What 9 Foundations, Inc. does

9 Foundations, Inc. (9F) is a privately held, fully remote healthy buildings consulting and technology firm founded to commercialize research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Healthy Buildings Program. The company is led by Dr. Joseph G. Allen, who simultaneously serves as a Harvard Professor and Director of the Healthy Buildings Program, alongside a leadership team largely drawn from Harvard. 9F sells strategic advisory, custom healthy buildings solutions, and subscription programs to senior executives at Fortune 100 and global enterprises across financial services, technology, pharmaceuticals, real estate, retail, entertainment, and the arts.

The company's core platform is an integrated Healthy Buildings Technologies stack: H.E.A.A.L., a patented (U.S. Patent No. 11940433) real-time indoor air quality monitoring ecosystem with AI/ML analytics; ALIGN, a patent-pending AI/ML engine that detects misalignment between occupancy and HVAC runtimes to quantify energy, dollar, and health impacts; MATRIX, a patent-pending physics-based simulation tool exclusively licensed from Harvard that models thousands of intervention scenarios; and TWIN, a 330-million-agent synthetic population engine also co-invented at Harvard. These technologies underpin the Healthy Buildings Optimization Program (annual subscription with four assessment strategies), the Healthier Materials Program (tiered product scoring for new builds and renovations), and broader Expert Services spanning worker health and safety, sustainability, and infectious disease resilience.

9F generates revenue through a mix of enterprise professional services engagements, recurring subscription programs, and technology platform access, with deployments spanning 82M+ sq ft globally including Amazon's corporate portfolio. The company is featured prominently in earned media (60 Minutes, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Science, Nature) and has joined The Climate Pledge, committing to net zero carbon by 2040. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing.

Name

9 Foundations, Inc.

Legal name

9 Foundations, Inc.

Website

https://9foundations.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

9 Foundations is a Harvard-spinout healthy buildings consulting and technology firm that sells enterprise advisory, subscription programs, and a patented AI/ML- and simulation-based technology stack (H.E.A.A.L., ALIGN, MATRIX) to Fortune 100 clients to optimize indoor air quality, energy, and occupant health across global real estate portfolios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthy Buildings Technology and Consulting

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Facilities Support Services (56121)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Adaptation & Resilience Planning Platforms (CAPEX Prioritization, Cost–Benefit, NBS) (EUABALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)

Keywords

• Indoor air quality monitoring
• Healthy buildings consulting
• Building performance optimization
• IAQ analytics platform
• Building energy simulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Advisory Services: Custom healthy buildings solutions provided to senior executives at enterprise clients. Includes strategic advising, on-site assessments, design guidance, and ongoing consultation for optimizing buildings for health.
2. Healthy Buildings Optimization Program: Annual subscription program offering four core assessment strategies: Healthy Buildings Benchmark Survey, proactive air and water sampling, real-time IAQ monitoring with H.E.A.A.L., and on-site evaluation by CIH. Includes the Optimization Program Shield designation for participating buildings.
3. Technology Platforms: Access to H.E.A.A.L. Analytics Platform and Healthy Buildings Platform providing interactive data, insights, and custom results from technology solutions. Integrated into the Optimization Program and available as standalone offerings.
4. Expert Services: Specialized consulting services including worker health and safety, sustainability/climate/energy, technology R&D and product development, infectious disease resilience, workplace user experience research, and advanced analytics.
5. Healthier Materials Program: Advisory services for material selection in new builds, renovations, and fit-outs. Evaluates products against health and sustainability criteria, scores them (Baseline, Enhanced, Optimized tiers), and provides product scorecards for purchasing decisions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

9 Foundations, Inc. (9F) provides strategic advisory services and proprietary healthy buildings technologies to enterprise clients. Its core offering integrates the patented H.E.A.A.L. real-time indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring ecosystem with the ALIGN AI/ML energy optimization engine and the MATRIX physics-based building simulation tool, enabling customers to simultaneously improve occupant health and reduce energy consumption across large real estate portfolios.

Product overview

9 Foundations offers a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on three proprietary Healthy Buildings Technologies—H.E.A.A.L. (real-time IAQ monitoring), ALIGN (AI/ML energy optimization), and MATRIX (physics-based simulation)—which work together as an integrated ecosystem: H.E.A.A.L. monitors building conditions, ALIGN learns patterns and scans for opportunities, MATRIX simulates interventions, and H.E.A.A.L. verifies results. The company complements these core technologies with the Healthy Buildings Optimization Program, Healthier Materials Program, Healthy Buildings Platform, H.E.A.A.L. Analytics Platform, and Expert Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• H.E.A.A.L.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9% annual HVAC savings in documented case study (3% from ALIGN detection + 6% from MATRIX simulation optimization)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner9F's origin and scientific foundation stem from Harvard's Healthy Buildings Program. The 9 Foundations framework was created by Harvard multidisciplinary experts and is licensed exclusively to 9F. MATRIX was invented at Harvard and exclusively licensed to 9F. CEO Dr. Joe Allen is a Harvard Professor and Director of Harvard's Healthy Buildings Program. Chief Science Officer and multiple team members came from Harvard.
• AmazonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner9F is a strategic advisor to Amazon for their global IAQ monitoring program. The partnership includes deployment of air quality sensors across Amazon's global corporate portfolio, ongoing data analytics through patented H.E.A.A.L. system, and guidelines for appropriate responses to IAQ alerts including wildfire events. Featured together on 60 Minutes and in Harvard Business Review.
• JPMorgan ChaseflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner9F served as strategic advisor for JPMorgan Chase's new global headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Partnership includes real-time IAQ monitoring, health-based ventilation and filtration strategies, design guidelines, and workplace user experience optimization. Long-term partnership extends beyond individual projects across entire portfolio.
• Beacon Capital PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince early 2020, Beacon has collaborated with 9F to integrate science-based healthy building practices into its business model. 9F's Healthy Buildings Optimization Program supports Beacon's ESG+R strategy. Their 53 State Street in Boston was first building to earn the Optimization Program Shield, featured on 60 Minutes.
• Armstrong World IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic healthy buildings partnership to bring ceilings into the healthy buildings conversation. 9F identified opportunity to shift Armstrong's air cleaner strategy to include particles in addition to biologicals. Advised on health optimization of StrataCleanIQ product through noise and placement considerations. First supplemental air cleaner for ceiling use released 9 months after partnership formation.
• CarriercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner9F provided design support for the Carrier Center for Intelligent Buildings based on Harvard's Cognitive Function (CogFx) Study and 9F CEO's book 'Healthy Buildings.' Building aims to demonstrate that high ventilation, healthy materials, and research-backed design are achievable, serving as a model for future projects.
• The Climate PledgeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner9F joined The Climate Pledge reinforcing commitment to sustainability. Committed to being net zero carbon by 2040 across Scopes 1, 2, and 3 — 10 years ahead of Paris Agreement. Positioned as opportunity to lay groundwork for other fully remote companies interested in ambitious climate goals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• View Inc. Smart window provider focused on dynamic daylight and indoor environment optimization for commercial real estate. Adjacent player addressing building occupant health and energy through a different building envelope technology.
• Verdigris Technologies: AI-powered energy and asset monitoring platform for commercial and industrial facilities. Adjacent in applying machine learning to building operational data to identify savings opportunities, similar in spirit to 9F's ALIGN engine.
• Measurabl: ESG and sustainability data management platform for commercial real estate, addressing the same CRE owner/operator buyer that 9F serves through the Healthy Buildings Optimization Program and MATRIX-based carbon analysis.

Direct peers

• BrainBox AI: AI-driven building energy optimization platform using sensors and machine learning to reduce HVAC energy use. Closely comparable to 9F's ALIGN offering in combining real-time building data with ML-based operational recommendations for commercial portfolios.
• 75F: IoT and cloud-based smart building automation platform focused on HVAC optimization and indoor air quality for commercial real estate. Comparable target customer base (commercial property owners/operators) and overlapping IAQ plus energy efficiency value proposition.
• Enverid: Direct peer focused on indoor air quality through HVAC air cleaning and CO2 reduction for commercial buildings. Comparable as a science-driven IAQ technology provider targeting enterprise real estate customers seeking healthier indoor environments.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Incumbent provider of building automation, energy management, and digital twin technology for large commercial facilities. Comparable in serving enterprise customers with integrated monitoring, optimization, and simulation capabilities that overlap with H.E.A.A.L., ALIGN, and MATRIX.
• Carrier (Center for Intelligent Buildings): HVAC and building systems incumbent and 9F partner, whose Center for Intelligent Buildings integrates IAQ and ventilation science. Comparable as a vendor pursuing the healthy buildings narrative from a building systems angle.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Large incumbent offering integrated building management systems, IAQ sensors, and energy analytics across commercial real estate. Competes as a broad portfolio vendor that increasingly bundles healthy buildings features alongside BMS, where 9F specializes as a science-first overlay.
• Johnson Controls: Global building systems incumbent providing HVAC, controls, and digital building services to enterprise customers including health-focused solutions. Overlaps with 9F in serving Fortune 500 building portfolios and on healthy buildings/IAQ functionality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9-foundations-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 9 Foundations, Inc.