American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture

What American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture does

The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional membership organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at PO Box 803, Fayetteville, Tennessee. Its mission is to promote the art and science of veterinary acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), and Traditional Eastern Veterinary Medicine, and to advance the professional development of its members, who are predominantly U.S.-licensed veterinarians seeking to integrate acupuncture into clinical practice.

AAVA's product surface is structured around a tiered annual membership program (New Graduate free for one year, Active/Credentialed at $180 per year, Retired at $45 per year, plus a Student tier), which serves as the gateway to a portfolio of continuing-education, certification, and community offerings. Core add-on products include the FAAVA advanced certification program (requiring 50+ hours of approved CE, peer evaluations, case reports, and a two-part examination), the annual in-person meeting, the on-demand virtual conference (20.5 hours of RACE and IVAS-approved CE for the 2026 cycle), regional CE meetings, the AJTCVM journal subscription, a mentorship program, an online referral directory (Find a Veterinary Acupuncturist), a career center, and a Lifetime Achievement Award program. AAVA is an affiliate of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS), holds a seat on the AVMA House of Delegates, and co-hosts a joint conference with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) in 2027.

The business model is a subscription-recurring revenue stream driven primarily by membership dues, supplemented by event registration, classified advertising, and career center activity. Distribution is handled through a self-service Wild Apricot membership platform with tiered sign-up, renewal, and member portal access, supplemented by email newsletters, the aava.org website, and event-driven engagement. The technology footprint is intentionally light: AAVA does not develop proprietary technology products, and its competitive position rests on regulatory representation, brand legacy, certification credentials, and its position within the IVAS-AHVMA-AVMA ecosystem rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture

Legal name

American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture

Website

https://aava.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that serves U.S. veterinarians through annual memberships ($180 active), continuing education events, the FAAVA advanced certification, and AVMA House of Delegates representation for the veterinary acupuncture community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMACAK

Veterinary Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

SECONDARYAFAEANAL

Veterinary Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy & Pain Management

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

Keywords

• Veterinary acupuncture education
• Continuing education CE
• Professional membership association
• TCVM certification
• Veterinary integrative medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from veterinarians seeking professional development in veterinary acupuncture and TCVM. Membership tiers include New Graduate (free for 1 year), Active/Credentialed ($180/year), Student (unspecified), and Retired ($45/year).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA) is a 501 C-3 not-for-profit professional membership organization that provides continuing education, advanced certification (FAAVA), peer networking, advocacy, and a referral directory for veterinarians practicing or interested in veterinary acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). Members receive discounted access to the AAVA Annual Meeting and regional CE events, a free subscription to the American Journal of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (AJTCVM), and a seat in the AVMA House of Delegates representing veterinary acupuncture in organized U.S. veterinary medicine.

Product overview

American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture is a 501 C-3 not-for-profit professional organization founded in 1998, serving as an affiliate of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. The organization operates as a unified membership-based professional association rather than a technology product company. Its core offering is AAVA Membership, which provides access to continuing education through the AAVA On-Demand Conference and AAVA Annual Meeting, advanced certification via the FAAVA Certification program, professional development through the Mentorship Program, AJTCVM journal subscription, a referral directory (Find a Veterinary Acupuncturist), career center, webinars, and awards. The organization connects veterinary acupuncturists with resources, education, certification, and professional community rather than offering a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AAVA Membership Annual membership program for veterinarians providing access to continuing education discounts, AJTCVM journal subscription, online referral directory listing, AVMA representation, career center, mentorship program, and FAAVA certification pathway. Tiered pricing includes New Graduate (free for first year), Active/Credentialed ($180/year), Student, and Retired ($45/year).
• AAVA On-Demand Conference
• AAVA Annual Meeting
• FAAVA Certification
• AAVA Mentorship Program
• Find a Veterinary Acupuncturist Directory
• AAVA Webinars On Demand

Quantifiable outcome

• Free journal subscription to AJTCVM
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2027AAVA and AHVMA co-host the AHVMA-AAVA Joint Conference scheduled for September 17-19, 2027. This partnership combines two major integrative veterinary medicine organizations for shared education and networking.
• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAVA is an affiliate of IVAS. IVAS provides foundational acupuncture training certification that AAVA members commonly pursue. The organizations co-host events including the IVAS Congress and collaborate on continuing education standards for veterinary acupuncture.
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAVA maintains a seat on the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD), providing veterinary acupuncture and traditional oriental veterinary medicine representation in organized veterinary medicine of the United States.
• Chi UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChi University (formerly Chi Institute) is one of the major foundation course providers for veterinary acupuncture training. Many AAVA members have completed training and advanced certification through Chi University for TCVM, herbal medicine, food therapy, and Tui-na.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy: U.S. membership organization for veterinarians practicing homeopathy; shares AAVA's integrative-medicine membership model and similar continuing-education structure, often overlapping in member profiles.
• Chi University: Major TCVM education provider offering foundational acupuncture, herbal medicine, and food therapy certification; many AAVA members complete Chi training before joining AAVA, making it a tightly coupled upstream peer.
• American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA): Direct peer serving the broader integrative/holistic veterinary community in the U.S.; AAVA and AHVMA co-host the AHVMA–AAVA Joint Conference (Sept 17–19, 2027), highlighting their overlap in mission and membership.
• International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA): International certifying body for veterinary chiropractic; closely related integrative modality often practiced alongside acupuncture by AAVA members such as those at Chiropractic for EveryBody.
• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS): The international society for veterinary acupuncture of which AAVA is an affiliate; both organizations set certification and CE standards, and IVAS Congress participation is a recurring joint activity.

Emerging players

• CuraCore Integrative Medicine & Education Centers: U.S.-based integrative veterinary education platform offering acupuncture, rehab, and botanical medicine courses for veterinarians; competes for the same continuing-education wallet share as AAVA's On-Demand Conference.

Broad incumbents

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): The dominant U.S. veterinary professional association; AAVA holds a seat on its House of Delegates, making AVMA both a parent umbrella and a channel for veterinary acupuncture representation.
• Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Association (EBVMA): Counter-position association within organized veterinary medicine; not a direct competitor but represents the skeptical mainstream from which AAVA's AVMA HOD seat partly defends the discipline's legitimacy.

Regional players

• College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies (CIVT): Australia-based integrative veterinary education provider offering acupuncture and herbal medicine courses; serves as a regional counterpart to AAVA in the Asia-Pacific integrative-vet training market.

Others

• Veterinary Practice News (Today's Veterinary Practice / dvm360): Veterinary trade media and CE content platform; adjacent ecosystem participant that distributes integrative-medicine content and CE to the same audience AAVA targets with its journal and on-demand conferences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theaava
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture