Research, Innovation, Science and Excellence (RISE) Institute Inc.

What Research, Innovation, Science and Excellence (RISE) Institute Inc. does

RISE Institute Inc. is a Toronto-based, privately held psychiatric contract research organization (CRO) that provides end-to-end clinical research services for drug development in mood disorders and other psychiatric indications. Its core offerings include Phase 2-4 clinical trial design and execution, rater training and scale management, electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA/ePRO) support, neuroimaging-enabled trials (rTMS, fMRI, EEG, DDT), psychiatric R&D consulting, medical writing for regulatory submissions, and patient recruitment across a curated network of qualified psychiatric sites. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors developing CNS therapeutics, academic institutions seeking scientific advisory support, healthcare organizations, and investment or venture firms requiring due diligence on psychiatric drug candidates.

RISE differentiates through a talent- and publication-led model anchored by founder/CEO Dr. Roger McIntyre, a Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto recognized by Clarivate Analytics as one of 'The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds' from 2014 through 2023 with 1,200+ peer-reviewed publications. The team has led more than 50 psychiatry studies involving over 7,000 participants worldwide, trained over 1,000 raters, and contributed to CANMAT, Florida Best Practice, and international clinical practice guidelines. Compound coverage spans psychedelics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, stimulants, reuptake inhibitors, neurotoxin proteins, atypical antipsychotics, and long-acting injectables, across indications from major depressive disorder to acutely psychotic schizophrenia.

The business model is professional services-based: revenue is generated through contracted clinical research engagements, consulting fees, and medical writing projects delivered to pharmaceutical sponsors, biotech companies, and academic institutions. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct outreach, the founders' international recognition and publication record, professional networking, and conference presence. Notable active engagements include a Phase 3 trial for Neurocrine Biosciences (NBI-1065845 in MDD). The company operates from a single headquarters in Etobicoke, Ontario, with a small disclosed executive team, and serves a global client base through its distributed clinical site network.

Name

Research, Innovation, Science and Excellence (RISE) Institute Inc.

Legal name

RISE Institute Inc.

Website

https://riseinstitute.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

RISE Institute is a Toronto-based psychiatric contract research organization providing Phase 2-4 clinical trials, rater training, consulting, and medical writing for pharmaceutical sponsors, biotech companies, academic institutions, and investors developing CNS and psychiatric therapeutics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Organization Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA), Medical Writing & Regulatory Submission Support CROs (HLAGAAAG), Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI), Clinical Site Start-Up & Activation (Regulatory/Ethics/Contracts) (HLAGACAC)

Keywords

• Psychiatric clinical trials
• Clinical research organization
• Medical writing services
• Psychiatric consulting services
• Mood disorders research

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Research Services: Full-service CRO providing clinical trial design, execution, and regulatory support for psychiatric drug development programs. Revenue is generated through contracted clinical research services for pharmaceutical sponsors, biotech companies, and academic institutions conducting Phase 2-4 psychiatric trials.
2. Psychiatric R&D Consulting: Consulting engagements include clinical development strategy, protocol design and review, scientific and medical advisory, data interpretation, due diligence support, and medical education and publication services. Fees are charged for strategic advisory, protocol optimization, regulatory meeting preparation, and expert scientific assessment.
3. Medical Writing Services: Professional medical writing services producing regulatory documents including briefing books, investigational brochures, protocols, clinical study reports, drug safety reports, journal articles, and plain-language summaries. Services are provided as standalone projects or as part of full regulatory submission programs.
4. Study Participant Recruitment: Clinical research studies enrolling voluntary participants with compensation provided for time and travel. The company recruits adults with depression and other psychiatric conditions for clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RISE Institute Inc. operates as a specialized psychiatric contract research organization (CRO) delivering clinical trial design and execution, rater training and scale management, neuroimaging-enabled studies, medical writing for regulatory documents, and scientific/medical advisory consulting. Its work spans Phase 2-4 psychiatric drug development for mood disorders, treatment-resistant depression, and related CNS indications, serving pharmaceutical sponsors, biotech firms, academic institutions, and healthcare organizations.

Product overview

RISE Institute is a specialized psychiatric clinical research organization (CRO) offering an integrated suite of services spanning consulting, medical writing, clinical trials, research, and study participation. The core offering is psychiatric clinical research services for pharmaceutical sponsors, academic institutions, and healthcare partners, with specialized expertise in mood disorders and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Key products include Psychiatric Research & Development Consulting for drug development advisory, Medical Writing for regulatory documentation, Clinical Psychiatric Trials for study execution with integrated rater training and neuroimaging capabilities, and Study Participation for patient recruitment. The company leverages a multidisciplinary team with over 50 psychiatry studies and 7,000+ participants worldwide experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Psychiatric Research & Development Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 participants enrolled across 50+ psychiatry studies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neurocrine BiosciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeurocrine Biosciences is sponsoring the Phase 3 clinical trial for NBI-1065845 as an adjunctive treatment in Major Depressive Disorder, conducted by RISE Institute. This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy of NBI-1065845 in delaying the relapse of depressive symptoms.
• Qualified Psychiatric Sites and Principal InvestigatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Institute maintains a carefully cultivated network of qualified psychiatric sites with extensive trial experience, all led by experienced Principal Investigators. These partnerships enable global reach for participant enrollment and data quality.
• University of Toronto Faculty MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre is Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at University of Toronto, and Dr. Hartej Gill holds affiliation with University of Toronto. Dr. Margarita Shekotikhina is Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Toronto. These academic partnerships support research collaboration and publication.
• Global Network of Clinical LeadersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Institute cultivates close working relationships with key clinical leaders and maintains a broad, global network of clinicians to improve participant engagement and data quality across psychiatric studies.
• Trillium Health PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Margarita Shekotikhina serves as a staff psychiatrist at Trillium Health Partners, enabling clinical practice integration with research operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Syneos Health: Full-service biopharmaceutical services organization with CNS/psychiatry clinical operations and strong medical communications/medical writing capability. Comparable to RISE on the bundled CRO + medical writing + consulting offering, but at much greater scale.
• Labcorp Drug Development (Fortrea): Spin-out of Labcorp's CRO business with established CNS clinical trial services and central laboratory support. Comparable on integrated lab and trial support relevant to psychiatric studies, though not specialty-focused on psychiatry.
• ICON plc: Top-tier global CRO with established CNS and psychiatry operational teams. Comparable on full-service clinical trial execution for psychiatric indications, though operates at materially larger scale across many therapeutic areas.
• Parexel: Large global CRO with a strong CNS and early-phase clinical pharmacology practice. Comparable on multi-phase psychiatric trial execution and consulting/medical writing adjacencies, but with broader therapeutic-area breadth.
• Medpace: Full-service global CRO with a dedicated neuroscience clinical operations unit spanning psychiatric and neurologic indications. Comparable as a competitor for psychiatric Phase 2–4 contracts, but with broader therapeutic-area coverage and much larger scale.
• IQVIA: Largest global CRO with extensive CNS/psychiatric trial experience across all phases. Comparable as a competitor for large psychiatric Phase 3 sponsors, but offers these capabilities as part of a vastly broader portfolio rather than as a specialty focus.

Direct peers

• Clario: Clinical trial technology and eCOA/rater training specialist serving CNS-heavy sponsor pipelines. Directly comparable to RISE's rater training, scale management, and eCOA/ePRO service layer that supports psychiatric trial data quality.
• Signant Health: Specialist provider of clinical outcome assessments, eCOA, and rater training services used heavily in CNS trials. Directly comparable to RISE's integrated rater training, scale management, and eCOA/ePRO capabilities that reduce placebo response and signal noise.
• Worldwide Clinical Trials: Mid-sized CRO with a deeply specialized CNS/neuroscience franchise covering mood, depression, and rare neurological indications. Directly comparable to RISE on therapeutic-area focus and Phase 2–4 psychiatric trial execution, though at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Bioforum CRO: Mid-sized data-focused CRO with growing CNS clinical trial experience and biometrics expertise. Comparable as a smaller alternative for sponsors seeking CNS trial execution with more attention than mega-CROs provide, though not as deep in psychiatric specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Research, Innovation, Science and Excellence (RISE) Institute Inc.