Biodiversity Research Institute

What Biodiversity Research Institute does

Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental research organization headquartered in Portland, Maine (276 Canco Road), operating worldwide since its founding in the late 1990s / early 2000s. BRI is structured around four research centers — Center for Wildlife Ecology, Center for Conservation and Climate Change, Center for Ecotoxicology, and Center for Research on Offshore Wind and the Environment (CROWE) — supported by three specialized laboratories: the Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Laboratory (QWERL), the Acoustics & Imagery Laboratory (RAIL), and the Toxicology Laboratory. Core technical capabilities include wildlife biomonitoring, bioacoustics, satellite/raptor tracking, ecotoxicology, and analytical mercury/contaminant detection. Signature programs include 25 consecutive years of Bald Eagle nestling banding and sampling, mercury biomonitoring supporting 40+ countries under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and emerging offshore wind environmental impact research in markets including Chile.

BRI serves three primary customer segments: (1) US federal and state government agencies (via GSA Contract, CESU, NACCESU, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment / NRDA consulting), (2) international organizations (UNEP as an Executing Agency, Minamata Convention and Convention on Biological Diversity as an accredited observer, and UN Global Compact membership), and (3) the renewable energy industry (offshore and land-based developers requiring permitting and compliance support). Revenue derives from professional services under government and institutional contracts, donations and charitable contributions, and ancillary science communication products (the One Drop of Water e-zine, the Birds of Amboseli book, and educational content). Geographic operations span North America, East Africa (Kenya), Colombia, and Chile, with global reach claimed across 40+ countries. The organization employs 51–100 staff and reports no parent company or for-profit ownership structure.

Name

Biodiversity Research Institute

Legal name

Biodiversity Research Institute

Website

https://briloon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Biodiversity Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife science organization headquartered in Portland, Maine, operating four research centers and three laboratories. It conducts biomonitoring, bioacoustics, and ecotoxicology research for US government agencies, UNEP, the Minamata Convention, and renewable energy developers across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Wildlife ecological research
• Environmental contaminant monitoring
• Renewable energy permitting
• Ecological restoration services
• Ecotoxicology laboratory analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Scientific Research Services: BRI provides scientific services including permitting and compliance consulting for renewable energy projects, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) consulting, laboratory analysis, restoration and mitigation services, and wildlife and habitat field services. These are likely funded through government contracts and consulting fees from energy companies and environmental agencies.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BRI accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support their conservation and research work. They have a donation page through PayPal and engage in fundraising activities.
3. Contract Research: BRI operates under GSA Contract and works with organizations including CESU and NACCESU for contracting research services with federal and state agencies.
4. Science Communication Products: BRI publishes products including books like 'Birds of Amboseli' with proceeds benefiting bird conservation, and their quarterly e-zine 'One Drop of Water'.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Biodiversity Research Institute is a nonprofit wildlife science organization that conducts ecological research, biomonitoring, bioacoustics, and ecotoxicology studies worldwide. It sells scientific services — including permitting and compliance support for renewable energy, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) consulting, analytical toxicology, ecological restoration, and wetlands mitigation — to government agencies, industry clients, and international organizations.

Product overview

Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) is a nonprofit environmental research organization based in Portland, Maine, offering a portfolio of research centers, laboratories, scientific services, and publications. The core research infrastructure consists of four centers: Center for Wildlife Ecology (raptor banding, waterbird contaminant monitoring), Center for Conservation and Climate Change (biodiversity and climate research), Center for Ecotoxicology (mercury biomonitoring for Minamata Convention compliance), and Center for Research on Offshore Wind and the Environment. Supporting these are three specialized laboratories (Quantitative Wildlife Ecology QWERL, Acoustics & Imagery RAIL, and Toxicology Lab). Scientific services include permitting and compliance for renewable energy, NRDA consulting, wetlands services, and restoration/mitigation. The organization also publishes the quarterly One Drop of Water e-zine and conducts long-term programs on species including Bald Eagles, raptors, loons, marine birds, and songbirds. BRI operates globally with projects across Africa, Latin America, and North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Center for Wildlife Ecology

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports mercury compliance for 40+ countries under Minamata Convention
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI is an Executing Agency for UNEP, supporting international environmental initiatives and projects. This is a flagship partnership enabling BRI to work on global environmental assessments and convention implementation across multiple countries.
• Minamata Convention on MercurycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI is an accredited observer organization for the Minamata Convention on Mercury and helps over 40 countries meet convention requirements through Minamata Initial Assessments, mercury inventories, and biomonitoring programs.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI is an accredited observer organization for the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), supporting international biodiversity conservation efforts.
• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI is an official member of the UN Global Compact, aligning their operations with universal sustainability principles.
• GSA (General Services Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI operates under GSA Contract, enabling them to provide scientific services to federal government agencies through standardized contracting processes.
• CESU (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI works through the CESU network for cooperative research agreements with federal agencies, providing scientific expertise for environmental studies.
• NACCESU (National Alliance of Concurrent Credit Educational State Units)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for educational collaboration and workforce development in environmental science.
• REDObservadores (Chile)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on webinar about offshore wind energy and seabird conservation in Chile, bringing together national and international experts on bird conservation and energy transition.
• SEO/BirdLife (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational bird conservation organization collaborated with BRI on Chile offshore wind webinar, sharing expertise on seabird conservation challenges.
• MINEnergia (Chile)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChile's Ministry of Energy collaborated with BRI on webinar addressing offshore wind development impacts on wildlife in Chile.
• Portland Regional ChamberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for community events including the Birds of Amboseli art exhibit opening reception.
• Private Landowners and Land Trusts (Maine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey stewards of Maine's Bald Eagle population who allow BRI to access their land for eagle banding and monitoring work.
• Portland Public LibraryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for the Birds of Amboseli art exhibit debut on July 3rd during First Friday art walk.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/biodiversityresearchinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/briloon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Biodiversity Research Institute