African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative

What African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative does

The African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI) is a non-profit advocacy organisation founded in 2010 (formally constituted in 2012) and headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, with a secretariat of approximately 5-10 staff and a 9-member elected Board of Directors. Its mission is to promote the establishment of sustainable human vaccine manufacturing capacity on the African continent, addressing the structural reality that less than 1% of vaccines used in Africa are currently produced in Africa. AVMI was instrumental in establishing the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and continues to support its evolution into the Platform for Harmonised African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM), aligning with the African Union's goal of supplying at least 60% of Africa's vaccine needs by 2040.

AVMI does not develop proprietary technology or commercial products. Its functional outputs consist of three working groups (Vaccine Technology Transfer, Resource Mobilisation, and Market Shaping), a webinar series, position papers, research outputs (notably the VMPA Study and white papers on manufacturing capability establishment and market opportunity methodology), and convening of AGMs and members' meetings. Its core technology is therefore its convening and coordination infrastructure, which connects ~13 vaccine manufacturers across Africa (including Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines, Biovac, Institut Pasteur de Dakar/VaxSen, Aspen Pharmacare, EVA Pharma, and Kenya BioVax) with multilateral partners (WHO, Gavi, Africa CDC, UNECA, AfDB, UNIDO) and technology providers (Merck, BIOZEEN, Techinvention, IAVI).

AVMI is a membership-based non-profit. Revenue is generated through membership dues from vaccine manufacturers and institutional partners, supplemented by grants and development funding from international partners (no financial figures are publicly disclosed). The go-to-market motion is community-led: AVMI does not sell products or services commercially but operates as the consensus voice for African vaccine manufacturing, providing advocacy, technical support, and coordination services to its member manufacturers and to African governments, regional bodies, and international development partners.

Name

African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative

Legal name

African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative

Website

https://avmi-africa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVMI is a Cape Town-based non-profit advocacy organisation that coordinates Africa's vaccine manufacturers, governments, and global health partners to advance local vaccine manufacturing capacity, supporting the African Union's goal of producing 60% of Africa's vaccines by 2040.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vaccine Manufacturing Advocacy

akta.pro primary industry

Immunization & Vaccine Access Partnerships (Global Vaccine Alliances) (HLAJAOAF)

Keywords

• Vaccine manufacturing advocacy
• Vaccine capacity building
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing support
• Vaccine technology transfer
• Health manufacturing policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AVMI generates revenue through membership fees from vaccine manufacturers and institutional partners across Africa
2. Grants and Development Funding: AVMI receives funding support from development partners and international organizations to advance its mission of promoting African vaccine manufacturing capacity

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AVMI is a non-profit advocacy organisation that promotes the establishment of sustainable human vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. It represents 13 vaccine manufacturers across the continent, facilitates technology transfer, resource mobilisation, and market shaping through three working groups, and publishes research studies, white papers, and position papers. The organisation coordinates advocacy to support the African Union's goal of supplying at least 60% of Africa's vaccine needs by 2040, up from the current 1%.

Product overview

The African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI) is a non-profit advocacy organization that promotes the establishment of sustainable human vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. Rather than offering a unified technology product, AVMI operates as a coordination and advocacy body that provides research studies (VMPA Study), white papers on manufacturing capabilities, educational webinars through the Africa Vaccine Webinar Series, and facilitates three working groups (Vaccine Technology Transfer, Resource Mobilisation, and Market Shaping) to advance its mission. AVMI currently represents 13 vaccine manufacturers across the continent and supports the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) and its iteration as the Platform for Harmonised African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM) to achieve the African Union's goal of supplying at least 60% of Africa's vaccine needs by 2040.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VMPA Study Analytical research study assessing vaccine manufacturing capacity and procurement mechanisms in Africa, initiated through a multi-stakeholder effort led by the African Union Commission and UNIDO, intended for African vaccine manufacturers, policymakers, and development partners.
• Establishing Manufacturing Capabilities for Human Vaccines White Paper

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal to increase Africa's vaccine production from less than 1% to 60% by 2040
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Africa CDC - Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012AVMI was instrumental in establishing the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) by Africa CDC. AVMI continues to support Africa CDC through PAVM's new iteration as the Platform for Harmonised African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM) to achieve the African Union's goal of supplying at least 60% of Africa's vaccine needs by 2040.
• IAVIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAVI is a nonprofit scientific research organization that develops vaccines and antibodies for HIV, tuberculosis, emerging infectious diseases, and neglected diseases. Focuses on R&D, research preparedness, and policy advocacy work in Africa.
• MerckmajorTechnology or IntegrationMerck provides specialized and high-quality products, process development engineers, regulatory experts and comprehensive portfolio of products and services to help vaccine manufacturers meet their process goals from early-phase development to large-scale production.
• BIOZEENmajorTechnology or IntegrationBIOZEEN enables customers to manufacture therapeutics meeting quality benchmarks through process understanding, optimum design space analysis, regulatory compliance, and customized solutions.
• TechinventionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechinvention is a strategic advisory and technology firm focused exclusively on capacity building of vaccines and biologicals for the developing world, enabling successful outcomes from concept stage to commercial manufacture.
• National Vaccine Institute, Ghana (NVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNVI was established by the Government of Ghana to coordinate and supervise the research, development, and manufacturing of vaccines and sera in Ghana, operationalizing vaccine self-sufficiency through domestic and private vaccine manufacturers.
• Gavi, the Vaccine AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGavi launched the $1.2B African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) in June 2024. AVMI provides industry perspective and recommendations on AVMA implementation through position papers.
• WHO Regional Office for AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO Africa and International Vaccine Institute signed MoU to deepen strategic collaboration supporting vaccine equity, local production, and health innovation across the region.
• UNECAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVMI co-hosted the Global event on Enhancing the Sustainability of Investment for Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa at UNECA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in June 2023.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO collaborates with AVMI on strategy development consultations to facilitate the WHO prequalification process for African vaccine manufacturers.
• WHO mRNA Hub at AfrigencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO mRNA hub at Afrigen in South Africa is developing mRNA vaccines and transferring technology for COVID-19 vaccines and other mRNA products to 15-20 spokes in LMICs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI): Non-profit scientific research organization developing vaccines and antibodies for HIV, TB, and emerging infectious diseases with a strong Africa R&D and policy advocacy focus. Listed as a Core strategic partner of AVMI and shares the non-profit vaccine-advocacy model.
• Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV): Product development partnership coordinating anti-malarial drug development with public, private, and academic partners globally. Shares AVMI's PPP convening model targeting infectious diseases disproportionately affecting African populations.
• Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN): Global alliance of vaccine manufacturers from developing countries coordinating capacity building, regulatory harmonization, and technology transfer. The most direct structural peer to AVMI, operating at a broader geographic scope but with an identical convening-and-advocacy model.

Broad incumbents

• PATH: Global non-profit advancing health equity through vaccine development, introduction, and access programs in LMICs. Operates an analogous model of convening governments, manufacturers, and donors around vaccine access with comparable working-group and capacity-building activities.
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Public-private alliance funding immunization programs in lower-income countries and a primary donor/funder influencing AVMI's agenda. While Gavi operates as a funder rather than advocacy body, both organizations operate in the same vaccine-access advocacy space.
• Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI): Global partnership funding and coordinating vaccine development against epidemic threats. CEPI is a larger, better-funded convening body with overlapping mandate (epidemic preparedness, African vaccine capacity) and overlapping stakeholders (e.g., AVMI cited as collaborator on PAVM).
• Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC): Continental public-health agency that owns PAVM/PHAHM, the platform AVMI was instrumental in establishing. Africa CDC is both a partner and the institutional host of the manufacturing initiative AVMI supports, making it the closest institutional peer in Africa.
• Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi): Non-profit R&D organization coordinating drug development for neglected diseases with strong LMIC partnerships. Comparable non-profit convening model focused on equitable access to health technologies, though focused on therapeutics rather than vaccines.

Regional players

• Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund): Japan-based public-private partnership funding global health R&D including vaccines. Comparable PPP model advancing vaccine and therapeutic development for LMICs, though primarily Japan-funded and Asia-focused.

Emerging players

• BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH): Non-profit building partnerships between biopharmaceutical companies and global-health stakeholders to address infectious disease and cancer in LMICs. Comparable advocacy-and-convening model with a smaller footprint and broader disease focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-vaccine-manufacturing-initiative
• Xx.com/avmiafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative