Vaccelerate

What Vaccelerate does

VACCELERATE is a pan-European clinical research network established in 2021 and coordinated by University Hospital Cologne, Germany. It operates as a non-profit consortium funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement No 101037867, with the original funded phase ending on 27 January 2025. The network's core assets are a Volunteer Registry of over 107,000 participants accessible in 23 languages, a Site Network of 525 clinical trial sites across 20+ European countries, and standardized protocols for data harmonization following FAIR principles. It serves clinical trial sites, academic researchers, and the general public across Europe, with national coordinators in Germany, Sweden, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, and other countries.

The network coordinates vaccine trials and pandemic preparedness through 11 work packages spanning trial site capacity, laboratory capacity, public health needs, immune monitoring, data management, volunteer registries, and age-specific booster vaccination studies. Major studies include EU-COVAT-1 AGED (booster vaccination in adults ≥75 years), EU-COVAT-2 BOOSTAVAC, EU-COVPT-1 COVACC (pediatric COVID-19 vaccination), MAK5-50+ (nationwide respiratory virus surveillance in Germany with 3,100+ participants), and COVID-NMA (living review of COVID-19 vaccine evidence). Technological capabilities include multi-pathogen rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and B, RSV, and Adenovirus, integrated with the EUVAP clinical trial site platform and supported by 30+ scientific publications in Nature, Lancet, Frontiers, Vaccine, and Cochrane Library.

VACCELERATE does not generate commercial revenue. Its funding model is grant-based: €12 million was specifically allocated to VACCELERATE from a €120 million EC package for 11 coronavirus-response projects, with additional BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) funding for the German Volunteer Registry. Customer-facing offerings — including the Study Nurse Course, GCP training, and the volunteer registry — are provided free of charge. Distribution occurs through direct engagement with academic and clinical institutions, self-serve volunteer registration, EU and national government partnerships, and ecosystem collaborations with organizations such as EVI, ECRIN, COMBACTE, DZIF, Penta Child Health Research, and EUPATI.

Name

Vaccelerate

Legal name

VACCELERATE

Website

https://vaccelerate.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vaccelerate is a pan-European clinical research consortium coordinating vaccine trials across 525 sites and 107,000+ volunteers, based in Cologne, Germany. It was funded by the EU Horizon 2020 program (grant ended January 2025) and operates as a non-profit research network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Site Data Management Support (EDC/Source/SDV Readiness) (HLAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decentralized/Hybrid Trial Enablement (DCT) Platforms (HLACAOAL), Point-of-Care & Decentralized Trial Testing Services (HLAGAEAK), Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL), Clinical Research Support (CRC/CTA) (EDAOAJAO)

Keywords

• Clinical trial network
• Vaccine research services
• Volunteer recruitment
• Pandemic preparedness
• Clinical study coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EU Horizon 2020 Research Funding: VACCELERATE was funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101037867. EU funding ended on 27 January 2025.
2. BMBF Funding (German Volunteer Registry): The German Volunteer Registry was additionally funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VACCELERATE is a pan-European non-commercial clinical research network that coordinates multinational vaccine and immunotherapy trials across 525 clinical trial sites in 20+ countries. It maintains a Volunteer Registry of more than 107,000 participants available in 23 languages and provides harmonized trial protocols, data harmonization under FAIR principles, and training programs such as the Study Nurse Course to support rapid, standardized vaccine research and pandemic preparedness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VACCELERATE Volunteer Registry: A European database for people interested in participating in clinical studies, particularly vaccine trials.
• VACCELERATE Site Network
• VACCELERATE Academy

Products and services

• VACCELERATE Volunteer Registry

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3,100 participants aged 50+ enrolled in MAK5-50+ respiratory virus surveillance study
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vacuna Vaccination AppminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2023Special offers and cooperation with Vacuna Vaccination App for VACCELERATE volunteers. Available at https://vacuna.io/
• Working Bicycles (Switzerland)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership announced for sustainable operations, part of VACCELERATE's ecological path initiative in Switzerland.
• University Hospital ColognecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coordination Office is located at University Hospital Cologne. The project works on behalf of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).
• German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVACCELERATE works on behalf of DZIF for certain activities related to vaccine research coordination.
• EUVAP (European Vaccine Trial Accelerator Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated platform for vaccine trial acceleration, part of the VACCELERATE ecosystem for clinical trial site coordination.
• European Vaccine Initiative (EVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEVI leads immune monitoring activities within the VACCELERATE pan-European vaccine trial network.
• COMBACTEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMBACTE supported the VACCELERATE vaccine trial network with initial funding and infrastructure.
• ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECRIN contributes to the coordination and support of multinational clinical trials within the VACCELERATE network.
• Penta Child Health ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with VACCELERATE pediatric team on mpox study collecting pediatric and adolescent mpox data.
• VERDI Project (SARS-CoV-2 variants Evaluation in Pregnancy and Paediatrics cohorts)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint EU Clinical Research Initiative combining VACCELERATE and Penta Child Health Research for pediatric mpox data collection.
• EUPATI (European Patient's Academy on Therapeutic Innovation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVACCELERATE Cyprus team supports patient advocacy groups educational needs in vaccine clinical research through EUPATI.
• Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the VACCELERATE network, involved in trial site capacity and vaccination studies.
• Inserm (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench national partner institution in the VACCELERATE clinical research network.
• University of Antwerp (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian partner institution hosting Vaccinopolis and coordinating Belgian volunteer registry activities.
• UMC Utrecht (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch partner leading COVACC study on COVID-19 vaccination in children.
• University of Verona (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian national coordinator for the VACCELERATE Volunteer Clinical Trial Registry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Medpace: Mid-to-large CRO with strong vaccine and infectious disease trial capabilities in Europe. A relevant commercial alternative for sponsors evaluating VACCELERATE for vaccine trials.
• ICON plc: Major global CRO with dedicated vaccine and infectious disease clinical trial services. Comparable as a scaled provider of clinical trial infrastructure, including decentralized trial technology and site network management.
• CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations): Global partnership that funds and coordinates development of vaccines against epidemic threats. Operates at a higher level of the pandemic-preparedness value chain than VACCELERATE but addresses the same need (rapid vaccine trial capacity) at much larger scale.
• IQVIA: The world's largest CRO with extensive vaccine and decentralized clinical trial capabilities. Competes with VACCELERATE for vaccine trial sponsors at the commercial scale end of the market, though its model and pricing are very different.

Direct peers

• COMBACTE: Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance in Europe — a clinical research network for infectious disease trials funded by IMI/IHI. Provided initial infrastructure support to VACCELERATE and shares the same pan-European SMO-like operating model.
• EUVAP (European Vaccine Trial Accelerator Platform): A vaccine trial site registration and coordination platform that is part of the VACCELERATE ecosystem. Provides site-facing infrastructure highly comparable to VACCELERATE's Site Network.
• Penta Child Health Research: An independent, non-profit foundation coordinating pediatric clinical research across Europe. Partnered with VACCELERATE on pediatric mpox data collection (VERDI project) and addresses the same under-researched populations VACCELERATE targets.
• ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network): Pan-European clinical research infrastructure that coordinates multinational clinical trials across European countries. Operates a similar distributed model to VACCELERATE and is itself a VACCELERATE partner; the closest direct comparator in terms of mission, governance, and operating model.
• European Vaccine Initiative (EVI): European vaccine R&D partnership that supports development of vaccines for diseases of poverty and emerging infectious diseases. Leads immune monitoring activities within VACCELERATE; comparable as a vaccine-focused European research network with public-good mission.

Others

• FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics): Global non-profit driving diagnostic innovation and community surveillance for infectious diseases. Relevant comparator for VACCELERATE's emerging community respiratory surveillance and rapid antigen testing work (MAK5-50+).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vaccelerate_eu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1Gv0HDBdyG2Kk2UNo2HNDg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vaccelerate-eu
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vaccelerate