Oxygen Alliance

What Oxygen Alliance does

Oxygen Alliance is a nonprofit collaborative platform founded in 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya by Sanrai International and the Global Health Informatics Institute (GHII) to address the systemic problem of non-functional biomedical equipment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The organization convenes governments, biomedical engineers, NGOs, manufacturers, and academic institutions around healthcare technology management, with an initial focus on medical oxygen infrastructure catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 2026, the organization is rebranding to Uptime Alliance to reflect an expanded mandate covering all life-saving biomedical equipment, beyond oxygen systems alone.

The organization's portfolio centers on an integrated set of digital and in-person tools for biomedical engineers and health ministries. The BME-Konza mobile application provides offline access to medical device manuals, instructional videos, FAQs, and an Expert Q&A peer community. Complementary offerings include a Situational Analysis Tool—a four-pillar framework covering Governance, Equipment Lifecycle, Workforce Capacity, and Financial Flow—a Technical Guides Library of step-by-step diagnostic protocols, and the BEST-LMIC open-access academic journal. The organization has assessed 49 healthcare facilities across three countries, maintains a library of 157 educational videos, and engages approximately 1,700 biomedical engineers across a network of 40 aligned organizations.

Oxygen Alliance operates as a donor- and grant-funded nonprofit with no commercial product sales. Revenue is derived from grants, donations, and partnership agreements; the only publicly disclosed grant is £61,495 from Oxygen Colab in 2024 for the BME-Konza app. Distribution is delivered through direct ministry partnerships (across Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Liberia), academic agreements (including LOIs with six Ethiopian universities), professional society engagement, the Google Play Store, and a multi-channel content marketing approach spanning YouTube, LinkedIn, newsletters, webinars, and conference participation. The organization is transitioning to Uptime Alliance while maintaining a vendor-neutral, independent stance.

Name

Oxygen Alliance

Legal name

Oxygen Alliance

Website

https://oxygenalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oxygen Alliance is a nonprofit collaborative platform founded in 2021 that strengthens healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries by supporting biomedical equipment maintenance through tools, training, and policy engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Technology Management

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAJ), Oxygen Therapy Systems (Concentrators, Cylinders, Liquid O2, HFNC) (HLAHAGAD)

Keywords

• Biomedical equipment maintenance
• Healthcare technology management
• Medical oxygen equipment
• Biomedical engineering services
• Health systems strengthening

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partnership and Membership Model: The organization operates through collaborative partnerships with governments, manufacturers, donors, and academic institutions. Revenue appears to come from grants, donations, and partnership agreements rather than direct product sales.
2. Grant Funding: Received £61,495 grant from Oxygen Colab specifically for BME Konza App development. Organization relies heavily on donor funding and grants from organizations like Oxygen Colab, Unitaid, and other global health funders.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oxygen Alliance is a nonprofit collaborative platform that strengthens health systems in low- and middle-income countries by advocating for and supporting the maintenance and repair of biomedical equipment. It delivers a mobile app (BME-Konza), diagnostic technical guides, situational analyses for ministries of health, an open-access academic journal, webinars, and community-building programs to reduce preventable medical equipment downtime.

Product overview

Oxygen Alliance (now transitioning to Uptime Alliance) offers a portfolio of interconnected tools and resources focused on health systems strengthening through the maintenance and repair of biomedical equipment in LMICs. The core offering is the BME-Konza mobile app — an offline-capable support hub for biomedical engineers providing service manuals, expert Q&A, and a peer community network. Complementing the app is a comprehensive Technical Guides Library of diagnostic and maintenance protocols for equipment including oxygen concentrators, flow splitters, nebulizers, autoclaves, and dialysis machines, with step-by-step procedures and instructional videos. The Situational Analysis Tool provides a data-driven framework for Ministries of Health to assess equipment maintenance gaps across governance, workforce, lifecycle, and financial dimensions. Supporting offerings include the BEST-LMIC open-access academic journal, a Webinar series covering clinical and technical topics (with quarterly themed imaging series co-supported by GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare), a Newsletter and bi-weekly digest for community updates, and a User Testing platform leveraging the practitioner community for innovator product validation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BME-Konza: A mobile application developed for biomedical engineers, providing service manuals, expert Q&A support, and community knowledge sharing for troubleshooting and maintenance.
• BEST-LMIC Journal

Products and services

• BME-Konza App A mobile support hub for biomedical engineers and technicians in LMICs, providing offline access to medical device service manuals, instructional videos, FAQs, expert Q&A, and a peer community network designed to reduce equipment downtime and streamline workflows.
• Situational Analysis Tool A data-driven assessment framework engaging ministries of health to evaluate healthcare needs and gaps in medical equipment maintenance and usage across four pillars: Governance Architecture, Equipment Lifecycle Tracking, Workforce Capacity Mapping, and Financial Flow Analysis.
• Technical Guides Library A comprehensive library of technical service and diagnostic protocols for biomedical equipment including oxygen concentrators, flow splitters, jet nebulizers, CPAP machines, autoclaves, dental units, dialysis machines, and imaging equipment, with step-by-step procedures, required tools, safety precautions, and accompanying instructional videos.
• BEST-LMIC Journal An open-access academic journal (Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies for Low- and Middle-Income Countries — BEST-LMIC) providing a platform for faculty, students, and researchers to publish and share innovation, connecting academia with manufacturers and supporting evidence generation in LMIC healthcare technology management.
• Webinars Live and on-demand webinar series for ongoing engagement with professional societies of biomedical engineers and manufacturers, delivering knowledge-sharing, capacity building, and professional development on oxygen systems, sterilization, imaging, dialysis, dental equipment, and CPAP technology, with quarterly themed series such as 'In Focus' on medical imaging supported by GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare.
• Newsletter and Bi-weekly Digest A community platform serving the broader Oxygen Alliance network with project updates, success stories, collective progress insights, and announcements, including a bi-weekly Oxygen Alliance Digest launched July 2024 and quarterly newsletters.
• Oxygen Concentrator Directory A resource launched in partnership with Better Futures CoLab and ECRI that provides real-world oxygen concentrator performance data to aid procurement and maintenance decision-making.

Quantifiable outcome

• 49 healthcare facilities assessed across 3 countries with actionable recommendations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Sanrai InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-founding organization of Oxygen Alliance in 2021. Sanrai International partnered with GHII to address the critical challenge of non-functional medical equipment in LMICs, particularly focusing on oxygen infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Global Health Informatics Institute (GHII)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-founding organization of Oxygen Alliance alongside Sanrai International. GHII contributed informatics expertise to develop data-driven approaches for healthcare technology assessment and management.
• GE HealthcaresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner supporting the 'In Focus' quarterly themed webinar series focused on medical imaging technology. Provides industry expertise and insights for the webinar content.
• Philips HealthcaresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner supporting the 'In Focus' quarterly themed webinar series. Contributes to comprehensive analyses and insights into medical imaging advances, challenges, and opportunities.
• Touch HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Oxygen Alliance to convene stakeholders and facilitate a Health Technology Management Community of Practice in Tanzania in March 2025.
• Better Futures CoLabsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Oxygen Alliance to host webinars and unveil the Oxygen Concentrator Directory - a resource showcasing real-world performance data for decision-making.
• ECRIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Oxygen Alliance and Better Futures CoLab to unveil the Oxygen Concentrator Directory providing real-world performance data for medical equipment decision-making.
• International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaging with IFMBE to strengthen regional biomedical engineering networks. IFMBE represents the global BME community and supports professional development initiatives.
• Ethiopian Universities ConsortiumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned Letters of Intent with Wollo University, Kombolcha Institute of Technology, University of Gondar, Jimma University, Hawassa University, and Bahir Dar University to enhance biomedical engineering curriculum and workforce training.
• OpenO2supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Oxygen Alliance webinar showcasing innovative maintenance approaches for oxygen concentrators in Malawi. OpenO2 develops solutions including bulk zeolite refilling and mobile workshop buses.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PATH: Large global health nonprofit with extensive oxygen and medical equipment programs in LMICs, including work on oxygen access and health systems strengthening. Much larger and broader than Oxygen Alliance, but operates in overlapping thematic territory around biomedical equipment sustainability.
• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): Global health organization running major medical oxygen market-shaping and equipment programs across Africa and Asia. Directly competes for the same oxygen/HTM donor funding (Unitaid, BMGF) and ministry relationships that Oxygen Alliance targets.
• Partners in Health: Major global health organization delivering health systems strengthening including medical equipment maintenance in resource-limited settings. Shares the LMIC health systems strengthening mission and has comparable ministry-anchored delivery models across multiple African countries.
• AMREF Health Africa: Large African health systems NGO with extensive biomedical engineering training and health workforce programs across East Africa. Overlaps with Oxygen Alliance's ministry engagement and BME capacity-building mission but at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• ECRI: Independent medical device evaluation organization that partnered with Oxygen Alliance and Better Futures CoLab to launch the Oxygen Concentrator Directory. Provides the rigorous equipment performance benchmarking that complements Oxygen Alliance's maintenance and training focus.
• OpenO2: Featured partner of Oxygen Alliance that develops practical oxygen equipment maintenance solutions including bulk zeolite refilling and mobile workshop buses. Operates in the same niche of LMIC oxygen equipment repair with complementary (rather than competing) technology.
• Sanrai International: Co-founding organization of Oxygen Alliance and an oxygen equipment manufacturer/distributor active in LMICs. Most directly comparable peer given shared origin, oxygen focus, and ongoing strategic relationship with the alliance.
• Global Health Informatics Institute (GHII): Co-founding organization of Oxygen Alliance contributing informatics expertise. Operates adjacent data-driven health programs in LMICs and shares leadership and mission DNA with the alliance, making it the closest organizational peer.

Regional players

• Ifakara Health Institute: Tanzania-based health research and systems organization with biomedical engineering and oxygen access programs. Operates in the same East African geography as Oxygen Alliance with overlapping ministry-of-health engagement and technical training focus.

Emerging players

• Assist International: Smaller NGO focused on biomedical equipment training and maintenance in African hospitals. Closely comparable niche player with a similar ministry-engagement and technician-training model but with less geographic reach and a narrower equipment scope than Oxygen Alliance/Uptime Alliance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/o2alliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@oxygenalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oxygenalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Oxygen Alliance