Instituto de Medicina Molecular

What Instituto de Medicina Molecular does

Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) is a private non-profit biomedical research institute based in Lisbon, Portugal, founded in 2004 and hosted on the campus of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon within the Lisbon Academic Medical Center. The institute operates across four interconnected pillars — basic, clinical, translational, and innovation research — covering oncology, malaria, sleeping sickness, muscle and autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative disease. Its research outputs include high-impact publications in journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell, and notable discoveries including elucidation of the TERRA RNA molecule mechanism.

The institute's service and technology offerings include a Biobank of biological samples, the Centro de Diagnóstico Molecular (which provided COVID-19 PCR testing), the Mission Lab for translational projects, the Neuropal neurology initiative, and the LEAP-BIO digital platform for IP management and spin-off acceleration. It also runs formal training programs for PhDs and postdoctoral researchers, and supports the creation of spin-off companies from its research.

The business model is that of a publicly funded non-profit research institute: operating revenue is assembled from competitive research grants (notably European Research Council, "la Caixa" / CaixaResearch, EU Teaming for Excellence, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Pfizer), institutional and philanthropic donations, and limited commercial income from specialized diagnostic services. In 2024, iMM merged with the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) to form the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM); iMM's web presence now redirects to www.gimm.pt, and the standalone iMM entity has been absorbed.

Name

Instituto de Medicina Molecular

Legal name

Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes

Website

https://imm.medicina.ulisboa.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Instituto de Medicina Molecular is a Lisbon-based non-profit biomedical research institute affiliated with the University of Lisbon's Faculty of Medicine, conducting basic, clinical, and translational research in cancer, malaria, and neurodegenerative diseases. In 2024, it merged with Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência to form GIMM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Biomedical research
• Molecular diagnostics
• Translational research
• Life sciences research
• Biobank services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisboa

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) is a private non-profit biomedical research institute conducting basic, clinical, translational, and innovation research in life sciences. It offers specialized molecular diagnostic services (including COVID-19 testing), operates a Biobank for biological sample storage, runs integrated postgraduate training programs (Masters, PhD, Postdoctoral), and supports research spin-off companies. The institute also participates in the CARE Teaming for Excellence project with Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca and launched the LEAP-BIO digital platform for IP licensing.

Product overview

Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) is a private non-profit biomedical research institute conducting basic, clinical, and translational research in life sciences. The institution offers a portfolio of products and services including the Centro de Diagnóstico Molecular for COVID-19 testing, the Biobank for biological sample storage, Mission Lab and Translational Research Lines as core research infrastructure, the CARE project in collaboration with VHIR Barcelona, the LEAP-BIO digital platform for IP licensing, the Neuropal educational game, and Training Programs (Masters, PhD, Postdoctoral). These offerings are complemented by Spin-Offs support for innovation commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centro de Diagnóstico Molecular by iMM Molecular diagnostic center offering specialized diagnostic services including COVID-19 testing, available to patients and healthcare professionals.
• Biobanco (Biobank) Biobank unit storing thousands of biological samples including blood, bone, saliva, and tumors for biomedical research purposes, accessible to academic and industry researchers.
• Mission Lab Research unit supporting mission-driven, human-centered, and data-driven translational research activities at iMM.
• Translational Research Lines Core research programs spanning basic biomedical, clinical, and translational research in life sciences, addressing diseases including cancer, malaria, neurodegenerative conditions, autoimmune diseases, and muscle disorders.
• CARE Project Teaming for Excellence project in collaboration with Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR) in Barcelona, pioneering in Portugal a mission-driven, human-centered, and data-driven research and innovation model involving citizens, patients, health professionals, researchers, industry, and government stakeholders.
• LEAP-BIO Digital Platform Digital platform designed to improve intellectual property licensing processes, supporting research commercialization for iMM and partners.
• Training Programs Integrated postgraduate training programs for researchers at different career stages including Masters, PhD, Postdoctoral, and Other Courses.
• Spin-Offs Support Support infrastructure for research spin-off companies and innovation commercialization initiatives emerging from iMM's research activities.
• Neuropal Online educational game about safety and the nervous system, used for science outreach and public engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple ERC Advanced and Consolidator Grants awarded to researchers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARE project - Boosting Clinical Research for the Benefit of Society. Teaming for Excellence project pioneering in Portugal with a mission-driven, human-centered and data-driven research and innovation model based on stakeholder involvement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG): Barcelona-based biomedical research institute focused on genomics, systems biology, and molecular medicine. Comparable in size, scope, EU competitive grant profile, and Iberian research ecosystem positioning.
• Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC): Former peer and merger partner; a Portuguese life sciences research institute in Oeiras focused on basic biological research. Directly comparable in mission, funding sources, and integration with the Portuguese research ecosystem.
• Champalimaud Foundation: Portuguese biomedical research foundation in Lisbon focused on neuroscience and oncology. Comparable as a Lisbon-based, privately funded research organization with translational programs and clinical research capabilities.
• Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM): The merged entity formed by iMM and IGC in 2024. Directly comparable as a Portuguese biomedical research institute conducting basic, translational, and clinical research with overlapping faculty, programs, and infrastructure.
• Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR): Barcelona-based biomedical research institute partnered with iMM on the EU Teaming CARE project. Comparable as a translational/clinical research organization attached to a leading hospital, with similar disease focus areas and EU funding strategies.

Broad incumbents

• Francis Crick Institute: One of Europe's largest biomedical research institutes in London, conducting discovery science to understand biology underlying health and disease. Comparable in scale (1,000+ scientists), international talent base, and mission of translating basic research into clinical impact.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Intergovernmental research organization in molecular life sciences with sites across Europe. Comparable as a publicly funded European research infrastructure with translational programs, training initiatives, and shared technology platforms.
• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's largest medical university and biomedical research institution. Comparable as a publicly funded European research center with strong translational pipelines, biobank infrastructure, and clinical research focus.
• Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics: German research institute focused on molecular genetics and genome analysis. Comparable in basic/translational research scope, large research group structure, and competitive international grant funding.
• Institut Pasteur: Paris-based international biomedical research center with broad disease focus including infectious diseases, immunology, and neuroscience. Comparable in mission, disease portfolio (including malaria research), and global research collaboration model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=imm+iMM
• Facebookfacebook.com/imm
• Xx.com/immolecular

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Instituto de Medicina Molecular