AF3M

What AF3M does

AF3M (Association Française des Malades du Myélome Multiple) is a French non-profit patient advocacy association (Association loi 1901) founded in 2010 and headquartered at 30 rue Pasquier, Paris. It is the sole association in France exclusively dedicated to supporting patients affected by multiple myeloma, a rare hematological cancer with an estimated patient population of approximately 20,000 in mainland France. The organization operates entirely on a volunteer basis with no paid employees and is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Committee (Bureau). Its revenue is derived exclusively from individual membership fees (Adhésions) and tax-deductible individual donations under articles 200 and 238 bis of the French General Tax Code, with no government subsidies received.

AF3M's service portfolio combines information dissemination, peer support, and patient advocacy. Core offerings include the central website (af3m.org), the Le Bulletin digital magazine (200+ articles and 15 dossiers since 2016), webconferences with medical experts, the Conversations Multiples podcast, the MOOC Myélonet online course, and the annual JNM (Journée Nationale d'Information sur le Myélome) event held across 27-28 French cities, typically drawing over 2,500 participants. A network of 20+ regional volunteer groups provides localized support, while hospital hematology department partnerships enable in-clinic documentation distribution. The association also runs an Appels à projets research grant program funding myeloma researchers annually.

Its go-to-market is community-led, reaching patients and caregivers through regional volunteer networks, hospital-based outreach, medical congress presence, and digital channels (Facebook with nearly 1,000 followers, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube). The primary customer segments are multiple myeloma patients (primary), family members and caregivers (secondary), and healthcare professionals (secondary). AF3M advocates for patient rights with French health authorities and facilitates access to clinical trial information, addressing information asymmetry, psychological support gaps, and policy representation needs in this rare-disease niche.

Name

AF3M

Legal name

Association Française des Malades du Myélome Multiple

Website

https://af3m.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AF3M is a French volunteer-run non-profit association founded in 2010 that serves as the sole patient advocacy organization exclusively dedicated to multiple myeloma patients in France, providing education, peer support, and health authority representation to roughly 20,000 affected patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Membership fees (Adhésions): Annual membership fees from patients and supporters who join the association. Members receive access to member area, regional contacts, news, and ability to manage donations and download tax receipts.
2. Donations (Dons): Regular donations from supporters to ensure financial independence. Donations are tax-deductible, offering a 66% tax reduction under French law articles 200 and 238 bis of the General Tax Code. No state subsidies are received.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AF3M (Association Française des Malades du Myélome Multiple) is a French non-profit patient association, governed by the law of 1901, that provides information, education, peer support, and advocacy services for people affected by multiple myeloma and their families. It operates through a website, a quarterly bulletin (Le Bulletin AF3M), webconferences, a podcast (Conversations Multiples), an online training course (MOOC Myélonet), annual national information days held in multiple cities, and a network of regional volunteer groups. The association is the only organization in France exclusively dedicated to representing multiple myeloma patients.

Product overview

AF3M is a non-profit patient association offering a unified portfolio of information, support, and educational services for multiple myeloma patients and their families in France. The core offering consists of the association's website as a central information hub, supplemented by the Bulletin magazine for in-depth content, webconferences and the Conversations Multiples podcast for multimedia engagement, the MOOC Myélonet for structured education, and the annual JNM national information days. Regional volunteer groups provide local support throughout the country, while the appels à projets program supports myeloma research through grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Myélorun: A walking/running challenge event where participants share their walking moments while participating in a regional competition, organized by AF3M.
• Le Bulletin
• JNM - Journée Nationale d'Information sur le Myélome
• HéMaVie
• ENPatHie
• MOOC Myélonet
• Conversations Multiples

Products and services

• Site web AF3M (AF3M Website) Official website providing information on multiple myeloma, association news, patient resources, and access to digital tools for patients and caregivers in France.
• Le Bulletin AF3M Quarterly magazine published by AF3M providing news, medical updates, and patient stories related to multiple myeloma; distributed to members and made available online.
• Webconférences sur le myélome Online conferences and webinars broadcast on the AF3M website, featuring medical experts and patient testimonials to inform multiple myeloma patients and families.
• Conversations Multiples Podcast series produced by AF3M featuring conversations on multiple myeloma topics aimed at patients, families, and the wider community.
• MOOC Myélonet Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed with the University of Nantes to provide structured e-learning about multiple myeloma for patients and caregivers.
• JNM - Journées Nationales d'Information sur le Myélome Annual nationwide information days on multiple myeloma organized simultaneously in around 28 cities across France, attracting more than 2,500 participants each year.
• Groupes régionaux de bénévoles (Regional volunteer groups) Network of more than 20 regional volunteer groups across France providing local peer support, listening, and information activities for multiple myeloma patients and families.
• Appels à projets (Research project calls) Calls for research projects funded by AF3M, offering grants to researchers working on multiple myeloma.
• Livre Blanc du myélome White book on multiple myeloma published by AF3M to inform and raise awareness about the disease and patient needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21st edition of JNM planned for November 14, 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Fondation ARC pour la recherche sur le cancer: Major French cancer research foundation funding grants across all tumor types, including hematological cancers. Not a direct competitor to AF3M but a peer in the French cancer funding ecosystem, and a potential partner or alternative donor channel for myeloma research.

Emerging players

• Lymphoma Coalition: Global network of lymphoma patient organizations. Adjacent to AF3M on hematological cancer patient advocacy, sharing methodologies (member-network model, global awareness days) but focused on lymphoma rather than myeloma.

Direct peers

• Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE): Pan-European network of myeloma patient organizations, of which AF3M is one of the largest national members. Directly comparable on myeloma-specific patient advocacy, information dissemination, and policy engagement at the European level.
• Association Laurette Fugain: French non-profit supporting patients with leukemia and other blood cancers, plus their families, and funding research. Operates with similar volunteer structure, regional presence, and education/advocacy mission to AF3M.
• LMC France: French patient association for chronic myeloid leukemia (LMC). Directly comparable to AF3M as a French blood-cancer patient advocacy group offering peer support, regional groups, and medical information for a rare hematological malignancy.
• France Lymphome Espoir: French non-profit patient advocacy organization for lymphoma patients and caregivers. Closely comparable to AF3M in mission, structure (volunteer-run, membership-based), and service mix (information, support, regional groups, annual information days). Differ only in disease focus.

Broad incumbents

• European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC): Umbrella European organization representing cancer patient associations across tumor types. Comparable to AF3M in patient-advocacy mission and policy engagement but operates at the EU-policy level rather than as a single-disease national association.
• International Myeloma Foundation (IMF): Global myeloma patient advocacy organization founded in 1990, with broader international reach, larger research funding programs, and multilingual educational resources. Comparable to AF3M on disease focus and patient-education mission but operates at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/af3m_myelome
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYp8hvYYjaZojxHKd6Xc-1w
• Facebookfacebook.com/af3m.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/myelomefr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/af3m

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 AF3M