Sunrise Foundation

What Sunrise Foundation does

Sunrise Foundation is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) non-profit research foundation founded in late 2015 by Dave Morin and Dr. Rebecca Brachman, with a stated mission to cure and prevent depression and other psychiatric disorders. The organization concentrates on three program pillars: scientific research, technology translation, and awareness. Its science work centers on the emerging field of preventative psychopharmacology — developing drugs that enhance psychological resilience and prevent mental illness such as PTSD and depression before onset, rather than treating symptoms after they appear. Its technology work is anchored by a multi-year partnership with Apple and the UCLA Depression Grand Challenge to build the first objective diagnostic for depression, combining genomic science with multi-modal passive sensing (sleep, physical activity, heart rate, daily routines) in a study scaling from 150 to 3,000 participants. Its awareness work includes The Weight of Gold documentary with HBO (1.5 billion media impressions) and TED-stage science communication. Sunrise is not a commercial entity: it does not sell products or services, holds no disclosed patents, has no paying customers, and operates as a non-profit project under the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation with revenue limited to fully tax-deductible charitable donations processed via Network for Good.

Name

Sunrise Foundation

Legal name

Sunrise Foundation

Website

https://sunrise.bio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sunrise Foundation is a San Francisco 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2015 that funds and partners on preventative psychopharmacology research, an Apple/UCLA objective depression diagnostic, and mental health awareness media, serving the billions affected by depression globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Mental Health Research

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Depression prevention research
• Preventative psychopharmacology
• Brain health nonprofit
• Mental health research funding
• Psilocybin depression research

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sunrise Foundation is a non-profit research foundation that funds and partners on breakthrough projects in brain health, focused on curing depression. Its work spans scientific research (psilocybin studies for major depression, preventative psychopharmacology drugs that enhance psychological resilience), technology translation (objective depression diagnostic research with Apple and UCLA), and awareness initiatives (documentaries, TED talks, media outreach). The foundation operates as a non-profit project through the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

Product overview

Sunrise Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on advancing brain health science through three pillars: scientific research, technology translation, and awareness initiatives. The foundation funds and partners on research projects including psilocybin-based treatments for depression (with Johns Hopkins), diagnostic research for depression (with UCLA Depression Grand Challenge and Apple), and mental health awareness media projects. The organization does not offer commercial products or services; its activities are philanthropic investments in scientific breakthroughs and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preventative Psychopharmacology Research Program A drug-development research program creating the first preventative treatments for psychiatric disorders (PTSD, depression) by enhancing psychological resilience, rather than only suppressing symptoms after onset. Aimed at researchers, clinicians, and ultimately patients.
• Psilocybin for Major Depression Disorder Research First-of-its-kind clinical study with Johns Hopkins Medicine (Dr. Roland Griffiths's team) investigating psilocybin for Major Depression Disorder; Sunrise has been a financial supporter and advisor. Now in Phase 3 FDA trials.
• UCLA Depression Grand Challenge — 100,000-Person Depression Research Study Large-scale 100,000-person study in partnership with UCLA Depression Grand Challenge identifying genetic, biological, cognitive, social, and environmental factors associated with depression, supporting the goal of cutting depression burden by 50% by 2050.
• Objective Diagnostic for Depression Study (Apple × UCLA × Sunrise) 3-year study with Apple and the UCLA Depression Grand Challenge to build the first objective diagnostic for depression by combining UCLA genomic science with Apple-measured sleep, physical activity, heart rate, and daily-routine data. Starting with 150 participants, expanding to 3,000 over 3 years.
• The Weight of Gold Awareness Documentary Documentary (HBO) with director Brett Rapkin and Olympians Michael Phelps and Jeremy Bloom to communicate brain-health science and provide hope to people affected by depression. Reached over 1.5 billion media impressions.
• Charitable Donation Program (via Philanthropic Ventures Foundation) Online donation program that channels tax-deductible charitable contributions (via fiscal sponsor Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity) to fund Sunrise's brain health research, awareness, and hope-building work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Psilocybin for depression now in Phase 3 FDA trials
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ApplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Sunrise's work with Apple and the UCLA Depression Grand Challenge brings together science and technology in a major new 3 year study that seeks to invent the first objective diagnostic for depression. Combining UCLA's breakthrough genomic science with Apple's technology measuring sleep, physical activity, heart rate, and daily routines.
• Esalen InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Sunrise has served on the Board of Trustees with a focus on the Esalen Center for Theory and Research. For over 56 years, Esalen has served as one of the most important research centers for brain health, exploring human potential and higher health through disciplines including Gestalt Psychology, Somatics, and Quantum Physics.
• Center for Youth WellnessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Sunrise has served on the Advisory Board for the Center for Youth Wellness, a non-profit whose vision is every pediatrician in the United States screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by 2028.
• Johns Hopkins MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016In 2016, Sunrise partnered with Dr. Roland Griffiths and his team on a first-of-its-kind study seeking to prove the efficacy of psilocybin for major depression disorder. Sunrise has been a financial supporter and advisor to this work. Psilocybin is now in Phase 3 Trials with the FDA for depression.
• UCLA Depression Grand ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Since late 2015, Sunrise has worked closely in partnership with UCLA Depression Grand Challenge towards their goal of cutting the burden of depression by 50% by 2050. A core component is a research study of 100,000 people focused on identifying genetic, biological, cognitive, social and environmental factors associated with depression.
• Philanthropic Ventures FoundationcoreOthersSunrise Foundation is a non-profit project through their partner, the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity. This partnership enables donation processing and provides tax-exempt status for donors.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dana Foundation: Non-profit that funds brain and neuroscience research and public education. Broad peer in philanthropic brain-health science funding and public awareness.
• Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: Large non-profit grantmaker for mental-health research including depression, PTSD, and psychiatric disorders. Comparable mission of funding breakthrough brain science where government funding falls short.
• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): Non-profit psychedelic research and education organization funding clinical trials of MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD and depression. Closest analog to Sunrise's grantmaking-plus-advocacy model in the psychedelic mental-health space.
• Usona Institute: Non-profit medical research organization sponsoring psilocybin clinical trials for major depressive disorder. Direct peer in funding and coordinating late-stage psychedelic depression research.
• Beckley Foundation: UK-based non-profit conducting and funding psychedelic and consciousness research, including depression trials. Comparable grantmaking-plus-research model targeting brain health through psychedelics.
• Heffter Research Institute: Non-profit that funds psilocybin and other psychedelic research at leading institutions including Johns Hopkins. Directly comparable mission of advancing psychedelic science for psychiatric indications.
• MQ: Transforming Mental Health: International mental-health research charity funding scientific investigation into depression, anxiety, and other conditions. Comparable grantmaking model with research-driven outcomes.
• One Mind (One Mind for Research): Non-profit accelerating brain-health research through public-private funding partnerships, including depression and PTSD. Comparable funder-convener model around mental-health breakthroughs.
• Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF): Non-profit focused exclusively on funding novel research into the causes and treatments of depression. Direct peer in disease-specific depression grantmaking.

Broad incumbents

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Large non-profit funding research and awareness around suicide prevention, with significant overlap on depression as a key risk factor. Broader incumbent in the depression/mental-health philanthropy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SunriseBio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Sunrise Foundation