Happy Lungs Project
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Happy Lungs Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Happy Lungs Project
- Legal name
- Happy Lungs Project
- Website
- https://happylungsproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Happy Lungs Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patient Advocacy & Cancer Research Non-Profit
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pulmonary Hypertension & Rare Pulmonary Disease Therapies (HLAIAIAG)
Keywords
Where Happy Lungs Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Happy Lungs Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Programs (research grants and patient services), Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- General Contributions (Donations): The primary revenue source is donations and general contributions from individuals, families, and supporters. Operating revenue for 2025 was $307,543 (all general contributions, no grants). For 2024, revenue was $554,878; 2023 was $362,802; 2022 was $922,265 (including $50,000 in grants); 2021 was $216,750.
- Research Grant Funding Facilitation: The organization facilitates additional research funding by working with cancer research institutions to assist them in securing grant funding for RET-positive research. Since inception in 2021, HLP has awarded more than $1 million in RET-positive cancer research grants and facilitated an additional $1 million in research funding.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Happy Lungs Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Happy Lungs Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient advocacy organization that funds and facilitates scientific research into RET-positive lung cancer, operates patient registries (RETgistry, Lung Cancer Genetics Study), and provides patient education, clinical trial matching, and community resources for RET-positive lung cancer patients, caregivers, and the broader scientific community. Since 2021 it has awarded over $1 million in RET-positive cancer research grants and facilitated an additional $1 million in research funding.
Product overview
The Happy Lungs Project is a nonprofit organization operating as a patient advocacy and research funding platform rather than a commercial product company. The organization offers a unified suite of patient-focused services including: a RET research funding program (having awarded over $1 million since 2021), a clinical trial matching service, patient registry enrollment support (connecting to RETgistry, GO2, and 23andMe), comprehensive patient education resources, a Video Q&A Series featuring expert scientific advisors, a newsletter program, patient Stories of Hope testimonials, an Expert Q&A service, NCCN guidelines information, and biomarker testing guidance. These services work together to advance RET-positive lung cancer research and empower patients through education and access to clinical trials and registries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RET Research Funding Program
- Clinical Trial Matching Service
- Patient Registry Enrollment Program
- Video Q&A Series
- RET Newsletter Program
- Stories of Hope Program
- Expert Q&A Service
Quantifiable outcome
- $1 million+ awarded in RET-positive cancer research grants since 2021
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Happy Lungs Project
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Happy Lungs Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Happy Lungs Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Eli Lilly and CompanycoreLilly is the manufacturer of selpercatinib (Retevmo), one of the two FDA-approved RET inhibitors. Happy Lungs Project collaborates with Lilly on clinical trial awareness, patient education about RET inhibitors, and research updates. Lilly pharmaceutical logo appears in the collaborating organizations section of the HLP website.
- MD Anderson Cancer CentercoreMD Anderson is a primary research partner. HLP funds research at MD Anderson including work led by Dr. John Heymach (Chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology) on RET inhibitor resistance and novel therapies, and Dr. Alexandre Reuben on T-cell immunotherapy approaches. MD Anderson serves as a lead institution in the national RET Research Coordination Center.
- LUNGevity FoundationcoreLUNGevity is a leading lung cancer nonprofit. The two organizations collaborate on patient education, research advocacy, and community support for the RET-positive lung cancer community.
- Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)coreCPRIT is a state-funded cancer research institute in Texas. HLP collaborates with CPRIT-funded researchers and institutions working on RET-positive lung cancer research.
- UT Southwestern Medical CentercoreUT Southwestern is a research partner where HLP-funded research is conducted, including work by Ralf Kittler on characterizing RET fusions and resistance mechanisms. UT Southwestern is also a partner in the national RET Research Coordination Center.
- Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)coreMGH is a primary research partner. HLP funds research at MGH including the RETgistry global registry (led by Dr. Jessica Lin), novel immunotherapeutic approaches (led by Dr. Justin Gainor), and work on resistance mechanisms. MGH is a core research institution for RET-positive lung cancer research.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)coreMSK is a primary research partner. HLP funds research including the RETgistry (led by Dr. Alexander Drilon) and characterization of RET mutations (led by Dr. Marc Ladanyi). MSK is also a partner in the national RET Research Coordination Center.
- GO2 Lung CancercoreGO2 Lung Cancer is a lung cancer patient advocacy organization. HLP collaborates with GO2 on patient education, registry participation (GO2 lung cancer registry), and awareness campaigns.
- Biomarker CollaborativeminorA coalition focused on advancing biomarker testing in cancer care. HLP collaborates with the Biomarker Collaborative to promote the importance of biomarker testing for RET-positive lung cancer patients.
- 23andMecoreHLP partnered with 23andMe to launch the Lung Cancer Genetics Study, a patient registry initiative to advance RET-positive lung cancer research by collecting genetic and health information from participants.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Happy Lungs Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ROS1ders: Patient-driven nonprofit focused on ROS1-positive lung cancer. Operates the same narrow-driver-mutation model as HLP, with research funding, patient registry, and community support for a small molecularly defined NSCLC subset.
- EGFR Resisters: Patient-driven nonprofit focused on EGFR-mutant lung cancer, a similarly small genomic subset. Closest model analog to HLP — small team, niche driver mutation, research funding, community building — making it a useful comparable for HLP's trajectory.
Broad incumbents
- American Lung Association: The largest US lung health nonprofit with a broad mandate (all lung diseases, advocacy, research, education). As a broad incumbent, it competes for the same donor dollars and has the resources to launch dedicated RET-positive programming if it chooses.
- Lung Cancer Research Foundation: Funds lung cancer research across all subtypes and supports patient education. Operates a similar grant-funding and patient education model, making it a functional comparable for HLP's research funding mission.
- Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF / GO2): Founded by a lung cancer survivor, now part of GO2 — provides research funding and patient services across lung cancer subtypes. Comparable disease-specific nonprofit model applied to the broader lung cancer space.
- Cancer Research Institute: Major US cancer research nonprofit with a focus on immunotherapy. HLP funds T-cell immunotherapy research (e.g., Dr. Alexandre Reuben at MD Anderson), so the organizations share a research portfolio and donor audience.
Direct peers
- GO2 for Lung Cancer: Major lung cancer patient advocacy organization operating the lung cancer registry that HLP directs patients to. Both organizations focus on biomarker-driven patient education, clinical trial matching, and survivor support.
- LUNGevity Foundation: The largest US lung cancer-focused nonprofit, funding research, education, and patient support across all lung cancer subtypes. HLP is a listed collaborating partner; both organizations serve the same patient community and overlap heavily in research funding and patient education.
- RET Positive Group: Patient advocacy group specifically focused on RET-positive cancers (broader than HLP's lung-only focus). HLP is a listed collaborating partner; both serve the RET-positive patient community with education and peer support.
Others
- International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC): Global professional society for thoracic oncology that HLP engages with through conference participation (WCLC). A scientific/medical community peer that plays a complementary role in advancing RET-positive research.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Happy Lungs Project social profiles
Digital presenceHappy Lungs Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Happy Lungs Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Happy Lungs Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Happy Lungs Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Happy Lungs Project 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 Happy Lungs Project
What does Happy Lungs Project do?
Happy Lungs Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient advocacy organization that funds and facilitates scientific research into RET-positive lung cancer, operates patient registries (RETgistry, Lung Cancer Genetics Study), and provides patient education, clinical trial matching, and community resources for RET-positive lung cancer patients, caregivers, and the broader scientific community. Since 2021 it has awarded over $1 million in RET-positive cancer research grants and facilitated an additional $1 million in research funding.
Is Happy Lungs Project a public or private company?
Happy Lungs Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Happy Lungs Project founded?
Happy Lungs Project was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Happy Lungs Project based?
Happy Lungs Project is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Happy Lungs Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. General Contributions (Donations) is the primary driver. The others are research Grant Funding Facilitation.
Who are Happy Lungs Project's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ROS1ders and EGFR Resisters. Broad incumbents are American Lung Association, Lung Cancer Research Foundation, Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF / GO2) and Cancer Research Institute. Direct peers are GO2 for Lung Cancer, LUNGevity Foundation and RET Positive Group. International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is listed as an others.
Does Happy Lungs Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Happy Lungs Project.
What industry is Happy Lungs Project in?
Happy Lungs Project's product category is Patient Advocacy & Cancer Research Non-Profit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS), with a secondary code of HLAIAIAG, Pulmonary Hypertension & Rare Pulmonary Disease Therapies. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8090.