Vagus Nerve Society

What Vagus Nerve Society does

Vagus Nerve Society is a non-profit educational organization, incorporated in New York and founded around 2020, whose mission is to educate clinicians and scientists on vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) science and clinical applications. Its core subject matter spans invasive and non-invasive VNS modalities — including transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS), transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS), and percutaneous auricular VNS (aVNS) — and the underlying physiology of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, autonomic regulation, and vagal tone modulation for conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, inflammatory disorders, migraines, and neurodegenerative disease.

The Society's product portfolio centers on a 7-hour paid online Vagus Nerve Certification Course (launched April 2024, with ~150 clinicians certified), a free membership program delivering weekly short-form educational videos and access to a content library (publications, webinars, podcasts, books), The Women's Health–Vagus Connection educational program, a searchable Find a Provider directory with a Gold Star designation for advanced certification holders, and the annual Business of Pain conference (300+ attendees). Underlying technology is primarily a WordPress website managed by MyAdvice, a dedicated online registration portal at register.vnsociety.org, and a directory search tool — there is no proprietary software, API, or AI component.

The business model combines three revenue streams: paid clinician certification (one-time license), corporate sponsorships from VNS device and wellness companies (electroCore, Spark Biomedical, Neufit, Microbiome Labs, EnzyScience, Yojo Health, MyAdvice), and event/conference monetization. Membership is currently free and serves as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel into certification and conference attendance. The Society is led by Chairman Peter Staats, MD, MBA, with co-founder Mark Tager, MD, and a founding member roster that includes Kevin Tracey, MD; Anna Woodbury, MD, MSc; André Boezaart, MD, PhD; and other recognized VNS researchers.

Name

Vagus Nerve Society

Legal name

Vagus Nerve Society

Website

https://vnsociety.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Vagus Nerve Society is a non-profit educational organization that trains and certifies clinicians in vagus nerve stimulation science and clinical applications, serving a global membership of researchers, medical specialists, primary care physicians, and integrative clinicians through free membership, a paid certification course, and a provider directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education and Professional Certification

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Medicine (Interventional/Neuropathic Pain) (HLAKAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Posture, Musculoskeletal & Pain-Relief Devices (Posture Trainers, TENS/EMS, Massage Devices) (CRACAQAK)

Keywords

• Vagus nerve education
• Clinical certification programs
• Neuromodulation research
• Bioelectric medicine
• Professional medical society

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlantic Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization currently offers free membership to scientists and clinicians from all disciplines. Membership provides access to educational content, weekly short videos, networking opportunities, and member resources.
2. Certification Course: The Society offers a 7-hour online certification course on vagus nerve science and clinical conditions for clinicians. This is a paid educational program designed for real-world patient care.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including electroCore, Neufit, Microbiome Labs, EnzyScience, Yojo Health, Spark Biomedical, and MyAdvice provide financial support to the non-profit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Vagus Nerve Society is a non-profit educational organization that delivers structured education, certification, and community resources on vagus nerve science and its clinical applications. Its core products include a 7-hour online Vagus Nerve Certification Course for clinicians, the Women's Health–Vagus Connection educational program, a Find a Provider Directory of certified practitioners, a digital VNS Library (publications, webinars, podcasts, books), weekly educational video touchpoints for members, and the annual Business of Pain Conference. These offerings are targeted at clinicians and scientists seeking evidence-based training in vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and bioelectric medicine.

Product overview

Vagus Nerve Society is a non-profit educational organization offering a portfolio of educational products and services centered on vagus nerve science and clinical applications. The core offerings include a 7-hour Vagus Nerve Certification Course for clinicians, The Women's Health–Vagus Connection educational program, a Find a Provider Directory with Gold Star-certified practitioners, the VNS Library with publications/w webcasts/podcasts, weekly Vagus Education Touchpoint videos for members, the annual Business of Pain Conference, and a free membership program. These offerings work together to advance education, certification, and practitioner networking in the field of vagus nerve stimulation and bioelectric medicine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vagus Nerve Certification Course A 7-hour online certification program delivering structured, evidence-based education on vagus nerve science and clinical applications designed for real-world patient care. Clinicians who complete the certification receive a Gold Star designation on the Find a Provider directory. Nearly 150 clinicians have completed the certification.
• The Women's Health–Vagus Connection An educational program revealing how vagal tone and autonomic regulation shape menopause, menstrual rhythms, stress resilience, metabolism, and more, featuring concise clinician-led modules that translate physiology into practical insight.
• Find a Provider Directory A searchable directory of healthcare providers specializing in vagus nerve-focused care, with Gold Star providers having completed the VNS Certification Course and additional training in vagus nerve-focused care.
• VNS Library Resources Comprehensive educational resources including publications of note, papers and articles, webinars, podcasts, books, and blogs covering vagus nerve science and clinical applications.
• Membership Program Free membership open to scientists and clinicians from all disciplines, providing access to weekly educational touchpoint videos, networking opportunities, and resources in vagus nerve research and clinical practice.
• Business of Pain Conference Annual conference bringing together over 300 experts to explore the future of pain medicine innovation, including breakthrough technologies, AI-driven care, non-invasive innovations, practical business insights, and leadership strategies.
• Weekly Vagus Education Touchpoint Members receive weekly 3-minute videos highlighting important scientific or clinical facts about the vagus nerve and its role in health and disease modulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 150 clinicians have completed the Society's certification in vagus nerve science and its clinical applications

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• electroCorecoreTechnology or IntegrationelectroCore is a corporate sponsor of the Vagus Nerve Society. The company develops gammaCore, a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation device. The partnership includes joint webinars and educational content on VNS applications.
• Spark BiomedicalcoreTechnology or IntegrationSpark Biomedical is a corporate sponsor that develops transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) technology. The partnership includes webinars on opioid addiction treatment and clinical outcomes using their technology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Neuromodulation Society (INS): Global scientific and educational society for neuromodulation, with a multidisciplinary membership of researchers and clinicians. Direct peer in scope (VNS-relevant) and structure (international membership organization running the INS congress).
• North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS): Medical society dedicated to neuromodulation education, research, and clinical practice. Closest direct peer given its analogous mission to convene clinicians around neurostimulation technologies, including VNS-adjacent therapies, with similar conferences and CME offerings.
• American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM): Multispecialty medical society for pain medicine clinicians, providing education, CME, and advocacy. Peer in mission (pain clinician education) and audience (pain specialists), with overlapping board-certified membership profiles.
• American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine): Specialty society serving interventional pain physicians and anesthesiologists, including neuromodulation education. Overlapping clinician audience and complementary pain-medicine certification/CME programming.
• World Institute of Pain (WIP): International pain medicine educational organization that runs congresses and certification-style programming. Direct peer in pain-focused clinician education; explicitly listed among the society's event partnerships.

Emerging players

• American Headache Society (AHS): Specialty society for headache clinicians, a major VNS-relevant indication (migraine and cluster headache). Partial overlap with the VNS Society's clinician base and emerging relevance as VNS gains headache indications.

Broad incumbents

• electroCore: Commercial developer of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (gammaCore) devices and a core corporate sponsor of the VNS Society. Comparable because it operates the clinical-education channel for VNS users, although from a device-vendor perspective rather than a neutral society.
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN): Large scientific society covering neuroscience research including vagal pathway research. Comparable as a scientific membership society, though at much greater scale and with broader scope than the VNS Society's clinical-application focus.
• Spark Biomedical: Developer of transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) technology and a core corporate sponsor. Comparable as a VNS device maker that runs clinician education and webinars for the same target audience as the VNS Society.
• International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP): Largest global professional organization dedicated to pain research and treatment. Comparable as a pain-focused educational and scientific society, though broader in scope and more research-oriented than the vagus-nerve-specific VNS Society.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vagus Nerve Society