Impact Research Institute (now a part of Velocity Clinical Research)

What Impact Research Institute (now a part of Velocity Clinical Research) does

Impact Research Institute was a Waco, Texas-based clinical research site founded in 2020 by Dr. Nadege Gunn, MD, specializing in Phase 1–4 clinical trials for liver, metabolic, and gastrointestinal diseases, with a particular focus on MASLD/MASH. In 2023 the site was acquired by Velocity Clinical Research and rebranded as Velocity Clinical Research, Waco, becoming part of Velocity's network of fully integrated research sites across the US and Europe. The site operates under ICH and FDA guidelines in compliance with Good Clinical Practice, with all trials overseen by board-certified physicians.

The site's core technological assets include an on-site FibroScan liver ultrasound device used to detect fibrosis and steatosis and offered at no cost to at-risk participants as a screening funnel, plus access to Velocity's proprietary VISION Engage mobile application (iOS/Android) and VISION Recruit platform for patient-trial matching and fast participant payments. The site also offers community-facing liver health screening and patient education on metabolic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol as risk factors for liver disease.

Velocity Clinical Research Waco generates revenue through contracted clinical trial services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors and Contract Research Organizations, operating under a professional services model. Trial participation is free for patients, who are compensated between $75 and $4,500 depending on study phase, duration, and visit requirements. Patient recruitment is conducted through a multi-channel grassroots approach — roadside posters, radio advertisements, Facebook ads, doctor office notices, community outreach, and the VISION Engage app — with the site located inside the Fish Pond Medical Plaza building off I-35 and serving the Waco, Killeen, Temple, and Harker Heights communities.

Name

Impact Research Institute (now a part of Velocity Clinical Research)

Legal name

Velocity Clinical Research, Inc.

Website

https://impactresearchtx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Impact Research Institute, now operating as Velocity Clinical Research Waco, is a clinical research site in Waco, Texas that conducts Phase 1–4 trials focused on liver, metabolic, and gastrointestinal diseases, founded by Dr. Nadege Gunn in 2020 and acquired by Velocity Clinical Research in 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Liver & GI Clinical Research (Trials Centers) (HLAKAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Clinical trial site operations
• Liver disease research
• MASLD clinical trials
• Phase 1-4 trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Services for Sponsors: Velocity conducts clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (Sponsors) and Contract Research Organizations (CROs). Revenue is generated through contracted research services, site fees, and participant recruitment for Phase 1-4 clinical trials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Impact Research Institute, now operating as Velocity Clinical Research, Waco following its 2023 acquisition, conducts Phase 1-4 clinical trials with a specialization in MASLD/MASH, liver, metabolic, and gastrointestinal diseases. The Waco site offers no-cost liver health scans using FibroScan elastography ultrasound and recruits participants for studies sponsored by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and CROs. The site operates under ICH and FDA guidelines in full GCP compliance and is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Nadege Gunn.

Product overview

Velocity Clinical Research is a global clinical research organization operating a network of fully integrated research sites across the U.S. and Europe. The company offers Phase 1-4 clinical trial services spanning multiple therapeutic areas including liver disease (MASLD/MASH), metabolic conditions, vaccines, and medical devices. Core offerings include clinical trial conduct, no-cost liver health scans using FibroScan ultrasound technology, and the VISION Engage mobile app for participant engagement. Impact Research Institute, now part of Velocity, was acquired in 2023 and specializes in liver disease research at its Waco, Texas location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Research Site Services (Phase 1-4) Velocity Clinical Research conducts Phase 1-4 clinical trials at its integrated research sites across the U.S. and Europe, partnering with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and CROs to research new drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and diagnostics. All trials are performed in accordance with ICH and FDA guidelines in compliance with GCP.
• No-Cost Liver Health Scans

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ participants have joined clinical trials at Velocity sites
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pharmaceutical Companies (Pfizer, Moderna, etc.)coreOthersVelocity partners with leading pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical trials for new drugs, vaccines, and medical products. Companies like Pfizer, Moderna, and others serve as Sponsors that fund and oversee clinical development programs.
• Contract Research Organizations (CROs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCROs facilitate clinical trials by developing protocols, managing data, monitoring sites, and supporting regulatory submissions. Velocity serves as the site partner executing trials on behalf of CROs working with pharmaceutical sponsors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Syneos Health: Large contract research organization with clinical site network capabilities and biopharma services. Comparable as a top-tier CRO/SMO competitor bidding on the same Phase 1-4 trial placements that Velocity and its sites execute.
• Velocity Clinical Research: Parent organization and broader clinical trial site network that operates integrated research sites across the US and Europe. Directly comparable as the operator of the Waco site and as the leading integrated multi-site SMO platform in liver, metabolic, and vaccine trials.
• ICON plc: Global CRO with extensive site management and clinical trial services, including post-PRA Health Sciences consolidation. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for MASLD/MASH and metabolic trial site assignments.
• Fortrea (formerly LabCorp Drug Development): Independent CRO with site network and clinical development services following LabCorp spin-off. Comparable as an incumbent that competes for sponsor Phase 1-4 placements across therapeutic areas including liver and metabolic disease.
• Medpace: Mid-to-large CRO with full-service clinical development and dedicated site relationships. Comparable as an incumbent competing for Phase 2-4 metabolic and liver disease trial allocations.
• IQVIA: Largest clinical research services provider with site network, technology platforms, and biotech sponsor relationships. Comparable as a broad incumbent capturing MASLD/MASH and vaccine trial volume that single-site operators like Waco also target.

Direct peers

• Flourish Research: Multi-site clinical research organization focused on Phase 1-4 trials across multiple therapeutic areas including liver and metabolic disease. Comparable as a direct peer SMO operator with similar Phase 1-4 site model.
• Headlands Research: PE-backed integrated clinical trial site network running Phase 1-4 trials across North America. Comparable as a direct peer SMO that competes head-to-head for the same MASLD/MASH and vaccine study placements.
• Alcanza Clinical Research: Multi-therapeutic clinical trial site network running Phase 1-4 studies with community-based recruitment. Comparable as a direct peer SMO targeting similar community-focused recruitment in liver, metabolic, and vaccine indications.

Emerging players

• Care Access: Decentralized and site-based clinical trial operator with mobile research units and community research sites. Comparable as an emerging player using community outreach and decentralized recruitment — overlapping with Velocity's VISION Engage app model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/velocitycr
• Facebookfacebook.com/velocityclinical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impact-research-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/velocityclinical

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Impact Research Institute (now a part of Velocity Clinical Research)