The company was set up through collaboration between LIFElab, the commercial arm of the East Coast Biotechnology Innovation Centre, now incorporated into the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) (a 3a Public Entity of the South African Government's Department of Science and Technology), and Batswadi Pharmaceuticals, a black-empowered company with a focus on biotechnology. ACRO has a Level 4 Black Economic Empowerment rating by Empowerdex.

ACRO offers services to donor-funded organisations, non governmental organisations, research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and government institutions, and work both within and outside the biotechnology sector. We are active across a broad range of clinical areas; an important aim of our organisation is to help improve the care of those affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases prevalent in African populations.