Akros

What Akros does

Akros is a private international development organization founded circa 2006 and headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, with a secondary office in Missoula, Montana. It builds and deploys geospatial intelligence and real-time data systems that help government ministries and donor-funded health programs in low- and middle-income countries plan, execute and monitor public health campaigns. Its flagship product, Reveal, is an open-source Digital Global Good originally launched in 2015 as mSpray (a GIS-integrated Indoor Residual Spraying monitoring tool for malaria programs in Zambia) and re-architected in 2023 as Reveal 3.0 with a FHIR-compliant backend, native Android client, and integration with DHIS2, the District Health Information System used by ministries of health in 73 LMICs. The product portfolio also includes CLTS M2W (mobile-to-web sanitation surveillance), Step D (community-led reactive malaria case detection), the DHIS2 Land Tenure Mobile Tool, and customized DHIS2 training curricula co-developed with the University of Oslo.

Akros serves ministries of health, national malaria control programs, district health offices and WASH committees in roughly 31 countries across Southern, Eastern, Central, West and North Africa and into the Middle East and Asia. End users extend from community health workers and environmental health technicians in the field to program managers and donors at the national level. The technology stack combines satellite-derived household enumeration, GPS coordinate capture, offline-capable mobile data collection and web dashboards to cut campaign data transmission from months to minutes, with documented outcomes including a 97% increase in malaria intervention effectiveness, the creation of 1.5 million new sanitation users in 18 months, and reach to 3.6 million people across 10 countries.

The business model is grant-, contract-, and consortium-funded rather than commercially priced: revenue flows from bilateral and multilateral donors (USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, NIH), global health mechanism operators (Digital Square at PATH, Gavi, the Global Fund, The END Fund), and cooperative agreements with host-government ministries. Reported distributed grants include roughly $200K from MESA (2014), a Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations award (2021, amount undisclosed), ~$800K from Digital Square (2022), and Akros is a consortium member in the USAID $54M Zambia Systems for Better Health award led by Abt Associates. Distribution is mixed: direct enterprise engagement with ministries, publishing the platform on Digital Square's global goods marketplace and the Google Play Store, and open-source community channels. Operationally, revenue is not publicly disclosed, the legal entity (Akros Research) is Zambia-domiciled, and the company is led by CEO Anna Winters alongside a small executive team that includes a Country Director, Director of Research, Director of Public Health and an Informatics Manager.

Name

Akros

Legal name

Akros Research

Website

https://akros.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akros is a Zambia-based international development organization that builds the open-source Reveal geospatial platform and related mobile-to-web data systems (CLTS M2W, Step D, DHIS2 Land Tenure) to help ministries of health and donor partners plan, deliver and monitor public health campaigns across ~31 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Health Geospatial Intelligence

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL), Global Health Supply Chain & Procurement Organizations (HLAJAKAL)

Keywords

• Geospatial intelligence
• Digital health platforms
• Malaria surveillance
• Community health data
• Health campaign microplanning

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Health Programs: Akros partners with governments to implement geospatial and data-driven health solutions. Revenue comes through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with government agencies and international health organizations.
2. Digital Health Global Goods: Development and deployment of open-source digital health platforms like Reveal, funded through grants from organizations like Digital Square, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and bilateral donors.
3. Consortium Health Systems Projects: Participation in multi-organizational health systems strengthening consortia, such as the Zambia Systems for Better Health consortium awarded $54 million by USAID, with Akros as a member.
4. Research and Technical Assistance: Technical assistance and research support funded by international organizations including MasterCard Foundation, Africa CDC, The END Fund, and bilateral development agencies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Akros develops and deploys the Reveal platform, an open-source geospatial intelligence system that supports microplanning, real-time field monitoring, and adaptive management of public health campaigns (malaria IRS, MDA, immunization, NTDs, WASH). The company also delivers complementary sub-products such as the CLTS M2W mobile-to-web sanitation surveillance system, Step D community-led malaria surveillance, the DHIS2 Land Tenure Mobile Tool, and customized DHIS2 training courses. Revenue is generated through grants, cooperative agreements, and technical assistance contracts with governments and global health donors.

Product overview

Akros offers geospatial and data-driven solutions primarily through its Reveal platform, an open-source digital global good that provides spatial intelligence for health campaign planning and delivery. The product portfolio includes Reveal (the core platform for microplanning and campaign management), mSpray (the predecessor IRS monitoring tool now integrated into Reveal), CLTS M2W (mobile-to-web WASH surveillance), Step D (community-led malaria surveillance), the Reveal Planning Module (geospatial microplanning visualization), DHIS2 Land Tenure Mobile Tool (mobile reporting for land claims), and DHIS2 Training Courses. The Reveal platform is the central offering, enhanced by specialized tools for specific health campaigns including malaria, NTDs, immunization, and WASH programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reveal Reveal is an open-source geospatial Digital Global Good that uses smart maps and mobile-to-web technology to guide field teams to planned areas and households, capture indicators offline, and provide real-time dashboards for program managers monitoring health intervention coverage in resource-constrained settings. It is used by ministries of health and implementing partners to microplan and manage malaria IRS, MDA, NTD, and immunization campaigns.
• mSpray mSpray is a field-based, GIS-integrated Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) data capture platform that allows stakeholders to view real-time spray data through maps and charts, improving IRS coverage rates by 20-30%. It pioneered real-time IRS monitoring capability and was the predecessor to the Reveal platform.
• CLTS M2W (Mobile-to-Web) CLTS M2W is a mobile-to-web monitoring system with automated feedback loops for Community-Led Total Sanitation. Using basic feature phone SMS it tracks sanitation progress, creates new sanitation users, and cuts data transmission from months to minutes, enabling real-time WASH surveillance at scale.
• Step D (Community-Led Malaria Surveillance) Step D is a community-led malaria surveillance system that uses reactive case detection. When a health facility receives a malaria-infected patient, community health workers are alerted to test surrounding households within a 140-meter radius, with data entered via tablets and transmitted to DHIS2.
• DHIS2 Land Tenure Mobile Tool The DHIS2 Land Tenure Mobile Tool is a mobile DHIS2-based tool that enables rural communities to report land claims and track tenure disputes. Data streams directly from village land committees into the CDLA repository, where chiefs can instantly generate customary land certificates, securing farmers' land rights within existing government processes.
• DHIS2 Training Courses Customized curriculum for DHIS2 system configuration and advanced training, developed in collaboration with University of Oslo DHIS2 developers. It addresses health information system implementation, advanced configuration, and capacity building for ministries of health and implementing partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% increase in intervention effectiveness through Reveal platform deployment
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Digital Square at PATHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote Reveal platform shelf-readiness and scale-readiness. Digital Square funded enhancement work packages including Google Play Store availability, training resources, and documentation development.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for WASH surveillance systems, community-led total sanitation, and child health programs in Zambia. UNICEF supported M2W system development and deployment.
• The END FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for NTD control programs in Kenya and Mali. END Fund provides funding through Deworming Innovation Fund for Reveal platform integration with eCHIS and microplanning tools.
• Africa CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for AEFI/AESI reporting platform training and vaccine safety surveillance across Africa through Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative.
• CHAI (Clinton Health Access Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on eCHIS integration with Reveal microplanning features for Kenya Ministry of Health integrated health campaigns.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on eCHIS integration and alignment with WHO digital adaptation kits and technical specifications for health campaigns.
• AidData (College of William and Mary)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for DREAMS Innovation Challenge to help policymakers in Zambia make healthcare decisions based on best available data.
• University of OslocoreTechnology or IntegrationCreators of DHIS2 platform. Akros has customized advanced system configuration curriculum and integrates with DHIS2 for health information systems.
• Government of Republic of ZambiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep partnership with Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government and Housing, and National Malaria Control Centre for health surveillance and intervention programs.
• Praekelt FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for rapid scale-up of WASH surveillance system design and deployment in Zambia.
• Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for vaccine safety research and Saving Lives and Livelihoods program in Africa.
• Population ExplorermajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for smarter data-driven health systems through population data integration.
• PATHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership including PMI VectorLink Zambia, community health worker training, and digital health collaboration.
• Elimination 8 (E8)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on malaria elimination efforts in Southern Africa, particularly Angola NMCP support in Cuando Cubango Province.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• eHealth Africa: eHealth Africa designs and deploys data-driven health information systems and geospatial solutions for governments across West and Central Africa, sharing Akros's focus on LMIC ministries of health, real-time field data, and integration with national health information systems.
• Dimagi: Dimagi's CommCare platform underpins frontline health worker data collection and program delivery for ministries of health and NGOs globally, making it the closest direct competitor to Akros's Reveal platform for health campaign microplanning and CHW-driven public health programs in LMICs.
• Medic (formerly Medic Mobile): Medic builds open-source digital health tools (Community Health Toolkit) used by community health workers in LMICs, directly overlapping with Akros's data-driven frontline health worker deployments, offline-first mobile apps, and DHIS2-based reporting for ministries of health.
• D-Tree International: D-Tree designs, implements, and evaluates digital health protocols at the community level, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, operating in a similar product-and-services model to Akros for government health programs and frontline health worker decision support.
• BlueSquare: BlueSquare provides digital health and data systems for Ministries of Health in Africa and Asia, including DHIS2 integration and campaign monitoring, closely paralleling Akros's Reveal platform and service model for government health programs.

Broad incumbents

• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): CHAI is a large implementing partner that collaborates with Akros on eCHIS integration in Kenya and operates more broadly across health system procurement, commodities, and program delivery in LMICs overlapping with Akros's ministry-of-health engagements.
• PATH: PATH is a large global health nonprofit that operates Digital Square (which has incubated and funded Akros's Reveal platform) and adjacent vaccine and diagnostic programs — a much broader incumbent that both partners with and competes against Akros in digital health tooling.
• UNICEF: UNICEF is both a core Akros partner (WASH surveillance, CLTS, child health) and a broader incumbent funder/implementer of health, WASH, and education programs across the same geographies where Akros operates.

Emerging players

• Last Mile Health: Last Mile Health partners with governments to strengthen community health systems and deploys digital tools to frontline health workers, sharing Akros's CHW digital enablement focus in low-resource settings across overlapping African geographies.
• Living Goods: Living Goods supports community health worker networks with digital tools, training, and analytics in sub-Saharan Africa — an emerging player overlapping with Akros's CHW-focused surveillance and health campaign platforms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akros.international.development
• Xx.com/akros_global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Akros