Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

What Multiple Sclerosis International Federation does

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) is a UK-registered charity (Company No: 05088553, Registered Charity No: 1105321) founded in 1967 and headquartered in London. It operates as the world's only global federation of multiple sclerosis organizations, with member societies and network contacts in 50+ countries reaching an estimated 2.8 million people living with MS worldwide. The federation's primary function is to coordinate the international MS movement through advocacy, research collaboration, awareness campaigns, and educational content delivery — it is not a commercial technology company and does not sell products or services.

MSIF's core offerings center on a multilingual digital information hub (msif.org) covering MS types, diagnosis, treatments, symptoms, and living-with-MS guidance; the Atlas of MS, a unique global epidemiological dataset covering 53 countries including 31,000+ pediatric cases; World MS Day, an annual May 30 awareness campaign with policy outcomes such as India's 2026 10-point Declaration on invisible disabilities; and the International Progressive MS Alliance, which MSIF hosts to coordinate research on progressive forms of MS. Additional programs include McDonald Fellowships, the Charcot Award, and Global MS Research Fellowships. Fundraising is driven by community fitness events — The May 50K, Cycle for MS: Conquer the Tour, TCS London Marathon — and the JustGiving platform.

MSIF's revenue model is donations-driven: individual giving (one-time and recurring), event-based fundraising, annual membership dues from national MS societies, and disclosed healthcare industry partnerships subject to published transparency and conflict-of-interest policies. Strategic partners include the World Health Organization (WHO), MS Canada, MS Australia, the National MS Society USA, the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform, and the International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Study Group (IPMSSG). As a federation, MSIF distributes resources both directly through its website and indirectly via national member organizations that localize and amplify programs within their respective countries.

Name

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

Legal name

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

Website

https://msif.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation is the world's only global federation of MS organizations, coordinating research, advocacy, and awareness across 50+ countries to improve quality of life for the 2.8 million people living with MS worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: MSIF raises funds through individual donations (one-time and monthly), event participation (The May 50K, London Marathon, Cycle for MS), and JustGiving platform. Funds support collaboration with members worldwide to improve quality of life for people affected by MS.
2. Membership Dues: National MS organizations pay annual membership dues which contribute to projects achieving shared goals of the global MSIF movement.
3. Healthcare Industry Partnerships: MSIF works with the healthcare industry, with transparency documented on their website about how these relationships are managed.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MSIF is a global charity federation that coordinates the international MS movement by linking national MS organisations across 50+ countries. It delivers free, multilingual educational resources on MS (diagnosis, treatments, symptoms, living with MS), operates the Atlas of MS epidemiological database, runs research awards and fellowships, coordinates the annual World MS Day awareness campaign, and hosts the International Progressive MS Alliance. Its offering is funded through donations, membership dues, and healthcare-industry partnerships.

Product overview

MSIF's core offering is a comprehensive digital information and advocacy platform spanning multiple products: its main website (msif.org) provides multilingual educational content about MS including disease overview, types, causes, diagnosis, treatments (disease-modifying therapies, relapse treatments, stem cell therapy, rehabilitation, complementary therapies), symptoms (fatigue, pain, vision, bladder/bowel, cognition, sexual, movement), and living-with-MS guidance. MSIF operates the Atlas of MS as a global epidemiological resource. Its research portfolio includes the McDonald Fellowships, Charcot Award, and Global MS Research Fellowships, plus it leads the International Progressive MS Alliance. MSIF coordinates World MS Day as an annual global awareness initiative. Fundraising products include The May 50K (fitness challenge in May), Cycle for MS: Conquer the Tour (cycling event), TCS London Marathon team entries, and a JustGiving-powered fundraising platform. MSIF functions as a global membership federation of national MS organizations rather than a traditional product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The May 50K: A community fitness and fundraising challenge where participants walk, run or roll 50 kilometres throughout May to raise funds for MSIF and partnering charities.
• Cycle for MS: Conquer the Tour
• World MS Day
• Atlas of MS
• International Progressive MS Alliance

Products and services

• MSIF Website and Information Hub Central multilingual digital platform providing comprehensive, evidence-based educational content about Multiple Sclerosis, including what MS is, types of MS, causes, diagnosis, symptoms (fatigue, pain, vision, bladder and bowel, cognition, sexual, movement), treatments (disease-modifying therapies, relapse treatments, stem cell therapy, rehabilitation, complementary therapies), and living-with-MS guidance. Available in English, Arabic, and Spanish with additional Google Translate support, and serves as the gateway to all MSIF programmes and member services.
• Atlas of MS Global epidemiological database and reference resource documenting the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of MS worldwide, covering both adult and pediatric MS populations. Tracks data from 53 countries including 31,000+ children and adolescents under 18 living with MS, and serves as a reference tool for researchers, policymakers, and national MS organisations.
• World MS Day Annual international awareness campaign coordinated by MSIF on May 30th each year, featuring country-level campaigns, resources, and events for the MS community across more than 50 countries. Drives global visibility for MS and supports policy outcomes such as India's 2026 National Policy Dialogue 10-point Declaration on invisible-disability recognition.
• International Progressive MS Alliance Global research collaboration hosted by MSIF uniting researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and MS organisations to fund, coordinate, and accelerate the development of treatments for progressive forms of MS, with the long-term goal of finding a cure.
• McDonald Fellowships Research fellowship programme enabling early-career MS researchers from low- and middle-income countries to undertake research placements in established MS research centres worldwide, building global MS research capacity in underrepresented regions.
• Charcot Award Prestigious annual award named after Professor Jean-Martin Charcot that recognises outstanding lifetime contributions to MS research by senior investigators in the field.
• Global MS Research Fellowships

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.8 million people with MS reached through global network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Indian MS organizations and stakeholdersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026World MS Day 2026 National Policy Dialogue in New Delhi brought together stakeholders resulting in landmark 10-point Declaration for invisible disabilities recognition including MS.
• MS IrelandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner in The May 50K community fitness and fundraising challenge, enabling coordinated Irish and international participation in the annual May walking/running/rolling event to raise funds for MS research and support.
• MS Society UKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner in The May 50K challenge, working together to engage UK supporters in the annual fitness fundraising campaign that benefits the global MS movement.
• Stichting MS Research (Netherlands)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner in The May 50K challenge, contributing Dutch research expertise and supporter base to the international fundraising initiative.
• DMSG (Germany - Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner in The May 50K challenge, enabling German MS community participation in the pan-European fundraising and awareness campaign.
• International Progressive MS AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSIF hosts the Alliance, a global network dedicated to progressive MS research. The Alliance brings together MS organizations to fund and coordinate research efforts targeting progressive forms of MS.
• MS CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly leading an MS prevention initiative with MS Australia to chart global strategy for preventing MS, demonstrating leadership in primary prevention research.
• MS AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leading international MS prevention initiative with MS Canada, working to establish global strategy for preventing new cases of MS alongside organizations from USA, Italy, and UK.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSIF's quality of life framework is built on WHO's quality of life framework. Dr Shekhar Saxena, Director of WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, endorsed MSIF's seven principles for improving quality of life with MS.
• National MS Society USAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey member organization and resource collaborator. Partnered in MS prevention initiative. Contributed diagnostic criteria graphs and expertise to MSIF's Types of MS educational resources.
• European Multiple Sclerosis PlatformmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on photojournalism content and European MS resources. MSIF publishes content by kind permission from the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform.
• International Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Study Group (IPMSSG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of adult and pediatric neurologists, researchers, and MS organization representatives previously funded by MSIF and its members. Aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of pediatric MS.
• Healthcare Industry PartnersminorOthersMSIF works with pharmaceutical and healthcare companies with documented transparency about how these relationships are managed. Annual accounts and conflict of interest policies available.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Heart Federation: International federation of cardiac societies and heart foundations running World Heart Day. Structurally analogous to MSIF as a global umbrella body for cardiovascular advocacy, awareness campaigns, and policy work.
• MS Society UK: UK-based MS patient organization and MSIF member, co-partner in The May 50K. Operates MS research funding, support services, and policy advocacy with overlapping beneficiary population.
• Alzheimer's Disease International: Global federation of national Alzheimer associations, structurally identical to MSIF: an international non-profit coordinating a network of national disease-specific member organizations for advocacy, awareness, and research support.
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society (USA): The largest national MS organization in MSIF's network and a core member. Operates the same MS patient advocacy, research funding, and support model but at US national scale — directly comparable mission and member-organization relationship.
• European Multiple Sclerosis Platform: European-level MS advocacy organization that collaborates with MSIF on photojournalism and European MS resources. Operates a parallel continental MS advocacy role with overlapping member organizations.
• International Diabetes Federation: Global umbrella organization for national diabetes associations with member societies in 170+ countries. Closest structural analog to MSIF in terms of federation model, advocacy focus, and international awareness campaigns (e.g., World Diabetes Day).
• MS Canada: Major national MS society and MSIF member, co-leading MSIF's international MS prevention initiative. Comparable in mission, member-network model, and research-funding role at the national level.

Emerging players

• EURORDIS - Rare Diseases Europe: European-level alliance for rare-disease patient organizations. Operates a parallel continental advocacy, policy, and awareness role to MSIF but covers all rare diseases rather than MS specifically.
• International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO): Cross-disease umbrella representing patient organizations globally. Overlaps with MSIF on patient-advocacy frameworks and policy engagement but operates across all conditions rather than MS specifically.
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: US-based disease-specific non-profit driving CF research, care, and advocacy. Comparable as a single-disease focused patient organization with strong research-funding and policy-advocacy components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/msintfederation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MSIFmedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/110033075774139
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/multiple-sclerosis-international-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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