Conservation X Labs
Conservation X Labs is a 501(c)(3) conservation technology nonprofit that invents AI and molecular diagnostic tools (Sentinel, NABIT, Wildbook, Scout) and runs open-innovation challenges to serve governments, NGOs, researchers, and protected-area managers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Conservation X Labs does
Conservation X Labs (CXL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit technology and innovation organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Washington, DC, with a stated mission to prevent the sixth mass extinction. The organization operates a dual model combining in-house invention of conservation technologies with open-innovation prize programs. Its core in-house product portfolio centers on three platforms: Sentinel, an AI-powered edge minicomputer that attaches to camera traps and processes wildlife imagery locally before transmitting compressed insights over satellite and cellular networks; NABIT (Nucleic Acid Barcode Identification Tool), a handheld, ruggedized field molecular diagnostic platform that delivers wildlife/food/pathogen genetic identification in approximately 15 minutes at a reported 10x lower cost than competing lab equipment; and the Molecular Development Kit (MDK), an open-source development platform that extends NABIT's capabilities. In January 2024, CXL merged with Wild Me, absorbing Wildbook (a citizen-science computer-vision platform tracking 255,000+ individual animals across 1.3M sightings) and Scout (aerial wildlife-survey AI tooling).
Revenue mechanics are hybrid and typical for a conservation nonprofit: the largest stream is donations and grants from foundations and government agencies (Moore Foundation, USAID, USDA, Schmidt, UNDP, Goldman Sachs Analyst Impact Fund, WWF, Andes Amazon Fund, New Venture Fund, Roddenberry, Grantham); a second stream is paid consulting (open innovation design, AI/ML services, biodiversity monitoring technology design, and biodiversity-credit financial mechanism design for governments, NGOs, and corporations); and a third stream is direct hardware sales of Sentinel and NABIT units to conservation organizations and protected-area managers (quote-based, not publicly priced). GTM is enterprise field sales targeting governments and NGOs, supplemented by event-driven open-innovation challenges that engage global innovator networks. As of recent reporting, approximately 500 Sentinel devices have been deployed across 14 countries, with geographic reach spanning North America, LATAM, Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Central Asia.
Conservation X Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Conservation X Labs
- Legal name
- Conservation X Labs
- Website
- https://conservationxlabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Conservation X Labs is a 501(c)(3) conservation technology nonprofit that invents AI and molecular diagnostic tools (Sentinel, NABIT, Wildbook, Scout) and runs open-innovation challenges to serve governments, NGOs, researchers, and protected-area managers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Conservation X Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conservation Technology
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG), Animal Disease Surveillance & Reporting Systems (HLAMAJAB), Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM), Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)
Keywords
Where Conservation X Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Conservation X Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization (EIN 47-4066524), Conservation X Labs is funded primarily through charitable donations, grants from foundations, and government funding. The organization holds 501(c)(3) status making donations tax-deductible.
- Consulting Services: CXL provides consulting services to governments, NGOs, and businesses including open innovation design, AI/ML services, biodiversity monitoring technology, and financial mechanism design for biodiversity credits.
- Technology Product Sales: Sale of Sentinel AI devices and NABIT molecular diagnostic tools to conservation organizations, protected area managers, and research institutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | One-time grant | Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge winners receive $20,000 solution grants |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | One-time grant | Fire Grand Challenge prize fund exceeding $1,000,000 |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | One-time grant | Global Cooling Prize had $3M prize purse |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | One-time grant | Microfiber Innovation Challenge prize fund of $525,000 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Conservation X Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Conservation X Labs develops and sells conservation technology hardware and software including Sentinel (AI-powered camera trap minicomputer for real-time wildlife monitoring), NABIT (handheld molecular diagnostic device for genetic species identification), and Wildbook/Scout (open-source AI platforms for wildlife population analysis). The organization also provides consulting services spanning open innovation design, AI/ML development, biodiversity monitoring technology deployment, and biodiversity credit financial mechanisms to governments, NGOs, and research institutions globally.
Product overview
Conservation X Labs operates as a multi-product conservation technology organization offering both in-house invented products and open innovation services. The core product portfolio includes: Sentinel (AI-powered camera trap minicomputer for real-time wildlife monitoring), NABIT (handheld genetic testing device), the Molecular Development Kit (open-source diagnostic development platform), and Wild Me platforms (Wildbook for population analysis and Scout for aerial survey data). These products work together as an integrated ecosystem—Sentinel processes visual data in the field, NABIT validates species identity through genetic testing, Wild Me's AI platforms aggregate and analyze data across researchers and regions, and the MDK enables third-party development of new diagnostic capabilities. Beyond products, CXL offers consulting services including Open Innovation design, Machine Learning & AI services, biodiversity monitoring technology implementation, and innovative financial mechanism design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sentinel: AI-powered minicomputer that attaches to camera traps to enable real-time monitoring by processing images locally and transmitting compressed insights over low-bandwidth connections. Makes wildlife monitoring smarter with revolutionary and intuitive AI technology, processing environmental data in real-time.
- NABIT
- Wildbook
- Scout
- Molecular Development Kit
Products and services
- Sentinel AI-powered minicomputer that attaches to camera traps to enable real-time wildlife monitoring for conservation organizations, protected area managers, and government agencies. Processes environmental data locally and transmits compressed insights over satellite and cellular networks for early detection of wildlife threats, poachers, and invasive species.
- NABIT (Nucleic Acid Barcode Identification Tool) Low-cost, handheld, ruggedized, field-ready automated molecular platform for genetic testing that validates identity of wildlife or food products for field scientists, conservationists, fisheries biologists, and wildlife managers. Detects invasive species and identifies pathogens anywhere in the world without specialized training, equipment, or continuous power, delivering results in approximately 15 minutes at 10X lower cost than competing devices.
- Wild Me (Wildbook and Scout) Open software and AI platforms for conservation researchers. Wildbook provides long-term data curation, high-speed AI processing, and collaboration for individual animal identification across 12M+ photographs and 255,000+ tracked animals. Scout enables analysis of large volumes of aerial wildlife survey data using affordable camera systems and AI.
- Molecular Development Kit (MDK) Open-source development platform that makes molecular diagnostics accessible globally for every pathogen, parasite, or species. Contains software tools, documentation, and integrated hardware to program NABIT devices.
- Open Innovation Services CXL designs and executes prize competitions and open innovation challenges for governments, NGOs, and businesses, architecting innovation ecosystems that attract global solvers and generate implementable solutions to conservation challenges.
- Machine Learning & AI Services AI-as-a-Service consulting putting experienced ML teams to work on conservation challenges, including developing AI models for species detection, custom LLM training, and biodiversity training data transformation for enterprise clients.
- Technology for Monitoring Biodiversity Consulting services helping enterprises navigate the technology landscape and design science-based deployments for ecosystem health monitoring, species presence detection, and threat monitoring.
- Biodiversity Credits & Financial Approaches Design and deployment of innovative financial mechanisms aligning economic incentives with biodiversity outcomes, including biodiversity credit markets and outcome-based finance structures for governments and corporations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15-1000x faster response times than current manual methods
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Conservation X Labs
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Conservation X Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Conservation X Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
36 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- MetacoreInternational consortium coordinated by Conservation X Labs and META has developed SA-FARI, an AI system that automatically detects, segments, identifies, and tracks individual animals across video footage using META's Segment Anything Model 3 (SAM3).
- MetacoreConservation X Labs in collaboration with Meta released the world's largest open dataset of annotated wildlife videos from camera traps, called SA-FARI. The dataset, facilitated by Meta's AI models, includes over 10,000 clips with nearly 100 species from various continents and aims to advance AI research for conservation.
- Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)flagshipTNFD and Conservation X Labs partnered on the Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge, seeking to develop affordable tools aligned with the TNFD LEAP approach to help SMEs assess nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)flagshipUNDP partnered with CXL and TNFD on the Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge to help SMEs globally access nature intelligence tools.
- Wild MecoreConservation X Labs announced a merger with nonprofit Wild Me to jointly enhance artificial intelligence applications for biodiversity conservation. Wild Me's technology, including open-source platforms for tracking and analyzing wildlife (Wildbook, Scout), will be integrated into Conservation X Labs' products such as Sentinel. This merger combines their resources and expertise in AI tools for wildlife monitoring and protection.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft partners with CXL on AI solutions for conservation, including integration and development of technology solutions.
- NOAAcoreNOAA collaborated with CXL's Wild Me Lab on synthesizing AI competition results into working AI models for individual beluga ID in Cook Inlet Alaska, advancing to re-ID for gray whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and more.
- U.S. National Park ServicecoreNational Park Service partners with CXL on wildlife monitoring and conservation technology deployment across protected areas.
- U.S. Department of the InteriorcoreUSDOI collaborated with CXL on AI research for wildlife conservation including beluga whale population studies through BOEM.
- University of FloridaminorAcademic partnership for conservation technology research and development.
- Universität BielefeldminorAcademic partnership contributing to conservation AI research and development.
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)coreDFO partnered with CXL on AI-powered wildlife research including beluga whale population studies in Cook Inlet Alaska.
- EarthRangercoreEarthRanger integration with Sentinel enables faster response and smarter decisions for conservationists. Sentinel and EarthRanger integration provides comprehensive wildlife monitoring and protection.
- Giraffe Conservation FoundationcoreGiraffe Conservation Foundation uses GiraffeSpotter (Wildbook for Giraffe) for giraffe population monitoring using cloud-based computing and collaborative photo-ID database.
- EsricoreEsri provides geospatial technology and support for the Fire Grand Challenge, contributing mapping and spatial analysis capabilities.
- Planet LabscorePlanet Labs provides satellite imagery and Earth observation data supporting Fire Grand Challenge innovations.
- American ForestscoreAmerican Forests partners on the Fire Grand Challenge, contributing expertise in forest restoration and wildfire management.
- Ilbirs FoundationcoreIlbirs Foundation partners with CXL on snow leopard conservation work and protected areas development in Kyrgyzstan's Teskey Ala-Too mountains.
- Team Bars TurkmenistancoreTeam Bars Turkmenistan is a founding partner for CXL's Central Asia program, focusing on Persian leopard conservation and protected area management.
- Michael Succow FoundationcoreMichael Succow Foundation partnered through the Central Asian Desert Initiative, supporting designation of 'Cold Winter Deserts of Turan' as UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Caucasus Nature FundcoreCaucasus Nature Fund collaborates with CXL providing technical and scientific support to protected areas in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- National Geographic SocietycoreNational Geographic Society partners on conservation initiatives including wildcat conservation in Central Asia.
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)coreRSPB partners on protected areas management and conservation programs in Central Asia.
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)coreRZSS collaborates on wildcat conservation technology and protected area management.
- WWFcoreWWF partners on conservation technology and biodiversity initiatives.
- UNEPflagshipUnited Nations Environment Programme collaborates on global conservation initiatives.
- National Geographic SocietycoreNational Geographic Society partners on conservation media and technology initiatives.
- AutodeskminorAutodesk supports conservation technology programs.
- ESRIcoreESRI provides geospatial technology for conservation mapping and analysis.
- Island ConservationcoreIsland Conservation partners on invasive species removal and island restoration.
- Department of Conservation New ZealandcoreDOC New Zealand partners on Sentinel deployment for invasive species detection on protected islands.
- Planet LabscorePlanet Labs provides satellite imagery supporting conservation monitoring.
- Project Last MileminorProject Last Mile supports conservation logistics and programs.
- Re-wildminorRe-wild supports ecosystem restoration initiatives.
- ASMEminorASME supports engineering solutions for conservation.
- FlotillaminorFlotilla Marine Technology partners on ocean conservation technology.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Conservation X Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wildlife Conservation Society: Global wildlife conservation nonprofit operating field programs and applied science across species and habitats. Comparable to CXL as a peer conservation organization, but far larger, established earlier, and with a traditional field-program model rather than a technology-and-innovation core.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): One of the largest global conservation NGOs with deep field programs, policy influence, and technology partnerships. Comparable as a peer institutional conservation organization and named partner of CXL, but operates at a vastly larger scale and with a broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- EarthRanger: Conservation technology platform that aggregates sensor and field data (including from camera traps and ranger patrols) for protected-area management. Direct peer — CXL's Sentinel integrates with EarthRanger and CXL has won the EarthRanger Conservation Technology Award, making them adjacent technology stack peers in the same protected-area management workflow.
- SMART Conservation Tools: Open-source spatial monitoring and reporting tool for protected-area management, widely deployed by government agencies and NGOs. Direct peer — CXL integrates Sentinel with SMART and has implemented SMART for Turkmenistan's Ministry of Environmental Protection, putting both products in the same protected-area workflow.
- RESOLVE: Conservation-focused nonprofit that designs and operates technology, partnership, and financing programs for biodiversity outcomes. Direct peer in mission and operating model; CXL's Chief Scientist previously led the Biodiversity and Wildlife Solutions program at RESOLVE, indicating deep operational overlap.
- Island Conservation: Nonprofit specializing in invasive species removal on islands to prevent extinctions. Direct peer — named partner of CXL, with overlapping work on invasive species detection (Sentinel's invasive-rat detection use case in New Zealand aligns directly with Island Conservation's restoration sites).
- Wildlife Insights: Google-supported AI platform for camera-trap image identification and wildlife monitoring. Direct peer in the camera-trap AI space — competes with CXL's Wildbook/Sentinel ecosystem for academic and NGO users running camera-trap surveys.
- iNaturalist: Citizen-science platform using AI and community ID for biodiversity observations at massive global scale. Comparable as a peer open biodiversity-data platform with overlapping AI and computer-vision capability for species identification — partially competing for researcher and citizen-scientist attention against Wildbook.
Emerging players
- Rainforest Connection: Conservation technology nonprofit using acoustic monitoring and AI to detect illegal logging and biodiversity threats in real time. Comparable as a peer conservation-tech nonprofit building field-deployed AI hardware for monitoring — directly overlapping with CXL's Sentinel use cases (illegal activity detection in protected areas).
- Arribada Initiative: Conservation technology nonprofit designing open-source hardware for wildlife monitoring including camera traps and bio-logging devices. Comparable as a peer open-source conservation hardware innovator, though smaller and more hardware-focused than CXL's full stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Conservation X Labs social profiles
Digital presenceConservation X Labs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Conservation X Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Conservation X Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Conservation X Labs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Conservation X Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Conservation X Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments20 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Conservation X Labs
What does Conservation X Labs do?
Conservation X Labs develops and sells conservation technology hardware and software including Sentinel (AI-powered camera trap minicomputer for real-time wildlife monitoring), NABIT (handheld molecular diagnostic device for genetic species identification), and Wildbook/Scout (open-source AI platforms for wildlife population analysis). The organization also provides consulting services spanning open innovation design, AI/ML development, biodiversity monitoring technology deployment, and biodiversity credit financial mechanisms to governments, NGOs, and research institutions globally.
Is Conservation X Labs a public or private company?
Conservation X Labs is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Conservation X Labs founded?
Conservation X Labs was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Conservation X Labs based?
Conservation X Labs is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Conservation X Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are consulting Services and technology Product Sales.
Who are Conservation X Labs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Direct peers are EarthRanger, SMART Conservation Tools, RESOLVE, Island Conservation, Wildlife Insights and iNaturalist. Emerging players are Rainforest Connection and Arribada Initiative.
Does Conservation X Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Conservation X Labs.
What industry is Conservation X Labs in?
Conservation X Labs's product category is Conservation Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAB, Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection, with a secondary code of BPAGAIAI, Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 3826.