SETI Institute

What SETI Institute does

The SETI Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research organization founded in 1984 and headquartered at 339 Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, California. Its mission is to search for life and intelligence beyond Earth through astrobiology, astronomy, and SETI research, education, and public outreach. The institute serves three principal constituencies: the professional scientific research community (astronomers, astrobiologists, planetary scientists), government space agencies led by NASA and NSF, and the general public engaged through lectures, podcasts, citizen science, and artist-in-residence programs.

Core technical assets center on the Carl Sagan Center for Research, which houses more than 100 scientists across seven disciplines. Major instrumentation and programs include the Allen Telescope Array (42 antennas at Hat Creek Radio Observatory, expandable to 350, operating 1-14 GHz), COSMIC (a commensal signal-processing backend at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array delivering real-time technosignature search), LaserSETI (an optical network monitoring the night sky for nanosecond laser flashes), CAMS (a NASA-sponsored global camera network tracking meteors across 19 locations), the Virtual Planetary Laboratory (exoplanet habitability and biosignature modeling), the MARBLE Earth-as-exoplanet mission concept, and the newly launched Discovery and Futures Lab for post-detection societal studies. The Data Science team operates principal pipelines for NASA's Kepler and TESS missions, credited with detecting a significant share of the nearly 6,000 confirmed exoplanets to date.

The business model is nonprofit research funding: there are no commercial products or pricing models. Revenue streams consist of (1) research grants primarily from NASA and NSF, (2) charitable donations including a transformational $200 million bequest from Franklin Antonio's estate in 2024 funding the STRIDE program, and (3) collaborative partnership contributions. Operating geography spans the United States (California, New Mexico, Hawaii), with international observational footprint across New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, the UAE, Australia, Chile, Brazil, Namibia, Puerto Rico, the Canary Islands, and now Saudi Arabia via the 2026 AlUla Manara partnership. Strategic co-development partners include NRAO, UC Berkeley, Breakthrough Listen, Lockheed Martin LMSAL, and Unistellar (a 12,000+ citizen astronomer network co-founded by institute scientist Franck Marchis).

Name

SETI Institute

Legal name

SETI Institute

Website

https://seti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The SETI Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to searching for life and intelligence beyond Earth, conducting astrobiology, astronomy, and technosignature research for NASA, NSF, and the global scientific community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research (Astrobiology and SETI)

NAICS

Space Research and Technology (9271), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

Keywords

• Astrobiology research
• SETI observation
• Exoplanet detection
• Radio astronomy
• Technosignature research

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: Primary funding from government research grants, primarily from NASA and NSF. The organization conducts extensive NASA-sponsored research across multiple disciplines.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by donations from individuals. Notable $200M gift from Franklin Antonio's estate to fund the STRIDE program.
3. Partnership Programs: Collaborative partnerships with other organizations that contribute to research capabilities, including the SkyMapper blockchain network participation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The SETI Institute conducts scientific research into the origin and prevalence of life in the universe, operating radio and optical telescopes to search for technosignatures, processing NASA mission data for exoplanet discovery, and tracking meteors through global camera networks. It complements this research with educational programs, internships, and public outreach focused on space science and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Funding is sourced primarily from NASA and NSF research grants, supplemented by private donations and a membership program.

Product overview

The SETI Institute is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to finding life beyond Earth through astrobiology and SETI research. Its core offerings include research programs such as the Allen Telescope Array (radio telescope for SETI searches), COSMIC (radio signal processing at VLA), LaserSETI (optical SETI network), Virtual Planetary Laboratory (exoplanet habitability modeling), CAMS (meteor tracking network), and Discovery and Futures Lab (post-detection preparedness). These research programs are complemented by educational services including internships, fellowships, public lectures, podcasts, and outreach publications. The institute also operates grant programs (STRIDE and Technosignature Grants) to fund innovation in the field. The organization does not offer commercial software products but provides research services and public education as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carl Sagan Center for Research: The research division of the SETI Institute housing over 100 scientists conducting research in astrobiology, astronomy, exoplanets, and SETI.
• LaserSETI
• COSMIC
• CAMS
• Discovery and Futures Lab
• Virtual Planetary Laboratory (VPL)

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Royal Commission for AlUlastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Developing AlUla Manara, a major astronomy complex in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Saudi Space Agency, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and SETI Institute.
• Saudi Space AgencystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Partner in development of AlUla Manara observatory complex with SETI Institute providing expertise.
• King Abdulaziz City for Science and TechnologystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Partner in development of AlUla Manara observatory complex with SETI Institute providing expertise.
• National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRAO operates the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico where SETI Institute's COSMIC project is installed. COSMIC receives a copy of radio signals from VLA antennas for real-time technosignature analysis.
• University of California, BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley SETI Research Center collaborates with SETI Institute on the COSMIC project and is involved in Breakthrough Listen initiatives.
• Breakthrough ListencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBreakthrough Listen initiative collaborates with SETI Institute on COSMIC project and technosignature research using VLA and other facilities.
• Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab (LMSAL)coreTechnology or IntegrationLMSAL leads NASA missions including MUSE, IRIS, SDO, Hinode, and EUVST in which SETI Institute scientists participate. SETI Institute collaborates on data analysis and pipeline development for these solar physics missions.
• UnistellarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnistellar is a global citizen science network of over 12,000 amateur astronomers. SETI Institute scientist Franck Marchis co-founded Unistellar and serves as Chief Scientific Officer.
• American Museum of Natural HistoryminorOthersMeteorite fragments from the Hillsborough meteorite are curated at the American Museum of Natural History for further study following SETI Institute and NASA research.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA is the primary research funding source for SETI Institute. Scientists participate in NASA missions including Kepler, TESS, JWST, and various planetary exploration missions.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF provides research grants supporting SETI Institute astronomy, astrobiology, and planetary science programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Breakthrough Listen: The largest SETI-focused research program, hosted at UC Berkeley. Directly comparable to SETI Institute's technosignature mission and a key collaborator on the COSMIC project at the VLA.
• The Planetary Society: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit space science advocacy and education organization. Comparable in nonprofit structure, public engagement model, and mission focus on space exploration and the search for life beyond Earth.
• Carl Sagan Institute: Cornell University research center dedicated to the study of life in the universe and exoplanet habitability. Directly comparable in astrobiology research mission and methodology, including biosignature modeling overlap with SETI's Virtual Planetary Laboratory.

Broad incumbents

• Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI): Operates Hubble and JWST science operations under NASA contract. Comparable as a NASA-affiliated space science research organization, but much larger and focused on observational astrophysics rather than SETI specifically.
• Universities Space Research Association (USRA): A nonprofit research consortium of universities conducting space and aerospace research. Comparable as a nonprofit research entity serving NASA's scientific mission, though broader in scope than SETI's astrobiology focus.
• Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA): A consortium that operates major astronomical observatories including NSF's NOIRLab. Comparable as a nonprofit enabling astronomical research infrastructure, though focused on observatory management rather than dedicated research programs.

Others

• National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO): Operates the Karl G. Jansky VLA where SETI's COSMIC project runs. A key infrastructure partner and adjacent peer in radio astronomy, with overlap on radio observation methodology and technosignature-relevant research.
• American Astronomical Society (AAS): The major professional society for astronomers in the US. Comparable as an organizing body for the astronomy community that SETI Institute operates within; relevant for understanding the broader ecosystem but not a direct research peer.

Emerging players

• Blue Marble Space Institute of Science: A younger nonprofit astrobiology and space science research organization. Comparable in nonprofit research mission and astrobiology focus, but smaller in scale and infrastructure footprint.
• Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI): Tokyo Institute of Technology research institute focused on origins of life and habitable worlds. Comparable in astrobiology research scope and interdisciplinary approach, but operating in a different geography and with a different institutional structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/setiinstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SETIInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/SETIInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/29263
• Instagraminstagram.com/setiinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 SETI Institute