What SONSIEL does

SONSIEL (Society of Nurse Scientists Innovators Entrepreneurs & Leaders) is a US-based not-for-profit membership organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in Boston that operates a global ecosystem dedicated to nurse-led healthcare innovation. The organization serves nurses at all career stages, alongside healthcare leaders, digital health innovators, and technologists, by providing a portfolio of programs including the NurseHack4Health hackathon series, the Nurse Innovator Index platform, The AI Shift AI initiative, the SONSIEL Podcast, the annual THInC conference, the UN Immersion program, and the joint SONSIEL & DAISY Foundation Award. SONSIEL holds official non-governmental organization (NGO) status with the United Nations, giving it a distinctive position in global health policy discussions. The organization is not a product company in the traditional sense; its technology footprint is centered on community platforms (a members-only portal at members.sonsiel.org, the Nurse Innovator Index at nurseinnovatorindex.com, and the AI Shift at aishift.health) rather than proprietary software products, and no APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML research output are disclosed.

The business model is a nonprofit mix of recurring individual and institutional membership fees, donations, and corporate sponsorships and grants. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue figures are not available. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: SONSIEL recruits members through its website, drives engagement through healthcare conferences (notably HIMSS26 in Las Vegas and THInC 2026), and operates hackathons and pitch competitions (NurseHack4Health, Pitch-A-Thon) that function as both programming and partnership-development venues. Sponsorship and partnership revenue is anchored by named relationships with the Johnson & Johnson Foundation (funding for Pitch-A-Thon), HIMSS (co-development of NurseHack4Health), the DAISY Foundation (flagship award), and Techonomy and VSP Vision (GTM/visibility partnerships). International reach is signaled by the SONSIEL Brasil chapter, and the leadership team includes President Rebecca Love and Mary Lou Ackerman, though broader management depth is not disclosed in source materials.

Name

SONSIEL

Legal name

SONSIEL - Society of Nurse Scientists Innovators Entrepreneurs & Leaders

Website

https://sonsiel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SONSIEL is a US-based not-for-profit membership organization that supports and connects nurse innovators globally through programs including NurseHack4Health hackathons, the Nurse Innovator Index, The AI Shift AI initiative, the THInC conference, and UN engagement, serving nurses, healthcare leaders, and technology partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: SONSIEL generates revenue through individual and institutional membership programs. The organization offers Individual Membership and Institutional Membership tiers, with a members-only portal for access.
2. Donations and Sponsorship: The organization accepts donations from members and supporters to fund healthcare transformation programs. Sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations wishing to support nurse innovation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SONSIEL is a not-for-profit global ecosystem of nurse innovators that delivers paid individual and institutional memberships, recognition programs (e.g., the SONSIEL & DAISY Foundation Award), innovation events such as NurseHack4Health hackathons and the THInC conference, and the UN Immersion Program. Its members access a private portal, the Nurse Innovator Index platform, The AI Shift initiative, and the SONSIEL Podcast to collaborate, gain visibility, and develop nurse-led healthcare innovations.

Product overview

SONSIEL (Society of Nurse Scientists Innovators Entrepreneurs & Leaders) is a not-for-profit organization that operates as a global ecosystem of nurse innovators. Rather than a traditional product company, SONSIEL offers a portfolio of programs and platforms including the NurseHack4Health™ tech-a-thon series, the Nurse Innovator Index platform, the SONSIEL Podcast, The AI Shift initiative, the SONSIEL & DAISY Foundation Award, THInC 2026 conference, UN Immersion 2026 program, and various nurse hackathons. These offerings work together to amplify nurses' voices and impact worldwide, advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, and equitable health outcomes through collaboration, recognition, education, and global engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NurseHack4Health™: A hackathon and innovation program bringing together nurses, healthcare leaders, digital health innovators, and technologists to develop solutions to real-world clinical, operational, and workforce challenges.
• The AI Shift
• Nurse Innovator Index
• SONSIEL Podcast
• THInC

Products and services

• Individual Membership Paid membership tier for individual nurses at all career stages, providing access to the SONSIEL members-only portal, programs, events, recognition opportunities, and the global nurse-innovator network.
• Institutional Membership Paid membership tier for healthcare employers, health systems, and academic nursing institutions, providing organization-wide access to SONSIEL programs to develop nurse innovators, support workforce innovation, and engage with the global community.
• Nurse Innovator Index Online index platform that showcases and tracks nurse innovators, providing visibility and recognition for clinical problem-solvers and connecting them with healthcare leaders and technology partners.
• The AI Shift SONSIEL initiative focused on advancing AI in healthcare nursing, supporting nurses in adapting to and leading AI-driven healthcare transformation, and providing related educational programming and resources.
• NurseHack4Health Hackathon and innovation program that brings together nurses, healthcare leaders, digital health innovators, and technologists to develop solutions to real-world clinical, operational, and workforce challenges, with Pitch-A-Thon funding support from Johnson & Johnson Foundation.
• UN Immersion Program Program that provides immersive experiences at the United Nations, leveraging SONSIEL's NGO status to expand nurses' influence in global health policy, leadership development, and international engagement.
• SONSIEL Brasil Chapter Brazilian chapter of SONSIEL, providing a regional community of nurse innovators, localized programming, and a point of access to the global SONSIEL ecosystem for nurses in Brazil.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• VSP VisionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2025SONSIEL's work is featured in Techonomy's spotlight on AI and Health Access innovators, in partnership with VSP Vision. This provides exposure in the broader healthcare innovation ecosystem.
• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSONSIEL hosts its second-annual NurseHack4Health Tech-A-Thon at the HIMSS26 Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas. HIMSS provides the venue and audience of healthcare technology professionals for this innovation event.
• DAISY FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSONSIEL partners with the DAISY Foundation on a joint award program recognizing nurses for their extraordinary compassion and innovation in healthcare. The SONSIEL & DAISY Foundation Award represents a flagship recognition initiative.
• TechonomyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSONSIEL collaborates with Techonomy on events and panels focused on AI-driven healthcare innovation. The partnership provides visibility for nurse innovation perspectives in broader technology discussions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DAISY Foundation: Foundation honoring nurses for extraordinary compassionate care; SONSIEL's flagship SONSIEL & DAISY Foundation Award is co-administered with this organization. Direct programmatic partnership and overlapping mission around nurse recognition.
• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society): Largest global membership organization for health information and technology professionals. SONSIEL hosts the NurseHack4Health Tech-A-Thon at HIMSS26, evidencing direct programmatic partnership and overlapping membership/audience focus on healthcare innovation.

Broad incumbents

• Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma Nursing): Honor society of nursing with global membership focused on nursing scholarship, leadership, and research. Comparable membership-based nonprofit model serving nurses worldwide, but oriented toward academic/research recognition versus innovation.
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): Specialty nursing membership organization serving acute and critical care nurses. Comparable nonprofit membership model targeting a defined nursing community, with overlapping continuing-education and recognition programs.
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL): Membership organization for nurse leaders across the care continuum. Directly comparable as a nursing-focused membership nonprofit, with overlap on leadership development — one of SONSIEL's four pillars (innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, equitable outcomes).
• American Nurses Association (ANA): The premier professional association representing the interests of the nation's 4+ million registered nurses. Comparable to SONSIEL in serving nurses nationally, but broader in scope (advocacy, credentialing) versus SONSIEL's innovation/entrepreneurship focus.
• NLN (National League for Nursing): Membership organization for nurse educators and nursing education programs. Comparable nonprofit membership model serving a defined nursing constituency, with overlapping leadership development and professional recognition missions.

Emerging players

• MATTER: Healthcare innovation hub that brings together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and clinicians to accelerate health technology. Comparable in operating programs, events, and partnerships that connect clinicians (including nurses) with digital health innovators.
• Startup Health: Global health innovation company building a network of health transformers, including a notable nursing-focused initiative. Comparable in building a community around healthcare innovation and matching entrepreneurs with funding/partners.

Others

• Johnson & Johnson Innovation: Strategic partner and funder of SONSIEL's Pitch-A-Thon via the J&J Foundation. Comparable ecosystem participant — a healthcare innovation funding platform whose programming overlaps with SONSIEL's nurse-led innovation focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SONSIEL