Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science

What Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science does

The Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science is a Boston, Massachusetts-based research entity founded in 2006 that is described in the available source material as participating in strategic partnerships to advance novel cancer treatment research. Its stated functional role is collaborative translational research rather than direct commercialization: the short-description field characterizes the institute as one that "participates in strategic partnerships that propel novel research in cancer treatments." The firmographic record is sparse — no specific products, technology stack, pricing model, customer segments, distribution channels, or revenue mechanics are disclosed in the input. The listed web domain (belfercenter.dfci.harvard.edu) indicates the institute operates within the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute / Harvard Medical School ecosystem, and the listed employee count of "10,000+" almost certainly reflects the broader Dana-Farber parent organization rather than the Belfer Institute itself; the input contains no data on the institute's actual headcount or operating unit boundaries.

No core technology, proprietary features, AI modalities, products, or services are catalogued in the source. No certifications, regulatory actions, intellectual property, management team, awards, funding rounds, M&A activity, or partnership counterparties are disclosed. The firmographic fields classify the entity as a private, for-profit organization, though this designation is inconsistent with the institute's apparent academic/research operating posture; this should be treated as a likely data-quality anomaly rather than a confirmed structural feature.

No business model details — pricing, contract structures, revenue model, or go-to-market mechanics — are present in the input. The only commercially relevant descriptor is the partnership-driven posture. As a result, the only defensible revenue/segment/GTM conclusions are: (i) revenue, if any, is most plausibly in the form of research funding, sponsored research agreements, or partnership milestones rather than unit sales, and (ii) the institute's "customers," to the extent they exist, are most plausibly counterparties in pharma/biotech research collaborations rather than downstream patients or payers. None of these points, however, are directly evidenced in the source — they are inferred only from the partnership-centric framing of the short description.

Name

Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science

Website

https://belfercenter.dfci.harvard.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science is a Boston-based, privately held research entity founded in 2006 that engages in strategic partnerships to advance novel cancer treatment research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

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

SECONDARYHLACAGAH

Oncology Pathways & Precision Medicine Decision Support

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Digital Health & Health IT/Clinical Decision Support (CDS) & Care Pathway Tools

SECONDARYHLAKAEAL

Liver & GI Clinical Research (Trials Centers)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Gastroenterology & Hepatology

SECONDARYHLAFAMAL

Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Clinical Laboratories

Keywords

• Cancer research
• Oncology therapeutics
• Drug discovery
• Translational research
• Precision oncology

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Core offering

The Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science conducts applied cancer research aimed at advancing novel cancer treatments. It operates within Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (per its web presence at belfercenter.dfci.harvard.edu) and engages in strategic partnerships to translate laboratory discoveries into therapeutic candidates for oncology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Applied Cancer Research Partnerships

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves1 record

Direct peers

• Broad Institute: Cambridge-based biomedical research institute jointly affiliated with MIT and Harvard. Operates large-scale applied research programs partnering with pharma across oncology and other disease areas, similar institutional scale and Cambridge/Boston location.
• Institute for Applied Cancer Science (MD Anderson): MD Anderson's applied cancer science unit focuses on translational drug discovery through industry partnerships. It is the closest conceptual twin to Belfer, with the same applied/translational mandate and pharma partnership model.
• Ludwig Center at Harvard: Harvard-based cancer research center affiliated with the same ecosystem. Shares geographic and institutional adjacency with Belfer and conducts translational cancer research.
• Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT: University-based cancer research institute within a Boston-area peer academic ecosystem (MIT). Both Belfer and Koch Institute operate as embedded translational cancer science centers that partner with industry to advance novel therapeutics, making them directly comparable institutional models.

Others

• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Parent/affiliated institution of the Belfer Institute. Provides clinical infrastructure, patient access, and shared scientific platforms that Belfer relies on for translational research.

Regional players

• Scripps Research Institute: Independent research organization with significant translational science and drug discovery programs. Comparable as a research-organization peer, though primarily California-based rather than Boston.

Broad incumbents

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Comprehensive cancer center with applied research arms similar in mission and clinical/research integration. Comparable as a leading US cancer center with industry-partnered translational research.
• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: MIT-affiliated biomedical research institute in Cambridge. Adjacent in geography, mission (fundamental and translational biomedical research), and structure as a self-governing research organization.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Established private research institute with significant cancer biology and translational research programs. Comparable as an independent research organization running cancer-focused discovery science with industry engagement.
• The Jackson Laboratory: Independent nonprofit biomedical research institute with significant cancer genomics and preclinical research programs. Comparable institutional model: nonprofit research organization monetizing capabilities through partnerships and services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science