What Sophia Forum does

Sophia Forum is a UK-based nonprofit research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting the rights, health, welfare and dignity of women living with HIV. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in London, it serves an estimated population of more than 30,000 women living with HIV in the UK, including a growing sub-segment of over 10,000 women aged 50 and above. Its core activities are developing and delivering advocacy programmes, aggregating information and research on issues affecting women with HIV, and influencing UK health policy, with all staff and one-third of trustees drawn from the community itself.

Its product portfolio is centred on advocacy and research programmes rather than technology. Flagship initiatives include the "We Are Still Here" campaign, the GROWS (GRowing Older Wiser and Stronger) programme on ageing with HIV delivered with Positively UK, NAM aidsmap and University College London, Project Respond (a quality improvement study with Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust on Black African and Caribbean heritage women), the WISE UP+ programme, the HIV and Menopause programme including a co-developed Guide to Menopause, PrEP access advocacy, and the Campaigner Panel that trains women with HIV as advocates. Outputs are primarily reports, guides, policy submissions, surveys, and event-driven campaigns distributed through the sophiaforum.net website, social media, and partner channels.

Sophia Forum is a charitable organization that does not charge for its services and does not publish financial statements. Income is generated through individual donations (collected via PayPal and Virgin Money Giving), pharmaceutical company project funding (notably Gilead Sciences for Project Respond), and institutional grants (including the Fast Track Cities HIV London Improvement Fund for GROWS). It is GDPR-compliant, operates only in the United Kingdom, and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external equity backing.

Name

Sophia Forum

Legal name

Sophia Forum

Website

https://sophiaforum.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sophia Forum is a UK nonprofit research, policy and advocacy organization advancing the rights, health and dignity of women living with HIV through campaigns (We Are Still Here, GROWS, PrEP access), peer-led support networks and policy submissions to government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HIV Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO), Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Sexual & Reproductive Health & Family Planning (SRH/FP) Programs (BPADAIAD)

Keywords

• HIV advocacy services
• Women's health policy
• Community health research
• HIV peer support
• Health equity advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: Sophia Forum operates as a charitable organization that raises funds through donations (via PayPal), partnerships with pharmaceutical companies for specific projects, and institutional funding from organizations like Fast Track Cities HIV London Improvement Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sophia Forum is a research, policy and advocacy organization that develops and delivers advocacy programmes, aggregates information and research on issues affecting women living with HIV, and influences policy in the UK. It runs campaigns (e.g., We Are Still Here, PrEP access), research projects (e.g., GROWS for women ageing with HIV, Project Respond), and resources including a Guide to Menopause for Women Living with HIV. All offerings are delivered free of charge to women living with HIV, NHS partners, and policymakers.

Product overview

Sophia Forum is a Research, Policy and Advocacy organization (not a technology product company) focused on promoting and advocating for the rights, health, welfare and dignity of women living with HIV. The organization operates advocacy programs including the 'We Are Still Here' campaign, HIV and menopause initiatives, PrEP access advocacy, and research programs such as GROWS (for women aging with HIV) and Project Respond. They produce publications including guides and policy reports, and engage in partnership advocacy with organizations like National AIDS Trust. The organization does not offer technology products or SaaS platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• We Are Still Here: A campaign by women living with HIV that aims to highlight their experiences and priorities to address health inequity and gender inequality in the HIV response.
• GROWS
• Campaigner Panel
• Project Respond
• WISE UP+

Products and services

• We Are Still Here Campaign A campaign developed and delivered by women living with HIV that highlights their experiences and priorities to address health inequity and gender inequality in the HIV response, targeting policymakers and the health sector in the UK.
• GROWS (GRowing Older Wiser and Stronger) A research and peer-support project for women ageing with HIV in the UK, providing peer-led support, accurate and accessible information, and networks. Delivered in partnership with Positively UK, NAM aidsmap and University College London.
• PrEP Advocacy Programme Advocacy programme campaigning for equal access to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for women in the UK, including research on barriers to PrEP access.
• Project Respond A quality improvement project co-developed with Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust examining the experiences of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage women living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• HIV and Menopause Programme A programme of work on HIV and menopause, including the Guide to Menopause for Women Living with HIV, co-produced with Dr Louise Newson (Newson Health) and Dr Nneka Nwokolo (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital).
• Campaigner Panel A one-year training and mentoring programme that recruits women living with HIV and equips them to lead the development and delivery of advocacy campaigns.
• Women's Health Strategy Submission A joint policy submission with the National AIDS Trust to the UK Government's Women's Health Strategy Call for Evidence, based on a 2021 survey of 96 women living with HIV.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96 women living with HIV surveyed for Women's Health Strategy submission
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National AIDS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with National AIDS Trust to survey women living with HIV for the UK Women's Health Strategy Call for Evidence. Jointly submitted recommendations to inform the government strategy.
• Terrence Higgins TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on PrEP access study with Terrence Higgins Trust, PrEPster, and One Voice Network to understand PrEP services and uptake across the UK.
• PrEPstercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on PrEP access study with National AIDS Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust, and One Voice Network to understand barriers to accessing PrEP in England.
• One Voice NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on PrEP access study with National AIDS Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust, and PrEPster to understand PrEP services and uptake across the UK.
• Chelsea and Westminster NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Project Respond, a quality improvement project focused on Black African and Black Caribbean heritage women living with HIV and their experiences during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Positively UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in GROWS (GRowing Older Wiser and Stronger) project - an innovative project for women ageing with HIV, funded by Fast Track Cities HIV London Improvement Fund.
• NAM aidsmapcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in GROWS project, responsible for developing videos capturing voices of women growing older with HIV.
• University College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in GROWS project, providing research expertise for the study on women ageing with HIV.
• Dr Louise Newson (Newson Health - Menopause and Wellbeing Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Sophia Forum to co-develop the Guide to Menopause for Women Living with HIV.
• Dr Nneka NwokolocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonorary Consultant Physician in HIV and Sexual Health at Chelsea & Westminster hospital, runs specialist menopause clinic for women living with HIV, contributed expertise to menopause guide.
• Juno RocheminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcclaimed author partnered with Sophia Forum for launch of book 'A Working Class Family Ages Badly'. Selected Sophia Forum as charity partner for book release.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National AIDS Trust: UK-based HIV policy and advocacy charity that has co-authored submissions and studies with Sophia Forum. It is the most directly comparable UK HIV advocacy peer, operating at a larger scale across broader HIV policy issues.
• Positively UK: UK charity providing peer-led support for people living with HIV. It is a direct peer because it is a co-partner on the GROWS project alongside Sophia Forum and serves overlapping community populations with lived-experience-led services.
• NAM aidsmap: UK-based HIV information charity producing research-based resources on HIV. It is comparable as a co-partner in GROWS and as a peer information/advocacy provider focused on people living with HIV.
• PrEPster: UK community-led project advocating for PrEP access and education. It is comparable as a co-partner on the PrEP access study with Sophia Forum and serves a directly overlapping HIV prevention advocacy mission.
• One Voice Network: UK network of Black African and Caribbean heritage organisations addressing HIV. It is comparable as a co-partner on the PrEP access study and as a peer advocacy organisation for communities disproportionately affected by HIV.
• George House Trust: Manchester-based HIV charity providing support and advocacy for people living with HIV. It is comparable as a regional UK HIV support and advocacy peer with overlapping service and lived-experience-led models.
• Naz Foundation London: UK charity supporting Black and Minority Ethnic communities affected by HIV. It is comparable as a peer advocacy and support organisation serving Black African and Caribbean heritage populations - Sophia Forum's priority cohort for Project Respond.

Broad incumbents

• Terrence Higgins Trust: The UK's largest HIV charity, working across HIV prevention, support and policy. It is comparable as a sector peer with overlapping HIV advocacy and PrEP access work, but operates a much broader portfolio beyond women-specific issues.
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) UK: Global HIV/AIDS organisation operating in the UK, providing testing, treatment and advocacy. It is comparable as a broader incumbent HIV advocacy and care peer with overlapping policy interests on PrEP access and treatment.

Regional players

• Sahir House: Liverpool-based HIV charity providing support, advocacy and information across the North West of England. It is comparable as a UK HIV peer support and advocacy organisation, but operates primarily in a different regional catchment than Sophia Forum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SophiaForum
• Instagraminstagram.com/sophiaforum/?hl=en-gb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sophia-forum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sophia Forum