AVAR

What AVAR does

AVAR (Association of Anti-Virus Asia Researchers) is an independent non-profit professional association founded in June 1998, focused on preventing the spread of malware by developing cooperative relationships among anti-malware experts in the Asia Pacific region. Headquartered in Singapore at 111 Somerset Road but legally governed under the laws of the Republic of India, the organization consists of prominent experts drawn from 17 territories including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, and the USA. Its core function is convening and knowledge-sharing rather than producing commercial software: AVAR operates a flagship annual international cyber security conference that has rotated across Asia Pacific locations since 1999, complemented by regional conclaves, a Knowledge Series webinar program (e.g., the April 2026 'AI Detection & Response' CISO session), and the Cyber Catalyst Workshop. The association is led by Chairman Seiji Murakami (also President of JCSR), President Allan Dyer (Chief Consultant at Yui Kee Computing), and Vice President David Banes (formerly of MessageLabs Asia Pacific and Symantec Security Response).

AVAR does not sell products or technology platforms. Its revenue mechanics are entirely membership- and event-driven: individual memberships at USD 300 per annum, tiered corporate memberships (Category A: USD 3,500/year for companies above USD 100M revenue; Category B: USD 1,600/year for USD 10-100M; Category C: USD 1,000/year for under USD 10M), each corporate seat covering up to five persons, plus conference registration fees (historical examples include JPY 35,000 general admission and AU$660-880 depending on member status). Corporate membership requires recommendation and board approval, creating a closed, peer-vetted community. The corporate member roster includes more than 25 cybersecurity vendors and testing organizations — Acronis, antiy labs, Anxinsec, Appesteem, AV-Comparatives, AV-TEST, eScan, ESET, G Data, Gen Digital, K7 Computing, Positive Technologies, Quick Heal, Reason Labs, SE Labs, SecureIQlab, SKD Labs, ThreatBook, and the Cyber Threat Alliance — spanning anti-malware vendors, independent testing labs, and threat intelligence alliances.

Go-to-market is event-driven: AVAR reaches its audience primarily through its annual conference, regional conclaves (e.g., AVAR Cyber Conclave India), Knowledge Series webinars, the aavar.org website, and email newsletters. Distribution is direct via online event registration and corporate membership enrollment. The association maintains a strategic partnership with the Cyber Threat Alliance for threat intelligence coordination and has no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing. AVAR 2026 is scheduled for December 2-4, 2026, confirming continued operating activity.

Name

AVAR

Legal name

Association of Anti-Virus Asia Researchers

Website

https://aavar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVAR is an independent non-profit association founded in 1998 that convenes anti-malware researchers, vendors, and government officials across 17 Asia Pacific territories through annual conferences, webinars, and a corporate membership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAKAHAH

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory & Assessments

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics Services

Keywords

• Anti-malware research association
• Cybersecurity conferences
• Threat intelligence community
• Professional membership association
• Cybersecurity knowledge sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership: Annual individual membership fee of USD 300 per annum, providing access to AVAR resources, events, and networking opportunities for anti-malware professionals.
2. Corporate Membership: Tiered corporate membership based on company revenue: Category A (>$100M USD) at $3,500/year, Category B ($10-100M USD) at $1,600/year, Category C (<$10M USD) at $1,000/year. Each corporate membership covers up to 5 persons.
3. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from conference registration fees. Past events charged varying fees depending on membership status and early registration deadlines (e.g., AVAR2000: General 35,000 JPY, AVAR member 20,000 JPY; AVAR2003: Early Bird AU$660-770 for members, AU$770-880 for non-members).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AVAR is an independent, non-profit professional association that facilitates cooperation and knowledge sharing among anti-malware researchers across the Asia Pacific region. Its core offerings are annual international conferences, regional conclaves, a Knowledge Series of cybersecurity webinars, and workshops such as the Cyber Catalyst Workshop, delivered through individual and corporate membership programs.

Product overview

AVAR (Association of Anti-Virus Asia Researchers) is a non-profit professional organization, not a product company. It does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms. Instead, AVAR provides member-focused services including annual international conferences, webinars (Knowledge Series), regional conclaves, and workshops. These services facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among cybersecurity professionals across the Asia-Pacific region. The organization operates on membership fees (Individual: USD 300/annum; Corporate: USD 1,000-$3,500/annum based on revenue) and is funded by corporate sponsors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AVAR International Conference Annual international cyber security conference held in various Asia-Pacific locations, bringing together anti-malware experts, researchers, vendors, and government officials to share knowledge on malware threats and countermeasures. The AVAR 2026 edition is scheduled for December 2-4, 2026.
• AVAR Knowledge Series Cyber security webinar series providing ongoing education and knowledge sharing on current threats, detection methods, and response strategies to AVAR members and the broader cybersecurity community (e.g., 'AI Detection & Response: What CISOs Need To Watch For' scheduled 21 April 2026).
• AVAR Conclaves Regional cyber security meetings and gatherings (e.g., AVAR Cyber Conclave India 2020), facilitating focused discussions among regional security professionals.
• AVAR Cyber Catalyst Workshop Specialized cybersecurity workshop providing hands-on training and collaborative learning opportunities for security professionals.
• Individual Membership Annual individual membership for anti-malware professionals at USD 300/annum, providing access to AVAR conferences, Knowledge Series webinars, conclaves, and professional networking across 17 Asia Pacific territories. Requires recommendation from current AVAR Directors and Board approval.
• Corporate Membership Tiered annual corporate membership covering up to 5 persons per organization: Category A (>$100M USD revenue) at USD 3,500/year, Category B ($10–100M USD) at USD 1,600/year, Category C (<$10M USD) at USD 1,000/year. Provides directory listing, event access, and corporate member benefits.

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AcronisminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR, supporting the organization's mission to prevent malware spread through anti-malware research collaboration in Asia Pacific.
• antiy labsminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR, contributing to the regional cybersecurity expert community.
• AnxinsecminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR from China market.
• AppesteemminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR.
• Cyber Threat AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in cybersecurity threat intelligence sharing, working with AVAR to coordinate responses to cyber threats across the industry.
• ESETminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR, providing anti-virus expertise and supporting regional cybersecurity collaboration.
• G DataminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR from Germany with regional presence in Asia Pacific.
• Gen DigitalminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR (parent company of Norton, Avira, and other security brands).
• K7 ComputingminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR from India, providing local cybersecurity expertise.
• Quick HealminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR from India.
• ThreatBookminorOthersCorporate member of AVAR from China specializing in threat intelligence.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AV-Comparatives: Independent anti-virus testing organization that is itself an AVAR corporate member. It serves the same community of anti-malware researchers and security vendors in evaluating product effectiveness, making it the closest functional peer in mission and audience.
• AV-TEST: Independent IT security research institute and AVAR corporate member. It conducts malware and protection testing for vendors globally, sharing the same audience of researchers and AV vendors that AVAR serves across Asia Pacific.
• SE Labs: Security testing organization and AVAR corporate member. SE Labs provides independent validation of endpoint and anti-malware products, overlapping directly with AVAR's anti-malware research cooperation mandate.
• Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA): Strategic partner of AVAR and a non-profit threat intelligence sharing body. CTA operates the same membership-and-intelligence-sharing model as AVAR but at global scope, making it a direct comparable in mission and structure.
• AMTSO (Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization): Industry standards body focused on anti-malware testing methodology. AMTSO serves the same vendor and researcher community as AVAR, with comparable mission of improving quality and trust in malware protection, but with global rather than Asia Pacific orientation.
• FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams): Non-profit global association of incident response and security teams. FIRST shares AVAR's membership-driven model and convening role for security professionals, with overlapping individual and corporate member profiles in the threat intelligence community.
• APWG (Anti-Phishing Working Group): Non-profit coalition focused on combating phishing and cybercrime. APWG operates a similar membership-and-knowledge-sharing structure and serves a closely related set of security researchers, vendors, and law enforcement partners as AVAR.
• M3AAWG (Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group): Industry association addressing messaging abuse, malware, and mobile threats. M3AAWG is a near-direct analogue to AVAR in mission and operating model, with global rather than Asia Pacific scope.

Broad incumbents

• OASIS Open: Established non-profit standards organization in security and related areas. OASIS is a broader incumbent with overlapping cybersecurity community reach and member-funded governance model, comparable in structure though not in anti-malware specialization.
• ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Centers) community: Federation of industry-sector ISACs that share threat intelligence. ISACs operate on the same membership-and-threat-sharing model that AVAR delivers for the Asia Pacific anti-malware community, but at sector and global scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/avar_asia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avar-asia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 AVAR