Comprehend
AcquiredYC W11San Francisco, US · Founded 2010 · Delaware corporation · 51 employees · 7 known investors
Comprehend develops software for clinical trial operations teams to consolidate and analyze trial data from multiple sources in real-time, helping them move treatments through clinical testing more efficiently and safely. The platform serves clinical research organizations, data teams, and medical reviewers with tools for monitoring, risk assessment, and case review.
Also known as Comprehend Systems · Comprehend Systems, Inc.
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W11)
Comprehend was founded in 2010 by Rick Morrison, Paul Judson Gardner, and Richard V Morrison, Jr..
Board
Investors · 7
Also in the syndicate · 1
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$55.7M disclosed across 3 of 5 rounds · 2010–2019
▶$5MraisedMar 2019 · 5 investors · ComputersRule 506(b)
- Richard V Morrison, Jr.Executive Officer, Director
- Kristopher KokaDirector
- Terence CunninghamExecutive Officer, Director
- Mike DixonDirector
- Paul Judson GardnerExecutive Officer, Director
- Peter NiehDirector
- Offering amount
- $6M
- Amount sold
- $5M
- First sale
- Feb 2019
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$29.7MraisedOct 2018 · 15 investors · ComputersRule 506(b)
- Mike DixonDirector
- Kristopher KokaDirector
- Peter NiehDirector
- Terence CunninghamExecutive Officer, Director
- Todd Rulon MillerDirector
- Paul Judson GardnerExecutive Officer, Director
- Richard V Morrison, Jr.Executive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $29.7M
- Amount sold
- $29.7M
- First sale
- Jan 2017
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$21MraisedDec 2014 · 21 investors · ComputersRule 506(b)
- Paul GardnerExecutive Officer
- Warren HogarthExecutive Officer, Director
- Richard V MorrisonExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $21M
- Amount sold
- $21M
- First sale
- Aug 2014
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2010
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Comprehend (legally Comprehend Systems, Inc.) developed cloud-based business intelligence and analytics software for clinical development. Its platform unified clinical trial data from multiple disparate source systems in real time and made it accessible to stakeholders across an organization, from executives to clinical operations, data management, medical review and clinical monitoring teams. The product line included Comprehend Clinical, which allowed data managers, monitors and clinical operations executives to identify operational and clinical trends across trials and drill into factors such as safety issues, regulatory requirements, and opportunities for time and cost savings [4][5].
The company positioned its software as a way to integrate the data silos that traditionally slowed clinical development, supporting risk-based monitoring, centralized monitoring, adaptive trials, medical data review, and performance and execution metrics. Stated aims were more effective trials, greater collaboration and auditability, and reduced research timelines and study costs for drug and device companies of varying sizes [4][5]. Customers cited by the company at the time of its 2014 Series B included Boston Scientific, Karyopharm Therapeutics, MERGE, Atlantic Research Group and Versartis [4].
Founding story
Comprehend Systems was founded in 2010 in Palo Alto, California, by a team of entrepreneurs described as having combined experience in clinical research and software development [4]. One aggregator profile names Rick Morrison as founder and CEO and states the company took part in the Y Combinator Winter 2011 batch [5]; Rick Morrison is identified as CEO in 2014 company communications [4].
Business model
Software-as-a-service: Comprehend sold a cloud-based clinical intelligence platform to life sciences organizations, with the stated advantage of avoiding costly data warehouses and extensive professional services engagements [4][5].
Traction
The company reported growing its customer base by more than 100 percent in the year preceding its August 2014 Series B, adding Boston Scientific, Karyopharm, MERGE, Atlantic Research Group and Versartis, and said it expected to increase staff by 80 percent [4]. An aggregator profile states the workforce reached 51 employees prior to the acquisition [5].
Latest developments
An aggregator profile reports that Comprehend was acquired by Saama Technologies in August 2019 and lists the company's status as inactive as a standalone entity [5].
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Positioned as a clinical analytics and risk-based monitoring vendor for life sciences; following the acquisition it became part of Saama Technologies' AI-oriented clinical analytics platform [5].
Cited differentiators include integrating data from multiple disparate clinical systems without degrading source system performance, providing an auditable single source of truth to reduce compliance risk, real-time cloud access that reduces the need for data warehouses and professional services, and automation of data unification and analysis to shorten time to results [5].
Technology
A cloud-based SaaS platform that integrated and unified data from multiple disparate clinical systems in real time, reportedly without degrading source-system performance, to create a single auditable source of truth. It layered automated insights, analytics, risk monitoring and reporting on top of the unified data set for clinical operations, data management, monitoring and medical review workflows [4][5].
Go-to-market
Direct enterprise sales to life sciences sponsors and CROs; after its 2014 Series B the company said it would invest in product R&D, sales and marketing, support services, and expansion of product development and customer solutions teams [4].
Pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies and clinical research organizations (CROs), with users spanning C-level executives, clinical operations, data management, clinical monitors and medical reviewers [4][5].
Geography
Founded in Palo Alto, California, and headquartered in Redwood City, California, from 2013 onward [4][5]; internal records list San Francisco, US.
History
Founded in 2010 in Palo Alto [4], the company relocated its headquarters to Redwood City, California, in 2013 to accommodate a growing team [4]. It raised a $21 million Series B in August 2014 led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with participation from existing investor Sequoia Capital, at which point Lightspeed partner Peter Nieh joined the board [4]. An aggregator profile additionally reports earlier financings of a $1.2 million seed round and an $8.4 million Series A, and backing from Eminence Capital, and states the company was acquired by Saama Technologies in August 2019 [5].
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsAn aggregator profile states Comprehend was acquired by Saama Technologies in August 2019, with its clinical analytics capabilities folded into Saama's AI-powered platform.
Comprehend announced $21 million in Series B financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with support from existing investor Sequoia Capital; Lightspeed partner Peter Nieh joined the board of directors. Proceeds were earmarked for product development and customer solutions teams.
$21M source ↗
Comprehend relocated its headquarters to Redwood City, California, to accommodate a growing team.
An aggregator profile states the company took part in the Y Combinator Winter 2011 accelerator batch.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- COMPREHEND Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webstermerriam-webster.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Comprehend do?
- Cloud-based clinical trial analytics provider, founded 2010, acquired by Saama Technologies in 2019.
- Who founded Comprehend?
- Comprehend was founded by Rick Morrison, Paul Judson Gardner, Richard V Morrison, Jr. in 2010.
- Who are Comprehend's investors?
- Comprehend's investors include Easton Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Y Combinator, Crosslink Capital, Sequoia Capital, SV Angel.
- How much funding has Comprehend raised?
- Comprehend has disclosed $55.7M raised across 3 of its 5 known rounds.
- Where is Comprehend headquartered?
- Comprehend is headquartered in San Francisco, US.