Why we started Alethios

The ability to both conduct and participate in research is full of high barriers—cost, accessibility, even bias—which means that most research and the best research tools go to those able to write the largest checks. When I had long COVID, I became deeply interested in evidence generation, particularly in areas of human health where traditional research was lacking. Much of my care—off-label medications, acupuncture, a supplement regimen—fell outside the bounds of conventional clinical trials. There were plenty of people eager to help, but the real challenge was the lack of evidence, simply because generating that evidence was too expensive. That was the crucible in which Alethios was formed in 2023.

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We started Alethios with a mission to lower those barriers, and that has taken form in a few key ways:

• We see research as a two-sided marketplace, where both researchers and participants matter. Science shouldn’t be confined to clinical trial sites—it can be accessible, engaging, even enjoyable. Imagine people participating in research not out of obligation, but because they’re genuinely interested in contributing to a study that aligns with their own curiosity and experiences.
• We wanted to move away from research being a zero-sum game for researchers. Right now, many can’t afford to test an idea unless they secure massive funding. We believe in making research more incremental—starting with a pilot study, scaling up to a robust observational study, and ultimately leading to randomized controlled trials—all without breaking the bank.
• We reject the idea of charging “what the market will bear” for research. Instead, we’re focused on making human health research faster, better, and more affordable for all researchers, with an initial focus on the consumer health industry.
• We believe in the promise of entirely virtual research, and the rich, meaningful data that can be collected with decentralized models. Not all research is suited to this—there will always be studies that require an in-person aspect of a trial—but where it is well suited, we believe in enabling faster recruitment, a more diverse representation of participants, and ease and access of participation for our Alethios community.

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At Alethios, we believe evidence generation shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a tool accessible to everyone working to improve human health. That’s why we’re here.