Restore Life USA (Non Profit 501c3)

What Restore Life USA (Non Profit 501c3) does

Restore Life USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in September 2008 by James Byrd in Johnson City, Tennessee, and currently headquartered at 311 Cherokee Park Dr., Elizabethton, TN. The organization operates a whole-body donation program that accepts donors within a 250-mile radius of Elizabethton, with current service restrictions excluding Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Donors and donor families cover no costs, with the organization providing transportation, cremation, a metal urn, and one death certificate (three for military donors) at no charge. The organization self-describes as a no-soliciting entity, relying on donors and their families to initiate contact.

The core business is supplying human tissue specimens to medical researchers and educators across the United States, Canada, and other foreign countries. Product offerings include joint specimens, spine specimens, and soft tissue (organs, vessels, and researcher-specific specimens) used in research on cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, psychiatric disorders, and other conditions. The organization has developed a proprietary RNA preservation technique to support genetic disorder research, and partners with the University of Michigan's Project My Heart Your Heart for pacemaker recycling. The team comprises 6 employees, and the organization collaborates with academic medical centers including the ALS Center and Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and various surgeon training programs.

As a non-profit, Restore Life USA does not sell donated specimens; instead, it generates funding by providing services to researchers and educators who cover costs associated with transportation, cremation, surgical recovery, tissue preservation, staffing, insurance, and 24/7 operations. The organization distributes biospecimens directly via a single direct-service channel to research customers, with marketing conducted primarily through organic Facebook presence, the company website, and community partnerships with local charities such as Camp Firefly, Jericho Shriners, Tweetsie Trail Conservancy, and various school and children's programs.

Name

Restore Life USA (Non Profit 501c3)

Legal name

Restore Life USA

Website

https://restorelifeusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Restore Life USA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008 that operates a whole-body donation program in East Tennessee, supplying human tissue specimens to medical researchers and educators across the US, Canada, and internationally for cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, and genetic disorder research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biospecimen Procurement and Body Donation Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Cemeteries and Crematories (812220)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Remains & Medical Specimens Forwarding (TLACAJAE)

Keywords

• Body donation services
• Tissue research services
• Biospecimen procurement
• Human tissue specimens
• Whole body donation

Headquarters

HQ city

Elizabethton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Education Services: As a 501c3 non-profit, Restore Life USA generates funding by providing services to researchers and educators. The researchers and educators cover costs associated with transportation, cremation, surgical recovery, tissue preservation, staffing, insurance, and 24-hour 7-day-a-week operations. The organization does not sell donated specimens.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Restore Life USA operates a no-solicitation whole body donation program that coordinates donor transportation, cremation, surgical recovery, and tissue preservation at its East Tennessee facility. It supplies human tissue specimens (joints, spine, soft tissue including organs, vessels, and researcher-specific specimens) to medical researchers and educators for studies on cancer, ALS, Alzheimer's, psychiatric disorders, and other conditions, supported by a proprietary RNA preservation technique for genetic disorder research.

Product overview

Restore Life USA operates as a single unified non-profit body donation service offering. The core Body Donation Program coordinates whole-body donations for medical research, working in conjunction with Tissue Research Services to supply researchers with biospecimens including joint, spine, and soft tissue specimens. The organization has developed proprietary RNA Preservation Techniques to support genetic disorder research. They partner with external programs like Project My Heart Your Heart for pacemaker recycling. All services are provided at no cost to donor families, with funding generated through researcher and educator service fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Body Donation Program Whole-body donation program accepting donors who reside within 250 miles of Elizabethton, TN (Tennessee residents only; no Virginia, North Carolina, or Kentucky donors). Provides pre-registration and at-need donor services including transportation, cremation, surgical recovery, tissue preservation, return of cremated remains in a metal urn within 30 days, and personal delivery of the urn and ashes to the donor's family at no cost.
• Tissue Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Cremains returned within 30 days with personal delivery to donor families

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Project My Heart Your Heart (University of Michigan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram through the University of Michigan with the ultimate goal of recycling used pacemakers. Restore Life USA supports this initiative as part of their mission to contribute to medical research and sustainable healthcare practices.
• ALS Center and Department of Neurobiology and AnatomycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for ALS research and neurobiology studies. Restore Life USA provides tissue specimens for their research activities.
• John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at University of Miami Miller School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for human genomics research. Restore Life USA provides tissue specimens for their genomics research programs.
• Hillco MedicalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Gary Hill, director of Hillco Medical, for joint specimen supply for surgeon training purposes. This relationship helped establish Restore Life USA's body donation program in 2011.
• Regional Transportation AgenciesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional transportation agencies that provide transportation services from the donor's location of death to Restore Life USA's facility. These agencies are partners in honoring donation wishes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MedCure: MedCure operates a whole body donation program providing tissues to medical research and education, with national reach. Comparable as a direct competitor in non-transplant tissue banking for research and education.
• Science Care: Science Care is one of the largest non-transplant whole body donation programs in the US, connecting donors with medical researchers and educators. Directly comparable to Restore Life USA in service model, customer base, and specimen offerings.
• National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI): NDRI is a nonprofit that recovers and distributes human tissues for research across a wide range of diseases. Comparable as a national-scale non-profit tissue procurement partner to academic researchers.
• Anatomy Gifts Registry: Anatomy Gifts Registry is a whole body donation program serving researchers and medical educators across the US. Directly comparable in mission, specimen types offered, and customer segments.
• BioGift Anatomical: BioGift Anatomical is a non-profit body donation program offering whole body and tissue specimens to medical research and education. Comparable service model and donor base.
• United Tissue Network: United Tissue Network is a non-transplant tissue bank providing human specimens to medical researchers and educators. Directly comparable as a non-profit, donor-funded body donation organization.
• Research for Life: Research for Life is a body donation organization providing human tissues for medical research and education. Comparable as a non-profit donor-to-research intermediary serving similar research customers.

Others

• Science 37 (referenced as anatomical education provider): Science 37 is a clinical research technology company, not a tissue provider; included as an adjacent research-enablement player in the broader medical research ecosystem that Restore Life USA's customers participate in.

Broad incumbents

• LifeNet Health: LifeNet Health is a large, established non-profit tissue banking organization serving transplant, research, and cellular therapy markets. Comparable as a broader tissue banking incumbent serving overlapping research customers.
• MTF Biologics: MTF Biologics is a national tissue banking nonprofit distributing grafts and specimens for research, transplant, and education. Comparable as a larger incumbent with overlapping research and education specimen services.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/restorelifeusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restore-life-usa-non-profit-501c3

Compliance1 record

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 Restore Life USA (Non Profit 501c3)