Why is Helio cheaper than CROs for biospecimen procurement?

Traditional CROs carry heavy overhead: physical recruitment sites, large staffs, and infrastructure built for clinical trials. Helio operates an AI-matched donor network that eliminates most of this overhead. We pass those savings directly to researchers — no CRO markup, no unnecessary middlemen.

Transparent Pricing

Transparent Biospecimen Pricing

No hidden fees. No procurement markups. Know exactly what you'll pay — before you commit to anything.

Industry first: We publish our prices. Traditional CROs and most biobanks won't. We believe researchers deserve to budget accurately.

Get a Custom Quote

Specimen Pricing

Pricing by Specimen Type

Prices per specimen. All collections are fresh drawn-to-order — never from frozen inventory.

Specimen Type	Price Range	Turnaround	Primary Applications
Whole Blood	$300–500	Same day	Genomics, CBC, HbA1c	Details →
Plasma	$250–400	1–2 hours	Proteomics, cfDNA, cytokines	Details →
Serum	$200–350	1–2 hours	Serology, metabolomics, antibody titers	Details →
PBMCs	$400–600	2–4 hours	Immunology, scRNA-seq, CAR-T, ELISPOT	Details →
Buffy Coat	$300–450	30–60 min	Genomic DNA, GWAS, granulocyte studies	Details →
Leukopak	$800–1,200	3–5 hours	Cell therapy, high-yield PBMC, NK cells	Details →
Tissue	$500–1,000	1–2 weeks	Histology, IHC, spatial transcriptomics	Details →
Matched Sets	$1,000–2,500	2–4 days	Longitudinal studies, multi-analyte panels	Details →

Price varies by health profile, volume, and study requirements. Condition-specific donors may carry a premium. Shipping quoted separately.

No Hidden Fees

What's Included in Every Order

The specimen price covers end-to-end procurement. No line-item surprises, no add-on charges for standard services.

Donor recruitment & AI matching

Health screening & consent

Phlebotomy at CLIA-certified site

Processing to your specifications

Quality control & viability testing

HIPAA-compliant documentation

Chain of custody records

IRB package documentation

How We Compare

Helio vs. Traditional Options

The same specimen. Dramatically different cost, speed, and quality. Here's why researchers are switching.

	☀️ Helio Research	Traditional CRO	Biobank
Cost per specimen	$200–2,500	$30,000–50,000	$300–5,000
Turnaround	48 hrs – 2 weeks	6–12 weeks	1–4 weeks
Specimen freshness	Drawn to order	Varies	Often frozen
Condition matching	AI-powered	Manual	Limited inventory
Minimum order	1 specimen	Usually 50+	Varies
IRB documentation	Included	Often extra	Partial
Setup fees	None	Yes	Sometimes

Volume Pricing

Volume Discounts & Recurring Studies

Running a larger study or multi-cohort trial? We offer preferred pricing for volume and recurring research programs.

Volume Orders

Orders of 10 or more specimens qualify for custom volume pricing. We work with your budget and timeline to build a procurement plan that keeps costs predictable across your study.

10+ specimens — contact for pricing

Recurring Studies

Longitudinal studies, biomarker surveillance programs, and ongoing lab protocols receive priority scheduling and dedicated account support. The more consistent your demand, the better we can optimize your cost per sample.

Priority scheduling for repeat orders

FAQ

Pricing Questions

Why is Helio cheaper than CROs?

Traditional CROs carry heavy overhead: physical recruitment sites, large administrative staffs, and infrastructure built for clinical trials rather than research procurement. Helio operates an AI-matched donor network that eliminates most of this overhead. We pass those savings directly to researchers — no CRO markup, no unnecessary middlemen.

Are there setup fees?

No. There are no setup fees, protocol review fees, or minimum spend requirements. You pay per specimen only. IRB documentation, donor screening, and quality control documentation are all included at no additional charge.

Do prices include shipping?

Shipping is quoted separately based on destination, specimen type, and cold chain requirements. We use insured cold chain logistics with temperature monitoring — exact shipping costs are included in your quote before any commitment is required. There are no surprise freight charges after the fact.

Can I get a custom quote?

Yes. Complex protocols, condition-specific requirements, high volumes, or recurring study needs all qualify for custom pricing. Submit your protocol through our request form and we'll respond within one business day with a detailed, itemized quote.