OvaCure
OvaCure is a Danish non-profit founded in 2014 that accelerates ovarian cancer research by convening leading researchers worldwide through biennial Innovation Challenges, the OvaCure Collection organoid biobank, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What OvaCure does
OvaCure is a Danish non-profit organization (NGO) founded in 2014 and headquartered at Symbion in Copenhagen. Its mission is to accelerate ovarian cancer research by bringing together leading researchers across disciplines, specialties, and international borders to develop innovative projects targeting earlier detection, better treatment, and ultimately a cure for ovarian cancer, a disease in which 70% of patients are diagnosed at advanced stage and 81% of those die within five years. The organization's core products are organized around the "OvaCure Model," a methodology for cross-disciplinary research co-creation: the biennial OvaCure Innovation Challenge (a 36-hour research hackathon, the first of its kind in ovarian cancer), the annual OvaCure Science Symposium for knowledge sharing, and The OvaCure Collection, a non-profit initiative launched in May 2025 to build the world's largest public collection of organoids derived from high-grade serous ovarian cancer tumors via a coalition of Nordic institutions including Turku University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, University of Helsinki, and Auria Biobank. Over its history OvaCure has initiated 14 research projects, held 12 major events, and engaged 100+ researchers from 16+ countries.
OvaCure operates as a research accelerator funded primarily through private donations (one-time and recurring), corporate partnerships and sponsorships, foundation grants (Novo Nordisk Foundation, Ole Kirk's Foundation, A.P. Møller Foundation, and OCRA), and 50 DKK/year individual memberships. Operating and administrative expenses are covered by a dedicated sponsor, allowing donations to flow directly to research. Distribution is event-driven and community-led: the biennial Innovation Challenge and annual Science Symposium anchor engagement, supported by website donations (processed via OnlineFundraising), email newsletters, organic social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and direct corporate outreach. Key institutional partners include AstraZeneca, Rigshospitalet, CCIT, University of Pennsylvania, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, NSGO-CTU, the Anticancer Fund, and Herlev Hospital, with a Scientific Board chaired by Dr. Robert C. Bast Jr. The organization has a small secretariat (Director Alexander, Project & Communications Manager Pernille Koll) backed by a Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board.
OvaCure firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OvaCure
- Legal name
- OvaCure
- Website
- https://ovacure.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OvaCure is a Danish non-profit founded in 2014 that accelerates ovarian cancer research by convening leading researchers worldwide through biennial Innovation Challenges, the OvaCure Collection organoid biobank, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OvaCure industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cancer Research Funding
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
Keywords
Where OvaCure is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OvaCure business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Private Donations: Individual donors can make one-time or recurring (monthly) donations to support ovarian cancer research. Membership is available for 50 DKK/year, which includes voting rights at annual general meetings and priority information about events.
- Corporate Partnerships: Companies can become business partners with annual contributions, make single donations, or provide strategic partnerships. Contributions can include competencies (pro bono) or event sponsorships. Tax deductible donations are reported to tax authorities on company CVR number.
- Foundation Grants: OvaCure is dependent on private funds from foundations to develop, initiate and conduct research projects.
- Membership Fees: Annual membership available for 50 DKK. Membership fee is not deductible; amounts exceeding 50 DKK annually are deductible as donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership for supporters |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
OvaCure product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OvaCure is a Danish non-profit organization that funds and initiates ovarian cancer research by operating the OvaCure Model — a methodology that brings together leading researchers across disciplines, specialties, and international borders to co-create research projects. Its core programmatic offerings are The OvaCure Collection (the world's largest non-profit public organoid collection for high-grade serous ovarian cancer), the biennial OvaCure Innovation Challenge (a 36-hour research hackathon), and the annual OvaCure Science Symposium, supported by donations, memberships, corporate partnerships, and foundation grants.
Product overview
OvaCure is a Danish non-profit organization (NGO) focused on initiating and promoting research in ovarian cancer. The organization operates through a portfolio of interconnected programs: The OvaCure Collection serves as the core biobank product—a non-profit initiative building the world's largest public collection of organoids from ovarian cancer tumors for research purposes. The OvaCure Innovation Challenge is the organization's flagship hackathon-style event that brings together international researchers to rapidly develop new research projects. The OvaCure Science Symposium provides an annual forum for knowledge sharing among researchers, patients, and relatives. The OvaCure Model serves as the underlying methodology that guides all research development activities. Together, these offerings form an integrated research acceleration ecosystem rather than a traditional software product portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The OvaCure Collection A non-profit initiative building the world's largest and best public collection of organoids derived from high-grade serous ovarian cancer tumors, created by a coalition of leading Nordic institutions (Turku University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, University of Helsinki, Auria Biobank). It provides researchers with a unique resource to understand ovarian cancer and test treatments with greater precision and personalization.
- OvaCure Innovation Challenge The world's first research hackathon in ovarian cancer: a 36-hour sprint event held biennially in Copenhagen that brings together leading researchers from across specialties and countries to develop new, internationally oriented ovarian cancer research projects. Multiple editions have awarded seed funding to winning project teams (2022: OVACATCH and GIANTS, over 200,000 EUR; 2025: PRECISION-EC, 350,000 EUR).
- OvaCure Science Symposium An annual scientific symposium hosted by OvaCure bringing together researchers, doctors, patients, and relatives to share knowledge about ovarian cancer research, network, and present progress from OvaCure-supported projects.
- OvaCure Model A research acceleration methodology developed by OvaCure that systematically brings together leading researchers across disciplines, specialties, and international borders to replace silo thinking with co-creation. Provides the framework that birthed the OvaCure Innovation Challenge.
- OvaCure Supporter Membership Annual membership program for individual supporters at 50 DKK per year. Members receive voting rights at the OvaCure annual general meeting and priority information on events. Membership fees are not deductible as donations; however, any amounts paid beyond 50 DKK per year are deductible.
Quantifiable outcome
- Since 2014, raised more than 29 million DKK for research, initiated 14 projects, held 12 major events, and gathered 100+ researchers from 16+ countries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use OvaCure
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
OvaCure technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
OvaCure partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Turku University Hospital (FI)coreLeading Nordic institution in The OvaCure Collection coalition, providing patient tissue from Finnish tumor collection for organoid development. Part of the initiative to build the world's largest organoid collection for ovarian cancer research.
- University of Copenhagen (DK)coreKey partner in The OvaCure Collection coalition. Professor Krister Wennerberg's laboratory at BRIC develops groundbreaking organoid expertise. Host institution for OvaCure headquarters.
- University of Helsinki (FI)coreLeading Nordic institution in The OvaCure Collection coalition contributing to the initiative to build the world's largest public organoid collection for ovarian cancer research.
- Auria Biobank (FI)coreFinnish biobank partner in The OvaCure Collection coalition, providing infrastructure for organoid development from patient tissue samples.
- AstraZenecaminorPharmaceutical company listed as partner supporting OvaCure's mission to advance ovarian cancer research.
- RigshospitaletcoreMajor Danish hospital partner; hosts multiple research projects including T-cell therapy projects led by Professor Inge Marie Svane and Mansoor Raza Mirza's clinical projects.
- UPenn (University of Pennsylvania)coreInternational research partner hosting CAR-T cell therapy project (Daniel Powell) and DiscOVARY project collaborations in ovarian cancer immunotherapy.
- MD Anderson Cancer CentercorePremier US cancer center; Dr. Robert C. Bast Jr. serves as Chairman of Scientific Board. Key advisor on translational research strategy.
- NSGO-CTU (Nordic Society of Gynaecological Oncology)coreNordic clinical trial unit; Dr. Mansoor Raza Mirza serves as Medical Director. Primary purpose is driving clinical research in gynecological cancer through collaboration, innovation, and education.
- CCIT (National Center for Cancer Immunotherapy)coreNational Danish immunotherapy center at Rigshospitalet; hosts T-cell therapy research projects led by Professor Inge Marie Svane.
- Herlev HospitalminorDanish hospital involved in DiscOVARY project collaboration for ovarian cancer immunotherapy research.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Canada)coreLeading Canadian cancer center; Professor Amit M. Oza serves on Scientific Board, contributing expertise in medical oncology and clinical trials.
- Stephenson Cancer Center (USA)minorUS cancer research center; Dr. Kathleen Moore serves on OvaCure Scientific Board, contributing expertise in phase I trials and drug development.
- The Anticancer Fund (Belgium)coreEuropean foundation focused on finding cures for cancer; Dr. Lydie Meheus serves on Scientific Board, focusing on treatments not supported by pharma.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OvaCure competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ovarian Cancer Action: UK-based ovarian cancer charity funding research into early detection and treatment. Comparable as disease-specific cancer research accelerator with research grants, donor-funded model, and focus on translational science in ovarian cancer.
- World Ovarian Cancer Coalition: International umbrella organization advancing ovarian cancer awareness, research, and policy. Comparable to OvaCure in addressing the unmet need in ovarian cancer research and patient outcomes globally.
- Anticancer Fund: Belgian foundation focused on developing treatments for cancers that lack commercial interest. Directly comparable mission (filling research funding gaps not addressed by pharma), with Dr. Lydie Meheus serving on OvaCure's Scientific Board.
- Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA): The largest US-based ovarian cancer research nonprofit, funding research grants, advocacy, and patient support. Directly comparable to OvaCure in ovarian cancer-specific research acceleration, donor-funded grantmaking, and scientific advisory governance. Already a partner of OvaCure (USD 900K award in 2020).
- National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC): US-based ovarian cancer nonprofit supporting research, awareness, and patient services. Comparable donor-funded research acceleration approach and disease-specific mission similar to OvaCure.
Others
- Huntsman Cancer Institute (University of Utah): US NCI-designated cancer center conducting ovarian cancer research alongside other malignancies. Adjacent in ovarian cancer research output but operates as an academic medical center rather than a donor-funded accelerator.
Broad incumbents
- Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C): Major US cancer research accelerator funding multi-institutional 'Dream Teams' across cancer types. Comparable in methodology of large cross-institutional team-science grants and donor-driven research funding model, but operates at broader cancer scope.
- Worldwide Cancer Research: UK-based charity funding early-stage cancer research globally across cancer types. Comparable as international donor-funded research grantmaker supporting investigator-driven projects.
- Cancer Research UK: Largest UK cancer charity funding wide-spectrum cancer research including ovarian cancer. Comparable as donor-funded cancer research funder, though operates at much larger scale and broader scope than OvaCure's ovarian-specific focus.
Regional players
- Ovarian Cancer Canada: Canadian national ovarian cancer charity funding research and advocacy. Comparable as disease-specific donor-funded research accelerator serving a defined national constituency (similar to OvaCure's Nordic focus).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OvaCure social profiles
Digital presenceOvaCure financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OvaCure leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
OvaCure funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OvaCure 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 OvaCure
What does OvaCure do?
OvaCure is a Danish non-profit organization that funds and initiates ovarian cancer research by operating the OvaCure Model — a methodology that brings together leading researchers across disciplines, specialties, and international borders to co-create research projects. Its core programmatic offerings are The OvaCure Collection (the world's largest non-profit public organoid collection for high-grade serous ovarian cancer), the biennial OvaCure Innovation Challenge (a 36-hour research hackathon), and the annual OvaCure Science Symposium, supported by donations, memberships, corporate partnerships, and foundation grants.
Is OvaCure a public or private company?
OvaCure is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was OvaCure founded?
OvaCure was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is OvaCure based?
OvaCure is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does OvaCure make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Private Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, foundation Grants and membership Fees.
Who are OvaCure's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ovarian Cancer Action, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Anticancer Fund, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) and National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). Huntsman Cancer Institute (University of Utah) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), Worldwide Cancer Research and Cancer Research UK. Ovarian Cancer Canada is listed as a regional player.
Does OvaCure have an API?
No public API is recorded for OvaCure.
What industry is OvaCure in?
OvaCure's product category is Cancer Research Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8000.