI (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute): Adelaide-based flagship medical research institute embedded within a health precinct. Similar translational research, clinical trial and digital health positioning as Kolling, with comparable headcount and geographic scope.
• Garvan Institute of Medical Research: Sydney-based medical research institute conducting clinical and translational research across cancer, genomics, immunology and metabolic disease. Closest geographic and structural peer to Kolling - same city, similar joint-affiliation with a major hospital/University of New South Wales model, and overlapping cancer/genomics priorities.

Broad incumbents

• Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI): Australia's largest child-health research institute, affiliated with the Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne. Larger-scale broad incumbent peer with overlapping translational research, paediatric and genomics programs and substantially greater funding capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kollinginst
• Facebookfacebook.com/KollingInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kolling-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kolling Institute