What Swiss TPH does

Swiss TPH (Schweizerisches Tropen- und Public Health-Institut) is a Basel-based, non-profit research and education institute founded in 1943 and associated with the University of Basel. It focuses on infectious diseases (notably malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and schistosomiasis), non-communicable diseases, climate-driven health risks, and health systems strengthening, primarily serving governments of low and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization, and international academic and research institutions. Its core offerings span four pillars: clinical trials and diagnostic services, a Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine, consultancy and project implementation, and a tiered education portfolio (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, and postgraduate programs including an MBA in International Health Management). The institute also operates Library and Documentation Services and runs a Scholarship Fund to support the next generation of global health professionals.

The institute's business model is grant-driven and mission-aligned rather than commercial: 75% of annual funding is competitively acquired from bodies such as the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the European Research Council (ERC), with the balance largely sourced from donations channeled through the R. Geigy Foundation, supplemented by education program fees (delivered jointly with the University of Basel) and fee-for-service revenue from the Diagnostic Centre and travel medicine clinic. Go-to-market is sales-led and partnership-driven: Swiss TPH pursues direct research collaborations with ministries of health, multilateral organizations, and academic partners, and delivers on-the-ground implementation through 20 offices and a network of 400+ projects across approximately 120 countries. Its technology base combines state-of-the-art clinical trial facilities, a diagnostic centre (microscopy, molecular diagnostics, serology), and a 2025-launched AI-powered clinical support chatbot for midwives in low-resource settings; the AI product is the only disclosed AI capability and is being built with partners rather than as an in-house model platform.

Name

Swiss TPH

Legal name

Schweizerisches Tropen- und Public Health-Institut (Swiss TPH)

Website

https://swisstph.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Swiss TPH is a Basel-based non-profit research and education institute advancing global health through clinical trials, diagnostics, travel medicine, consultancy, and degree programs, serving governments, WHO, and academic institutions in low- and middle-income countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: 75% of annual funding acquired competitively through Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), European Research Council, and other prestigious research grants
2. Donations: Donations channelled through the R. Geigy Foundation, a non-profit foundation established to support Swiss TPH activities
3. Educational Programs: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, and Postgraduate programmes including MBA International Health Management and DAS Health Care and Management
4. Consultancy Services: Project implementation and consultancy services for health interventions

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Swiss TPH is a non-profit research and education institute that conducts clinical trials, epidemiological research, and health systems strengthening across infectious and non-communicable diseases. It sells consultancy and project implementation services, diagnostic and travel medicine services, and a portfolio of degree programmes (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, Postgraduate) in partnership with the University of Basel.

Product overview

Swiss TPH is a research and education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of global health services, education programmes, and research capabilities. The institution operates as a multi-faceted organization spanning research, education, clinical services, and consultancy. Core offerings include Clinical Trials, Consultancy and Project Implementation, a Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine, and a Diagnostic Centre. Education services encompass Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate programmes along with Postgraduate and Continuous Education offerings including professional certificates and the MBA International Health Management. The institution also operates Library and Documentation Services supporting its research activities. Recent AI development includes an AI-powered clinical support chatbot for maternal and newborn care in Zanzibar. Swiss TPH works on over 400 projects in approximately 120 countries with 950 staff and students, producing 500 peer-reviewed publications annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Trials Comprehensive clinical research services for testing vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, including the management of trials in low and middle-income countries. Used by pharmaceutical partners, consortia such as the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, and public health organizations.
• Consultancy and Project Implementation Advisory and implementation services for health projects, health systems strengthening, and disease control programme management delivered to governments, NGOs, and international health organizations.
• Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine Specialized travel medicine services for individual travellers, including pre-travel consultations, vaccinations, and health advice for tropical and travel-related health risks.
• Diagnostic Centre Comprehensive diagnostic services for tropical and other diseases, including microscopy, molecular diagnostics, and serology, serving both referred patients and research projects.
• Bachelor's Programmes Undergraduate degree programmes in global health and related fields, offered in association with the University of Basel.
• Master's Programmes Graduate degree programmes including MSc in Infection Biology, MPH, and other specialized master's degrees in global and public health, offered in association with the University of Basel.
• Doctorate PhD and doctoral programmes in tropical medicine, epidemiology, and global health research, delivered in association with the University of Basel.
• Postgraduate Programmes and Continuous Education (incl. MBA International Health Management and DAS Health Care and Management) Advanced professional development programmes for mid-career health professionals, including the MBA International Health Management, DAS Health Care and Management, and various certificate programmes, delivered in association with the University of Basel.
• Library and Documentation Services Scientific library with approximately 600 borrowable books, 10,000 additional books in closed stacks, and electronic resources, supporting researchers and students.
• AI-Powered Clinical Support Tool for Midwives AI chatbot that delivers real-time, evidence-based clinical decision support for maternal and newborn care to midwives in low-resource settings, with text-based autonomous guidance capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 peer-reviewed publications per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss TPH is associated with the University of Basel, collaborating on education programmes including Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, and Postgraduate programmes. This partnership enables joint academic credentials and research collaboration.
• Ifakara Health Institute, TanzaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA flagship 70-year partnership with the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, one of the most renowned health research centres in Africa. This long-standing collaboration has produced significant advances in malaria research and other health interventions.
• Terre des hommesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on water and sanitation projects, including deployment of Gravit'eau mobile hand-washing stations in crisis areas.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with WHO on global health policy, disease elimination initiatives including Chagas disease, tuberculosis guidance, and air quality standards.
• Pediatric Praziquantel ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss TPH managed clinical trials and co-leads the rollout in endemic countries for the new pediatric treatment for schistosomiasis.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• PATH: Global health non-profit working on vaccines, diagnostics, and health systems across LMICs; an adjacent peer with comparable LMIC project execution and consultancy services, but with a broader development mandate.
• Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative: Non-profit R&D organization developing treatments for neglected diseases; comparable to Swiss TPH's pediatric praziquantel and clinical trial work, though focused specifically on drug development rather than broader public health.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The dominant global public health agency; a much larger incumbent that shares mission on infectious disease surveillance, diagnostics, and global health capacity building, but operates as a government body rather than a non-profit institute.
• World Health Organization: The primary multilateral counterpart Swiss TPH collaborates with on Chagas, TB, and air-quality guidance; broader in scope and policy authority, but an important reference point for Swiss TPH's positioning.

Direct peers

• Institut Pasteur: French non-profit research foundation with a global network of institutes focused on infectious disease, epidemiology, and public health, with overlapping capabilities in clinical research and diagnostics.
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine: Closest direct peer: a UK-based research and postgraduate teaching institution in tropical and public health with similar mission, comparable headcount, and overlapping focus on infectious disease, epidemiology, and LMIC health systems.
• Institut de Recherche pour le Développement: French public research institution conducting interdisciplinary research on global health, infectious disease, and development, with strong LMIC field presence analogous to Swiss TPH's.
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: Direct peer in tropical medicine research, teaching, and consultancy with comparable clinical trials, diagnostics, and travel medicine capabilities, including LSTM's well-known travel health clinics.
• Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine: Germany's leading tropical and travel medicine institute; comparable in combining research, clinical trials, diagnostic laboratory services, and travel medicine consultations.

Regional players

• Karolinska Institutet: Swedish medical university with comparable global health research, infectious disease, and educational offerings; comparable academically and in research output, though broader in clinical medicine scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL40F2B69642B00FC6
• Facebookfacebook.com/SwissTPH
• Instagraminstagram.com/swisstph
• Xx.com/swisstph
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-tropical-and-public-health-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swiss TPH