Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute

What Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute does

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute (FECRI) is a community-funded, not-for-profit cancer research institute based in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, and is Australia's only regionally based cancer research centre. Founded in 1998 from a bequest of care established after the 1991 death of 14-year-old Fiona Elsey, FECRI operates from Ballarat Technology Park on the Federation University campus with a research team of approximately 15 researchers, 3 visiting researchers, and 2 collaborating clinicians, led by founding Director Professor George Kannourakis.

The institute's research programme is focused on cancer immunology and the role of the immune system in treating cancer, with active projects across breast, ovarian, brain, renal, bowel, and prostate cancers, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Multiple Myeloma, and Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. Core laboratory capabilities include a Bruker timsTOF Pro2 mass spectrometer with ProteoElute for proteomics and biomarker analysis, a QuantStudio real-time PCR system for cancer genomics, high-resolution plasma and bone marrow proteomics workflows, and engineered nanoparticle drug delivery systems. The institute also maintains a tissue bank of over 35,000 patient samples, facilitated through clinical relationships with Grampians Health and St John of God Hospital, and has published more than 40 research outputs including work in Science and Nature Scientific Reports.

FECRI is entirely non-government funded and operates a community-led go-to-market model. Revenue streams include individual donations via the GoFundraise online platform, bequests and legacy gifts, workplace giving with employer matching, recurring fundraising events (Ballarat Cycle Classic, Jimmy's Allsorts Murray to Moyne, Nutbush Challenge, Lighthouse Classic), school and corporate partnerships, and the agricultural Grain for Hope programme run with CHS Broadbent. The institute has no commercial product offering, charges no fees for engagement, and is governed by a Board of Management chaired by Paula Nicholson with Lady Primrose Potter AC serving as Patron.

Name

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute

Legal name

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute ACN 108 331 657

Website

https://fecri.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute is a community-funded, not-for-profit cancer immunology research institute based in Ballarat, Australia, and is the country's only regionally based cancer research facility, serving patients and supporters across multiple cancer indications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYHLAGAEAI

Sample Logistics, Biorepository & IVD Kit Management (Trial Support)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Central Labs & Clinical Diagnostics Services (Trial Support)

SECONDARYHLAKAFAK

Gastrointestinal Oncology

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Hematology & Oncology

SECONDARYHLAKAFAF

Gynecologic Oncology

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Hematology & Oncology

SECONDARYHLAKAOAB

Urologic Oncology

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Urology

Keywords

• Cancer research services
• Immunology research programs
• Tissue banking services
• Nonprofit medical research
• Cancer drug discovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballarat

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Community Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting cancer research. One-time and monthly donation options available through online fundraising platform.
2. Community Fundraising Events: Revenue from community-organized fundraising events including cycling events, walks, challenges, corporate events, school fundraisers, and memorial events.
3. Bequests and Legacy Gifts: Donations received through wills and estate planning, allowing supporters to leave lasting legacies for cancer research.
4. Workplace Giving: Regular donations deducted from employee pre-tax pay through payroll systems, often with employer matching programs.
5. Grain Donations (Grain for Hope): Agricultural donors can donate grain through CHS Broadbent Grower Portal or at weighbridges, with 100% of donated grain value going to cancer research.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Support from businesses including equipment donations, sponsorships, and ongoing corporate partnerships (e.g., Creswick Community Bank, Springhill Farm).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FECRI is a community-funded, not-for-profit cancer research institute that conducts immunology-focused cancer research across multiple cancer types. The institute maintains a tissue bank of over 35,000 patient samples and conducts research into breast, ovarian, brain, bowel, kidney, prostate cancers, CLL, multiple myeloma, and Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). The institute does not sell products but is funded entirely through community donations, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and bequests.

Product overview

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute is a not-for-profit community-funded cancer research institute based in Ballarat, Victoria. The organization does not offer commercial software products but provides cancer research services focused on the role of the immune system in treating cancer. Research areas include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, brain cancer, renal cancer, bowel cancer, prostate cancer, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Multiple Myeloma, and Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). The institute operates with a tissue bank of over 35,000 patient samples and conducts community fundraising through the GoFundraise platform to support its research activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cancer Research Programs Multi-disciplinary cancer immunology research programs investigating cancer biology, treatment resistance, and novel therapeutic approaches including nanoparticle drug delivery across breast, ovarian, brain, bowel, kidney, and prostate cancers, CLL, multiple myeloma, and Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH).
• Tissue Banking Services Maintains a repository of over 35,000 patient tissue samples for use in cancer research, supported by collaborating clinicians at Grampians Health and St John of God Hospital in Ballarat.
• Lady Primrose Potter Cancer Research Education Centre Public education facility offering students, families, and visitors the opportunity to explore cancer research through interactive exhibits and scientist-led tours, and to understand what cancer is, how it is studied, and where the science is heading.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published research on PAPP-A protein in triple-negative breast cancer leading to potential diagnostic and treatment pathways
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lady Primrose Potter ACcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2025Patron honored with naming of Cancer Research Education Centre, which invites community to explore cancer research through interactive exhibits and scientist-led tours.
• BrukercoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Instrument supplier that committed to providing mass spectrometer and components well below market value, maximizing the impact of the $500,000 gift from John Turner and the Gull family. Enabled FECRI to acquire state-of-the-art timsTOF Pro2 integrated with ProteoElute technology.
• Creswick Community Bank (Bendigo Bank)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Community Bank branch provided funding for QuantStudio Quantitative Real-time PCR System for the Ballarat laboratory. Equipment enables researchers to scrutinize molecules in diseased cancer samples with real-time detection capabilities.
• CHS BroadbentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Grain marketing company partnered with FECRI for Grain for Hope program allowing farmers to donate grain at weighbridges or via grower portal. 100% of donated grain value goes to cancer research.
• Jimmy's Licorice AllsortsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity cycling team participating in annual Murray to Moyne event, raising over $300,000 over five years for FECRI. 2026 goal is $50,000.
• Springhill FarmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides farm treats for event fundraising with proceeds going to cancer research. Offers gluten-free and vegan options for sale at events.
• Redman WinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Long Lunch 4 Jock event raising over $32,000 for LCH research in memory of Jock Redman who has Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
• Federation UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional research collaboration with Professor Stuart Berzins (Professor of Immunology) and other Federation University researchers. FECRI operates at Ballarat Technology Park on Federation University campus.
• Doherty Institute (University of Melbourne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on international study led by Professor Laura Mackay published in Science, discovering how immune cells enter and reside in skin. FECRI contributed tissue banking facility and relationships with local surgeons.
• Karolinska Institute (Stockholm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Professor Jan-Inge Henter on LCH studies. Professor Kannourakis was invited to present LCH work at Karolinska Institute. Joint publications in PLoS and Nature Scientific Reports.
• Eclipse Ford, BJT Legal, Protect, Petstock, Cyclescape, Lake Imaging, Network 7majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsors of 2025 Ballarat Cycle Classic providing generous support for the fundraising event.
• Fulton HoganmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-kind supporter providing thousands of dollars worth of infrastructure and dedicated team members for four days to support Ballarat Cycle Classic event.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Telethon Kids Institute: Perth-based child health research institute with strong community fundraising heritage including Telethon. Comparable in regional focus, community-led funding model, and integration with a university campus.

Direct peers

• Centenary Institute: Sydney-based independent medical research institute focused on cancer, inflammation, and infectious disease. Comparable as a non-profit research institute running multiple disease programs with similar funding models.
• Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research: A Perth-based medical research institute conducting disease-focused biomedical research including cancer, similar in mission and non-university institute structure to FECRI. Comparable in scale and translational research orientation.
• Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute: Melbourne-based cancer-focused research institute with similar translational focus on immunology, breast cancer, and bowel cancer. Shares the Australian non-profit research institute model with community-driven funding.
• Hudson Institute of Medical Research: Melbourne-based medical research institute focused on cancer, inflammation, and reproductive health. Directly comparable in research scope, Australian non-profit structure, and translational pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre: Australia's largest dedicated cancer hospital and research centre, with extensive translational research including immunology, nanoparticle therapy, and clinical trials. Sets the bar for the kind of impact FECRI aspires to but operates at far greater scale.
• South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI): Adelaide-based flagship medical research institute with cancer, heart, and nutrition themes. Like FECRI, it represents a regionally-anchored research centre with significant community engagement and translational research focus.
• Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research: One of Australia's oldest and largest medical research institutes with major cancer and immunology programs. Director Prof Kannourakis trained at WEHI, and the institute shares translational research orientation but at much greater scale.
• QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute: Large Queensland-based medical research institute with significant cancer research programs including immunology and clinical trials. Larger and broader than FECRI but directly comparable in translational cancer research mission.

Emerging players

• Children's Cancer Institute: Sydney-based independent medical research institute solely focused on childhood cancer, including immunotherapy and precision medicine. Smaller scope but similar model of disease-focused independent research with community funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FionaElseyCRI
• Facebookfacebook.com/FionaElseyCRI
• Instagraminstagram.com/fionaelseycri

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute