INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes

What INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes does

INS (Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, UMR1106) is a public, multidisciplinary neuroscience research institute jointly operated under Inserm and Aix-Marseille University on the La Timone Campus in Marseille, France. Founded in 2006 with the relocation of the Theoretical Neuroscience Group from Florida Atlantic University and formally established with five research teams (TNG, PhysioNet, D-CAP, DynaMap, and NeuroStim), the institute integrates experimental, theoretical, and clinical approaches to study brain dynamics. Its core research output centers on computational brain network modeling and personalized virtual brain models for neurological disorders, with a flagship focus on drug-resistant epilepsy affecting an estimated 50+ million patients worldwide.

The institute's technology stack is built around The Virtual Brain (TVB), an open-source neuroinformatics platform released in October 2012 that fuses individual patient neuroimaging data (structural MRI, DTI, fMRI, MEG, EEG, SEEG) with computational neuroscience models to create personalized whole-brain simulations. Supporting products include AnyWave (cross-platform electrophysiological signal processing), the Virtual Epileptic Patient (VEP) model for predicting seizure propagation, the Epileptor mathematical model for seizure dynamics, the Epileptogenicity Index for presurgical planning, Gardel for SEEG electrode mapping, Delphos for high-frequency oscillation detection, and the F-TRACT functional brain tractography atlas. Three patent applications are pending covering TVB, SEEG electrode placement optimization, and seizure propagation control.

The business model is institutional rather than commercial: INS does not sell products or services, does not publish pricing, and distributes its outputs through open-source software releases, peer-reviewed publications (including Lancet Neurology and Science Translational Medicine in 2023), open-access channels, and global training workshops. Revenue is derived from French government research funding (Inserm, CNRS, AMU), competitive European grants (ERC Synergy Galvani, Human Brain Project, EBRAINS integration), and French programs (RHU EPINOV 2018-2023, A*midex industrial chair with Meg4Health in 2023). The institute was recognized by the HCERES 2017 evaluation as having strengths in modeling, theory, data collection, and translational science, with clinical translation anchored through co-location with La Timone Hospital (APHM).

Name

INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes

Legal name

Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes

Website

https://ins-amu.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INS is a public French neuroscience research institute (Inserm UMR1106) in Marseille that develops computational brain models and the open-source Virtual Brain platform to enable personalized treatment planning for neurological disorders, primarily drug-resistant epilepsy, serving academic and clinical communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Computational Neuroscience Software

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)

akta.pro primary industry

Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders (HLAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Neurological Monitoring (EEG, Seizure/Sleep/Neuro Wearables) (HLAHACAE)

Keywords

• Computational neuroscience
• Brain network modeling
• Neuroinformatics software
• Epilepsy surgery planning
• Electrophysiology analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: INS is funded through Inserm (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), and Aix-Marseille University, representing institutional research grants and public funding for academic research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

INS develops and distributes open-source computational neuroscience software for personalized brain modeling, led by The Virtual Brain (TVB) platform and AnyWave electrophysiology software. Its offerings support epilepsy surgery planning (Virtual Epileptic Patient), functional brain tractography (F-TRACT), and intracerebral data sharing (HIP) for academic and clinical research users worldwide.

Product overview

INS is a research institute (UMR1106) focused on understanding brain dynamics through computational neuroscience. Its product portfolio centers on The Virtual Brain (TVB) neuroinformatics platform for personalized brain modeling, complemented by specialized software tools including AnyWave for electrophysiological signal processing, Gardel for SEEG electrode mapping, and Delphos for high-frequency oscillation analysis. The Virtual Brain serves as the core computational engine, enabling creation of personalized virtual brain models including the Virtual Epileptic Patient for epilepsy surgery planning. Supporting research infrastructure includes the F-TRACT functional tractography atlas and Human Intracerebral Platform (HIP) for iEEG data sharing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Virtual Brain (TVB): A neuroinformatics platform and simulator of brain network dynamics developed by the Theoretical Neuroscience Group (TNG) at INS, enabling personalized brain modeling for clinical and research applications.
• PhysioNet
• D-CAP
• DynaMap
• NeuroStim

Products and services

• The Virtual Brain (TVB) Open-source neuroinformatics platform comprising a simulator and computational library for biologically realistic brain network dynamics. Builds individualized virtual brain models from neuroimaging data to study brain disorders and explore intervention strategies, supporting fMRI, MEG, EEG, and SEEG simulations for research institutions and computational neuroscience laboratories.
• AnyWave Cross-platform modular open-source software for visualizing and processing electrophysiological signals (MEG, EEG, SEEG) targeted at clinical neurophysiologists and neuroscience researchers, with extensible architecture for rapid implementation of algorithms through Python or MATLAB plugins.
• Virtual Epileptic Patient (VEP) Personalized whole-brain model of epilepsy spread built using the TVB framework, integrating structural and functional network modeling with clinical hypothesis formulation to predict seizure propagation patterns and optimize surgical intervention for drug-resistant epilepsy patients.
• F-TRACT Functional brain tractography project delivering atlases of human brain anatomical tracts with electrophysiologically-informed connectivity matrices, including whole-brain functional tractography atlas and subsystems atlases, targeting neuroscience researchers studying brain connectivity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide; current surgery success rate averages 60%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Meg4Health CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023INS obtained an A*midex industrial chair 'NewMeg Marseille' in collaboration with Meg4Health company for advancing OPM-MEG technology.
• ERC GalvanicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Fabrice Bartolomei is one of three principal investigators of the ERC Synergy Grant Galvani (2020-2026), focused on neurological research.
• RHU-EPINOV ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018INS coordinates the Recherche Hospitalo-Universitaire EPINOV project (2018-2023), a French government-funded initiative focused on improving epilepsy surgery management using Virtual Brain technology. The consortium gathers multiple INSERM research units and clinical departments.
• Human Brain ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Viktor Jirsa is one of the Lead Scientists in the Human Brain Project, a European Flagship initiative. INS contributes computational brain modeling expertise and The Virtual Brain platform to the project, integrating with EBRAINS research infrastructure.
• EBRAINScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINS utilizes EBRAINS research infrastructure for next-generation Virtual Brain modeling, incorporating BigBrain 3D brain atlas and large brain datasets for enhanced personalized brain representation.
• F-TRACTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC-funded project developing functional brain tractography from electrophysiological responses to electrical stimulation. Initially funded by EC FP7 ERC (2014-2019), continued through Human Brain Project and other international collaborations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Boston Children's Hospital Pediatric Neurology / Harvard Brain Sciences: US academic medical center with major pediatric and adult epilepsy surgery programs using advanced imaging and computational approaches. Comparable as a clinical-academic center conducting epilepsy surgical planning research at scale, though serving a different geography.

Direct peers

• MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit (Oxford): University of Oxford research unit focused on brain network dynamics and electrophysiology, led by Peter Bhatt and colleagues. Directly comparable research focus on large-scale brain dynamics and clinical electrophysiology to INS's TNG and DynaMap teams.
• Allen Institute for Brain Science: US-based nonprofit research organization producing large-scale brain atlases, computational tools, and open neuroscience resources. Directly comparable to INS as a publicly funded, open-science neuroscience institute with software/data products and translational ambition.
• MNE-Python: Open-source Python package for electrophysiological (MEG/EEG) signal processing maintained by a multi-institution community. Directly comparable to AnyWave as an open-source electrophysiology analysis platform competing for the same research-laboratory user base.
• Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI): Academic neuroscience institute combining clinical neurology (epilepsy surgery) and computational neuroscience research, with strong EEG/SEEG expertise and open tools. Directly comparable to INS's integrated academic-clinical model at La Timone, particularly for INS DynaMap and Epileptogenicity Index work.
• FieldTrip Toolbox: Open-source MATLAB toolbox for MEG/EEG analysis developed at the Donders Institute (Nijmegen). Comparable open-source functional overlap with AnyWave for the same neuroscience research end-users.

Others

• EBRAINS (Human Brain Project): European digital brain research infrastructure that hosts INS-developed tools such as TVB and the virtual ageing brain model. Adjacent ecosystem enabler: INS is a core contributor to EBRAINS rather than a competitor.
• NITRC (Neuroimaging Tools & Resources Collaboratory): NIH-funded ecosystem platform hosting and indexing neuroscience software tools and datasets. Ecosystem-level peer to INS's open-source distribution strategy for TVB and AnyWave in the neuroimaging community.

Broad incumbents

• Max Planck Institute for Brain Research: Large publicly funded German neuroscience institute spanning theoretical, computational, and systems neuroscience. Comparable institutional scale and mission overlap with INS's theoretical neuroscience group (TNG), though broader in scope.
• Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (UCL): UCL research center led by Karl Friston that developed Dynamic Causal Modeling (now part of SPM), the methodological foundation on which INS NeuroStim group's work extends. Comparable translational computational neuroscience institute with strong ties to EEG/MEG methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ins1106

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes