What Innovo Research does

Innovo Research operates a Clinically Integrated Research Network (CIRN) that aggregates independent physician practices, ACOs, and healthcare organizations into a single contracting entity for biopharmaceutical clinical trials. The network spans 14 healthcare partners across 9 states, 335 locations, 150+ investigators, and provides access to more than 6 million patients across 19 therapeutic areas. The company positions itself against traditional site management organizations through a single-contract, single-budget model integrated with partner EMR systems, enabling a stated 28-day clinical trial startup timeline and reducing operational friction for sponsors and CROs selecting network sites.

The company's core technology layer is built on integrated EMR data combined with an AI-powered patient identification and protocol feasibility platform delivered through its November 2025 partnership with BEKhealth. A separate November 2025 partnership with RTI Health Solutions extends the offering into observational research and real-world evidence generation, positioning Innovo beyond pure interventional site services. Additional operational tooling includes the UpTrials hiring platform for clinical research staffing. The combination of network scale, AI-enabled feasibility, and RWE capability is designed to address sponsor pain points in patient recruitment and study startup timelines.

Innovo's business model is a site services and real-world evidence platform serving two primary customer segments: biopharmaceutical sponsors initiating clinical studies and CROs seeking network access for multi-protocol execution. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed but follow standard SMO conventions of per-study site fees, coordinator costs, and increasingly RWE service fees. The company is privately held with 11-50 employees, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, and was co-founded by Jeff James and Kenny Bilger, each of whom leads a partner healthcare organization within the network.

Name

Innovo Research

Legal name

Innovo Research

Website

https://innovoresearch.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innovo Research is a clinically integrated research network that consolidates 14 healthcare partners across 9 states into a single contracting entity, providing biopharmaceutical sponsors and CROs with access to 6M+ patients, 150+ investigators, and AI-enabled site services across 19 therapeutic areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Site Network Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Site Identification & Feasibility (HLAGACAB), Clinical Site Start-Up & Activation (Regulatory/Ethics/Contracts) (HLAGACAC), Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI)

Keywords

• Clinical trial site network
• Site management organization
• Clinical research services
• Real-world evidence
• Patient recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Clinical Research Services: Innovo Research operates as a Site Management Organization (SMO) providing clinical trial operationalization services. Revenue is generated through contracts with pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs for conducting clinical trials within their network of healthcare partner sites. The company handles site management, patient enrollment, regulatory compliance, and trial oversight services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Innovo Research operates a clinically integrated research network (CIRN) connecting multi-specialty physician practices and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to pharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) for the conduct of clinical trials. The company functions as a Site Management Organization (SMO) and Integrated Research Organization (IRO), providing site management, patient enrollment, regulatory compliance, and trial operationalization services across 335 locations in 9 states, with a 28-day startup timeline and a single contract/budget structure.

Product overview

Innovo Research is a clinically integrated research network (CIRN) — not a software product with named modules, but a service organization that connects multi-specialty physician practices (operating as Accountable Care Organizations) to sponsors and CROs for the execution of clinical trials. Its core offering is a site network with centralized EMR access, a single contract and budget structure, and integrated in-house services (labs, imaging, pharmacies) enabling all trial procedures under one roof. The BEKhealth collaboration provides AI-powered patient-matching and chart-abstraction capabilities used within this network but is a separate vendor technology, not a named Innovo product or module. No discrete, branded product or software module names are identified in the source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Trial Site Network Services Managed clinical trial services for pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs, including site management, patient enrollment, regulatory compliance, and trial oversight delivered through a network of 14 multi-specialty healthcare partners spanning 335 locations, 9 states, 6M+ patients, and 150+ investigators across 19 therapeutic areas.
• Pre-Feasibility Assessment Reports Custom pre-feasibility reports for sponsors evaluating site feasibility for upcoming studies, including site availability and patient population insights, inclusion/exclusion fit analysis, investigator interest and capacity, and estimated startup timelines.
• Community-Based Real-World Evidence Generation Real-world evidence generation services combining AI-powered cohort matching to longitudinal real-world data across Innovo's physician-led community network with observational research expertise, designed for the life sciences sector to produce research-grade data for retrospective and prospective studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6M+ patients, 14 healthcare partners, 9 states, 335 locations, 150+ investigators
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• BEKhealthcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2025BEKhealth's AI-powered data platform provides cohort matching to longitudinal real-world data across Innovo's physician-led network. This collaboration enables high-fidelity data evidence generation at scale for the life sciences sector, combining BEKhealth's AI-enabled EHR data pipeline with Innovo's community footprint.
• RTI Health SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025RTI Health Solutions provides observational research expertise ensuring patients, regulators and prescribers understand the use, value and safety of products. This collaboration pairs RTI's observational research expertise with BEKhealth's AI-enabled EHR data pipeline and Innovo's community footprint for real-world evidence generation.
• UpTrialssupportingTechnology or IntegrationUpTrials provides first software dedicated to clinical research hiring, enabling Innovo Research to access prescreened clinical research professionals and identify relevant candidates based on clinical research skills and therapeutic area experience. Partnership spans multiple clinical research locations across Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.
• Austin Regional Clinic (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustin Regional Clinic, a leading multispecialty medical group serving Central Texas since 1980, partnered with Innovo Research to integrate cutting-edge research methodologies into patient care. ARC opened its clinical research department in 2016 and was a major study center for COVID-19 vaccines in 2020-2021.
• The Iowa CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Iowa Clinic, the largest independent physician-owned multi-specialty group in the Des Moines community with over 250 physicians, partnered with Innovo Research. The clinic opened its clinical research department in 2008 and became a major study center by 2011, serving 1.1 million patients with 450,000 visits annually.
• Pinehurst Medical CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovo Research serves as the exclusive Integrated Research Organization (IRO) for Pinehurst Medical Clinic, enhancing its capacity to conduct cutting-edge clinical research. PMC serves communities in Moore County, Lee County, Cumberland County, Chatham County and surrounding areas with over 160 providers, approximately 950 employees, and 16 locations.
• Stratum MedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStratum Med, a healthcare consortium with relationships with over 100 healthcare organizations and approximately 12,000 physicians, partnered with Innovo Research to bring clinical research directly into the practices of its expansive network. Innovo was founded by two of Stratum's member organizations.
• Collom & Carney CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovo Research serves as the exclusive Integrated Research Organization (IRO) for Collom & Carney Clinic, expanding clinical trial opportunities to patients spanning Texas and Arkansas. This partnership enhances the clinic's ability to offer innovative treatments through participation in clinical trials.
• Wilmington HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovo Research partner integrates research staff into population health operations, collaborating to increase lung cancer screening rates. Population health approaches with integrated research enable evidence-based interventions, outcome evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Starling PhysicianscoreOthersMulti-specialty network partner with Dr. Mircea Badara serving as Medical Director for Pulmonary.
• Christie CliniccoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. Andrew Bartlett serving as Medical Director. Located in Champaign, IL.
• Premier Family PhysicianscoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. Matthew Brimberry serving as Medical Director.
• Wilmington GastroenterologycoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. William King serving as Medical Director (Gastroenterologist).
• Eagle PhysicianscoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. Jehanzeb Memon serving as Medical Director.
• Hutchinson CliniccoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. James Ruhlmann serving as Medical Director. Located in Kansas.
• Piedmont HealthcarecoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. Melissa Seagle serving as Medical Director. Located in Statesville, NC.
• Western Washington Medical GroupcoreOthersNetwork partner with Dr. Tomasz Ziedalksi serving as Medical Director for Pulmonology.
• Medical AssociatessupportingOthersNetwork partner with open positions for Clinical Research Nurse and Clinical Research Assistant in Dubuque, Iowa.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WCG: Clinical trial services provider offering site solutions, IRB, and technology — competes with Innovo across sponsor-facing site enablement and oversight.
• IQVIA: Largest global CRO with biotech and pharmaceutical research services, real-world evidence, and site network capabilities — overlaps with Innovo's sponsor-facing business.
• Medpace: Mid-size global CRO that sponsors rely on for full-service clinical trial execution, including site network management — competes with Innovo for sponsor mindshare and budget.
• ICON plc: Global CRO with comprehensive trial conduct and site management services, including post-2021 PPD integration — sets the competitive scale baseline for SMOs.
• Fortrea: Spun out from LabCorp, Fortrea offers global clinical development and site network services — competes with Innovo for pharma and CRO partnerships.

Others

• RTI Health Solutions: Real-world evidence and observational research partner of Innovo; broadly comparable scientific services that compete for the same pharma evidence-generation budget.

Direct peers

• Elligo Health Research: Direct peer operating a community-based clinical research network that uses health system partners to run trials for sponsors and CROs — overlapping model and target customer base as Innovo.
• Velocity Clinical Research: Direct peer SMO running multi-therapeutic clinical trials across owned and affiliated community sites, competing for the same pharmaceutical sponsor and CRO budget.
• Circuit Clinical: Direct peer SMO that integrates clinical research into community physician practices, offering sponsors decentralized trial execution analogous to Innovo's ACO model.
• Clinitiative Health Research: Direct peer SMO focused on community-based clinical research in the US, providing site management and patient recruitment services to sponsors and CROs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovo-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Innovo Research