Ceres

What Ceres does

Ceres is a U.S. nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization founded in 1989 (with the Ceres Principles) and incorporated as Ceres, Inc. in 1995 as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity under EIN 223-053747, headquartered in Boston with a second office in San Francisco. The organization mobilizes institutional investors, Fortune 500 corporations, and policymakers to address climate change, water scarcity, and nature loss as systemic financial risks, operating three coordinated membership networks: the Ceres Investor Network, the Ceres Company Network, and the Ceres Policy Network. It also runs the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets and thematic initiatives such as the Valuing Water Finance Initiative.

The organization produces research reports and strategic frameworks (e.g., the Ceres Roadmap 2030), runs a freemium self-assessment tool (Ceres Roadmap 360°) covering 12 sustainability modules, and convenes working groups on initiatives such as Climate Action 100+, Nature Action 100, Food Emissions 50, and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative. Its underlying technology stack is modest: the Roadmap 360° web platform for SMB sustainability assessment and Salesforce for constituent engagement and data management, with no disclosed proprietary AI/ML models.

Ceres's business model is a hybrid of recurring network membership dues (Policy Network fees range from $5,000 to $35,000 annually; Company Network fees use a revenue-based sliding scale that favors Fortune 500 anchor members) plus charitable donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships. The go-to-market is community-led and field-driven through direct enterprise engagement with investors and companies, supplemented by content marketing, events, and policy advocacy. Its primary customer segments are institutional investors and large corporations, with policy makers as a secondary stakeholder; small and midsize enterprises are served through the free tier of Roadmap 360°.

Name

Ceres

Legal name

Ceres, Inc.

Website

https://ceres.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ceres is a U.S. nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization that mobilizes institutional investors, Fortune 500 companies, and policymakers through three membership networks and research initiatives to address climate, water, and nature risks as systemic financial issues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Company Network Membership: Annual membership dues from large corporations in the Ceres Company Network. Fees are determined on a sliding scale based on company annual revenue.
2. Policy Network Membership: Annual membership dues ranging from $5,000 to $35,000 for companies in the Ceres Policy Network, with discounts offered to Company Network members.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Charitable donations from supporters and sponsorships from annual sponsors to fund organization operations and initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ceres is a nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization that mobilizes institutional investors, large corporations, and policymakers to address climate change, water scarcity, and nature loss as systemic financial risks. It operates three membership-based networks (Investor Network, Company Network, Policy Network), publishes research reports and benchmarks, runs the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets initiative, and offers the Ceres Roadmap 360° self-assessment tool for small and midsize enterprises.

Product overview

Ceres is a nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization, not a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of research publications, self-assessment tools, and professional networks rather than a unified software product. The primary digital product is the Ceres Roadmap 360°, a self-guided sustainability assessment platform available in free and premium tiers. Supporting offerings include the Ceres Roadmap 2030 strategic framework, the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets initiative, and three membership networks (Investor Network, Company Network, Policy Network) that provide peer learning, working groups, and advocacy opportunities. The Valuing Water Finance Initiative represents a major investor engagement program with associated benchmarking tools. All offerings are designed to help investors and companies address sustainability risks and opportunities rather than functioning as standalone commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets: Center for excellence aiming to improve practices and policies governing capital markets by engaging regulators, financial institutions, investors, and corporate boards to act on climate risk as a systemic financial risk.
• Ceres Investor Network
• Ceres Company Network
• Ceres Policy Network
• Ceres Roadmap 360°

Products and services

• Ceres Roadmap 360°

Quantifiable outcome

• Every dollar invested in Maryland's EmPOWER efficiency program returns $2.21 in benefits to Marylanders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Justice Climate FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeres and the Justice Climate Fund co-released a report finding that community-based financing institutions could serve as a viable pathway for institutional investors to fund climate and infrastructure projects in underserved communities.
• SalesforceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeres participates in Salesforce's Accelerator – Agents for Impact program, focused on nature-based solutions using the Agentforce AI platform. Ceres is working on initiatives related to clean energy access.
• The Climate CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsors legislation (SB 913 and AB 1975) with Environment California and The Climate Center to address California's Demand Side Grid Support program.
• Environment CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsors legislation with The Climate Center to address California's Demand Side Grid Support program and clean energy integration.
• EcolabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeres partnered with Ecolab on research examining the balance between AI's water demands and sustainable water management practices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a nonprofit sustainability advisory network that works with major global companies on ESG strategy, similar to Ceres' Company Network. Comparable membership-based model, Fortune 500 client base, and focus on sustainable business practices.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs a global environmental disclosure system used by thousands of companies and investors, directly comparable to Ceres' disclosure and investor engagement work. Ceres co-founded CDSB (a CDP affiliate) per source history timeline.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is a global research nonprofit that produces sustainability tools (e.g., GHG Protocol) and corporate sustainability guidance, closely paralleling Ceres' research, benchmarking, and standards-development work.
• As You Sow: As You Sow is a nonprofit that uses shareholder advocacy and corporate engagement to advance ESG issues, mirroring Ceres' investor-corporate engagement model with comparable mission and tactics.

Broad incumbents

• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): NRDC is a much larger environmental advocacy nonprofit with a broader scope including litigation, lobbying, and direct environmental programs. Comparable on the advocacy and policy-advancement dimensions but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth than Ceres.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): WWF is a global environmental nonprofit whose corporate engagement and sustainable finance work overlaps with Ceres' nature, water, and capital-markets programs, though WWF's scope is much broader across conservation.
• MSCI ESG Research: MSCI ESG Research provides commercial sustainability ratings, data, and analytics to investors—overlapping with Ceres' benchmarking and investor tools (e.g., Valuing Water Finance Initiative) but as a for-profit data vendor.

Emerging players

• Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Foundation: Now consolidated under the IFRS Foundation, SASB developed industry-specific sustainability accounting standards—the same standards-development space Ceres helped pioneer through its Investor Listing Standards Proposal.
• ISS ESG: ISS ESG provides sustainability ratings and advisory services to investors and corporates, comparable to Ceres' sustainability analytics and investor engagement offerings but delivered via commercial subscription products.

Regional players

• Accountancy for Sustainability (A4S): A4S is a UK-based nonprofit that mobilizes the accounting and finance community on sustainability, paralleling Ceres' Investor Network and sustainable finance work but primarily serving UK/European financial professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CeresNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/ceres.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceres-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Ceres