Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT)

Name

Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT)

Legal name

Heidelberger Ionenstrahl-Therapiezentrum (HIT)

Website

https://hit-centrum.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) is a public university hospital facility in Heidelberg, Germany, providing proton, carbon ion, and helium ion therapy for adult and pediatric cancer patients with complex, deep-seated, or radiation-resistant tumors, anchored by a synchrotron accelerator and a 670-ton rotating gantry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Particle Therapy Cancer Treatment

NAICS

Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512)

SIC

X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus (3844), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Radiation Oncology (HLAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nuclear Medicine Clinical Services & Therapy Centers (HLAIAGAI), Radiation Therapy Planning & Simulation Imaging (CT Sim/MR Sim) (HLAHABAH)

Keywords

• Particle therapy treatments
• Proton therapy services
• Carbon ion therapy
• Radiation oncology center
• Heavy ion cancer treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Heidelberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Clinical Treatment Services: As a university hospital facility, HIT generates revenue through reimbursable healthcare services covered by health insurance (gesetzliche und private Krankenversicherung). The center handles cost coverage (Kostenübernahme) through standard healthcare billing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) is a clinical cancer treatment facility that delivers particle therapy using protons, carbon ions, and helium ions accelerated by a synchrotron to treat tumors with sub-millimeter precision. Its core offerings include carbon ion (heavy ion) therapy, proton therapy, helium ion therapy, the Rasterscanverfahren (raster scanning), rotational gantry treatment, and adaptive radiation therapy, primarily for tumors near sensitive tissues and pediatric cancers. The center also runs the KinderHIT pediatric program and conducts clinical studies through HIT's research beam.

Product overview

The Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) is a specialized cancer treatment facility offering particle therapy using multiple ion types. The core portfolio includes Schwerionentherapie (carbon ion therapy), Protonentherapie (proton therapy), and Heliumionentherapie (helium ion therapy), delivered through advanced systems like the Gantry rotating treatment system and the Rasterscanverfahren for precision tumor targeting. Specialized services include KinderHIT for pediatric patients and Adaptive Strahlentherapie using the Airo CT system for real-time anatomical response. The center integrates with the University Hospital Heidelberg's Radioonkologie und Strahlentherapie department and the Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen (NCT) for comprehensive oncological care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KinderHIT: Specialized pediatric ion beam therapy program for children and adolescents with cancer, operated as part of HIT.
• HIRO (Heidelberger Institut für Radioonkologie)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 patients treated successfully since facility opening in 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung DarmstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997GSI scientists originally developed the raster scanning method and biological treatment planning software for ion beam therapy. The 1997 GSI pilot project demonstrated the effectiveness of ion beam therapy, treating over 400 chordoma/chondrosarcoma patients and 50 salivary gland tumor patients. GSI collaborated with Heidelberg to transfer this technology from a research accelerator to a clinical treatment facility.
• Nationales Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen (NCT) HeidelbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HIT is connected to the NCT (National Cancer Center) which provides interdisciplinary cancer care, ensuring patients receive optimal therapy for their condition through integrated treatment approaches.
• Heidelberger Institut für Radioonkologie (HIRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIRO is listed as a cooperation partner of HIT, representing an integrated network of radio-oncology expertise within the Heidelberg university hospital system.
• Klinische Kooperationseinheit Strahlentherapie (DKFZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical cooperation unit with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) for radiation therapy research, combining clinical expertise with fundamental cancer research.
• Universitätsklinikum HeidelbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIT is integrated into the Radiologische Universitätsklinik Heidelberg and forms part of the Heidelberger Klinikrings. The construction costs of 119 million EUR were shared equally between the university hospital and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MedAustron: Austrian synchrotron-based center offering proton and carbon ion therapy in Wiener Neustadt; directly comparable to HIT as a European clinical particle therapy center serving a similar DACH-region patient base.
• University Proton Therapy Dresden (UPTD): University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden proton therapy center; directly comparable as a German university-hospital-based clinical proton therapy facility sharing the same reimbursement framework.
• West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE): University Hospital Essen proton therapy center; directly comparable clinical particle therapy facility in Germany treating similar indications, though without the carbon/helium ion capability that differentiates HIT.
• Massachusetts General Hospital Proton Beam Therapy Center: Harvard-affiliated clinical proton therapy center with long operational history; directly comparable to HIT as a hospital-integrated clinical particle therapy program, though without routine heavy-ion capability.
• Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) — Proton Therapy Center: Swiss proton therapy center with long-standing clinical experience using a cyclotron-based scanning beam system; directly comparable to HIT as a European clinical particle therapy center treating similar tumor indications and patient populations.
• CNAO (Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica): Italian synchrotron-based center in Pavia treating patients with protons and carbon ions; directly comparable to HIT as a European clinical heavy-ion therapy center sharing the same particle modalities and clinical indications.
• MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center: Leading U.S. clinical proton therapy center embedded in a major cancer hospital; directly comparable to HIT as a hospital-integrated clinical particle therapy program with strong pediatric and skull base referral flows.

Broad incumbents

• Elekta: Global radiation therapy and radiosurgery equipment manufacturer; broad incumbent serving the same oncology treatment space as HIT, though focused on photon-based linear accelerators and stereotactic systems rather than particle therapy.
• Varian Medical Systems (Siemens Healthineers): Global radiation therapy equipment manufacturer including proton therapy systems (ProBeam); broad incumbent whose technology underpins many clinical particle therapy centers comparable to HIT, though operating as a vendor rather than clinical provider.
• IBA (Ion Beam Applications): Belgian manufacturer of proton therapy systems and the dominant supplier of clinical proton therapy equipment globally; broad incumbent comparable to HIT through providing the underlying technology used by many peer clinical centers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heidelberg-ion-beam-therapy-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT)