Balgrist Campus

What Balgrist Campus does

Balgrist Campus AG is a non-profit Swiss research institution headquartered in Zurich that operates three open-access research platforms focused on the musculoskeletal system: the Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI), the Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Biobanking (SCMB), and the Swiss Center for Movement Analysis (SCMA). Founded in 2010 as a stock corporation jointly owned by the ResOrtho Foundation and the Balgrist Association, it opened its dedicated research building in December 2015 and was designated by the Swiss Federal Government in 2016 as a Research Institution of National Importance. The imaging platform provides MRI (7 Tesla MAGNETOM Terra.X and 3 Tesla MAGNETOM Prisma), photon-counting CT (Siemens NAEOTOM Alpha), Micro-CT (Bruker Skyscan 1176), and ultrasound (SuperSonic Aixplorer Ultimate) as a fee-for-service to academic and commercial users, with self-service 24/7 access available to qualified researchers at reduced off-hour rates.

The institution is co-located with the Balgrist University Hospital Division of Radiology, enabling direct clinical-research integration, and offers additional services including a 3D printing service (EOS Formiga powder printer), multi-center core-lab functionality for clinical trials, research workspaces (wetlab and office) leased to start-ups and industry, and a Guest Sabbatical program for visiting researchers. Its revenue model is hybrid: long-cycle Swiss federal government grants (over 30 million CHF cumulative from 2017-2024), usage-based service fees published transparently on its website, and donations from foundations including a 2025 ResOrtho Foundation contribution of 1.5 million CHF. In 2025, the Balgrist Association acquired 100% of the shares, making it the sole owner and signalling a stable long-term governance structure. Customers include national and international academic research groups, start-ups in the musculoskeletal field, medical device and pharmaceutical industry partners, and clinical trial sponsors running multi-center imaging-endpoint studies.

Name

Balgrist Campus

Legal name

Balgrist Campus AG

Website

https://balgristcampus.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Balgrist Campus is a non-profit Swiss Research Institution of National Importance operating open-access platforms for musculoskeletal imaging, biobanking, and movement analysis, serving academic researchers, start-ups, industry partners, and clinical trial sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musculoskeletal research services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Musculoskeletal imaging services
• Medical biobanking services
• Movement analysis services
• Orthopedic research infrastructure
• Preclinical imaging platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Balgrist Campus received over 30 million Swiss Francs over 8 years (2017-2024) from the Swiss federal government as a Research Institution of National Importance. This covers infrastructure investment and platform operations.
2. Research Services and Imaging Fees: Fee-for-service model providing state-of-the-art medical imaging as a service. Pricing varies by modality (MRI, CT, Micro-CT, Ultrasound), user type (academic vs commercial), and service type (full-service vs self-service).
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Construction financed through own funds, donations, and bank loans. Hansjoerg Wyss made a most gracious donation to the ResOrtho Foundation for construction. In 2025, ResOrtho donated 1.5 Mio CHF for continued operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Balgrist Campus operates open-access research platforms dedicated to musculoskeletal health, providing standardized imaging (7T/3T MRI, photon-counting CT, micro-CT, ultrasound), biobanking of human musculoskeletal tissue and fluids, and quantitative movement/gait analysis to academic researchers, start-ups, and medtech, biotech and pharma industry partners. Services are bookable as fee-for-service, supplemented by Swiss federal infrastructure funding and private donations.

Product overview

Balgrist Campus is a Research Institution of National Importance dedicated to musculoskeletal patient care, operating three open-access research platforms: the Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI) providing MRI (7T/3T), CT (photon-counting), Micro-CT and ultrasound imaging services; the Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Biobanking (SCMB) for tissue and fluid sample management; and the Swiss Center for Movement Analysis (SCMA) for quantitative movement analysis. Supporting services include 3D printing (EOS Formiga powder printer), research workspaces (wetlab and office), and multi-center core-lab functionality. The institution is non-profit and tax-exempt, bringing together patients, physicians, researchers and industry under one roof to address musculoskeletal health challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI): Open-access radiological imaging facility developing methods for improved imaging of the musculoskeletal system
• Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Biobanking (SCMB)
• Swiss Center for Movement Analysis (SCMA)

Products and services

• Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI) Open-access imaging platform for musculoskeletal research, bundling 7T MRI, 3T MRI, photon-counting CT, micro-CT, and ultrasound under harmonized protocols. Used by academic researchers, start-ups, and medtech, biotech, and pharma industry to perform standardized, reproducible MSK imaging studies.
• 7T MRI Imaging Services (MAGNETOM Terra.X) Fee-for-service ultra-high-field (7 Tesla) MRI using a Siemens MAGNETOM Terra.X scanner, targeted at academic researchers and industry users requiring high-resolution musculoskeletal imaging beyond the capability of standard 3T systems.
• 3T MRI Imaging Services (MAGNETOM Prisma) Fee-for-service clinical-grade 3T MRI using a Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma scanner, configured for research musculoskeletal imaging as a self-service or full-service offering.
• Photon-Counting CT Imaging Services (NAEOTOM Alpha) Fee-for-service spectral CT imaging on a Siemens NAEOTOM Alpha photon-counting scanner, providing high-resolution musculoskeletal CT with material decomposition for research users.
• Micro-CT Imaging Services (SkyScan 1176) Fee-for-service high-resolution micro-CT imaging on a Bruker SkyScan 1176 system for ex-vivo and pre-clinical musculoskeletal samples, available with academic or industry pricing tiers.
• Ultrasound Imaging Services (Aixplorer Ultimate) Fee-for-service musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging on a SuperSonic Imagine Aixplorer Ultimate system supporting elastography and other advanced MSK ultrasound techniques.
• Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Biobanking (SCMB) Biobanking platform for human musculoskeletal tissue and body fluids, provided with standardized collection, processing, and storage protocols for academic and industry research into MSK biomarkers and personalized medicine.
• Swiss Center for Movement Analysis (SCMA) Quantitative movement analysis platform for musculoskeletal research, combining 3D motion capture and markerless video analysis for pre-clinical gait studies, including the GTM motion analysis service.
• Multi-Center Core Lab Services Centralized core lab for clinical trials: image acquisition, analysis, and centralized MSK imaging reads across multiple study sites, serving pharma, biotech, and CRO sponsors.
• 3D Printing Service (EOS Formiga) Selective laser sintering 3D printing on an EOS Formiga system for fabricating orthopedic models, surgical planning models, and implant prototypes, aimed at academic researchers and medtech/biotech industry partners.
• Research Workspace Leasing Leasing of on-site laboratories and offices co-located with the SCMI/SCMB/SCMA platforms for start-ups, biotech firms, and research groups, supporting the use of bundled platform services.
• Dedicated Workstations (WATS) for Clinical Trial Data Workstations dedicated for confidential processing and protected handling of clinical trial data, supporting the multi-center core lab offering and sponsor needs for data confidentiality.
• Guest Sabbatical Program Sabbatical program hosting visiting researchers on the Balgrist Campus for in-residence collaboration on musculoskeletal projects, giving them physical access to the campus's research platforms and co-located expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 million CHF in federal government investment over 8 years demonstrates institutional recognition of value

Named customers3 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

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Balgrist University Hospital - Division of RadiologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCMI's physicist-led research group maintains close collaboration with the world-leading Division of Radiology at Balgrist University Hospital, providing seamless integration of research and clinical expertise.
• Nissen & Wentzlaff Architekten BSA SIA AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected as general planners through open application procedure in July 2011. Designed the unique architecture with atrium promoting knowledge exchange among users.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Medpace: Mid-sized global CRO with in-house imaging core lab services for clinical trials, including musculoskeletal indications. Comparable fee-for-service imaging-in-trials value proposition.
• Mayo Clinic (Orthopedic Research): Large US integrated clinical-research system with advanced MSK imaging, biobanking and motion analysis. Overlapping capabilities but vastly broader scope than Balgrist's MSK-only focus.
• Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS): US orthopedic specialty hospital with a large research institute conducting MSK imaging, biomechanics and clinical research. Comparable end-customer focus (MSK) but a much larger clinical footprint.
• Clario (formerly BioClinica): Global clinical-trial imaging core lab providing centralised reading and image-management services for multi-center trials. Competes with Balgrist's multi-center core-lab offering from a much larger commercial base.
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Orthopaedics): Major European university hospital with an orthopaedics department running imaging, biobanking and movement-research programmes. Comparable academic medical centre with embedded MSK research platforms.

Direct peers

• AO Research Institute Davos: Swiss-based orthopedic/musculoskeletal research institute with surgical, biomechanics and implant-testing programmes. Highly comparable as a fellow Swiss, musculoskeletal-focused translational research centre with industry and clinical partnerships.
• Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute: Italian orthopedic research hospital with embedded biobanking, imaging and motion-analysis research focused on the musculoskeletal system. Directly comparable mission and structure to Balgrist.

Emerging players

• NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (UK): UK-government-funded translational research centres (e.g., Oxford, King's) hosting open-access imaging and biobanking platforms for academic and industry users. Same 'national-importance research platform' model applied to other specialties.

Others

• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing-laboratory group with biomedical and clinical-sample testing services. Adjacent infrastructure provider that could partner with — or compete for — biobanking and lab-testing workloads from MSK sponsors.

Regional players

• Radboudumc (Orthopaedic Research): Dutch academic medical centre with an orthopaedics research group running MSK imaging and movement-analysis studies. Comparable translational MSK research orientation but Northern-European geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/balgristcampus
• YouTubevimeo.com/search?q=Balgrist%20Campus
• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/balgristcampus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Balgrist Campus