The Helios Alliance

What The Helios Alliance does

The Helios Alliance is a Mobile, Alabama-based non-profit founded in June 2023 that builds data-driven tools and coalitions to address the U.S. opioid epidemic. Its core product is the Alabama Opioid Abatement Simulation Platform, which integrates System Dynamics modeling with AI analytics to predict the likely success or failure of abatement policies and programs before funds are deployed; the national model structure was completed in January 2024 and is offered free to city, county, and state officials. The platform underwrites two flagship field initiatives: Project Persevere, coordinating 16 organizations across Mobile and Mobile County through a $2.2 million City of Mobile opioid-settlement allocation (with documented outcomes of 9,247 individuals served and 68,625 services provided as of March 2026), and Project RenewAL, a statewide expansion announced in March 2026 in partnership with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the Alabama League of Municipalities.

The Helios Alliance operates on a non-profit, government-services model. Revenue is generated through professional-services engagements and managed services funded primarily by opioid litigation settlement dollars routed via state and municipal government clients, supplemented by philanthropic grants such as the $500,000 anchor contribution from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Customer concentration is in government: cities, counties, state attorneys general, municipal leagues, and tribal governments. Distribution is direct (RFP and partnership-driven) rather than channel-driven, with institutional relationships serving as the primary acquisition mechanism. Supporting products include the Reimagining Opioid Abatement Conference, the PeerLink youth prevention program, the RenewALliance municipal network, and the Opioid Abatement Award Allocation RFP process.

The leadership team combines substantive public-health and policy credentials, notably Dr. Rahul Gupta (first physician to serve as Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, appointed by President Biden) and founder Rayford Etherton, who has applied System Dynamics modeling to systemic health and legal issues since 2011. The organization is small (1–10 employees), independent (no parent company, no venture backing), and operates as an alliance of partner organizations rather than a traditional non-profit hierarchy.

Name

The Helios Alliance

Legal name

The Helios Alliance

Website

https://theheliosalliance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Helios Alliance is a Mobile, Alabama non-profit that combines System Dynamics simulation modeling with AI analytics to help U.S. cities, counties, and states predict and allocate opioid abatement spending, serving government clients including the City of Mobile and the Alabama Attorney General's office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Consulting and Opioid Abatement Simulation

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use, Addiction & Harm Reduction Health Departments (HLAJAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Model Deployment, Serving & Inference Platforms (HDAAABAF)

Keywords

• Opioid abatement services
• Simulation modeling platform
• Public health consulting
• Settlement fund advisory
• Community coalition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: The Helios Alliance generates revenue through engagement with government entities conducting data-driven analysis to help cities and counties make funding decisions for opioid settlement dollars. Revenue comes from opioid litigation settlement funds allocated to abatement programs.
2. Opioid Settlement Fund Management: The organization helps manage and allocate opioid settlement resources for government clients, with City of Mobile initially allocating approximately $2.2 million for abatement programs through a grant proposal process.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Helios Alliance provides a simulation platform combining System Dynamics modeling with AI analytics to help government entities predict outcomes of opioid abatement policies and programs before investing settlement funds. The organization delivers data-driven RFP and award allocation services to cities, counties, states, tribes, and municipal leagues, coordinating community-based prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives such as Project Persevere and Project RenewAL. Core engagements include building state-level opioid abatement models and running multi-stakeholder grant allocation processes.

Product overview

The Helios Alliance operates a unified portfolio anchored by its Alabama Opioid Abatement Simulation Platform—a core technology product that combines System Dynamics modeling with AI analytics to predict policy outcomes before implementation. Around this platform, the organization offers two major initiatives: Project Persevere (a community coordination program uniting 16 organizations in Mobile) and Project RenewAL (statewide expansion). Supporting offerings include the Reimagining Opioid Abatement Conference, the PeerLink youth program, the RenewALliance municipal network, and the Opioid Abatement Award Allocation Process for cities and counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Persevere: A comprehensive communications campaign aimed at reducing stigma surrounding opioid use disorder and increasing awareness of local recovery resources in Mobile, Alabama, coordinating 16 local organizations across prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
• Project RenewAL

Products and services

• Alabama Opioid Abatement Simulation Platform A groundbreaking simulation platform for government entities that integrates System Dynamics modeling with AI analytics to evaluate opioid abatement policies, predict program outcomes, and forecast impact before investment; allows city, county, and state officials to make decisions on policy, resource allocation, and intervention strategies along the continuum of care from prevention to sustained recovery.
• Project Persevere A community-wide program coordinating 16 local organizations across the full spectrum of opioid response in Mobile and Mobile County, focused on reducing stigma around opioid use disorder and increasing awareness of local recovery resources; delivers coordinated prevention, treatment, and recovery services with measurable outcomes.
• Project RenewAL Statewide initiative assisting Alabama cities and counties in spending opioid settlement resources effectively through a data-driven, grassroots approach; extends the proven Mobile model to other communities statewide in partnership with the Alabama Attorney General and the Alabama League of Municipalities.
• PeerLink A youth-focused program for teens that provides training in Teen Mental Health First Aid and engages participants in opioid prevention, peer mental health, recovery navigation, and community leadership.
• RenewALliance A coordinated network of municipalities and communities working together under Project RenewAL for a data-driven, regional response to the opioid epidemic.
• Opioid Abatement Award Allocation Process A data-driven RFP process within four priority areas (treatment, prevention, survival programs, and communication) that helps cities and counties make optimal funding decisions for opioid settlement dollars using System Dynamics simulation; led to $2.2 million in initial awards to 16 organizations for the City of Mobile.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,247 individuals served, 68,625 services provided, $1.4 million expended (65% of allocated funds) through Project Persevere as of March 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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 capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Knoa FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026Dr. Rahul Gupta, member of The Helios Alliance Leadership Team, was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Knoa Foundation—the nonprofit organization that owns and oversees Knoa Pharma LLC, which emerged from the $7.4 billion Purdue Pharma settlement. This appointment advances accountability and transparency in opioid settlement resource governance.
• Alabama Attorney General Steve MarshallcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Partnership with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall to expand Project RenewAL statewide, assisting cities and counties across Alabama in spending opioid settlement resources effectively. The collaboration includes a statewide baseline assessment in partnership with the Alabama League of Municipalities. This builds on proven success in southwest Alabama through Project Persevere.
• Alabama League of MunicipalitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Collaborative partnership to conduct statewide baseline assessment to inform how settlement resources are allocated across Alabama's cities, counties, and communities. A joint survey revealed many municipalities have requested guidance on spending settlement dollars properly and effectively.
• City of MobilecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024The City of Mobile engaged The Helios Alliance to conduct data-driven analysis for opioid settlement fund allocation. Helios developed and ran a robust RFP process within four priority areas: treatment, prevention, survival programs, and communication. The partnership resulted in $2.2 million in initial awards to 16 organizations through Project Persevere.
• Poarch Band of Creek IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2024Anchor partnership with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama's only federally recognized Indian tribe, to build the Alabama Opioid Abatement Model. The tribe contributed $500,000 to support the initiative. The partnership leverages the tribe's commitment to community well-being and Helios Alliance's expertise in public health and addiction solutions to drive comprehensive strategies spanning prevention, treatment, education, and recovery.
• Drug Education CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partner in The Helios Alliance since its early days. The Drug Education Council has operated for over 50 years in Southwest Alabama, changing the narrative around substance use disorder through compassionate and evidence-based services along the continuum of care. Co-sponsored the first Coastal Alabama Opioid Abatement Summit.
• Innovation PortalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation Portal serves as co-sponsor and venue partner for summits and community events. The organization's Executive Director Todd Greer is part of The Helios Alliance Leadership Team. Innovation Portal fosters entrepreneurship and innovation supporting startups and driving community-driven economic development.
• GATC HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationAlliance member providing AI-driven technology expertise. GATC Health transforms how drugs are created, developed, and financed, bringing together experts in AI, biology, drug development, and business strategy. Dr. Rahul Gupta serves as President of GATC Health, which uses artificial intelligence for drug discovery and personalized healthcare solutions through genomic data analysis.
• Vets RecovercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner dedicated to addiction recovery for veterans and their families. Vets Recover opened a new 34-bed inpatient treatment center and Detox Center in Mobile in April 2024, the only such facility south of Birmingham. Vets Recover is one of the 16 organizations coordinated through Project Persevere.
• Janus ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance member providing strategic advisory services. Elizabeth Etherton serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Janus Consultants and strategic advisor to The Helios Alliance, providing expert witness preparation, strategic development, and issue analysis.
• Mobile CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormally committed to supporting Project Persevere initiative. Mobile County Commission President Merceria Ludgood emphasized the importance of multi-jurisdictional collaboration, noting opioid crisis knows no boundaries and neither should local response.
• 16 Local Organizations (Project Persevere)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizations funded through City of Mobile opioid grant program representing diverse array of services: Into Light, Goldfinch Health, Mobile Metro Treatment Center, Mobile Community Corrections Program, Home of Grace for Women, Family Counseling Center, USA Children's and Women's Hospital, Franklin Primary Health Center, Waterfront Rescue Mission, Mobile Area Interfaith Conference, Mobile United, Door to Serenity, Boys & Girls Club of South Alabama, The Lovelady Center, Mobile County Veterans Treatment Court, and Yosemite/Wellborn Strategies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shatterproof: National nonprofit focused on addiction treatment access, prevention, and policy advocacy, working with states and employers on substance use disorder solutions. Directly comparable to Helios in mission scope (national opioid/substance abuse abatement) and government-engagement model.
• Drug Free America Foundation: Nonprofit drug policy organization focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery advocacy at the state and federal levels. Comparable as a peer advocacy/policy organization working to improve substance abuse policy outcomes.
• Faces & Voices of Recovery: National nonprofit recovery advocacy organization that mobilizes the recovery community and supports public policy reforms. Comparable in advocating for evidence-based substance use disorder policy and supporting recovery-focused interventions.
• CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America): National nonprofit that builds and supports community drug-prevention coalitions across the U.S., partnering with municipal and state governments on substance use strategy. Closely mirrors Helios's model of coordinating local organizations and advising governments on evidence-based drug-response investments.
• Drug Education Council: Long-established (50+ years) Southwest Alabama nonprofit focused on substance use disorder education, prevention, and continuum-of-care services — a longstanding Helios alliance partner with highly overlapping mission and geographic scope.
• SAFE Project: Nonprofit addressing the opioid/addiction crisis through prevention, treatment, and recovery programs with a family- and community-centered approach. Comparable as a peer nonprofit delivering multi-pronged opioid response programming.
• ATTC Network (Addiction Technology Transfer Centers): Federally funded network of regional centers that build workforce capacity and disseminate evidence-based practices for addiction treatment. Comparable in providing analytical and technical infrastructure to states/counties on addiction response, though focused on workforce rather than simulation modeling.

Broad incumbents

• Mathematica Policy Research: Major policy research and data analytics firm that advises governments on health, human services, and social programs. Comparable in delivering data-driven program evaluation and policy analytics for government clients, but with a much broader portfolio than opioid-specific focus.
• Abt Associates: Global research and consulting firm with a deep health and behavioral health practice that advises federal and state governments on substance use disorder programs. Comparable in providing analytical and program evaluation support to government health agencies, though at a much larger scale.
• RAND Corporation: Large, established policy research institution that conducts opioid and substance use policy research for federal/state governments. Comparable in applying analytical methodology to inform government drug policy decisions, but at much larger scale and broader topic coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-helios-alliance

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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Frequently asked questions about The Helios Alliance