My Big Idea: ClinicalTrials.EU

‍Hi Lukasz! What's your elevator pitch?

ClinicalTrials.EU is a patient-centric platform connecting patients with rare and serious illnesses to clinical trials across Europe and beyond. Acting as a single, authoritative source, it provides reliable, up-to-date information in an easily understandable format, available in the patient’s native language (currently in 7 EU languages). By empowering patients to search for relevant trials, we help researchers identify suitable candidates efficiently, enhancing recruitment and supporting medical progress in rare and critical conditions.

Why does the market need it?

ClinicalTrials.EU addresses critical gaps in clinical trial access and recruitment, meeting the evolving needs of both patients and industry stakeholders in a digital age.

For patients and patient organizations, we live in a world where individuals increasingly turn to digital platforms for health information. However, there’s a lack of patient-oriented resources that make clinical trial information accessible and understandable. Trial information is often fragmented, technical, and challenging for non-specialists. ClinicalTrials.EU fills this void by providing trial data in a patient-friendly format in nine European languages, empowering patients to make informed choices. This commitment to accessibility is central to our name: Clinical Trials EU—or Clinical Trials Easily Understood.

For sponsors, CROs, and research centers, recruitment challenges are intensifying. With a growing number of trials and an increased focus on diversity and inclusivity, the traditional recruitment model falls short of effectively engaging diverse patient populations. Many trials fail to meet recruitment goals, delaying research and limiting inclusivity. ClinicalTrials.EU offers an alternative, parallel recruitment pathway, providing cross-border access to patients eager to participate. Our platform reaches patients beyond national boundaries, ensuring trials are visible to those motivated to engage. By bridging these gaps, ClinicalTrials.EU not only supports recruitment but also advances the broader mission of inclusive, representative medical research.

Where is the business today? 

We’ve reached nearly all of our initial milestones for the first year, successfully building international partnerships with patient organizations, regulatory bodies, and non-commercial research groups, creating a solid foundation for expansion. We have our first paying customers, a key validation of our model, and the platform has already enrolled its first patients in clinical trials, proving our mission to connect patients with life-changing research.

What made you think there was money in this?

Data from McKinsey shows that recruitment timelines for clinical trials have increased by 50% over the past decade. Additionally, 86% of patients are effectively excluded from current recruitment models, often because they’re not reached through traditional channels. These patients are actively seeking health information online, and tapping into this underserved group presents a significant opportunity.

Leveraging my 20 years of experience in building health information platforms, I recognized that by applying advanced data structuring and search insights, we could bridge this gap and create a solution that’s both effective and accessible. ClinicalTrials.eu organizes and delivers clinical trial information in a way that aligns with how patients search for treatments, making it easier for them to find relevant trials and for sponsors to connect with willing participants.

Platforms in the U.S. have shown that this model works, meeting recruitment needs by reaching patients through alternative digital channels. However, Europe has lacked a comparable solution until now. ClinicalTrials.eu is the first platform designed specifically for this region, bridging language, regulatory, and logistical barriers to create a unified recruitment pathway across borders. By filling this critical gap, we’re addressing a clear market need and transforming the way patients and sponsors connect across Europe.

What's your biggest strength?

Our biggest strength lies in our combination of deep industry experience and a patient-centric approach to data. With over 20 years of experience building health information platforms, I’ve developed a specialized understanding of how to structure, organize, and deliver data in a way that aligns with user behavior and search intent, allowing us to reach the 86% of patients currently missed by traditional recruitment channels.

Another key strength is our expertise in search engine optimization. In online searches, only the top three positions capture user attention, and we know how to secure those spots. Europe is a blue ocean for solutions like ClinicalTrials.eu—there’s currently no other platform providing this kind of comprehensive, localized access to clinical trial information across multiple languages. This gives us a significant advantage as the first mover in the region, with the potential to set the standard for clinical trial accessibility in the EU.

What is the secret to making the business work?

The secret to making ClinicalTrials.eu work lies in understanding and connecting with both patients and industry stakeholders. For patients, the challenge is to present complex, often fragmented clinical trial data in an accessible, understandable format. To address this, we focus on search engine optimization and localization, ensuring our information ranks highly and is readily accessible.

For sponsors and CROs, the challenge is creating a recruitment solution that overcomes Europe’s linguistic, regulatory, and logistical barriers. ClinicalTrials.eu addresses this by centralizing and standardizing trial information, simplifying the process for sponsors to connect with diverse patient populations across Europe. Success in this blue ocean strategy requires a spark of innovation, rapid execution of partnership milestones, and, most importantly, the courage and conviction that the product will work. This confidence, paired with innovation and swift action, is essential in securing first-mover advantages.

How do you market the company?

Our marketing strategy is primarily focused on organic growth through SEO and localized content. Since paid clinical trial advertising is restricted across most of Europe, we’ve invested heavily in an advanced SEO strategy to ensure ClinicalTrials.eu ranks highly for searches related to clinical trials, reaching patients who are actively seeking trial options online.

We also prioritize partnerships with patient organizations, medical associations, and local agencies across Europe. These partnerships help us build credibility and drive traffic through trusted networks, enabling us to tap into established patient communities. Additionally, attending industry conferences and events provides valuable opportunities to present our project face-to-face to potential clients, building trust and fostering essential long-term relationships.

What funding do you have? Is it enough?

ClinicalTrials.eu is my second venture, following a successful exit from my first bootstrapped business. With resources from that exit, I’ve been able to fund much of ClinicalTrials.eu’s initial development. Currently, the platform is supported through a combination of private investment and revenue from early partnerships with sponsors and clinical research organizations, allowing us to reach key milestones.

While this funding has been sufficient to get us off the ground, scaling to the next level will require additional investment. Our next phase includes expanding our regional presence, enhancing patient engagement tools, and accelerating partnerships with industry stakeholders. To achieve these goals, we anticipate the need for further funding to maximize our impact in the European market.

Tell us about the business model

Our business model serves both patients and industry stakeholders, creating a sustainable revenue stream while maximizing value for all users. ClinicalTrials.eu operates on a subscription-based model for sponsors, CROs, and clinical research centers. Sponsors pay for visibility and promotion of their trials on the platform, enhancing recruitment reach and helping them connect with a more diverse, motivated patient pool. Clinical sites can subscribe to highlight their facilities and attract local patients seeking trial options.

In addition to subscription revenue, we plan to expand with data-driven solutions, such as recruitment analytics and patient engagement insights, offering sponsors and CROs actionable data to improve recruitment effectiveness. Looking ahead, our model will evolve to include feasibility assessments, submission support, and enhanced recruitment tools to support clinical trials in their startup phase. This evolution enables us to support sponsors comprehensively, with solutions for each phase of trial preparation and execution.

What were you doing before?

Are there any technologies you've found useful?

Before founding ClinicalTrials.eu, I spent 20 years building and managing pharmaceutical information databases and platforms. In 2011, I launched a leading pharmaceutical communication platform in Poland, which quickly became the primary source of industry news, professional tools, and educational resources for pharmacists. Through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, the platform reached a majority of the market, becoming a vital resource and an effective marketing channel for pharmaceutical companies.

Just before exiting this venture, I launched Leki.pl, a platform designed to improve patient access to clear, reliable drug information. The growth strategy for Leki.pl aligns closely with that of ClinicalTrials.eu; however, due to local market differences, this project is currently focused solely on the Polish market. Today, I continue to lead and expand both ClinicalTrials.eu and Leki.pl, aiming to make health information more accessible and user-centered.

What is the future vision?

The future vision for ClinicalTrials.eu is to become the go-to platform for clinical trial information across Europe, making clinical research accessible, understandable, and inclusive. We aim to break down barriers that limit patient participation—such as language, geographical restrictions, and lack of clear information—by creating a patient-centered ecosystem for clinical trials.

Over the next few years, we envision ClinicalTrials.eu evolving into a full-service platform, supporting clinical research from feasibility and recruitment to submission. Our goal is to foster a streamlined, transparent environment connecting patients with relevant trials while giving sponsors access to diverse patient populations.

In the long term, ClinicalTrials.eu will expand beyond Europe, bringing its patient-centered approach to the U.S. and Latin America. By establishing a global standard for accessible clinical trial information, we aim to contribute to faster, inclusive research progress and the development of innovative therapies reaching patients worldwide.

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