Wake Up Narcolepsy
Wake Up Narcolepsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that provides free awareness, education, support programs, and research funding for people with narcolepsy, their families, and healthcare professionals worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersWorcester, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wake Up Narcolepsy does
Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, that advances narcolepsy awareness, education, community support, and research funding. It serves people with Narcolepsy Type 1 and Type 2, their families and caregivers, children and teens with narcolepsy, and healthcare professionals, with secondary reach to an international community through educational resources translated into 10 languages. The organization operates a community-led, event-driven, and direct-to-consumer model delivered through free online peer support groups (across eight sub-segments including LGBTQIA+, College & Careers, Pregnancy & Parenting, Teens, and Comorbidities), two podcasts (Narcolepsy 360 and Narcolepsy Nightcaps), a monthly Brown Bag webinar series, a 10-language educational resource library, and signature events including the National Summit, Family Weekend, Shadows to Light Gala, and the newly launched Bridging Perspectives Convening. Its underlying technology is non-proprietary: a WordPress website, HeyPeers for support group hosting, standard podcast distribution, and Neon CRM for donations.
WUN's revenue model is exclusively donation- and sponsorship-based, with all programs provided free of charge to patients and families. Income streams include general individual donations, designated research donations, a tiered corporate sponsorship program (Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Program) with pharmaceutical sponsors including Takeda, Alkermes, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Harmony Biosciences, Axsome Therapeutics, and Centessa, plus cause marketing through awareness apparel on bonfire.com. The nonprofit is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors (chaired by co-founder David Gow; Monica Gow transitioned to Founder Emeritus on January 1, 2025) and is led by Executive Director Tammy Anderson, supported by a five-person staff handling development, outreach, PR/communications, and operations. The Medical Advisory Board includes researchers from Stanford, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, and Children's Mercy Hospital, and the organization holds GuideStar Transparency Seal, NORD membership, and American Brain Coalition membership.
Wake Up Narcolepsy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wake Up Narcolepsy
- Legal name
- Wake Up Narcolepsy, Inc.
- Website
- https://wakeupnarcolepsy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Wake Up Narcolepsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that provides free awareness, education, support programs, and research funding for people with narcolepsy, their families, and healthcare professionals worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wake Up Narcolepsy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patient Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)
Keywords
Where Wake Up Narcolepsy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Worcester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Wake Up Narcolepsy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- General Donations: Individual donors contribute general donations to support the organization's mission of awareness, education, and research funding for narcolepsy.
- Research Funding: Designated donations specifically directed toward advancing narcolepsy research initiatives and clinical trials.
- Cause Marketing: Partnership with brands like bonfire.com for awareness apparel where a portion of proceeds support the organization.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Pharmaceutical companies including Takeda, Alkermes, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Harmony Biosciences, and Axsome provide sponsorship funding at various tiers (Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Program).
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels16 records
Wake Up Narcolepsy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wake Up Narcolepsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers free online peer support groups, educational podcasts (Narcolepsy 360 and Narcolepsy Nightcaps), expert-led webinars, annual in-person events such as the National Summit and Family Weekend, and a multilingual resource library for individuals with narcolepsy, their families, and healthcare professionals. The organization also directs donations to narcolepsy research and clinical trials, and provides CME-accredited courses for clinicians.
Product overview
Wake Up Narcolepsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a community-focused advocacy and support platform rather than a traditional technology product. The organization provides a suite of support services including free online peer support groups (Living with Narcolepsy, Comorbidities, Parents & Loved Ones, College & Careers, Pregnancy & Parenting, Teens, LGBTQIA+), educational podcasts (Narcolepsy 360 and Narcolepsy Nightcaps), webinars (Brown Bag Series), annual conferences (National Summit), family programs (Family Weekend), research and clinical trial resources, and educational materials (brochures, Narcolepsy 101 series, What Does That Mean glossary). The organization also sells awareness apparel. These offerings work together to provide community support, education, and advocacy for people affected by narcolepsy worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Support Groups Free, targeted online peer support groups for individuals with narcolepsy and their families worldwide, covering diverse subcommunities including LGBTQIA+, college students, parents, teens, and patients with comorbidities.
- Narcolepsy 360 Podcast Interview podcast featuring conversations with patients, parents, and doctors about latest narcolepsy research and lifestyle tips, distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, and Google Podcasts.
- Narcolepsy Nightcaps Podcast Podcast focused on narcolepsy-related topics and community storytelling, providing additional community engagement content beyond Narcolepsy 360.
- Brown Bag Narcolepsy Webinar Series Monthly online webinars featuring experts sharing information on treatment options, the impact of narcolepsy, comorbidities, and living a full life with narcolepsy.
- National Summit Annual one-day summit for people with narcolepsy, families, educators, clinicians, and researchers featuring latest research presentations.
- Family Weekend Camp-style weekend event where children and teens with narcolepsy can meet peers experiencing the same symptoms, attended with their families.
- Research & Clinical Trials Portal Featured research grants, clinical trial listings, and patient engagement resources to help advance new treatments for individuals with narcolepsy.
- Educational Brochures & Resources Printable and digital educational materials covering narcolepsy symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, accommodations for school and work, with translated resources in 10 languages.
- Awareness Apparel Branded awareness merchandise including clothing and accessories sold via bonfire.com with a portion of proceeds directed to the organization.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 million people worldwide affected by narcolepsy
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wake Up Narcolepsy
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wake Up Narcolepsy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wake Up Narcolepsy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered platinum champion sponsor, diamond champion sponsor, gold champion sponsor, program sponsor, silver champion sponsor, core, program partner and minor.
- Takeda Pharmaceuticalsplatinum champion sponsorTakeda is a Platinum Champion Sponsor of Wake Up Narcolepsy. The partnership supports WUN's mission through corporate sponsorship funding that enables awareness programs, educational resources, and community support initiatives.
- Alkermesdiamond champion sponsorAlkermes is a Diamond Champion Sponsor supporting Wake Up Narcolepsy's initiatives. The company also co-sponsors the Comorbidities Awareness Campaign.
- Jazz Pharmaceuticalsdiamond champion sponsorJazz Pharmaceuticals is a Diamond Champion Sponsor and co-sponsor of the Comorbidities Awareness Campaign. Jazz also sponsors the Narcolepsy 360 podcast.
- Harmony Biosciencesgold champion sponsorHarmony Biosciences is a Gold Champion Sponsor of Wake Up Narcolepsy. The company also supports CME programming for healthcare professionals.
- Axsome Therapeuticsprogram sponsorAxsome Therapeutics is a Program Sponsor and HCP Resource Sponsor of Wake Up Narcolepsy, supporting educational initiatives for healthcare professionals.
- Centessa Pharmaceuticalssilver champion sponsorCentessa Pharmaceuticals is a Silver Champion Sponsor supporting Wake Up Narcolepsy's mission and programs.
- AMCPprogram sponsorAcademy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is a Program Sponsor supporting Wake Up Narcolepsy's educational initiatives.
- Stanford University School of MedicinecoreStanford's Center for Narcolepsy, led by Dr. Emmanuel Mignot, is a key research partner. Dr. Mignot serves on WUN's Medical Advisory Board and is internationally recognized for discovering the cause of narcolepsy.
- Boston Children's HospitalcoreBoston Children's Hospital, through Dr. Kiran Maski and Dr. Thomas Scammell, provides pediatric sleep expertise and research collaboration for WUN's initiatives.
- Harvard Medical SchoolcoreDr. Thomas Scammell, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, serves on WUN's Medical Advisory Board.
- Children's Mercy HospitalcoreDr. David Ingram from Children's Mercy Hospital serves on WUN's Medical Advisory Board and conducts research in collaboration with WUN.
- The Assistance Fund (TAF)program partnerTAF provides a Narcolepsy Copay Assistance Program to help patients afford their medications.
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)coreNORD is a partner organization providing resources and support for rare disease patient organizations like WUN.
- AASM FoundationminorAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation partners with WUN on sleep awareness and education initiatives.
- American Heart AssociationminorAHA partners with WUN on cardiovascular health awareness initiatives related to narcolepsy comorbidities.
- Society for Women's Health ResearchminorSWHR collaborated with WUN to develop the Narcolepsy Toolkit for Women and supporting resources.
- Project SleepminorProject Sleep is a partner organization in the narcolepsy awareness ecosystem, collaborating on initiatives like World Narcolepsy Day.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wake Up Narcolepsy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Narcolepsy Network: Narcolepsy Network is another U.S.-based narcolepsy patient advocacy nonprofit that runs an annual conference, support groups, and education programs, making it the closest single-condition peer competitor to WUN in the same patient population.
- Project Sleep: Project Sleep is a narcolepsy-focused 501(c)(3) that collaborates with WUN on initiatives like World Narcolepsy Day. It runs awareness campaigns, a Sleep In lecture series, and patient storytelling programs, directly competing for the same narcolepsy donor dollars and sponsorships.
- Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation: Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation operates a near-identical single-condition patient advocacy model (peer groups, CME, research funding, pharma sponsorships). It is structurally analogous to WUN but serves a different sleep disorder population.
- Hypersomnia Foundation: Hypersomnia Foundation is a closely adjacent sleep disorder advocacy nonprofit (focused on idiopathic hypersomnia) that pursues an analogous mission structure—education, support, research funding—and overlaps WUN in HCP-facing CME work.
Broad incumbents
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): NORD is the umbrella rare disease federation of which WUN is a member. It competes for rare-disease donors and pharmaceutical grants and provides shared research and patient assistance infrastructure used by WUN and its peers.
- Epilepsy Foundation: Epilepsy Foundation is a larger neurological patient advocacy nonprofit with comparable programs (support groups, summits, CME, research grants, pharma sponsorships). It is a useful model for how a narcolepsy organization could scale as a well-resourced national NGO.
- American Heart Association: AHA is an active partner of WUN on cardiovascular-narcolepsy comorbidities content. It is a broader health advocacy organization that demonstrates the scale potential of condition-specific awareness campaigns.
- American Sleep Association: American Sleep Association is a broader sleep-disorder advocacy nonprofit serving all sleep conditions. It overlaps WUN on public education, sleep literacy, and sleep-awareness content distributed through shared channels.
Others
- Society for Women's Health Research: SWHR is a partner that co-developed WUN's Narcolepsy Toolkit for Women. It is not a direct competitor but a similarly positioned nonprofit that co-develops educational content and pursues corporate sponsorships in women's health.
- Sleep Research Society: Sleep Research Society is a professional scientific society that shares CME and research dissemination functions with WUN, serving the same sleep-specialist HCP audience that WUN's CME courses target.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wake Up Narcolepsy social profiles
Digital presenceWake Up Narcolepsy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wake Up Narcolepsy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Wake Up Narcolepsy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wake Up Narcolepsy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wake Up Narcolepsy
What does Wake Up Narcolepsy do?
Wake Up Narcolepsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers free online peer support groups, educational podcasts (Narcolepsy 360 and Narcolepsy Nightcaps), expert-led webinars, annual in-person events such as the National Summit and Family Weekend, and a multilingual resource library for individuals with narcolepsy, their families, and healthcare professionals. The organization also directs donations to narcolepsy research and clinical trials, and provides CME-accredited courses for clinicians.
Is Wake Up Narcolepsy a public or private company?
Wake Up Narcolepsy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wake Up Narcolepsy founded?
Wake Up Narcolepsy was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Wake Up Narcolepsy based?
Wake Up Narcolepsy is headquartered in Worcester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wake Up Narcolepsy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. General Donations are the primary driver. The others are research Funding, cause Marketing and corporate Sponsorships.
Who are Wake Up Narcolepsy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Narcolepsy Network, Project Sleep, Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation and Hypersomnia Foundation. Broad incumbents are National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Epilepsy Foundation, American Heart Association and American Sleep Association. Others are Society for Women's Health Research and Sleep Research Society.
Does Wake Up Narcolepsy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wake Up Narcolepsy.
What industry is Wake Up Narcolepsy in?
Wake Up Narcolepsy's product category is Patient Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFACAN, Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services. Its NAICS code is 624190.