Africa & Asia Venture

What Africa & Asia Venture does

Africa & Asia Venture Ltd (AV) is a privately-held UK specialist gap year company incorporated in England and Wales and headquartered at 13 Petworth Road, Haslemere, Surrey. Founded in 1993, the firm designs and operates its own immersive volunteering and adventure travel programs for 17 to 25 year olds across nine countries in Africa and Asia (Kenya, Uganda, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and China), with in-country representative offices in Chiang Mai, Nairobi, Kampala, Kathmandu, Lilongwe, Johannesburg, and Arusha supporting 24/7 participant assistance. Programs run between two and sixteen-plus weeks and combine teaching, community work, sports coaching, arts, and cultural immersion with local host families.

The product portfolio centres on three core lines: Gap Year Programs (5-16+ weeks), Summer Programs Abroad (5-12 weeks in Kenya and Thailand), and School Trips to Kenya, supplemented by add-on modules such as Adventure Travel extensions and TEFL/TESOL courses. A free, in-house Gap Year Advisers service and an online Gap Year Quiz provide consultative sales support. The company does not rely on third-party program operators, instead running its own placements through local partner relationships such as the Maekok River Village Project in Thailand.

AV generates revenue primarily through one-time program fees paid by individual participants, supplemented by gift voucher sales and group or promotional discounts (e.g., £100 per person for groups of four or more on five-plus week programs). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a website (aventure.co.uk), phone/email enquiry channels, social media, blog content, alumni referrals, and select school partnerships. The company is a founder member of the Year Out Group and a member of the Gap Year Association, and has operated continuously for over three decades with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or acquisition activity.

Name

Africa & Asia Venture

Legal name

Africa & Asia Venture Ltd

Website

https://aventure.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Africa & Asia Venture Ltd is a UK-based, independently operated gap year company founded in 1993 that runs its own two-to-sixteen-week immersive volunteering and adventure travel programs for 17 to 25 year olds across nine African and Asian countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gap Year & Volunteer Travel Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gap Year + Study Abroad Hybrid Programs (EDAIAAAG), Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB), Youth & Teen Language Camps (Summer/Winter) (EDAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Gap year programs
• Volunteer travel
• Cultural immersion
• Adventure tourism
• School trips abroad

Headquarters

HQ city

Haslemere

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue generated from fee-based gap year and summer programs lasting 2-16+ weeks. Participants pay for immersive volunteering experiences in Africa and Asia including accommodation, in-country support, and program activities.
2. Group Discounts: Discounts offered for groups of 4+ people on programs of 5+ weeks, with £100 per person reduction. Birthday and promotional discounts occasionally offered (e.g., 10% off India program for 25th anniversary, 50% off gap year vouchers during Black Friday.
3. Gift Vouchers: Gap year vouchers sold to help participants fund their programs, with promotional discounts applied during special sales events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Africa & Asia Venture designs and operates immersive gap year and summer programs (5-16+ weeks) for 17-25 year olds across 9 countries in Africa and Asia, combining volunteering, cultural immersion, and adventure travel. Programs are delivered through in-country representative offices with 24/7 support, and the company directly handles program design, host-community relationships, and participant advisory services without relying on third-party providers.

Product overview

Africa & Asia Venture (AV) is a specialist gap year company offering a portfolio of immersive volunteering and adventure travel programs for 17 to 25 year olds. The core offerings include Gap Year Programs (5-16 weeks across 9 countries), Summer Programs Abroad (5-12 weeks in Kenya and Thailand), and School Trips to Kenya. Activity modules encompass Volunteer Teaching, Community Work, Sports Coaching, Art/Drama/Music/Dance, and Cultural Immersion (living with host families). Adventure Travel add-on provides 4 weeks of independent exploration post-program. Supporting services include free Gap Year Advisers consultation and an online Gap Year Quiz. Programs operate in Kenya, Uganda, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and China. AV was founded in 1993 and operates its own programs without third-party reliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gap Year Programs Full-immersion volunteering programs (5-16+ weeks) for 17-25 year olds across 9 countries in Africa and Asia, combining teaching, community work, cultural immersion with host families, and adventure travel.
• Summer Programs Abroad

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows gap year students are more likely to graduate with First or Upper Second class honours degree (66% take academic work more seriously)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Year Out GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 1993Founder member of the Year Out Group, an organization for reputable gap year companies. This membership positions AV as an established, trusted provider meeting standards for gap year services.
• Gap Year AssociationcoreOthersMember of the Gap Year Association, demonstrating commitment to industry standards and best practices in the gap year sector.
• Maekok River Village ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with the Maekok River Village Project in Thailand's Fang Valley. AV's Thailand programs join forces with this project for teaching at primary and middle schools among hill tribe communities.
• Oakham SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year partnership with UK school Oakham for organized educational trips to Kenya. Programs involve charitable work with local communities, safari experiences, and structured learning outcomes.
• Travel AwareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Travel Aware campaign providing gap year advice on travel insurance and safety information for participants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Raleigh International: UK charity running structured expeditions and volunteer programs for young people, including gap year cohorts in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Closely comparable on age cohort, immersive volunteer-plus-adventure format, and trusted UK brand position.
• Frontier: UK-based gap year and volunteer travel operator focused on conservation and community projects across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Directly comparable on gap year volunteer model, multi-country footprint, and 17–25 year-old target segment.
• Projects Abroad: UK-based volunteer abroad provider operating in Africa, Asia, and Latin America across teaching, community work, and conservation. Directly comparable to AV in target customer (17–25 gap year takers), own-program model, and multi-country immersion positioning.
• Oyster Worldwide: UK gap year provider combining volunteering, teaching, and adventure travel for 18–25 year olds across multiple destinations. Directly comparable in target customer, multi-activity gap year product, and UK sales-led advisory approach.
• The Leap: UK-based gap year program operator offering structured volunteer and travel placements for school-leavers and graduates. Comparable on cohort age, structured multi-week placements, and emphasis on personal development outcomes.
• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): New Zealand-founded volunteer abroad platform offering low-cost placements across 50+ destinations including Africa and Asia. Comparable in volunteer abroad category, geographic overlap, and 18–25 target demographic, though operates a marketplace rather than own-program model.
• Lattitude: UK charity (formerly GAP Activity Projects) placing young people in volunteer teaching and community roles abroad. Directly comparable on UK base, 17–25 cohort, structured placement model, and gap year advisory positioning.
• Global Work & Travel: Australia-headquartered gap year provider combining work, travel, and volunteer placements across multiple continents. Comparable on gap year positioning, 18–25 cohort, and multi-country program portfolio, with overlap on adventure travel add-ons.
• Volunteering Solutions: India-headquartered volunteer abroad provider with programs in Africa and Asia covering teaching, community work, and medical volunteering. Comparable in multi-country volunteer portfolio, age cohort, and short- to mid-duration placements.
• GoEco: Israel-based volunteer abroad platform offering programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America with transparent pricing and online booking. Comparable on volunteer abroad positioning, geographic overlap, and gap year age cohort, though again a marketplace rather than own-operator model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AVentureUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AfricaAsiaVenture
• Facebookfacebook.com/AVentureUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africa-&-asia-venture-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/africaasiaventure
• Pinterestpinterest.com/volunteerav

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Africa & Asia Venture