The Global Surgery Foundation

What The Global Surgery Foundation does

The Global Surgery Foundation is a Swiss non-profit foundation registered in Geneva in October 2021, employing 24 staff and operating with a mission to expand access to surgical care in low- and middle-income countries, where 5 billion people lack life-saving surgical services. Its core technology is SURGhub, a free open-access e-learning platform co-developed with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and branded as the "United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub"; it hosts 140+ courses in surgery, anaesthesia, obstetrics, and perioperative care, with offline access and iOS/Android apps, and has surpassed 50,000 registered learners across 200+ countries and territories. The complementary product, SURGfund, is described as the world's first pooled catalytic funding mechanism for surgical care, deploying donor capital into country-level capacity-building projects.

The foundation's business model is donation-driven: GSF is funded by institutional partners and corporate foundations (Johnson & Johnson Foundation, GE Healthcare Foundation, Takeda, Siemens Healthineers, Michael Susan Dell Foundation, Smile Train) and by large one-off commitments such as the $3M Clinton Global Initiative pledge announced in September 2025. All SURGhub courses and SURGfund-supported projects are provided free of charge to healthcare workers and communities. GSF pursues a multi-channel go-to-market combining community-led engagement (Ambassador Programme, peer mentorship in Uganda, Kenya, Pakistan), event-driven advocacy (World Health Assembly side-events), and enterprise-level institutional fundraising. Programmes span maternal/obstetric surgery (Kenya OSS Nakuru, Nepal Koshi), children's surgery, trauma and fracture care (Tanzania Building Bridges for Broken Bones), cancer surgery (Women's Health Programme), and value-based healthcare (Türkiye, Rwanda), delivered in partnership with implementing organisations such as Jhpiego, AIC Kijabe Hospital, and country health ministries.

Name

The Global Surgery Foundation

Legal name

The Global Surgery Foundation

Website

https://globalsurgeryfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Global Surgery Foundation is a Geneva-based Swiss non-profit that operates SURGhub, a free UN-backed e-learning platform, and SURGfund, a catalytic financing mechanism, to expand surgical care access for healthcare workers and patients in low- and middle-income countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Health Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Surgical, Perioperative & ERAS Pathway Tools (HLACAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ), Women’s & Children’s Surgical Care Centers (HLAFAJAM), Healthcare & Clinical Simulation (Surgery, Nursing, EMT, Patient Interaction) (EDAFAJAC)

Keywords

• Global surgery
• Surgical e-learning
• Health systems strengthening
• Obstetric safe surgery
• Capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Catalytic Funding: GSF operates as a charitable foundation funded through donations from institutional partners, corporate foundations (Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Smile Train, etc.), and catalytic funding commitments. The organization deploys these funds through SURGfund to support surgical care strengthening projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Global Surgery Foundation delivers a free, open-access digital e-learning platform (SURGhub, the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub) that provides quality-assured online courses in surgery, anaesthesia, gynaecology, obstetrics, and perioperative care to frontline healthcare workers in resource-limited settings, alongside SURGfund — the world's first pooled catalytic funding mechanism financing surgical care strengthening projects in low- and middle-income countries. Its portfolio also includes targeted programmes in obstetric safe surgery, women's health (maternal/breast/cervical cancer), trauma and fracture care, and value-based healthcare.

Product overview

The Global Surgery Foundation offers a dual-product portfolio centered on SURGhub (the United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub), a free digital learning platform providing 140+ courses to 50,000+ healthcare workers, and SURGfund, the world's first catalytic funding mechanism for surgical care systems. These core offerings are complemented by targeted programmes including the Obstetric Safe Surgery Programme, Women's Health Programme, Building Bridges for Broken Bones (trauma/fracture care), and Value-based Healthcare Programme—each addressing specific gaps in global surgical care delivery through training, financing, and health system strengthening.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SURGhub: The United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub - a free open-access e-learning platform providing quality-assured surgical training courses to healthcare workers worldwide.
• SURGfund

Products and services

• SURGhub (United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub) A free, open-access digital e-learning platform providing quality-assured online courses in surgery, anaesthesia, gynaecology, obstetrics, and perioperative care for frontline healthcare workers in resource-limited settings worldwide. Currently includes 140+ courses and has surpassed 50,000 registered learners across 200+ countries and territories, with iOS/Android mobile apps and offline access.
• SURGfund The world's first and only pooled catalytic funding mechanism for strengthening surgical care systems. Provides catalytic financing to support capacity-building projects in surgical care in low- and middle-income countries, deploying funds raised from institutional donors and philanthropic partners.
• Obstetric Safe Surgery (OSS) Programme A comprehensive programme strengthening surgical teams through hub-and-spoke training models, improving safety culture, teamwork, and standardized practices. Implemented in Kenya (Nakuru County) and Nepal (Koshi Province) to reduce maternal mortality and improve obstetric surgical outcomes.
• Women's Health Programme GSF's flagship initiative addressing surgical care gaps for women, focusing on maternal health, breast cancer, and cervical cancer through capacity-building, clinical training, and quality improvement projects.
• Building Bridges for Broken Bones Project A SURGfund-supported project in Tanzania fostering collaboration between traditional bonesetters and local hospital staff to improve fracture care outcomes through innovative triage and treatment protocols.
• Value-based Healthcare (VBHC) Programme A programme generating evidence to support value-based care approaches, with focus on breast cancer care optimization in Türkiye and Rwanda, in partnership with Turkish Ministry of Health, universities, and other institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 million people with improved access to surgical care
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Co-developer of SURGhub platform alongside GSF. UNITAR helped develop the GSF concept and continues as a key implementation partner. SURGhub is officially the 'United Nations Global Surgery Learning Hub'.
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey supporter of SURGhub platform development and implementation. RCSI contributes to content development and governance of the surgical training platform.
• Smile TraincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisational Founding Partner supporting GSF development. Smile Train brings network of 1,100+ hospitals and surgical facilities across LMICs, Global Medical Advisory Board, and expertise in cleft surgery. Supported GSF's registration as Swiss Foundation.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner providing academic leadership and research support. GSF was incubated within Harvard's Program in Global Surgery and Social Change before becoming independent.
• Harvard Health Systems Innovation LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and innovation partner contributing to health systems strengthening approaches in GSF programs.
• JhpiegocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for OSS Nakuru project in Kenya. Jhpiego provides technical implementation support for obstetric safe surgery programs with GSF/SURGfund financing.
• AIC Kijabe Hospital (Kenya)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementation partner in Kenya working with GSF on obstetric safe surgery projects, providing clinical expertise and training facilities.
• Kenya Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment health ministry partner for Kenya country programs including $3M CGI commitment. Ministry provides policy alignment and health system integration for GSF interventions.
• AO AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Building Bridges for Broken Bones project in Tanzania, providing trauma course materials and orthopaedic surgery expertise.
• Shirati KMT Hospital (Tanzania)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner for Tanzania trauma and fracture care programs, hosting training courses and collaborating on the bonesetter engagement project.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner expanding access to war-surgery training through SURGhub. ICRC's leading educational materials made accessible to tens of thousands of healthcare workers.
• International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on developing oncologic expertise locally and providing surgical care education related to gynecologic cancer treatment.
• Leapfrog to ValuemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to enhance access to care and strengthen health systems, focusing on Breast Cancer and Maternal Health through value-based healthcare approaches.
• Voice of the PatientmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through memorandum of understanding focused on enhancing access to care and prioritizing patient voices in healthcare programming.
• Geneva CantonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner in Geneva, Switzerland where GSF is headquartered.
• McGill University Centre for Global SurgerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner using SURGhub for trauma and disaster response team training, particularly in conflict areas.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AO Foundation: Swiss-based orthopedic surgery education and research organization that is an active GSF partner on the Tanzania trauma program. Closely comparable for surgical education content delivery, clinician training, and trauma/musculoskeletal focus.
• Smile Train: Global cleft-surgery non-profit that is a founding partner of GSF and operates an analogous model of LMIC-focused surgical capacity building, partner networks (1,100+ hospitals), and country implementation. Directly comparable mission, donor base, and beneficiary geography.
• McGill Centre for Global Surgery: Academic global surgery center at McGill University that is an active GSF partner using SURGhub for trauma/disaster response training. Comparable as a global surgery research and training entity in the same ecosystem.
• AMBOSS: Digital medical knowledge and clinical decision-support platform for physicians and trainees worldwide. Comparable as a tech-enabled, global medical learning product serving healthcare professionals, though commercially oriented vs GSF's free-access model.
• Partners In Health: Non-profit delivering healthcare and training clinicians in resource-limited settings globally. Comparable as a model of donor-funded healthcare capacity building in LMICs with strong academic partnerships and country-level implementation.
• Operation Smile: Global surgical non-profit providing cleft and reconstructive surgery in LMICs, with strong volunteer clinician networks and country implementation. Comparable as a foundation funding and delivering surgical capacity-building programs in similar geographies.
• Lifebox: Non-profit focused on surgical safety in low-resource settings, providing tools, training, and pulse oximetry to anesthesia providers in LMICs. Directly comparable in surgical quality-improvement mission, target users (frontline surgical teams), and donor-supported funding model.
• AMREF Health Africa: Africa's largest health non-profit focused on health systems strengthening and training of frontline health workers. Comparable in LMIC health workforce training, donor-funded model, and East African country presence overlapping with GSF's Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda footprint.
• Jhpiego: Global health non-profit affiliated with Johns Hopkins focused on maternal/ women's health in LMICs; an active implementation partner for GSF's Kenya OSS program. Comparable mission, donor base, and women's health/surgical capacity focus.

Broad incumbents

• Royal College of Surgeons of England: Established surgical professional body offering surgical education, training, and standards globally. Comparable as a provider of surgical curricula and certifications, though serving a broader, mostly high-income membership base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surgfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Global Surgery Foundation