Hemp Building Institute

What Hemp Building Institute does

Hemp Building Institute (HBI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2022 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, focused on advancing the adoption of natural building materials—particularly hemp-lime (hempcrete)—in U.S. residential construction. Its core technology work centers on hempcrete construction, combining hemp hurds with lime binder to produce breathable, carbon-negative wall systems, and on the development of associated building codes, standards, and Environmental Product Declarations. HBI's principal technical achievement was leading the development of the Hemp-lime (Hempcrete) Construction Appendix BA, accepted by the International Code Council for inclusion in the 2024 International Residential Code—the first standardized U.S. code provisions for hempcrete construction—followed by a multi-year IRC Commentary effort submitted in June 2023.

HBI's "products" are organized around three program pillars: Research (natural building materials, sustainable practices, and performance testing), Educational Materials and Events (workshops, presentations, and industry outreach), and Sustainable Affordable Housing (implementing natural materials in low-income housing projects). Supporting offerings include the IRC Commentary documentation and an in-development EPD Generator for Biogenic Building Materials (launched as an initiative in October 2024) that will quantify the environmental impact of hemp-based construction products.

The organization's business model is non-commercial and grant/donation-funded: revenue streams include individual donations (collected via PayPal), corporate sponsorships, educational services and presentations, and grants. Following a May 2023 board-level mission refocus, HBI has oriented its programs toward affordable housing and low-income populations, aligning with HUD's $4 billion allocation for innovation in sustainable affordable housing and USDA's interest in new hemp markets. Distribution occurs primarily through industry conferences, code-body engagement, government showcases (e.g., HUD Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall), and a content hub comprising the HBI website, blog, newsletter, and social channels.

Name

Hemp Building Institute

Legal name

Hemp Building Institute

Website

https://hempbuildinginstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hemp Building Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that drives adoption of hemp-lime (hempcrete) construction in U.S. affordable housing through building-code development, standards, education, and research, serving low-income communities, builders, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Building Materials Research & Education

NAICS

Residential Building Construction (2361), Construction of Buildings (236)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Green Building & Energy-Efficient Construction (LEED, Weatherization) (EDAOAAAO), Residential Green / High-Performance Home Construction (Net-Zero, Passive House) (IMAFABAH)

Keywords

• Natural building materials
• Hemp-lime construction
• Sustainable construction research
• Affordable housing education
• Building code development

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: HBI operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on donations to fund its operations, research, and affordable housing initiatives. They accept donations through PayPal and have a fundraising page for specific projects like the IRC commentary development.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: HBI offers sponsorship opportunities for organizations looking to support natural building materials research and affordable housing development. Sponsors can contribute to specific programs or general operations.
3. Educational Services: HBI provides educational materials, presentations, and training on natural building materials and sustainable building practices. While primarily educational, these activities may generate some revenue through workshops or training programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hemp Building Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that researches, educates on, and advocates for natural (hemp-lime/hempcrete) building materials and their adoption in sustainable affordable housing. Its deliverables include research programs on hemp-lime performance, educational events and materials, pilot affordable housing projects, the IRC Commentary for the Hemp-lime Construction appendix, and an EPD Generator for biogenic building materials.

Product overview

The Hemp Building Institute (HBI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization operating as a research and educational institution rather than a commercial product company. HBI's offerings consist of three interconnected program pillars: (1) Research Programs covering natural building materials, sustainable building practices, and performance testing; (2) Educational Materials and Events providing training and outreach on hemp-lime construction; and (3) Sustainable Affordable Housing initiatives implementing these materials in low-income housing projects. Supporting offerings include the EPD Generator for Biogenic Building Materials tool and the IRC Commentary for Hemp-lime Construction appendix development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Programs on Natural Building Materials Research programs covering natural building materials, sustainable building practices, and affordable housing, including performance testing and data tracking of innovative building materials such as hemp-lime (hempcrete).
• Educational Materials and Events Educational programs covering natural building materials, sustainable building practices, and affordable housing accessibility, delivered through workshops, presentations, and training materials for industry professionals, builders, and the public.
• Sustainable Affordable Housing Program Program that implements natural materials and sustainable building practices to construct affordable housing in partnership with local organizations, creating healthier homes for low-income populations.
• IRC Commentary for Hemp-lime (Hempcrete) Construction Official commentary documentation for the Hemp-lime Construction Appendix BA in the International Residential Code, explaining code language, providing compliance examples, photographs, diagrams, and alternatives for code officials and industry professionals.
• EPD Generator for Biogenic Building Materials Tool that generates Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for biogenic and natural building materials, enabling documentation and communication of the environmental impact of hemp-based construction products.
• HBI Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship program offering organizations the ability to financially support the Hemp Building Institute's mission of advancing natural building materials and affordable housing through hemp construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of time spent indoors - making building material health critical to population health
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional, industry, international and minor.

• US Hemp Building Association (USHBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2023Strategic partnership on ICC code development efforts. USHBA agreed to donate $3,000 from the US Hemp Building Foundation (USHBF) and support fundraising for the IRC commentary development. Two USHBA board members joined the small group review of the commentary. Future plans include USHBA taking over ICC development leadership for hemp building products.
• Mpactful VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMary Dempsey from Mpactful Ventures co-led the IRC code development effort with HBI President Jacob Waddell. Dempsey served as Chief of Staff and continued to lead the process through the commentary development phase.
• Verdant Structural EngineerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAnthony Dente, PE, Principal at Verdant Structural Engineers performed necessary structural engineering work on all levels of the IRC documentation, including the code language, reason statement, and commentary development.
• Development Center for Appropriate TechnologycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDavid Eisenberg, Executive Director, served as code consultant alongside Martin Hammer. Both reviewed the entire commentary offering corrections and writing sections they believed were missing the mark.
• Martin HammercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMartin Hammer, Architect and Code Specialist, served as code consultant who helped write the IRC code language and reason statement for the Hemp-lime appendix.
• IND HempmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIND Hemp acted as host for the Montana Hemp Summer Summit 2023, bringing together over 150 participants from different levels of the hemp supply chain. They invited HBI President Jacob Waddell to present on hemp building products.
• Hemp Alliance of TennesseeregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBI collaborated with the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee for presentations at the Tennessee State Fair 2023. Jacob Waddell spoke on behalf of both HBI and HAT on hemp-lime buildings.
• AmerichanvreindustryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCameron McIntosh, Co-Owner of Americhanvre, participated in the hemp building products panel at Montana Hemp Summit and served on the small group review team for IRC commentary development.
• US HeritageindustryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTai Olson, Director of Operations at US Heritage, reviewed IRC commentary documents. US Heritage is responsible for some of the first permitted hemp-lime structures in the country and is developing commercial guide specifications for hemp-lime.
• Homeland HempcreteindustryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatt Marino from Homeland Hempcrete served on the small group review team for IRC commentary development, bringing builder perspective to the code documentation.
• Sexsmith ArchitectsindustryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlex Sexsmith, Principal at Sexsmith Architects, represented USHBA Board of Directors on the small group review team for the IRC commentary.
• International Hemp Building Association (IHBA)internationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBI will present at the 11th International Hemp Building Symposium presented by IHBA in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The symposium brings together hemp building industry professionals from around the world.
• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)internationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBI President Jacob Waddell will present on behalf of ASTM, PROCEMCO, and Colombian Ministry of Commerce to educate participants on the status of the hemp building industry and how Colombia can benefit.
• National Hemp Association (NHA)industryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeoff Whaling, Chair of NHA, provided endorsement of HBI's work and mission. NHA represents the broader hemp industry including potential for incorporating hemp-based materials in construction.
• Sunflower FilmsminorOthersCreated the IRC commentary commercial for HBI. Currently working on a documentary on the many uses of hemp, including interviews with Martin Hammer, Anthony Dente, and Jacob Waddell.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• US Hemp Building Association (USHBA): US trade association for the hemp building industry. HBI is explicitly partnering with USHBA on IRC code development and USHBA is taking over future code-cycle leadership, making them the closest organizational peer with overlapping non-profit/advocacy mandate around hemp-lime construction.
• International Hemp Building Association (IHBA): International hemp building industry association running the symposium where HBI presents. Directly comparable as a peer advocacy/education organization focused on hemp-lime construction and code adoption across multiple countries.
• Americhanvre: US hemp-lime (hempcrete) construction company whose co-owner participates in HBI's IRC commentary review. Operates as a hempcrete contractor/applicator directly relevant to HBI's sustainable affordable housing program, sharing the same hemp-lime technical and policy ecosystem.
• US Heritage: One of the first US contractors to build permitted hemp-lime structures and is developing commercial guide specifications for hemp-lime. HBI partnered with their Director of Operations for IRC commentary review; comparable as a hemp-lime builder and standards contributor in the same niche.
• Homeland Hempcrete: Hemp-lime construction services firm whose representative served on HBI's IRC small-group review team. A direct peer executing hempcrete builds while working with HBI on code documentation.
• Hempitecture: Manufacturer of hemp-based building insulation and hempcrete products serving North American builders. Comparable as a hemp building materials supplier pushing the same carbon-negative construction narrative that HBI promotes through codes and education.

Emerging players

• Just BioFiber: Manufacturer of hempcrete blocks and bio-fiber building systems focused on Canada/US markets. An emerging supplier in the same hemp-lime material category HBI is codifying and educating on.
• CarbonCure Technologies: Carbon-negative concrete technology company operating in sustainable construction materials. Not a hemp-lime peer directly, but shares HBI's carbon-reduction and policy-aligned value proposition in the broader low-carbon construction materials space.

Broad incumbents

• National Hemp Association (NHA): Broader US hemp industry trade body covering all hemp applications (fiber, grain, cannabinoids). HBI's chair Geoff Whaling has publicly endorsed HBI; comparable as a hemp-industry advocacy peer but at a broader scope than HBI's building-specific focus.

Others

• Build With Hemp: Educational content and community platform advancing hemp building in North America. Comparable ecosystem participant promoting hemp building adoption, though operates as a media/community resource rather than a standards or research organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HempBuildingInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hemp-building-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/hemp_building_institute
• Pinterestpin.it/1C6FsSI

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hemp Building Institute