Fraunhofer ITMP

What Fraunhofer ITMP does

Fraunhofer ITMP (Fraunhofer-Institut für Translationale Medizin und Pharmakologie ITMP) is a non-profit applied research institute within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Its remit is translational medicine and pharmacology — bridging basic scientific research with clinical application — with a particular focus on immune-mediated, rare/neurological, and infectious diseases. The institute organizes its work into three research divisions (Drug Discovery, Preclinical Research, and Clinical Research) and operates across five locations in Germany: Frankfurt am Main (headquarters and pharmacology/clinical trials), Hamburg (high-throughput screening, stem cell biology, drug repurposing, Medical Data Science), Göttingen (neuroinflammation and super-resolution microscopy), Berlin (dermatology, allergology, mast cell biology), and Penzberg/Munich (immunology, infection, and pandemic research). It is a core member of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD) and contributes to the Fraunhofer High-Performance Center TheraNova.

The institute's technology stack spans automated high-throughput screening, super-resolution (STED) microscopy, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and brain organoid disease models, the LYCRA biotherapeutic protein-degradation platform, virtual screening and binding simulations, and biomedical data science applied to clinical datasets. Notable outputs include two EMA Orphan Drug Designations for Leigh syndrome therapeutics (Sildenafil and a second modality), the largest drug screen yet conducted for Leigh syndrome (>5,500 compounds), publications in Nature, Cell, and the British Journal of Pharmacology, and over 400 employees (~407).

Fraunhofer ITMP is funded through a blend of baseline institutional support from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (itself backed by German federal and state governments), competitive public grants from European programs (Horizon Europe, IHI, EJP RD, ERDERA) and German ministries (BMFTR), and contract research with pharmaceutical and biotech companies (Roche, Allegria Therapeutics, Cube Biotech, etc.). The institute goes to market through direct, partnership-based engagement — collaborative research agreements, consortium projects, and sponsored contract research — rather than commercial product sales. Distribution mirrors its research footprint: industry contract research, university medical center partnerships, and publicly funded international consortia.

Name

Fraunhofer ITMP

Legal name

Fraunhofer-Institut für Translationale Medizin und Pharmakologie ITMP

Website

https://itmp.fraunhofer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fraunhofer ITMP is a non-profit German translational medicine institute that conducts drug discovery, preclinical, and clinical research in immune-mediated, rare, and infectious diseases for pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, and university medical centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Translational Medicine Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Translational Medicine & Biomarkers (HLAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO), Bioinformatics, Multi-Omics Data Analysis & Interpretation Services (HLAGANAI), Digital & AI-Enabled Diagnostics (algorithmic interpretation, decision support tied to assays) (HLAAALAO), AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Translational medicine research
• Drug discovery services
• Preclinical research
• Clinical research services
• Pharmacology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Core funding from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with support from German federal and state governments (BMFTR, state of Hesse). Major infrastructure investments funded equally by state and federal government.
2. Project-Based Research Funding: Funding from European programs (EJP RD, ERDERA, Horizon Europe, IHI), German ministries (BMFTR), and international bodies (Innosuisse). Examples: MONID HABITRACK (1.8M EUR), MastCURe (1.3M EUR), ERDERA projects (6M EUR total).
3. Industry Collaborations: Contract research and collaboration services for pharmaceutical and biotech industry, SMEs, and public sector. Partnerships with companies like Roche, Allegria Therapeutics, Cube Biotech.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fraunhofer ITMP conducts translational medicine research across three divisions: Drug Discovery, Preclinical Research, and Clinical Research, delivering contract research, drug discovery services, preclinical validation, and clinical trial support to pharmaceutical companies, biotech SMEs, and academic medical centers. It deploys specialized platforms including high-throughput screening, super-resolution microscopy, stem cell / organoid technologies, and the LYCRA biotherapeutic platform to translate scientific findings into clinical applications for immune-mediated, inflammatory, infectious, and rare diseases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drug Discovery Research Services Drug discovery research services covering target protein identification, high-throughput drug screening, drug repurposing, stem cell and infection biology, medical data science, and substance optimization and formulation. Provided to pharmaceutical companies, biotech SMEs, and academic partners.
• Preclinical Research Services Preclinical research services including high-resolution and automated microscopy (STED super-resolution), translational neuroinflammation research, preclinical development, and dermatology/immunological mast cell-mediated disease research. Provided for pharmaceutical and academic partners.
• Clinical Research and Clinical Trials Clinical research services including early clinical trial units, clinical study design and execution, and patient-focused clinical research for immune-mediated, inflammatory, and rare diseases. Includes expertise in regulatory and development processes, evidenced by EMA Orphan Drug Designations.

Quantifiable outcome

• EMA Orphan Drug Designation for Sildenafil as potential treatment for Leigh syndrome
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Allegria TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Eurostars project MastCURe for novel chronic urticaria treatment. Allegria serves as project coordinator; ITMP Berlin conducts research on mast cell-mediated diseases using precision therapy approaches.
• Cube BiotechsupportingTechnology or Integration · 18 May 2026Eurostars project MastCURe consortium partner providing NativeMP technology for deeper understanding of mast cell-related membrane proteins and therapeutic development.
• University Medical Center GöttingencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026CHAMPION project partner with Prof. Lars Schlotawa for Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency research and pediatric neurology expertise.
• LMU University Hospital Munich - Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Coordination partner in MONID HABITRACK project (Prof. Noemi Castelletti). Collaboration on tick-borne disease research using drones and AI.
• Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MONID HABITRACK partner providing Earth Observation Research Cluster expertise in Chair of Global Urbanization and Remote Sensing for drone-based habitat analysis.
• Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MONID HABITRACK partner with National Reference Centre for Borrelia, contributing epidemiological and public health expertise.
• Jilin University First Hospital (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Bilateral scientific exchange agreement with visiting professorship for Dr. Schara Safarian. Aims to intensify joint research in translational medicine and establish ITMP expertise in the Chinese pharmaceutical research market.
• Revvity Cellular TechnologiessupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025Technology Showcase offsite event cooperation at SLAS Europe 2025 focusing on targeted protein degradation using molecular glues and ubiquitin-proteasome system.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024IHI-funded SYNTHIA project partner co-leading generative AI approaches for clinical studies in Alzheimer's disease.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024IHI-funded SYNTHIA project partner providing expertise in generative AI for medical imaging in Alzheimer's disease field.
• Novo NordiskcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024IHI-funded SYNTHIA project partner for type 2 diabetes application of generative AI approaches in synthetic patient data generation.
• Gates VenturessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024SYNTHIA project partner co-leading specific use case in Alzheimer's disease field alongside Fraunhofer SCAI.
• Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on Leigh syndrome research led by Prof. Alessandro Prigione. Study headed at UKD with iPSC models and compassionate use treatment.
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on Leigh syndrome research led by Prof. Markus Schuelke. First Leigh Syndrome patient treated with Sildenafil at Charité.
• RochecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Strategic partnership expanded in late 2023 for tuberculosis research through 'DisTB' study aimed at identifying new biomarkers for TB diagnosis.
• Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Previous employer of Dr. Sabine Suppmann; historical collaboration during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic for protein production.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Charles River Laboratories: Major preclinical CRO providing discovery, safety assessment, and translational research services. Directly comparable to ITMP's preclinical research and contract research offerings.
• Eurofins Scientific: Bioanalytical and contract testing services provider with deep European footprint. Comparable to ITMP's analytical and screening service offerings for pharma and biotech clients.
• Evotec: Global contract research and drug discovery organization offering high-throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, and translational research services to pharma and biotech — closely aligned with Fraunhofer ITMP's Drug Discovery division.
• Pharmaron: Integrated CRO offering drug discovery, preclinical, and clinical research services globally. Comparable to ITMP's horizontal model spanning drug discovery, preclinical, and clinical research divisions.

Broad incumbents

• Roche: Global pharmaceutical company with major translational research operations and a strategic partner of ITMP (DisTB TB biomarker study). Comparable as a buyer of ITMP's translational research services.
• WuXi AppTec: Large global CRO/CDMO offering end-to-end discovery, development, and manufacturing services. Overlaps with ITMP's contract research capabilities but at a much larger scale and broader scope.
• IQVIA: Global clinical research and healthcare data powerhouse. Overlaps with ITMP's clinical research division and biomedical data science capabilities but built on a vastly larger commercial scale.

Others

• Bio-Techne: Reagents, assays, and proteomics tools supplier supporting drug discovery and translational research workflows. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler serving similar research customers.

Emerging players

• Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology: German basic research institute with strong drug discovery and chemical biology programs. Comparable as a publicly funded translational research counterpart in the German landscape.

Regional players

• Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI): German national research center for infectious disease research. Overlaps with ITMP's IIP/Penzberg infectious disease and pandemic preparedness programs as a fellow publicly funded research entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fraunhofer-itmp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fraunhofer ITMP