GUTS - Growing Up Together in Society

What GUTS - Growing Up Together in Society does

GUTS (Growing Up Together in Society) is a Dutch academic research consortium established in 2022 and headquartered at Erasmus University Rotterdam. It studies how young people aged 10 to 20 develop self-regulation and become engaged citizens, with particular attention to socioeconomic inequality. The consortium combines researchers from seven universities and research institutes, led by Prof. Eveline Crone, and is built around four longitudinal cohorts (Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Social Connections, and Antisocial) followed over a 10-year horizon.

Its core research platform integrates neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG), ecological momentary assessment via smartphone (experience sampling), behavioral tasks, genetic/polygenic risk analysis, computational modeling, and ego-centered social network analysis. Supporting infrastructure includes specialized methodology working groups, a FAIR-compliant data management framework with a metadata explorer for external access requests, and a portfolio of derived tools such as the GrowIt! eHealth app (developed with Erasmus MC) and the Explore Your Brain neurofeedback tool.

GUTS is a publicly funded non-commercial entity. Its primary revenue is a €22 million Gravitation Grant from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) through NWO over ten years (file 024.005.011), supplemented by individually awarded research grants (ERC Advanced, NWO Vici, Veni, XS, Mercator Sapiens Stimulus). It distributes findings through peer-reviewed publication, open science data access, school and vocational partnerships (Albeda MBO), and structured dialogue events (Diner Pensant) with policymakers and youth organizations (MIND Us, National Youth Council).

Name

GUTS - Growing Up Together in Society

Legal name

Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS) Consortium

Website

https://gutsproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GUTS is a Dutch academic research consortium of seven universities conducting a 10-year longitudinal study on adolescent brain and social development, funded primarily by a €22M Gravitation Grant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Consortium

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Developmental neuroscience research
• Longitudinal adolescent studies
• Academic research consortium
• Social brain development
• Youth mental health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gravitation Programme Grant: Primary funding from Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) through the NWO Gravitation programme, providing 22 million euros over 10 years for the Growing Up Together in Society research programme.
2. ERC Advanced Grant: European Research Council Advanced Grant awarded to Prof. Christian Keysers for pioneering research into neural basis of empathy and social cognition.
3. NWO Vici Grant: 1.5 million euro NWO Vici grant awarded to Dr. Valeria Gazzola for research on empathy, helping and aggression.
4. NWO Veni Grants: Individual Veni grants of 280,000 euros each awarded to researchers Michelle Achterberg and Lysanne te Brinke for developmental neuroscience research.
5. NWO XS Grant: NWO XS grant awarded to Anita Harrewijn for youth anxiety research, part of curiosity-driven high-risk research funding.
6. Mercator Sapiens Stimulus: 1 million euro research prize from KHMW awarded to Eddie Brummelman for Generation Hope project on children's perceptions of economic inequality.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GUTS runs a 10-year longitudinal research programme studying how young people aged 10-20 grow up in a complex society, combining neuroimaging, behavioral testing, ecological momentary assessment, social network analysis, and genetic measures across four cohorts. The consortium also develops educational and public engagement tools (Explore Your Brain, GrowIt! app) and disseminates findings through academic publications, policy advice, and youth co-creation platforms.

Product overview

GUTS (Growing Up Together in Society) is a 10-year multidisciplinary research consortium funded by a 22 million euro Gravitation Grant from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The consortium comprises seven Dutch universities and focuses on understanding how young people grow up successfully in a complex society. The research program includes four longitudinal cohorts (A-D) covering Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Social Connections, and Antisocial trajectories, with methodologies spanning fMRI, EEG, Experience Sampling Method (ESM), and questionnaires. Core research infrastructure includes the GUTS GO sub-program studying adolescent brain development, FAIR-compliant data management with metadata explorer, and specialized methodology working groups. The consortium also develops research tools including the Explore Your Brain neurofeedback tool and the GrowIt! eHealth application, alongside dedicated participant portals for study engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GUTS GO: Work package focused on antisocial behavior and youth at risk, involving collaboration with youth care services, youth workers, youth organizations, police, and municipalities

Products and services

• Longitudinal Research Cohorts (A-D) Four longitudinal research cohorts (Rotterdam Test & Replication Cohort, Amsterdam Test & Replication Cohort, Social Connections Cohort, and Antisocial Cohort) tracking participants aged 10-20 over ten years, measuring functional neural responses, social connections, behavioral outcomes, and biological variables.
• GUTS GO Working Package 3 initiative investigating adolescent brain and behavior development over time, including decision-making and everyday functioning through longitudinal tracking, with coordinated Instagram science communication.
• FAIR Data Infrastructure Open Science data management platform implementing FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) with metadata explorer and variable search for research data access, with provisioning through a dedicated datamanager and Data Access Committee.
• Methodology Working Groups Specialized working groups covering fMRI, EEG, Experience Sampling Method (ESM), Questionnaires, Recruitment, and Reward/Motivation methodologies used across the cohorts.
• Explore Your Brain Tool Neurofeedback tool developed by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam researchers to help adolescents understand brain adaptability and cultivate growth mindset.
• GrowIt! App Mobile application developed with Erasmus MC to support young people in dealing with negative emotions during daily life, including during the Corona crisis.
• GUTS Participant Websites Dedicated websites for GUTS participants including GUTS Amsterdam & Rotterdam, GUTS Leiden, and GUTS GO providing information about study participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 million euros secured for 10-year research programme
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Stichting Lieve MarksupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Student organization collaborating on participatory research examining social culture and norms in student networks, with focus on belonging and student experiences
• Albeda (Vocational Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2025Collaboration strengthening involvement of MBO students in research. Dr. Kayla Green appointed as Practor at Albeda bridging research and educational practice, with focus on underrepresented vocational students
• MIND UscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Key societal partner connecting research, policy, practice, and youth perspectives. Multiple GUTS researchers serve on Scientific Advisory Board. Joint Diner Pensant events and ongoing collaboration on youth mental health initiatives.
• Societal and Ethical Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Advisory board providing strategic guidance on societal and ethical matters, with members including Children's Ombudsperson, MIND Us, Kindertelefoon, Trimbos Institute, and Netherlands Youth Institute
• Strategic Youth BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025Youth advisory board ensuring consortium works with adolescents, advising on relevance of studies, impact, and dissemination of findings. Members include students from MBO, HBO, university, and youth organizations
• Secondary SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024Partnerships with secondary schools enable direct engagement with educational contexts, co-creation of research, participant recruitment, and contribution through guest lectures in biology classes and presentations at parent information evenings
• YoungXpertssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024Science communication and youth participation platform co-founded by Lysanne te Brinke and Kayla Green, actively involving youth perspectives in research process
• Erasmus University RotterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Lead institution and consortium headquarters, home of Prof. Eveline Crone (consortium lead) and key researchers including Loes Keijsers, Lysanne te Brinke, and Suzanne van de Groep
• University of AmsterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution contributing Prof. Thijs Bol (Sociology), Prof. Eddie Brummelman (Pedagogy), and researchers to the consortium
• Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution with researchers including Prof. Lydia Krabbendam and Prof. Hilde Huizenga studying social cognition and developmental psychology
• Amsterdam UMCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution contributing Prof. Arne Popma (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and Prof. Lucres Nauta-Jansen (Forensic Psychiatry)
• Leiden UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution with Prof. Berna Güroğlu leading neuroscience of social relations research and housing LIBC scanner facility
• University of GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution with Prof. Rene Veenstra (Sociology) as consortium steering committee member and ICS director
• Utrecht UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution with Prof. Hilleke Hulshoff Pol contributing neuroimaging expertise on brain development
• RadboudumccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution with Prof. Barbara Franke leading genetics research on psychiatric disorders and behavioral traits
• Netherlands Institute for NeurosciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2022Partner institution with Prof. Valeria Gazzola leading empathy research at Social Brain Lab

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ABCD Study (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development): The largest US longitudinal study of adolescent brain development, tracking ~10,000 children from age 9-10 with similar multi-modal measurements (MRI, behavioral, genetic). Most direct international comparison to GUTS in scale, design philosophy, and target population.
• Centre for the Developing Adolescent: University of California consortium focused on translating adolescent development research into practice and policy. Comparable mission of bridging neuroscience, psychology, and education with youth at the center — but operates across UC campuses rather than as a single national programme.
• Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study: NIH-funded multi-site US study following ~7,000 mother-child pairs from birth to age 10 with similar neuroimaging and behavioral assessment protocols. Comparable in multi-site, multi-modal longitudinal design, though focused on earlier developmental window.
• IMAGEN Consortium: European multi-site longitudinal neuroimaging study of adolescents (age 14-23) with similar focus on brain development, reward processing, and mental health. Direct European peer with comparable methodology (fMRI, genetics, behavioral).
• Generation R (Erasmus MC): Rotterdam-based prospective cohort study following ~10,000 children from fetal life onward with similar multi-modal measurement (MRI, behavioral, biological). Shares geography, host institution (Erasmus), and longitudinal population-health focus with GUTS.

Broad incumbents

• Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences: Large established German research institute conducting multi-modal studies of brain development, social cognition, and adolescent decision-making. Overlaps with GUTS in neuroscience methodology and developmental focus, but as a permanent institution rather than a time-limited programme.

Others

• ZonMw Youth Research Programmes: Dutch research funder that co-funds youth health and development research. Comparable peer in the Dutch public-funding ecosystem with shared translational goals (research-to-practice for youth) — peer as a sibling funding/coordination body rather than a direct research counterpart.
• Jacobs Foundation (adolescent research programmes): Swiss foundation funding longitudinal research on youth development globally. Comparable funding scale and mission, with adjacent portfolio of multi-cohort, multi-country adolescent studies — peer as a complementary funder and ecosystem participant.
• Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA): International professional association promoting research on adolescence. GUTS researchers publish in and present at SRA venues, and SRA functions as a comparable community of practice — not a direct research output, but a peer in the adolescent research ecosystem.
• NWO Gravitation Programme (other consortia): The Dutch funding instrument that supports GUTS. Other Gravitation consortia (e.g., Language in Interaction, BReIN) share the same governance template, multi-university structure, and 10-year funding horizon — making them structural peers even though they operate in different scientific domains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/guts_go_amc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guts-growing-up-together-in-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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