Kidney Research Institute

What Kidney Research Institute does

The Kidney Research Institute (KRI) is a non-profit academic research division operating inside the University of Washington's Division of Nephrology and UW Medicine, founded in 2008 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. KRI conducts interdisciplinary team-science research aimed at the prevention, detection, and treatment of kidney disease and its complications, drawing on clinical trials, longitudinal cohort studies, biomarker analysis, and laboratory-based disease modeling. Its major ongoing platforms include the Seattle Kidney Study (a longitudinal cohort running since 2004 with 650+ participants), the KRI Registry for volunteer recruitment across 85 active studies with 10,000+ participants enrolled, and a cellular-models program using patient-derived stem cells to build kidney organoids and bioengineered kidney tissues.

Underlying technology centers on kidney organoids, kidney-on-a-chip microphysiological systems, human pluripotent stem-cell models, and bioengineered human kidney tubules, paired with extensive biorepositories and a dedicated biostatistics directorate. The institute trains 86 nephrology fellows (19 in research tracks), publishes in national and international journals (2,000+ publications), and participates as a Central Hub investigator in the NIH Kidney Precision Medicine Project. KRI does not sell commercial products; participant research engagement is voluntary and unfunded. Revenue is operationally derived from federal research grants (NIH, NIDDK, NHLBI, PCORI, NASA), pharmaceutical and biotech trial sponsorships (including Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Hansa Biopharma, Natera, and CareDx), and philanthropic donations routed through the UW Medicine gift fund. Customers in the strict sense are patients (research participants), academic and federal collaborators, and industry trial sponsors; commercial product revenue and pricing are not applicable.

Name

Kidney Research Institute

Legal name

Kidney Research Institute

Website

https://kri.washington.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Kidney Research Institute is a UW Medicine non-profit research division in Seattle that runs interdisciplinary kidney-disease research, including clinical trials, longitudinal cohorts, kidney organoids, and kidney-on-a-chip platforms, serving patients, federal funders, and pharmaceutical trial sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renal Diagnostics & Monitoring (eGFR/Creatinine POC, Urine Analyzers, BP/Fluid Status) (HLAHAKAJ), Nephrology & Urology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAM), Renal Transplant Medicine (Pre/Post-Transplant Care) (HLAKAHAD)

Keywords

• Kidney disease research
• Clinical trials
• Nephrology research
• Kidney organoids
• Translational medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: The KRI operates primarily through research grants and funding from major federal agencies and foundations. Funding sources include NIH, NIDDK, NHLBI, NASA, PCORI, and various pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials.
2. Philanthropic Donations: The institute accepts charitable contributions to support kidney disease research, accelerate discoveries, and support next generation physician-scientists.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Kidney Research Institute conducts innovative and interdisciplinary kidney disease research, including clinical trials, longitudinal cohort studies, and laboratory-based disease modeling using kidney organoids and stem cell technologies. KRI recruits research participants through its registry, partners with pharmaceutical sponsors for clinical trials, and disseminates findings through academic publications. The institute is funded primarily by NIH and other federal grants, pharmaceutical company sponsorships, and philanthropic donations.

Product overview

The Kidney Research Institute (KRI) is a research organization affiliated with UW Medicine, not a technology product company. KRI operates as a cohesive, focused research endeavor bringing science to the study of kidney diseases. The institute's offerings include the KRI Registry for patient recruitment, multiple longitudinal clinical studies (such as the Seattle Kidney Study), laboratory research programs using stem cells and kidney organoids, patient-centered research initiatives, and a research blog for disseminating findings. The portfolio spans observational cohort studies, interventional clinical trials, laboratory-based disease modeling, and patient engagement services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KRI Registry
• Seattle Kidney Study (SKS)
• KRI Research Participation Program
• Cellular Models of Human Kidney Disease and Regeneration

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 research publications in national and international journals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Vanderbilt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership in the ROKIT (Role of Kidney Tubular Secretion in Critical Illness) study. This partnership seeks to identify new methods of measuring kidney function in critically ill adults, evaluating secretory function of kidney proximal tubules using novel methods.
• Joslin Diabetes CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the PERL (Preventing Early Renal Loss) and PERLage studies for type 1 diabetes kidney disease research, including multicenter clinical trials.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Joslin Diabetes Center: Harvard-affiliated diabetes research and clinical care institution with strong kidney-diabetes research programs. Directly comparable to KRI as an academic disease-focused research center and is already a KRI research partner on the PERL and PERLage trials.
• Rogosin Institute: New York-based independent research institute focused on kidney disease, dialysis, and transplantation, affiliated with Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian. Directly comparable to KRI as an academic kidney research institute conducting clinical and translational nephrology research.
• National Kidney Foundation: The largest U.S. kidney-focused nonprofit, funding research, advocacy, and patient support. Comparable to KRI in mission around kidney disease research, education, and patient community engagement, though operating at a national scale rather than academic-research focus.
• Brigham and Women's Hospital - Division of Renal Medicine: Harvard-affiliated academic nephrology division with deep clinical trial and translational research programs in CKD and transplantation. Comparable to KRI as a peer academic kidney research center with strong industry and federal funding.
• American Kidney Fund: National nonprofit providing direct financial assistance to kidney patients and funding research. Comparable to KRI in its kidney-specific focus and reliance on philanthropic and grant-based revenue, though it emphasizes patient services over academic research.
• Cedars-Sinai - Division of Nephrology: Academic nephrology program at Cedars-Sinai conducting basic, translational, and clinical research in kidney disease. Comparable to KRI as a peer academic kidney research center with strong industry partnerships and clinical trial activity.
• Duke University School of Medicine - Division of Nephrology: Academic nephrology division at Duke with active programs in kidney transplantation, glomerular disease, and clinical trials. Comparable to KRI as an academic kidney research enterprise combining clinical care, training, and funded research.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center - Division of Nephrology: Academic nephrology division conducting basic, translational, and clinical kidney research. Directly comparable to KRI as a peer academic kidney research program and an existing KRI partner on the ROKIT critical-illness study.
• Stanford Medicine - Division of Nephrology: Academic nephrology program at Stanford with strengths in transplantation, glomerular disease, and kidney precision medicine. Comparable to KRI as a top-tier academic kidney research enterprise combining clinical research with translational science.
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - Division of Nephrology: Academic nephrology program at Mount Sinai with active research in CKD, dialysis, and transplantation. Comparable to KRI as a peer academic kidney research enterprise with multidisciplinary faculty and federal grant funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KidneyResInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/KidneyResearchInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidneyresearchinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Kidney Research Institute