What Choose Life does

Choose Life is a Greece- and Switzerland-domiciled charitable organization (dual entities: Verein Choose Life in Zug, Switzerland, and a Greek charitable association headquartered in Chalandri, Athens) founded in 2016 by the Loi family following Dimitris Lois's diagnosis with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Its mission centers on three functions: expanding the global bone marrow donor registry via cheek-swab DNA collection and HLA tissue typing, funding research into blood cancer treatments, and providing material and emotional support to patients and families. Operationally, the organization runs a community-led go-to-market, registering approximately 12,500–13,000 new volunteer donors and facilitating 28–42 donor-patient matches to date, while coordinating bone marrow and PBSC donations with medical partners such as Save a Life – CBMDP and the Geneva University Hospital.

Its product surface is donation-based rather than commercial: a WooCommerce-powered portal offers tiered Adopt-a-Swab-Kit donations (€25–€100) and general monetary contributions (€25–€1,000), alongside the affiliated research arm — the Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois in Patras, Greece (inaugurated October 2021) — which advances novel cellular therapies and contributes to the MSc Cell and Gene Therapies academic program. Choose Life generates no product or licensing revenue; funding flows from individual donations, corporate CSR sponsorships (Cardlink, Cosmote, Coca-Cola HBC, EY Greece, Frigoglass, Miele, OTE, Watson Farley & Williams, Kyla Shipping), and event-based fundraising (Run with Choose Life, Navarino Challenge auctions, theater productions). The Medical Committee, headed by Prof. Alexandros Spyridonidis, provides medical governance, and the Dimitris Lois scholarship at Geneva University Hospital anchors the international research footprint.

Name

Choose Life

Legal name

Verein Choose Life

Website

https://chooselifeworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Choose Life is a Greece- and Switzerland-based non-profit (founded 2016) that recruits volunteer bone marrow donors, funds blood-cancer research through the Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois, and supports leukemia and lymphoma patients via corporate CSR partnerships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blood Cancer Charity / Nonprofit Health Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Bone marrow donation
• Blood cancer charity
• Stem cell donation
• Donor registry
• Cellular therapy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization generates revenue through charitable donations from individuals and corporations. Donation options range from €25 to €1,000 through online portal, with additional corporate sponsorships and fundraising events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Choose Life is a charitable organization that recruits and registers volunteer bone marrow donors into the global registry, funds blood cancer research through its Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois in Patras, Greece, and provides support to patients and families affected by blood-related illnesses. The organization also offers donation products (Adopt a Swab Kit, monetary donations) and administers the Dimitris Lois Scholarship at Geneva University Hospital.

Product overview

Choose Life is a charitable organization (not a technology company) operating as a dual entity between Greece and Switzerland. The organization offers a portfolio of donation-based products and services centered on fighting blood cancer. Core offerings include bone marrow donor registry services (registration and HLA typing), donation products (swab kits and monetary donations), research support through the Dimitris Lois Scholarship at Geneva University Hospital, and the Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois in Patras focused on cellular therapy research. Products are delivered through a WooCommerce-based platform and include Adopt a Swab Kit (€25-€100), Choose Life Donation tiers (€25-€1000), and custom donation amounts. The organization does not offer a technology platform, API, or SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bone Marrow Donor Registry Services Core service to register new volunteer bone marrow donors into the global registry, including DNA cheek swab testing and HLA tissue typing to match donors with patients requiring transplants.
• Adopt a Swab Kit Donation product with tiered options (€25, €50, €75, €100) allowing supporters to fund the cost of a bone marrow donor registration kit and enable new donors to join the global registry.
• Choose Life Donation Monetary donation product with tiered options (€25, €50, €100, €500, €1,000) supporting the organization's mission to fight blood-related illnesses, support research, and grow the bone marrow donor base.
• Other Donation Amount Customizable donation amount allowing supporters to contribute any chosen sum to support Choose Life's initiatives.
• Choose Life – Dimitris Lois Scholarship
• Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois Research institute established in Patras, Greece, focused on advancing novel cellular therapies for blood cancer treatment and contributing to the MSc Cell and Gene Therapies academic program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,500 new volunteer bone marrow donors registered
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CardlinkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst CSR partnership with Cardlink to raise awareness for bone marrow donation. After a successful CSR week, 50% of Cardlink employees entered the world bone marrow registry, demonstrating effective corporate engagement model.
• CosmotecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNew CSR partnership with Cosmote to raise awareness among employees and increase the number of volunteer bone marrow donors. Cosmote runners also participated in Athens Authentic Marathon with Choose Life.
• Coca-Cola HBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoca-Cola HBC funds the purchase of vital equipment for the establishment of the Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois in Patras, Greece, supporting cutting-edge cellular therapy research.
• EY GreececoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEY Greece supported Choose Life's fight against blood cancer by raising awareness and increasing the global bone marrow registry through employee engagement programs.
• FrigoglasscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrigoglass has been an important ally since Choose Life's inception, with ongoing support that demonstrates long-term commitment to the organization's mission.
• MieleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCelebrated Christmas season with Miele by baking cookies and raising awareness on how to become volunteer bone marrow donors.
• Watson Farley & WilliamsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported Choose Life's fight against blood cancer by raising awareness and increasing the global bone marrow registry.
• Kyla ShippingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHelped in the fight against blood cancer by raising awareness and increasing the global bone marrow registry.
• Save a Life - CBMDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Save a Life - CBMDP financially contributing to the HLA typing of 10,000 newly registered volunteer bone marrow donors, directly expanding the donor registry.
• OTEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Choose Life mission, listed as partner on the organization's website.
• Fullhouse OgilvyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as partner on Choose Life website.
• Navarino ChallengeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports event supporting Choose Life initiatives through Sharing Is Caring charity auction with sports memorabilia from top athletes.
• Worldline GreeceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Choose Life at their offices to discuss bone marrow donation process and spread hope about saving lives.
• Athens College AlumniminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTheater team performed 'Allo Allo' play with proceeds donated to Choose Life.
• University of PatrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished the Institute of Cell Therapy Dimitris Lois in Patras; awarded honorary recognition to Choose Life for contributions to blood cancer research.
• Geneva University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished the Dimitris Lois scholarship to support research for new blood cancer treatments. Research findings presented at American Society of Hematology annual meeting.
• MSc Cell and Gene TherapiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoose Life's Institute is an important contributor to the MSc Cell and Gene Therapies program, with practical training taking place at the institute.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA): International nonprofit that establishes standards and facilitates search coordination across the world's bone marrow donor registries. Not a competitor, but a directly comparable ecosystem participant that governs how Choose Life's registry interoperates globally.

Broad incumbents

• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: US-based nonprofit funding pediatric and adolescent cancer research, including blood cancers. Comparable mission on funding blood cancer research to Choose Life, but with a different patient population and substantially larger fundraising operation.
• National Marrow Donor Program (Be The Match): US-based bone marrow donor registry operating the world's largest registry. Comparable mission and HLA-typed donor infrastructure to Choose Life, but operates at much greater scale and serves as a global clearinghouse for unrelated donor searches.
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Large US-based voluntary health organization funding blood cancer research and providing patient services. Comparable mission on blood-cancer research funding and patient support to Choose Life, but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Gift of Life Marrow Registry: US-based volunteer bone marrow donor registry with a strong focus on ethnically diverse donor recruitment. Directly comparable mission and cheek-swab / HLA typing workflow to Choose Life.
• Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Israel-based volunteer bone marrow donor registry serving the global Jewish and broader population. Directly comparable activity and HLA typing pipeline to Choose Life, with a comparable regional/international growth trajectory.
• Anthony Nolan: UK-based charity that runs a bone marrow registry and funds research into treatments for blood cancers. Directly comparable to Choose Life on mission (donor recruitment + research funding) and charity structure, though it operates at national-scale in the UK rather than regionally in Greece.
• DKMS: Global bone marrow donor registry headquartered in Germany operating in seven countries. Directly comparable to Choose Life on core activity (volunteer donor recruitment, HLA typing, donor-patient matching) and target donor population, but at substantially greater international scale.

Regional players

• Elliniki Etairia Karkinou (Hellenic Cancer Society): Greek national cancer nonprofit providing patient support, awareness, and screening programs. Comparable patient-support and awareness function to Choose Life, but operates as a broader cancer charity rather than a focused bone-marrow/registry organization.
• The Sunflower Fund: South African nonprofit focused on recruiting bone marrow donors from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Comparable registry-building and donor-recruitment mission to Choose Life, but operates in a distinct geography with similar ethnic-diversity emphasis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chooselifeworld
• Instagraminstagram.com/chooselife_world
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chooselifeworld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Choose Life