Fondazione AriSLA

What Fondazione AriSLA does

Fondazione AriSLA is an Italian non-profit foundation (ETS – Ente del Terzo Settore) established in 2008 and headquartered in Milan. It is the main national organization dedicated exclusively to funding and promoting peer-reviewed scientific research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in Italy. Founded by four organizations — AISLA Aps (the Italian ALS patient association), Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione Telethon, and Fondazione Vialli e Mauro — the foundation operates a competitive grant program that has launched 18 calls for proposals since 2009, funded 121 projects, supported 165 Italian research groups and 150 researchers, and produced more than 400 scientific publications. Cumulative investment since inception exceeds €17.8 million.

The foundation's funded portfolio spans the full ALS research pipeline. Disease-mechanism work covers TDP-43 proteinopathies, long-read genome sequencing for familial cases (FLYGEN), sympathetic neuron involvement (SYMP-ALS), and protein misfolding (PROMISE). Biomarker discovery includes high-resolution NMR spectroscopy (Seed-NMR) and multi-omic analyses (BULB-OMIC). Experimental therapeutics include a multicenter rapamycin trial (RAP-ALS, €426,825), a cannabis sativa spasticity trial (CanALS), and stem-cell and macrophage-based regenerative strategies (MoonALS, MacrophALS). Digital-health and AI applications include ALL_Speak, an Android automatic speech recognition app for patients with communication impairment, and FLAIR-ALS, a federated AI approach for respiratory decline prediction across clinical centers. Grant sizes range from approximately €53,000 (Pilot Grants capped at €60,000) to over €426,000 per project, with two product tiers: Pilot Grants (max €60,000, 1 year, single-center) and Full Grants (max €240,000, 1-3 years, single or multi-center).

AriSLA sustains operations through individual donations (one-time and recurring via dona.arisla.org, bank transfer, postal bulletin), Italian 5x1000 tax designations, corporate and entity donations (including an unconditional contribution from MSD), project adoption partnerships, community fundraising events, bequests, and solidarity gift sales. Donors receive Italian tax benefits (30% deduction up to €30,000 or 10% of declared income). A 7-person staff in Milan administers the grant portfolio, manages donor relationships, and organizes the annual Convegno AriSLA scientific conference. Governance includes a Board of Directors under President Lucia Monaco, Scientific Director Anna Ambrosini, Secretary General Paolo Masciocchi, an International Scientific Committee, and a College of Co-founders representing the four founding organizations.

Name

Fondazione AriSLA

Legal name

Fondazione Italiana di Ricerca per la SLA – Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica ETS (AriSLA ETS)

Website

https://arisla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondazione AriSLA is an Italian non-profit foundation (ETS) established in 2008 that funds and coordinates peer-reviewed scientific research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), serving Italian researchers, patients, and donors through competitive grants, donations, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• ALS research funding
• Biomedical research grants
• Nonprofit foundation
• Neurodegenerative disease research
• Scientific grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual donations (cittadini): One-time or recurring donations from individual citizens via online payment, bank transfer (Banca INTESA SANPAOLO, IBAN: IT27A0306909606100000005190), or postal bulletin (c/c 3462023). Donations are eligible for Italian tax benefits (30% deduction or 10% deduction of total income).
2. 5x1000 tax designation: Italian taxpayers can designate 5x1000 of their income tax to AriSLA by entering the foundation's tax code (C.F.: 97511040152) in their tax return, directing public funds to ALS research.
3. Corporate and entity donations: Donations from companies and organizations (enti/aziende) with associated tax benefits under Italian law (D. Lgs. 117/2017, Art. 83).
4. Project adoption (Adotta un progetto): Associations, foundations, companies and individuals can 'adopt' a selected research project by making a donation equal to or partial to the project's total funding value.
5. Fundraising events: Community-organized events (e.g., cycling events, memorial tournaments) that raise funds for the foundation's research activities.
6. Bequests and testamentary gifts (Lasciti testamentari): Individuals can leave a testamentary bequest to AriSLA to support future ALS research.
7. Solidarity gifts (Regali solidali): Sale of solidarity gifts such as artwork and books, with proceeds supporting ALS research.
8. Unconditional contribution from MSD: MSD provides unconditional (non-conditional) financial support to the foundation, representing a corporate sponsorship contribution.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fondazione AriSLA selects, funds, and monitors scientific research projects on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) carried out by Italian research groups, through competitive calls for proposals (Pilot Grants and Full Grants) reviewed by an international scientific committee. It supplements grant funding with an annual scientific congress, dissemination activities, and a donation infrastructure that channels contributions from individuals, companies, and institutional partners to ALS research.

Product overview

Fondazione AriSLA operates as a non-profit research foundation (ETS) dedicated to funding and promoting excellence in ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) research in Italy. The organization's core offering consists of competitive research funding programs (Bandi) that award grants to researchers through a peer-review evaluation process, including Pilot Grants (max €60,000) and Full Grants (max €240,000). Beyond direct research funding, the foundation provides dissemination of scientific results through an annual scientific conference and newsletter subscription service. The organization also operates an online donation platform to support its mission. Since 2009, the foundation has launched 18 competitive calls funding 121 projects involving 165 researchers, with total investment exceeding €17.8 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pilot Research Grants (Bando Pilot Grant)
• Full Research Grants (Bando Full Grant)
• Annual Scientific Congress on ALS Research
• Online Donation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Funded 121 research projects including 41 multi-center collaborations, supporting 165 research groups and 150 researchers, generating 400+ scientific publications since 2010
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• International Alliance of ALS/MND AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAriSLA and AISLA are both members of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, the federation of international patient associations that promotes the annual Global SLA Day (June 21). The alliance coordinates international efforts in ALS awareness and research.
• ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAriSLA participates in the ICGEB International Symposium on 'Inflammation and Proteinopathy in ALS/FTD' held at the University of Rijeka, Croatia. The event brings together global experts in neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, proteinopathies, ALS, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Some AriSLA-funded researchers are featured as speakers.
• University of Rijeka (Croazia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the ICGEB 2026 International Symposium on ALS/FTD, held from June 30, 2026. The university collaborates with AriSLA to bring together global neurodegeneration researchers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ARSLA (Association pour la Recherche sur la SLA): French ALS research foundation funding French ALS science and supporting patients. Direct peer that is geographically adjacent, operates a near-identical grantmaking model, and competes for similar European pharma and donor attention.
• ALS Association (ALSA): The leading US-based ALS nonprofit funding research, advocacy, and care services. Direct peer because it is the international flagship disease-specific ALS research foundation, operating a comparable grantmaking and care-services model, with a far larger budget and global reach.
• ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI): US-based ALS nonprofit that combines grantmaking with an in-house drug-discovery lab. Direct peer that overlaps on ALS research funding mission and increasingly on translational/digital approaches; differs in operating its own laboratory infrastructure.
• Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA): UK-based charity funding MND/ALS research and supporting patients. Direct peer operating the same disease-specific grantmaking model in another major European country, with a similar portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research grants.
• ALS Canada: Canadian ALS nonprofit funding Canadian ALS research via the ALS Canada Research Program. Direct peer operating an essentially identical grantmaking-plus-patient-services model in another national market.
• AISLA APS: The Italian ALS patient association and one of AriSLA's four founding partners. Direct peer/strategic ally that focuses on patient services, advocacy, and awareness rather than direct research funding, but is deeply intertwined with AriSLA's governance and donor pipeline.
• Fondazione Vialli e Mauro per la Ricerca e lo Sport Onlus: Italian ALS-focused foundation (named after footballers affected by ALS) and one of AriSLA's four founding partners. Direct peer with overlapping mission, smaller scale, and a complementary focus on awareness through sport; operates as a co-funder rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Fondazione Cariplo: Major Italian philanthropic foundation and AriSLA founding partner. Broad incumbent operating across social, cultural, environmental, and health grantmaking, with substantially larger assets and a portfolio approach; provides seed and ongoing funding to AriSLA.
• Fondazione Telethon ETS: Italy's leading biomedical research grantmaking foundation and one of AriSLA's four founding partners. Broad incumbent in the same Italian biomedical-research-grantmaking category but covering many diseases beyond ALS, with a much larger research budget and an in-house gene therapy institute (TIGEM, San Raffaele).

Regional players

• MNDA Scotland: Scottish MND/ALS charity funding Scottish ALS research and supporting patients. Regional peer operating the same disease-specific model but scoped to a smaller national market; comparable governance and grantmaking structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Fond_AriSLA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyWs0vmIeY3o0Zv0G1Q4W7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/FondazioneAriSLA
• Instagraminstagram.com/fond_arisla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-arisla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondazione AriSLA