Investigator Support Services

What Investigator Support Services does

Investigator Support Services (ISS), founded in 1992 and headquartered at 21 E Huron St in Chicago, is a privately held clinical trial intermediary that matches pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) with pre-qualified research sites across North America. The company maintains a curated network of 250 vetted phase I-IV research sites and approximately 1,600 investigators in the US and Canada spanning 54 therapeutic areas, with a specialized sub-network of 20 Phase I Units for early-phase and generic drug development. ISS applies a three-step site evaluation process — preliminary screening, study pre-qualification, and ongoing monitoring — using internal data tracking systems that capture enrollment history, FDA audit records, staff credentials, and prior trial experience to align protocol requirements with site capabilities.

The business operates a two-sided distribution model. Sponsors and CROs access ISS's site selection services at no charge, supported by ~300 clinical trial opportunities distributed annually, full-time sales staff, and a presence at industry trade shows. Research sites pay ISS for access to a steady stream of trial leads and business development support; the model is explicitly non-restrictive — sites retain autonomy over which studies to pursue, and ISS does not participate in budget or contract negotiations. The result is a managed-services revenue stream funded entirely by the site side of the network.

ISS is led by Sarah Ebner (President), operates with 11-50 employees, has no disclosed outside investors or parent company, and has no recorded funding rounds, acquisitions, or geographic expansion events. The technology is relationship- and data-driven rather than AI/ML-driven, and there is no public app, API, or SDK surface; the competitive position rests on two decades of accumulated site-selection relationships, a curated pre-qualification dataset, and the structural advantage of operating at no cost to the sponsor side of the market.

Name

Investigator Support Services

Legal name

Investigator Support Services

Website

https://researchsite.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Investigator Support Services (ISS) is a Chicago-based clinical trial intermediary that matches pharma, biotech, and CRO sponsors at no charge with a pre-qualified network of 250 North American research sites and 1,600 investigators across 54 therapeutic areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Trial Site Selection Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

Keywords

• Clinical trial site selection
• Clinical site matching
• Investigator pre-qualification
• Clinical research site network
• Clinical trial intermediary

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Site Access Services: ISS provides site matching services at no charge to sponsors and CROs. The company generates revenue through partnerships with research sites, which pay for access to a steady stream of clinical trial opportunities. Sites benefit from business development services and access to hundreds of clinical trials annually without restrictive obligations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Investigator Support Services (ISS) is a clinical trial intermediary that matches pharmaceutical/biotech sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) with pre-qualified research sites in North America. Through its Sponsor/CRO Services, ISS provides no-cost access to a vetted network of 250 phase I-IV research sites and 1,600 investigators, using a data-driven site evaluation process to align sites with protocol requirements. Through its Site Services, ISS sells research sites access to a steady stream of roughly 300 clinical trial opportunities annually across all phases and therapeutic areas, while supporting site autonomy in budget and contract negotiations.

Product overview

Investigator Support Services (ISS) operates as a clinical trial matchmaker connecting sponsors/CROs with research sites. The company offers two core service lines: Sponsor/CRO Services providing site selection access to 250 vetted phase I-IV research sites, and Site Services helping research sites secure additional clinical trials. Supporting these core offerings are three specialized service features: the Site Evaluation Process (a three-step quality assessment), Site Specialties (access to sites across 54 therapeutic areas), and Phase One Units (20 specialized early-phase research facilities). The platform functions as a matching intermediary without charging sponsors for site selection services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sponsor/CRO Services Provides pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, and CROs with no-cost access to 250 pre-qualified phase I-IV research sites and 1,600 investigators across North America, using a data-driven site evaluation process to match sites to protocol requirements.
• Site Services Delivers business development services to research site partners by providing access to a steady stream of clinical trial opportunities across all phases and therapeutic areas, enhanced visibility with sponsors and CROs, and marketing/relationship support, with site autonomy preserved over study selection and budget negotiations.

Quantifiable outcome

• No fee to sponsors for site selection services
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Syneos Health: Syneos Health is a global biopharmaceutical solutions organization offering CRO services and site relationships — an incumbent that competes with ISS for sponsor site selection work as part of a broader service portfolio.
• IQVIA: IQVIA is a global CRO and clinical technology provider with its own site network and feasibility capabilities — a broad incumbent competing with ISS for sponsor-side site selection engagements at scale.
• WCG (WIRB-Copernicus Group): WCG is a large incumbent clinical research services provider offering IRB, site management, and trial enablement services to sponsors and CROs — overlapping with ISS at the site/services layer but across a much broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• BBK Worldwide: BBK Worldwide specializes in clinical trial patient recruitment, site engagement, and feasibility services for pharma sponsors and CROs — overlapping with ISS's sponsor-side site selection and enrollment support.
• Antidote Technologies: Antidote runs a digital clinical trial matching platform connecting patients and sponsors to trial sites; competes with ISS on the sponsor-facing site feasibility and recruitment enablement side of the market.
• Praxis (clinical research site network): Praxis operates a clinical research site network providing site management, patient recruitment, and trial enablement services — closely comparable to ISS's vetted site matching business.
• CenterWatch: CenterWatch provides clinical trial listings, site directories, and patient recruitment services for sponsors and CROs — a directly overlapping intermediary role in connecting sponsors with research sites.
• ClinEdge: ClinEdge operates a network of clinical research sites and provides site management, patient recruitment, and business development services to research sites and sponsors — directly overlapping ISS's two-sided site matching model.

Emerging players

• Elligo Health Research: Elligo uses a 'Research Ready' network of community-based research sites to enable clinical trials for sponsors — an emerging site-network model that overlaps ISS's site matchmaking but with a tech-enabled go-to-market.

Others

• Veeva Systems: Veeva provides cloud-based clinical trial and life sciences software (including CTMS and site operations tools); it does not directly compete with ISS but is an enabling technology vendor adjacent to the site enablement ecosystem ISS operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Investigator Support Services