Agora-platform

What Agora-platform does

AGORA is a private, nonprofit federation registered in Greece (Athens) that functions as an umbrella platform for patient organizations representing people with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) across Southern Europe. The federation unites 17 member patient associations spanning 12-14 countries and collectively represents the interests of more than 25 million RMD patients. Its mission is to improve knowledge of RMDs among medical professionals, governmental bodies, and the public; encourage the development of user-led patient organizations; and provide member associations with a stronger collective voice at national and European level. AGORA is governed by a Board consisting of a Chair (Andri Phoka), Secretary General (Boryana Boteva), Treasurer (Sebastian Micallef), and two Board Members (Igor Medojevic, Andromachi Salamaliki), with a small secretariat in Athens led operationally by a Communications Lead.

AGORA's product and program surface is built around annual conferences (Lisbon 2022, Podgorica 2023, Sliema 2024, with 2024 themed 'Mental Health & Clinical Trials'), webinars, awareness campaigns (World Sjögren's Day, World Scleroderma Day), educational projects (RA-ILD Project, Spotlight on Sjögren Disease), policy outputs (the 'Real Voices, Better Choices' White Paper launched at the 2025 UN General Assembly with input from 50+ patient organizations across 16 countries), and a clinical trials information platform at clinicaltrials.eu. Distribution is membership-based and event-driven, with no commercial product; marketing runs through the WordPress website, MailChimp newsletters, social media, and on-demand conference sessions. The underlying technology footprint is limited to a content website and a clinical trials portal — AGORA is explicitly not a technology company.

AGORA's business model is sponsorship- and membership-funded. Revenue is sourced from pharmaceutical company sponsorships and unrestricted grants (Amgen, Alfasigma, Biogen, BMS, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, and others), member association contributions, and minor conference-related fees (e.g., €225 for accompanying persons; AGORA reimburses one representative per member association for travel up to €600 plus three nights' single-occupancy accommodation). Strategic partnerships span financial sponsors (Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis), strategic co-development allies (EULAR PARE, GHLF, FESCA), and the broader EULAR ecosystem. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the federation operates without venture capital, private equity, or external institutional investors.

Name

Agora-platform

Legal name

AGORA - Federation of Associations for Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases of Southern Europe

Website

http://www.agora-platform.eu/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AGORA is a nonprofit federation headquartered in Athens, Greece, representing 17 patient associations across 12-14 Southern European countries and over 25 million people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases through annual conferences, webinars, awareness campaigns, and policy advocacy, funded primarily by pharmaceutical sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Sponsorships: AGORA receives financial support from pharmaceutical companies including Amgen, Alfasigma, Biogen, BMS, Novartis, and Boehringer Ingelheim. These sponsorships fund conferences, educational initiatives, and awareness campaigns.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Annual conferences charge registration fees. Accompanying persons pay €225 for room difference, meals, sightseeing, and gala dinner. Members receive travel and accommodation coverage for one representative per association.
3. Membership Contributions: The federation consists of member patient associations from Southern European countries who participate in the organization and contribute to its activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Agora-platform is a nonprofit federation of patient associations representing people with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) across Southern Europe. It delivers advocacy, education, awareness campaigns, and community-building services through annual conferences, webinars, educational projects (e.g., RA-ILD), and policy publications (e.g., White Papers). Its offerings target member patient associations, healthcare professionals, and policymakers across 12+ Southern European countries.

Product overview

Agora-platform is a non-profit federation (AGORA) that serves as a platform for patient advocacy and education focused on rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) in Southern Europe. The organization operates through member associations and does not offer a commercial software product. Its activities center on annual conferences, webinars, awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and collaborative projects such as the RA-ILD Project, Spotlight on Sjögren Disease webinars, and the White Paper 'Real Voices, Better Choices'. The organization also provides access to clinical trials information through clinicaltrials.eu.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual AGORA Conference An annual conference bringing together patient organizations, healthcare professionals, and policymakers from Southern Europe to discuss topics such as mental health, clinical trials, patient empowerment, and chronic pain management in rheumatic diseases. Targets member patient associations and allied health professionals.
• RA-ILD Educational Initiative An educational initiative aimed at raising awareness among the medical community about Interstitial Lung Disease associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA-ILD), including webinars featuring experts and informational leaflets for clinicians. Targeted at rheumatologists and the broader medical community.
• Spotlight on Sjögren Disease Webinar A webinar focused on Sjögren Disease, an autoimmune condition, featuring expert presentations and real-world survey data to highlight unmet needs in diagnosis, symptom management, and treatment satisfaction. Targets patient communities, healthcare professionals, and policymakers.
• Clinical Trials Information Platform A platform providing patient-friendly information about clinical trials, including study details, eligibility criteria, and locations to help connect RMD patients with potential treatments. Available to patients, caregivers, and clinicians.
• White Paper "Real Voices, Better Choices" A White Paper developed with input from over 50 patient organizations across 16 countries, calling on policymakers to embed patient and caregiver perspectives in national policies on noncommunicable diseases and mental health. Targeted at policymakers, healthcare authorities, and advocacy stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• White Paper developed with input from over 50 patient organizations across 16 countries calling for embedding patient perspectives in national policies on noncommunicable diseases and mental health
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FESCA (The Federation of European Scleroderma Associations)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2024AGORA partnered with FESCA for the World Scleroderma Day campaign 'Find the Light to Bloom'. FESCA published survey results on scleroderma patient experiences across different countries regarding diagnosis, care, and management.
• EULAR PAREcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2023EULAR PARE (People with Arthritis/Rheumatism Europe) collaborated with AGORA on webinars including 'Children with RMDs: How to deal with stigma'. EULAR PARE provides endorsement and guidance for AGORA's educational initiatives.
• Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2022AGORA partnered with GHLF for the Global Bone Advocacy Program to implement patient-centered education, awareness, and engagement on bone health and osteoporosis. The partnership has three central pillars: partnering with international, regional, and local patient groups; forming a Global Council of organization representatives; and conducting global media campaigns to share resources and enhance knowledge.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology): Pan-European umbrella organization for rheumatology, including its patient arm EULAR PARE that provides endorsement and guidance for AGORA's initiatives. Directly comparable as the higher-tier patient/professional federation for the same RMD advocacy space in Europe.
• FESCA (Federation of European Scleroderma Associations): European federation of national scleroderma patient associations that partnered with AGORA on the World Scleroderma Day campaign. Operates the same federation-of-associations model but focused on a single RMD across Europe.
• Lupus Europe: European federation of national lupus patient organizations. Closely comparable federation model with member national associations, focused on a related autoimmune rheumatic condition across European countries.
• Sjögren's Foundation: US-based national nonprofit dedicated to Sjögren's disease, which is one of AGORA's focus areas (Spotlight on Sjögren's initiative). Comparable as a single-disease RMD patient advocacy organization focused on awareness and education.

Broad incumbents

• Arthritis Foundation: US-based nonprofit serving patients with arthritis and related rheumatic diseases. Comparable mission (RMD patient advocacy, education, research funding) but operates at much larger scale and US geographic focus rather than Southern European countries.
• European Patients' Forum (EPF): Pan-European umbrella patient advocacy organization coordinating patient groups across all disease areas. Comparable as a federation of patient organizations but at a pan-European, cross-disease level rather than disease-specific.
• EURORDIS (Rare Diseases Europe): European federation representing rare disease patient organizations. Uses a similar federation-of-national-associations model and engages in policy advocacy and awareness campaigns, although focused on rare diseases rather than RMDs specifically.
• National Psoriasis Foundation: US patient advocacy organization for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Comparable advocacy, education, and research funding model focused on an autoimmune condition with rheumatologic manifestations.

Emerging players

• Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF): US-based chronic disease patient advocacy organization that is currently a strategic partner with AGORA on the Global Bone Advocacy Program. Comparable chronic disease advocacy model with global reach but different geographic focus and disease scope.

Regional players

• Myeloma Patients Europe: European federation of national myeloma/hematology patient organizations. Comparable federation model serving European patient associations, though focused on a different disease area (blood cancer) rather than rheumatic conditions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agora_platform

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Agora-platform