Hjärnfonden
Hjärnfonden is a Swedish non-profit foundation founded in 1994 that raises charitable donations through individuals, corporations, and foundations, and distributes grants to Swedish universities and hospitals conducting brain research across approximately 30 neurological diagnoses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hjärnfonden does
Hjärnfonden (legal name Stiftelsen Hjärnfonden) is a Swedish non-profit foundation founded in 1994 and headquartered in Stockholm that raises and distributes funds for brain research. Its mission is to enable research, education, and awareness across nearly 30 brain-related diagnoses including ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ADHD, autism, stroke, depression, and ME/CFS, and it has supported more than 2,091 research projects since 1995.
The foundation's core operations revolve around multi-channel fundraising and grant-making. It accepts donations through Swish, Bankgiro, Plusgiro, credit card, telephone, online one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving (månadsgivare, minimum 200 kr/month), memorial gifts, testamentary bequests, and stock/asset donations. A self-serve personal fundraising platform (insamling.hjarnfonden.se) allows supporters to launch their own campaigns, while a corporate partnership program, co-funding from Postkodlotteriet, and major foundation gifts (notably Irstadska stiftelsen) diversify institutional giving. Donated funds are allocated to Swedish research universities and hospitals including Karolinska Institutet, Lunds universitet, Uppsala universitet, Stockholms universitet, Umeå universitet, and Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset.
Hjärnfonden reports 85.9% of donations going to research and information, 12.3% to fundraising, and 1.8% to administration. In 2025 it distributed 198.1 million SEK to Swedish brain research, a 28% year-over-year increase and more than double the 2020 level. Beyond grant-making, the foundation runs the annual Hj\u00e4rnans Dag (Brain Day) knowledge event, publishes a monthly newsletter and editorial content on brain health, participates in Almedalsveckan, and operates a specialized sub-brand, Barnhj\u00e4rnfonden, focused on children's brain research.
Hjärnfonden firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hjärnfonden
- Legal name
- Stiftelsen Hjärnfonden
- Website
- https://hjarnfonden.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hjärnfonden is a Swedish non-profit foundation founded in 1994 that raises charitable donations through individuals, corporations, and foundations, and distributes grants to Swedish universities and hospitals conducting brain research across approximately 30 neurological diagnoses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hjärnfonden industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brain Research Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
Keywords
Where Hjärnfonden is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hjärnfonden business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from private individuals, including monthly giving programs (månadsgivare), one-time gifts, and memorial gifts (minnesgåvor) made in honor of deceased loved ones. Donors can designate their gift to specific brain diagnoses or general brain research.
- Testamentary Bequests: Donors can include Hjärnfonden in their wills and testaments, providing long-term financial support to brain research through estate gifts.
- Stock/Asset Donations: Donors can contribute shares, securities, or stock dividends to Hjärnfonden tax-free, increasing the value of their charitable gift.
- Corporate Partnerships: Companies can make charitable donations to Hjärnfonden, receiving tax deductions equivalent to corporate tax rate (20.6%) on gifts up to 800,000 SEK per year. Organizations can also engage in longer-term strategic partnerships.
- Foundation Philanthropy: Foundations provide philanthropic support through their investment returns, with examples like Irstadska stiftelsen providing major philanthropic contributions to Hjärnfonden.
- Fund Savings (Humanfond): Partnership with Swedbank Humanfond allows savers to grow their money while simultaneously supporting brain research through fund investments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Suggested donation amounts for one-time gifts |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving program for recurring donors |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Corporate gifts with tax benefits |
| Other | Annual | Personal tax deduction on donations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Hjärnfonden product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hjärnfonden is a Swedish non-profit foundation that raises charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and other foundations, then distributes the proceeds as research grants to Swedish researchers studying neurological and psychiatric conditions including ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ADHD, autism, and stroke. Alongside research grantmaking, the foundation operates giving programs (monthly giving, memorial gifts, personal fundraising), and provides public education on brain health through events such as Hjärnans Dag and a monthly newsletter.
Product overview
Hjärnfonden operates as a charitable foundation offering a suite of support and fundraising services for brain research. The core offering includes an online donation platform (Ge en gåva), personal fundraising tools (Egen insamling), and memorial gift options (Minnesgåva). Educational initiatives like Hjärnans Dag and Hjärnmedvetet Samhälle provide knowledge dissemination, while a monthly newsletter keeps supporters informed about research advances.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Barnhjärnfonden: A specialized initiative focused on research about children's brain development and pediatric neurological conditions.
Products and services
- Ge en gåva (Donation Platform) Online donation service that lets individual supporters make one-time or monthly contributions to Swedish brain research, with payments accepted via Swish, credit card, bank transfer, and direct debit.
- Egen insamling (Personal Fundraising) Do-it-yourself fundraising platform that lets supporters create personal fundraising campaigns for specific brain diagnoses, with customizable pages, step-by-step guidance, and social sharing to engage their personal networks.
- Minnesgåva (Memorial Gift) Memorial donation service that enables people to honor deceased loved ones by making donations to brain research in their memory, with accompanying guidance on funeral etiquette and condolence messages.
- Hjärnans Dag (Brain Day Event) Annual educational event featuring lectures from leading Swedish brain researchers and experts sharing the latest advances in brain health, neurological research, and disease understanding.
- Månadsgivare (Monthly Giving Program) Subscription-based recurring donation program where individuals contribute a fixed monthly amount to brain research, with a minimum of 200 SEK per month to qualify for Swedish personal tax deductions.
- Testamente (Testamentary Bequests) Estate giving program that enables donors to include Hjärnfonden in their wills and testaments, providing long-term financial support to Swedish brain research through planned estate gifts.
- Företagssamarbeten (Corporate Partnership Program) Corporate giving and partnership program for Swedish companies, offering 20.6% tax reduction on donations up to 800,000 SEK base per year (minimum 2,000 SEK per occasion) and longer-term strategic collaboration opportunities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 198.1 million SEK distributed to brain research in 2025
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hjärnfonden
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hjärnfonden technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hjärnfonden partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Team Rynkeby SkolloppetminorCharitable cycling team that raises funds for children's brain research through Hjärnfonden. Combines athletic fundraising with the organization's research mission.
- Swedbank HumanfondminorFund savings partnership allowing investors to grow their money while supporting brain research. Donations can be made through the Humanfond savings program.
- Karolinska InstitutetcoreMajor Swedish research institution conducting brain research funded by Hjärnfonden. Multiple collaborative research projects including studies on autism, MS, Parkinson's, and other neurological conditions.
- Lunds universitet (Lund University)coreKey research university partner conducting brain research funded by Hjärnfonden, including Parkinson's medication studies and brain cell research.
- Uppsala universitet (Uppsala University)coreResearch university partner conducting brain research funded by Hjärnfonden, including glioblastoma and medulloblastom studies.
- Stockholms universitet (Stockholm University)coreResearch university partner including Professor Eva Hedlund's research on ALS using human stem cell models, funded by Hjärnfonden.
- Umeå universitet (Umeå University)coreResearch university partner conducting ALS research funded by Hjärnfonden, including studies by researcher Karin Forsberg.
- Sahlgrenska UniversitetssjukhusetcoreHospital research partner that has implemented blood tests for Alzheimer's diagnosis in Swedish healthcare, with research funded by Hjärnfonden.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Hjärnfonden competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cancerfonden: Swedish Cancer Society \u2014 Sweden's largest health-research charity and the dominant Swedish disease-foundation competitor. Comparable in mission (fund Swedish research), revenue model (donations + bequests + monthly givers), and distribution mechanism (peer-reviewed grants to Swedish researchers).
- Barncancerfonden: Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation \u2014 a disease-specific Swedish fundraising foundation. Shares Hjärnfonden's donation channels, monthly-giver programs, and corporate-partnership model; Barncancerfonden is also the prior employer of Hjärnfonden staff writer Sofia Ström Bernad, indicating direct talent/operating overlap.
- Parkinson's UK: UK charity funding Parkinson's research and supporting patients \u2014 one of Hjärnfonden's named diagnosis areas. Operates a comparable donation-plus-research-grant model with strong donor community engagement, and is a reference point for diagnosis-specific fundraising within a multi-diagnosis foundation.
- Diabetesfonden: Swedish Diabetes Foundation \u2014 a smaller Swedish disease-specific research foundation. Highly comparable in operating model (donations, monthly givers, research grants) and target donor base, providing a useful same-market benchmark for Hjärnfonden's scale and unit economics.
- Hjärt-Lungfonden: Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation \u2014 the closest domestic analog: a Swedish disease-focused research fundraising foundation raising ~1B+ SEK annually through individual donations, monthly givers, and corporate partnerships, and distributing peer-reviewed grants to Swedish researchers. Directly comparable GTM, revenue model, and national charity positioning.
- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: US-based foundation funding brain and mental-health research across multiple conditions. Mission-equivalent to Hjärnfonden: raising donations from individuals and distributing peer-reviewed grants to researchers studying psychiatric and neurological diseases. Useful international benchmark for scale and portfolio breadth.
- Alzheimer's Research UK: UK-based charity dedicated to funding research into dementia and brain diseases. Directly comparable to Hjärnfonden's diagnostic-specific grantmaking focus (Alzheimer's being one of Hjärnfonden's named conditions), with a similar donor-acquisition and research-advocacy model.
Others
- Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's flagship medical research university and one of Hjärnfonden's core research partners. Not a peer in the fundraising sense but is the primary recipient channel for Hjärnfonden's grants, making it the most relevant ecosystem counterpart and a leading indicator of research output quality.
Broad incumbents
- Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council): Swedish government's primary public research-funding agency. While not a fundraising charity, Vetenskapsrådet is the largest public funder of Swedish research including neuroscience, and competes for researcher mindshare and visibility \u2014 making it a structural incumbent Hjärnfonden must complement rather than displace.
Regional players
- Brain Foundation Australia: Australian brain-research foundation funding research across neurological conditions. Closest geographic analog to Hjärnfonden's "national brain foundation" positioning; does not directly compete for donors but offers an international benchmark for non-profit brain-foundation operating models.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hjärnfonden social profiles
Digital presenceHjärnfonden financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hjärnfonden leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hjärnfonden subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Hjärnfonden funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hjärnfonden 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 Hjärnfonden
What does Hjärnfonden do?
Hjärnfonden is a Swedish non-profit foundation that raises charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and other foundations, then distributes the proceeds as research grants to Swedish researchers studying neurological and psychiatric conditions including ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ADHD, autism, and stroke. Alongside research grantmaking, the foundation operates giving programs (monthly giving, memorial gifts, personal fundraising), and provides public education on brain health through events such as Hjärnans Dag and a monthly newsletter.
Is Hjärnfonden a public or private company?
Hjärnfonden is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hjärnfonden founded?
Hjärnfonden was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hjärnfonden based?
Hjärnfonden is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Hjärnfonden make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are testamentary Bequests, stock/Asset Donations, corporate Partnerships, foundation Philanthropy and fund Savings (Humanfond).
Who are Hjärnfonden's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cancerfonden, Barncancerfonden, Parkinson's UK, Diabetesfonden, Hjärt-Lungfonden, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and Alzheimer's Research UK. Karolinska Institutet is listed as an others. Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council) is listed as a broad incumbent. Brain Foundation Australia is listed as a regional player.
Does Hjärnfonden have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hjärnfonden.
What industry is Hjärnfonden in?
Hjärnfonden's product category is Brain Research Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS). Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8600.