Altarum Institute traces one of its deepest historical "roots" to 1946, with a group of engineering professors at the University of Michigan. The determination of these early pioneers to apply new scientific and technical advances to the needs of society continues today. While the technical focus of the Institute has evolved, the heart of its mission has remained unchanged.

Merging with similarly minded technical organizations through the years, Altarum has built a focused and highly regarded capacity to synthesize data-driven research and client-centered consulting to understand and solve the systemic challenges that shape human health and health care. As this timeline reveals, the organization's earliest involvement in health dates back to the 1970s. Health and health care became the Institute's sole focus in 2006.