Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network
AFNET is a German non-profit research network coordinating non-commercial, investigator-initiated clinical trials on atrial fibrillation. It serves physicians, scientists, and patients across Germany and internationally, funded by public grants and pharmaceutical/medtech industry sponsors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMünster, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network does
AFNET (Kompetenznetz Vorhofflimmern e.V.) is a German non-profit research association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Münster, founded in 2010, with 11–50 employees. It functions as an interdisciplinary research network that brings together scientists and physicians from clinics and practices across Germany and internationally to coordinate non-commercial, investigator-initiated controlled clinical trials on atrial fibrillation and related cardiovascular diseases. The network's core portfolio includes nine named clinical studies (ANTIPAF, AXADIA, AXAFA, EAST, EAST HIGH, FLEC-SL, MAESTRIA, NOAH, SMART IN OAC), regulatory project management services for partner-sponsored studies, AFNET/EHRA consensus conferences (currently in their ninth iteration), the annual AFNET DGK Young Investigator Award, patient education brochures, and public awareness initiatives such as "Herzenssache Lebenszeit" and the FanBeats football fan campaign.
Technically, AFNET operates as a clinical research coordination entity rather than a software or product company. Its infrastructure supports study document creation, physician meeting organization, and regulatory compliance (in partnership with CROs such as Cardialysis, NAMSA, and GCP Service). A notable recent capability is AI-supported analysis of pacemaker patient data in the NOAH-AFNET 6 study, examining atrial fibrillation burden and stroke outcomes. The network leverages partnerships with EHRA, ESC, DGK, DZHK, and the German Heart Foundation, and integrates technology partners such as Preventicus and apoplex for AF detection and stroke prevention.
The business model is grant- and sponsorship-funded rather than revenue-generating in a commercial sense. AFNET does not sell products or services; instead, it receives financial support from public funding bodies (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, European Commission) and industry partners spanning pharma (Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi) and medtech (Abbott, Medtronic, Philips, Siemens Healthineers). Revenue mechanics function as professional services-style funding for specific studies and infrastructure, with no disclosed pricing models or commercial customer base. The primary "customers" are researchers, physicians, and ultimately patients with atrial fibrillation—a population of nearly 2 million in Germany alone.
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network
- Legal name
- Kompetenznetz Vorhofflimmern e.V.
- Website
- https://kompetenznetz-vorhofflimmern.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AFNET is a German non-profit research network coordinating non-commercial, investigator-initiated clinical trials on atrial fibrillation. It serves physicians, scientists, and patients across Germany and internationally, funded by public grants and pharmaceutical/medtech industry sponsors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cardiovascular Clinical Research Services
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Site Network Operators & SMOs (HLAGACAA), Clinical Site Start-Up & Activation (Regulatory/Ethics/Contracts) (HLAGACAC)
Keywords
Where Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Münster
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Research Funding: AFNET receives financial support from industry partners and public funding for its non-commercial clinical studies. The network does not generate commercial revenue from product sales.
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AFNET (Kompetenznetz Vorhofflimmern e.V.) is an interdisciplinary research network that coordinates non-commercial, investigator-initiated clinical trials on atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular diseases. It connects scientists and physicians from clinics and practices across Germany and internationally, providing regulatory project management, study documentation, consensus conference organization, and partner-study coordination. The network is funded by public grants and industry sponsors and does not sell commercial products.
Product overview
AFNET e.V. (Kompetenznetz Vorhofflimmern e.V.) is an interdisciplinary research network focused on improving treatment and care for patients with atrial fibrillation and other cardiovascular diseases. Rather than a traditional software product company, AFNET offers a portfolio of clinical research services including investigator-initiated clinical trials (ANTIPAF, AXADIA, AXAFA, EAST, EAST HIGH, FLEC-SL, MAESTRIA, NOAH, SMART IN OAC), consensus conferences with EHRA, patient education materials, young investigator awards, and regulatory project management services for partner studies. The network coordinates scientists and physicians from clinics and practices across Germany and internationally, with funding from industrial partners and public research grants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AFNET/EHRA Konsensuskonferenzen: Series of consensus conferences held jointly with the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) to establish guidelines and best practices for atrial fibrillation treatment.
- AFNET DGK Awards
Products and services
- AFNET Clinical Research Studies Non-commercial, investigator-initiated controlled clinical trials on atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular diseases sponsored by AFNET, designed by AFNET scientists to address questions encountered in clinical practice. Aimed at physicians, researchers, and clinical study sites in Germany and internationally.
- AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conferences Annual consensus conferences organized jointly with the European Heart Rhythm Association, bringing together scientists and physicians to develop guidelines and recommendations for atrial fibrillation treatment.
- Regulatory Project Management Services Project management and regulatory support services provided to external sponsors of controlled clinical studies, including coordination of investigator meetings and creation of study documentation.
- Patient Brochure on Atrial Fibrillation Information brochure for patients and the general public explaining atrial fibrillation, prepared by experienced AFNET physicians and made available through the AFNET website.
- AFNET DGK Young Investigator Award – Atrial Fibrillation Annual award program, co-organized with the German Cardiac Society (DGK), recognizing young scientists for current research work on atrial fibrillation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 2 million patients with atrial fibrillation in Germany alone, with increasing trend - AFNET research addresses this growing patient population
Companies that use Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EHRA (European Heart Rhythm Association)coreAFNET collaborates with EHRA on consensus conferences (AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conferences) to bring together international experts to discuss and advance atrial fibrillation research and treatment guidelines.
- Deutsche Herzstiftung (German Heart Foundation)coreCollaboration with the German Heart Foundation to support research and public awareness about cardiovascular diseases including atrial fibrillation.
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research)corePartnership with the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research to advance cardiovascular research in Germany.
- DGK (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie)coreJoint organization of the AFNET DGK Young Investigator Award and collaboration on consensus conferences and DGK Herztage events.
- ESC (European Society of Cardiology)coreAFNET participates in ESC Congress and collaborates on European cardiovascular research initiatives.
- TMF (Technologie- und Methodenplattform)coreTechnology and methods platform for networked medical research providing support for AFNET's research infrastructure.
- DKG (Deutsche Krebshilfe)minorGerman Cancer Aid - partnership in health research network.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NAMSA: NAMSA is a global medical device-focused clinical research organization and an AFNET technology partner. It is comparable as a contracted clinical trial operator supporting cardiovascular and device trials, though its scope is broader and commercial.
- European Society of Cardiology (ESC): The umbrella European cardiology society with which AFNET collaborates on congresses and guidelines. ESC is a much broader incumbent covering all cardiovascular specialties, and a key stakeholder in the same ecosystem AFNET serves.
- Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Research: Mayo Clinic's cardiovascular research enterprise runs large, multi-site IITs and registries that influence US and global practice. It is comparable to AFNET as a high-reputation, academically anchored cardiology research engine with multi-site coordination capabilities.
Direct peers
- TIMI Study Group: An academic research organization at Brigham and Women's Hospital focused on cardiovascular clinical trials. Like AFNET, TIMI designs and runs IITs addressing pressing cardiology questions and publishes findings that influence guidelines.
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK): DZHK is a national German cardiovascular research partnership and an explicit AFNET partner. It shares AFNET's mission of coordinating multi-site cardiovascular research and accessing BMBF-level public funding.
- Cardialysis: A Netherlands-based clinical research organization specializing in cardiovascular and electrophysiology trials. Cardialysis is an actual AFNET partner for study execution and is the most direct operational peer for AFNET's trial coordination function.
- European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA): EHRA is a core AFNET partner and co-organizer of the AFNET/EHRA Consensus Conferences. It is the European sub-specialty body for heart rhythm disorders, making it the most thematically aligned peer for AFNET's arrhythmia focus.
- Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI): One of the world's largest academic clinical research organizations, DCRI runs large-scale, multi-site cardiovascular IITs and pragmatic trials. Comparable to AFNET as a non-commercial, investigator-driven cardiovascular research network that coordinates trials and provides regulatory/operational infrastructure.
- Competence Network Heart Failure (KNHI): A German interdisciplinary research network dedicated to heart failure, structurally very similar to AFNET: it coordinates IITs, links clinicians and researchers nationwide, and is publicly co-funded. Closest organizational peer to AFNET within Germany.
Regional players
- Heart Rhythm Society (HRS): The US-based equivalent of EHRA for electrophysiology and heart rhythm disorders. HRS pursues overlapping objectives (education, guidelines, AF research dissemination) but operates primarily in North America.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network social profiles
Digital presenceAtrial Fibrillation Competence Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network
What does Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network do?
AFNET (Kompetenznetz Vorhofflimmern e.V.) is an interdisciplinary research network that coordinates non-commercial, investigator-initiated clinical trials on atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular diseases. It connects scientists and physicians from clinics and practices across Germany and internationally, providing regulatory project management, study documentation, consensus conference organization, and partner-study coordination. The network is funded by public grants and industry sponsors and does not sell commercial products.
Is Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network a public or private company?
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network founded?
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network based?
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network is headquartered in Münster, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network make money?
One revenue line is on record: research Funding.
Who are Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NAMSA, European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Research. Direct peers are TIMI Study Group, German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Cardialysis, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) and Competence Network Heart Failure (KNHI). Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) is listed as a regional player.
Does Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network.
What industry is Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network in?
Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network's product category is Cardiovascular Clinical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGACAE, Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination, with a secondary code of HLAGACAA, Site Network Operators & SMOs. Its NAICS code is 541690 and its SIC code is 8731.