Novo Nordisk Foundation

Novo Nordisk Foundation
Founded1989 (1989) in Denmark
TypeFund
HeadquartersHellerup, Denmark
FieldsLife-sciences, natural sciences, social sciences
EndowmentDKK 1,114 billion (US$167 billion) in 2022
Websitenovonordiskfonden.dk/en

The Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) is an international enterprise foundation focusing on medical treatment and research.

In 2023, the foundation had a net worth of DKK 1,114 billion (US$167 billion), making it the wealthiest charitable foundation in the world. NNF owns Novo Holdings A/S, a holding company that is the majority voting shareholder of Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical corporation.

From 2016 to 2022, the foundation distributed more than US$4.5 billion in grants for research, innovation, treatment, education, humanitarian and social purposes. In 2023, the Novo Nordisk Foundation awarded grants worth 9.1 billion DKK (approx. $1.33 billion) and paid out 5.8 billion DKK (approx. $0.84 billion).

While the main focus lies within biomedicine and biotechnology research, NNF also awards grants for research in general practice and family medicine, nursing and art history.