Instituto de Medicina Molecular
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLisboa, Portugal
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Instituto de Medicina Molecular firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Instituto de Medicina Molecular industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Instituto de Medicina Molecular is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisboa
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Instituto de Medicina Molecular business model
Business model- 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
Instituto de Medicina Molecular product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Instituto de Medicina Molecular
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Instituto de Medicina Molecular technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Instituto de Medicina Molecular partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)coreCARE 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
Instituto de Medicina Molecular competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Instituto de Medicina Molecular social profiles
Digital presenceInstituto de Medicina Molecular financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Instituto de Medicina Molecular leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Instituto de Medicina Molecular funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Instituto de Medicina Molecular 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 Instituto de Medicina Molecular
What does Instituto de Medicina Molecular do?
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.
Is Instituto de Medicina Molecular a public or private company?
Instituto de Medicina Molecular is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently acquired.
When was Instituto de Medicina Molecular founded?
Instituto de Medicina Molecular was founded in 2004. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Instituto de Medicina Molecular based?
Instituto de Medicina Molecular is headquartered in Lisboa, Portugal, in the Europe region.
Who are Instituto de Medicina Molecular's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), Champalimaud Foundation, Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM) and Institut de Recerca Vall d'Hebron (VHIR). Broad incumbents are Francis Crick Institute, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Karolinska Institutet, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and Institut Pasteur.
Does Instituto de Medicina Molecular have an API?
No public API is recorded for Instituto de Medicina Molecular.
What industry is Instituto de Medicina Molecular in?
Instituto de Medicina Molecular's product category is Biomedical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAE, AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.