About Wellcome Leap
Wellcome Leap is an advanced-projects non-profit ('a global ARPA for health') that builds bold, unconventional programs and funds them at scale to deliver breakthrough advances in human health on accelerated (5–10 year) timelines.
Focus Areas
global healthbiomedical researchwomen's healthmaternal and infant healthvaccines and RNA biologicsneuroscienceaddictiontissue engineering and organ replacementhealth systems / surgical training
Who They Fund
patients with life‑threatening conditions (end‑users of treatments)biomedical researchers and early‑stage biotech teamspreclinical translational research projects
About Wellcome Leap
Wellcome Leap Inc backs advanced health programs built to move from research to real-world impact on accelerated 5-10 year timelines. Its recent grants show that approach clearly: large, project-specific awards support university labs, hospitals, and technical teams working on programs such as MCPSYCH, SAVE, R3, DELTA TISSUE, and IN UTERO. The foundation funds across biomedical research and translational development, with grants reaching institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The 2025 grant list includes repeated support for major research centers and specialized collaborators rather than broad operating support. Cornell University received $3,428,758 for MCPSYCH, while McLean Hospital received $2,439,181 for the same program. Other large awards went to University of California Los Angeles, Stanford University, Vanderbilt University, Mount Sinai, and University of Edinburgh. That mix suggests a funder working through multi-institution programs that combine clinical, technical, and translational expertise. The named programs also show a wide scientific range. Grants support tissue engineering and organ replacement through DELTA TISSUE, health systems and surgical training through SAVE, RNA and vaccine-related work through R3, and maternal and infant health through IN UTERO.
What Wellcome Leap Funds
Several cause areas stand out in the recent grants. In neuroscience and mental health, Wellcome Leap Inc awarded $3,428,758 to Cornell University for MCPSYCH, along with $2,439,181 to McLean Hospital and $2,123,429 to University of California Los Angeles for the same program. That pattern points to a coordinated, multi-site effort. For tissue engineering and organ replacement, the foundation gave $2,002,033 to Wellcome Sanger Institute, $1,479,032 to King's College London, and $1,347,014 to University of Cambridge, all for DELTA TISSUE. The same program also appears in transition support through University of Cape Town’s $1,447,647 award. Health systems and surgical training appear through SAVE, including $1,948,827 to Procedural Learning and Safety, $1,795,268 to Stanford University, and $1,122,847 to University of Edinburgh. Maternal and infant health also shows up in IN UTERO awards to Makerere University Hospital and University of New South Wales.
How Wellcome Leap Gives
Typical grants are large and program-specific: p25 is $149,026, median grant size is $491,623, and p75 is $987,457. The 2025 list includes multiple awards above $1 million, showing a distribution that reaches well beyond the median. Grantmaking appears to recur across years and across linked program phases, since several projects appear both as direct awards and as transition grants, such as R3 and DELTA TISSUE. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its work is organized around project-focused research support rather than open-ended operating grants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$71M
Total Assets
$252.2M
Total Revenue
$800K
Total Expenses
$155.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $149K and $987K, with a median of $492K.
25th Percentile
$149K
Median
$492K
75th Percentile
$987K
Geographic Reach
National18 states funded
About 24% of grants go to recipients in KS.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Wellcome Leap Funds
Top 10 recipient countries by grant volume for Wellcome Leap.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 76 | $52.5M | 37.4% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 54 | $55.1M |
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