San Francisco Estuary Institute

What San Francisco Estuary Institute does

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental research institute headquartered in Richmond, California, founded as the Aquatic Habitat Institute in 1986 and reorganized under its current name in 1993. SFEI provides independent, peer-reviewed scientific support for water quality management, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation across the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and California more broadly, serving federal, state, and regional government agencies, Tribal nations, frontline communities, regulated dischargers, and conservation nonprofits.

SFEI's technology stack centers on an Environmental Informatics program comprising GIS and remote sensing (including unoccupied aerial systems), a Regional Data Center maintaining over 4 million environmental records, custom software engineering, and a technology architecture hosting platforms such as EcoAtlas (a 25+ year nationally recognized aquatic resource mapping tool with 10,000+ wetland assessments shared), the Contaminant Data Display and Download Tool (CD3), the Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer, the San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas (built with SPUR), the Baylands Resilience Framework, the Riparian Zone Estimator Tool (RipZET), and the Landscape Scenario Planning Tool (LSPT). Core science programs cover Clean Water (including the Regional Monitoring Program, Contaminated Fish, and Emerging Contaminants work on PFAS, microplastics, and tire chemicals), Resilient Landscapes (Baylands & Shoreline Resilience, Delta Landscapes, Stream & Riparian Health, Urban Nature, Historical Ecology, Sediment Science, and Habitat Assessment), and Science Communications.

SFEI is funded primarily through government grants, with documented awards including nearly $52 million in EPA grants channeled to 24 Bay restoration projects, over $7 million in direct SFEI awards for Bay restoration and community partnerships, a $7.625 million California State Coastal Conservancy award, and downstream involvement in $500 million in secured Bay shoreline investments. Supplemental revenue comes from contracted research services, donations, and administration of the Aquatic Science Center, a Joint Powers Authority created by the State Water Resources Control Board and Bay Area Clean Water Agencies. Outputs (data tools, publications, and the biennial Pulse of the Bay report) are provided free to the public, with influence driven by a sales-led and event-driven go-to-market that builds trusted relationships with decision-makers, tribes, and community organizations.

Name

San Francisco Estuary Institute

Legal name

San Francisco Estuary Institute

Website

https://sfei.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

San Francisco Estuary Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental research institute that delivers peer-reviewed science, long-term monitoring data, and decision-support tools to federal, state, and regional government agencies, Tribal nations, and communities managing water quality and climate resilience across the San Francisco Bay-Delta and California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research and Monitoring Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Environmental monitoring services
• Water quality monitoring
• Wetland restoration science
• Watershed assessment tools
• Environmental data management

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: SFEI receives substantial government grants from federal agencies (EPA, USACE, NOAA), state agencies (California Coastal Conservancy, State Water Resources Control Board), and regional agencies. The organization was awarded nearly $52 million in EPA grants for Bay restoration projects and $7 million for Bay restoration and community partnerships.
2. Donations: SFEI accepts donations to support the Institute's mission to provide visionary science. They publish an annual Impact Report showing donor impact on environmental outcomes.
3. Contracted Research Services: SFEI provides scientific support, consulting, and research services to government agencies, nonprofits, and private sector organizations. They serve as the Implementing Entity for the Regional Monitoring Program and as technical lead for statewide programs.
4. Aquatic Science Center Administration: SFEI administers the Aquatic Science Center (ASC), a Joint Powers Authority created by the State Water Resources Control Board and Bay Area Clean Water Agencies. ASC's purpose is to provide scientific support to agencies working on water quality protection.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) provides independent environmental science, monitoring, and technology tools to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and California watersheds. Core offerings include the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality (30-year status and trends monitoring), the Resilient Landscapes Program (Baylands & Shoreline Resilience, Sediment Science, Habitat Assessment), the Clean Water Program (PFAS, Microplastics, Emerging Contaminants, Contaminated Fish), and an Environmental Informatics Program delivering GIS, Data Services, Software Engineering, and public-facing tools such as EcoAtlas and CD3.

Product overview

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is an environmental research institute offering a portfolio of science programs and technology platforms rather than a single commercial product. Its core offerings include the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality (RMP) for Bay water quality monitoring, the Environmental Informatics Program comprising GIS, Data Services, Technology Architecture, and Software Engineering services, and the Resilient Landscapes Program with Baylands & Shoreline Resilience, Sediment Science, and Habitat Assessment & Monitoring capabilities. Key digital products include EcoAtlas (wetland and stream visualization), the Contaminant Data Display and Download Tool (CD3) for water quality data access, the Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer, and the San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas. The Science Communications Program translates research into accessible formats. SFEI operates as a 501c3 nonprofit partnered with government agencies, Tribal nations, nonprofits, and academic institutions to deliver science-based tools for water quality protection and climate resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality (RMP)

Quantifiable outcome

• SFEI research on tire contaminants led California to regulate chemical content in vehicle tires to protect salmon - the first regulation of its kind in the world
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA is a key federal partner providing major grant funding. In 2023, EPA allocated nearly $52 million in federal grants to fund 24 Bay projects based on SFEI science. SFEI leads the EPA-funded Healthy Watersheds Resilient Baylands project with sixteen partner organizations.
• California State Water Resources Control BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the Aquatic Science Center Joint Powers Authority with SFEI to provide scientific support for water quality protection, policy development, and assessment. State Board also funds SFEI research through various programs.
• Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the Aquatic Science Center Joint Powers Authority with State Water Resources Control Board to support BACWA member agencies with scientific data for regulatory compliance.
• San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated the Regional Monitoring Program in 1993. SFEI serves as Implementing Entity to develop, staff, and manage the decades-long monitoring program.
• SPURkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SPUR on the San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas project, funded by the SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, to create a new way of looking at the Bay shoreline for adaptation planning.
• All Positives PossiblekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFEI partners with this community-based organization serving low-income disadvantaged groups in the Vallejo area to assess contamination of Bay fish consumed by subsistence fishers. Leading fish monitoring for the Carquinez Strait Fish and Preservation Project.
• California Coastal ConservancykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner supporting SFEI restoration and resilience projects. Collaborations include baylands restoration visioning and nature-based infrastructure projects.
• Delta Stewardship CouncilkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Delta landscape research and planning. SFEI contributes science for the Delta Science Program and integrated watershed-Bay modeling strategies.
• Google Ecology ProgramkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate sector partner collaborating on ecological research and landscape analysis. One of SFEI's notable cross-sector partnerships.
• The Nature ConservancykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational conservation organization partner for habitat restoration and ecosystem management projects in the Bay Area.
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation body with whom SFEI collaborates on ecosystem resilience and nature-based solutions, with collaborations extending nationally and internationally.
• Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner supporting ambient monitoring since 2010 using WRAMP framework in Santa Clara County. Data used for evaluating and prioritizing riverine restoration and mitigation projects.
• UC BerkeleykeyTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner for research collaborations on environmental science, ecology, and data analysis.
• Stanford UniversitykeyTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner collaborating on environmental research and science innovation.
• California Ocean Protection CouncilkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency planning to launch a statewide plastics monitoring project based on SFEI's microplastics methodology study published in 2026.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chesapeake Bay Trust: Nonprofit that funds and supports environmental restoration, monitoring, and education for the Chesapeake Bay. Comparable as an estuarine-focused nonprofit that combines grantmaking, science, and partnership work for a specific watershed — analogous to SFEI's SF Bay-Delta mandate.
• Stroud Water Research Center: Independent nonprofit freshwater research institute conducting long-term watershed monitoring, data management, and decision-support science. Highly comparable as a 501(c)(3) research nonprofit with similar monitoring program structure, GIS/data services, and education mission.
• San Francisco Estuary Partnership: Federal-state-local collaboration that implements the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the SF Estuary. Closely affiliated with SFEI (which was created to operationalize its monitoring) and directly comparable in mission, geography, and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA PMEL): NOAA federal research lab conducting large-scale ocean and atmospheric monitoring, including long-term datasets on coastal water quality and climate. Comparable in operating long-term monitoring programs and producing public datasets, though broader in geographic and topical scope.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with major water, coastal resilience, and environmental data practices. Comparable in delivering large-scale government environmental science and adaptation services, but operates commercially across many geographies and sectors.
• Tetra Tech: Global environmental consulting firm with deep water resources, environmental monitoring, and GIS capabilities serving government clients. Directly competes for the same federal/state environmental science contracts SFEI's grantees pursue, though as a much larger commercial entity.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consultancy serving corporate and government clients. Comparable in environmental consulting and compliance services but with a commercial, multi-sector model that contrasts with SFEI's nonprofit, region-specific model.

Emerging players

• Anchor QEA: Water resources and environmental engineering consultancy with practices in ecosystem restoration, sediment management, and environmental data. Comparable in coastal/estuarine science and decision-support work for government clients, but with broader national reach and a commercial model.
• Integral Consulting: Environmental science and engineering consulting firm focused on water resources, contaminated sites, and ecosystem restoration. Comparable in technical depth on emerging contaminants and estuarine/coastal science, but a private commercial firm competing for similar government work.

Others

• Moss Landing Marine Laboratories: California State University marine research lab on Monterey Bay conducting coastal water quality, oceanographic, and contaminant research. Comparable as a California-based marine science research organization producing environmental data, though academic rather than nonprofit in structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sfestuaryinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-estuary-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfestuaryinstitute
• Xx.com/sfei_asc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Estuary Institute