AI-Powered Biospecimen Matching

Find the exact specimens
your study needs

AI matches your study protocol against our donor database in seconds — not weeks. Fresh specimens from direct donor relationships, at a fraction of traditional CRO recruitment costs.

Seconds
AI matching speed
$2-8K
Per specimen vs. $30-50K
Fresh
Direct donor specimens
Request Early Access
AI-powered biospecimen matching workstation with data visualizations

Clinical trial recruitment is broken

The biospecimen supply chain was designed for a world without AI. Research organizations pay a premium for inefficiency at every step.

$30-50K
Per patient recruited
through traditional CROs
70%+
Of that cost is
admin and overhead
6+ mo
Average trial delay
due to recruitment
🔍

Manual screening

Research coordinators spend weeks reviewing potential subjects against inclusion/exclusion criteria by hand.

📄

Paper consent

IRB-approved consent forms still require in-person signatures at many institutions. Scheduling alone takes days.

📞

Phone tag scheduling

Coordinators play phone tag with potential donors for weeks. Drop-off rates above 40% before the first draw.

Where traditional recruitment dollars go
Admin & screening
35%
Site coordination
25%
Patient outreach
20%
Consent & compliance
12%
Actual specimen work
8%

The vast majority of traditional recruitment spend goes to coordination, not science. AI replaces the admin layer.

From protocol to specimen in days, not months

Four steps replace the entire CRO recruitment pipeline. Your team uploads criteria, our AI does the rest.

Blood vials in modern laboratory
01
Upload your study protocol
Submit your protocol document or manually enter inclusion/exclusion criteria through our research portal. Supports standard clinical trial formats.
02
AI parses and matches
Our matching engine parses eligibility criteria using NLP and runs them against our enriched donor database. Results in seconds, not weeks.
03
Review ranked matches
Browse matched donors ranked by fit score, availability, and proximity to collection sites. De-identified profiles until you commit to a placement.
04
Place your order
Select your matches and we handle everything downstream — donor scheduling, informed consent, specimen collection, cold chain logistics, and delivery.
Time to match
4-8 weeks
Traditional
< 30 seconds
Helio Research
Cost per specimen
$30-50K
Traditional
$2-8K
Helio Research
Consent management
Paper, in-person
Traditional
Digital, instant
Helio Research

8 specimen types from a single 40mL draw

Each donor visit yields multiple specimen types — each matchable to different studies. One donor, many placements.

🩸
Whole Blood
Genomic studies, CBC panels
🧪
Serum
Antibody testing, biomarkers
💧
Plasma
Proteomics, coagulation
🔴
PBMCs
Immunology, cell therapy
🟠
Buffy Coat
Leukocyte isolation
🧬
DNA Extract
Genotyping, GWAS
🧬
RNA Extract
Gene expression, transcriptomics
Cryo Reserve
Future studies, longitudinal
Multiple studies, one visit. Traditional procurement sources one specimen type per engagement. Helio maximizes every donor interaction — reducing cost per specimen and increasing availability across study types.

Richly profiled, de-identified donors

Every donor in our database is a living, searchable profile — not a frozen vial in a warehouse. Here's what a matched donor record looks like.

👤
Donor HL-00847
Profile created: Jan 2026 · Last draw: Mar 2026
ACTIVE GOLD TIER
Demographics
Age / Sex
47 / Female
Ethnicity
Hispanic / Latina
BMI
26.3
Blood Type
O+
Smoking Status
Never
Metro Area
Philadelphia, PA
Medical History
Primary Diagnosis
Breast Cancer (Stage II)
Diagnosis Date
Sep 2024
Treatment Status
Post-chemo, in remission
Treatment History
Doxorubicin + Cyclophosphamide (4 cycles)
Comorbidities
Type 2 Diabetes (controlled) Hypertension
Current Medications
Tamoxifen 20mg Metformin 1000mg Lisinopril 10mg
Family History
Mother: Breast cancer (age 52), Type 2 Diabetes
Father: Coronary artery disease (age 61)
Sister: No significant history
Maternal GM: Ovarian cancer (age 68)
Recent Biomarkers (from last draw, Mar 2026)
HbA1c
6.8%
WBC
5.2K
CRP
1.4 mg/L
CA 15-3
22 U/mL
Hemoglobin
12.8 g/dL
Platelets
210K
Cholesterol
198 mg/dL
Glucose
138 mg/dL
Available Specimens
✓ Whole Blood ✓ Serum ✓ Plasma ✓ PBMCs ✓ DNA ✓ RNA
Donation History
Total Draws
4
First Draw
Jan 15, 2026
Last Draw
Mar 22, 2026
Reliability Score
98%
Consent Status
Active · IRB-compatible
Next Available
Apr 19, 2026
Matched to your study criteria: Post-chemo breast cancer, female, 40-55, HbA1c > 6.5%, non-smoker
Fit Score
96%
No PII. Ever. Donor identities are never shared with researchers. Names, addresses, SSNs, and contact information are stripped. You see the science — demographics, medical history, biomarkers, availability. We handle the logistics.

What arrives at your lab

Every specimen ships with full documentation — Certificate of Analysis, chain of custody, and the complete de-identified donor profile.

Helio Research
Certificate of Analysis
Specimen Delivery Report
Specimen ID HSP-2026-04-0847
Helio Donor ID HL-00847
Study Reference [Your study ID]
Order Date April 3, 2026
Collection Date April 5, 2026
Delivery Date April 7, 2026
Specimen Details
Type PBMCs
Source Venipuncture, whole blood
Anticoagulant Sodium Heparin
Volume Collected 40 mL
Processing Method Ficoll-Paque density gradient
Time to Processing 2.4 hours
Quality Metrics
Cell Count 8.2 × 10⁷ viable cells
Viability 96.2% (Trypan Blue)
Hemolysis Index < 50 mg/dL (acceptable)
Endotoxin < 0.5 EU/mL
Storage & Shipping
Cryoprotectant 10% DMSO in autologous plasma
Freezing Controlled-rate to −80°C, LN₂ vapor
Shipping Dry shipper, validated 72+ hours
Temp Monitor Enclosed — continuous logging
Carrier FedEx Custom Critical
Chain of Custody
Draw Site → Processing Lab
2.4 hrs (18–22°C)
Processing → Cryopreservation
1.1 hrs
Cryopreservation → Shipment
18 hrs
Total Custody Time
21.5 hrs
Processed at: CLIA-certified partner facility
CLIA #: On file — provided with specimen delivery
Prepared by: Helio Specimen Operations
Every specimen ships with a Certificate of Analysis, chain of custody documentation, and the complete de-identified donor profile. PBMCs include viability count and cell number. All specimens include processing timestamps and temperature monitoring data.

Specimen types & technical specs

Every specimen type we collect, with processing protocols and QC standards.

Specimen Tube Type Processing Storage Min Volume QC Included
Whole Blood EDTA, Heparin, Citrate, SST None (shipped same-day) 2–8°C 5 mL Hemolysis index
Serum SST (gold top) Clot 30 min, centrifuge 1500g × 10 min −20°C or −80°C 2 mL Hemolysis, lipemia
Plasma EDTA or Heparin Centrifuge 1500g × 15 min −20°C or −80°C 2 mL Hemolysis
PBMCs Sodium Heparin Ficoll-Paque gradient, <4 hrs from draw LN₂ vapor phase 40 mL whole blood Viability >90%, cell count
Buffy Coat EDTA Centrifuge, buffy layer extraction −80°C 10 mL whole blood Cell count
DNA EDTA Column extraction or automated −20°C 5 mL whole blood Concentration, A260/280
RNA PAXgene or Tempus Stabilized at collection −80°C 2.5 mL RIN score

Transparent pricing, no procurement maze

Structured tiers for every stage of research — from feasibility assessment to ongoing longitudinal access.

Feasibility Search
$500–2,000
per query
Assess your study's viability against our current donor pool before committing. Receive match counts, demographic breakdowns, and projected timelines for specimen delivery.
Database Subscription
$5K–25K
per month
Ongoing portal access for organizations with recurring specimen needs. Run unlimited searches, track donor availability, and place orders on demand with priority fulfillment.
Longitudinal Cohort
Custom
negotiated pricing
Recurring access to the same donor groups over time for longitudinal studies. Dedicated cohort management, scheduled collections, and retention guarantees.
Early Access Program

First 5 placements at 50% off

We're onboarding research partners now. Early access includes direct access to our specimen operations team and priority matching.

Accepting 5 new research accounts this quarter to ensure fulfillment quality.

Built differently from the ground up

We are not aggregating from existing biobanks or running trials. We build and maintain direct donor relationships, powered by AI operations.

Specimen packaging and cold chain shipping
🤝
Direct donor relationships
We recruit, profile, and maintain our own donor database — not aggregating from biobanks like iSpecimen. This means fresher specimens, faster turnaround, and lower cost basis.
AI-powered matching
Upload a study protocol and get ranked donor matches in seconds. NLP parses complex inclusion/exclusion criteria automatically. No manual screening, no weeks of waiting.
🌡
Fresh specimens with full provenance
Every specimen comes with complete chain of custody documentation. Collected to your specifications from donors matched in real-time — not pulled from years-old biobank inventory.
📈
Growing, enriched donor database
Our donor profiles get richer over time with genetic markers, health history, and longitudinal data. The database compounds in value — more donors, more data, better matches.
📝
Digital consent management
IRB-compatible informed consent framework with e-signatures, version tracking, and audit trails. No paper forms, no in-person requirements, no scheduling delays.

Enterprise-grade data protection

Research data demands the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance. We built for this from day one.

HIPAA-compliant data handling and consent management across all donor interactions and specimen workflows.
IRB-compatible informed consent framework with e-signatures, version control, and complete audit history.
AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit for all donor data, research queries, and specimen records.
De-identified search results. PII is only shared after a matched placement is confirmed and consent is verified.
Role-based access control with principle of least privilege. All administrative actions logged and auditable.
BAA available for covered entities. Business Associate Agreements executed prior to any PHI exchange.
Full audit trail for all data access, search queries, placement activity, and specimen chain of custody.
GDPR-ready for international research partners. Data residency controls and right-to-erasure compliance.

For IRB Submissions

Complete vendor documentation package — informed consent template, data security whitepaper, BAA summary, adverse event protocol, and specimen disposition policy.

Download IRB Package

Who we are

The team and the company behind Helio.

👤

Steven Ellis, Founder

DTC growth strategist turned biotech operator. Previously led $100M+ in Meta ad spend for ecommerce brands. Now applying direct-to-consumer acquisition to the biospecimen supply chain.

🏛

Helio

Helio is a Philadelphia-based biospecimen marketplace. We own the donor relationship, partner with CLIA-certified labs for processing, and deliver matched specimens directly to research teams.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Schedule a call: reply to any email or request a callback in the form below.
Request Access
We're onboarding our first cohort of research partners. Pilot accounts get early access pricing, direct ops team access, and priority matching from our growing donor network.

Thank you for your interest

Our team will review your application and contact you within 24 hours to discuss your research needs and schedule a platform walkthrough.