The Royal Society

What The Royal Society does

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, founded in 1660 and incorporated by Royal Charter, is the UK's national scientific academy and the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. It operates as a registered charity in England and Wales (charity 207043) and is governed as a self-governing Fellowship of eminent scientists, engineers, and technologists, with annual elections of approximately 90 new Fellows drawing from the global pool of leading researchers.

The Society's core products span four operational pillars. First, Royal Society Publishing produces high-impact international journals including Philosophical Transactions (the world's oldest continuously running scientific journal, published since 1665) and Proceedings of the Royal Society. Second, the Science in the Making digital platform hosts over 310,000 images and records of more than 2,800 Fellows, while the Royal Society Picture Library holds over 10,000 high-resolution historical images available for licensing. Third, the Grants Programme supports UK researchers and international collaboration through schemes including Partnership Grants (1,400+ projects and 170,000+ students reached since 2000), the Faraday Discovery Fellowship (£4M individual award), and Global Talent Visa support. Fourth, scientific meetings, the annual Summer Science Exhibition, public lectures, Library and Archives access, and medals and prizes (including the Copley Medal, established 1731) round out the offering. The Society operates from its headquarters at 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, with 251-500 employees and two wholly owned subsidiaries (Royal Society Trading Limited and Royal Society (London) Ltd).

As a charity, the Society does not operate on a commercial revenue model and most services are free to end users. Revenue is generated through a combination of publishing activities (institutional subscriptions and open-access fees), government and charitable foundation grants, donations, and venue hire, with no public pricing disclosed. Customer segments include the global scientific Fellowship, UK government and policymakers (to whom it provides formal authoritative advice), UK schools and students, and the general public. Distribution is primarily through digital platforms (royalsociety.org, royalsocietypublishing.org, the Flexi-Grant application portal) and in-person at the London headquarters.

Name

The Royal Society

Legal name

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge

Website

https://royalsociety.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Royal Society is the UK's national scientific academy and a registered charity founded in 1660, operating as a self-governing Fellowship of eminent scientists. It runs global scientific publishing (Philosophical Transactions since 1665), grants programmes, historical archives, and policy advisory work serving researchers, government, schools, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Publishing

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Book Publishers (513130), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Scientific publishing
• Research grants
• Scientific fellowship
• Academic journals
• Science policy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Royal Society operates as a self-governing Fellowship of eminent scientists that combines scientific journal publishing (Philosophical Transactions since 1665 and Proceedings of the Royal Society), a grant-making programme supporting UK and international research, recognition through medals/prizes and election to Fellowship, digital archival services (Science in the Making and the Picture Library), scientific meetings and public exhibitions, and provision of authoritative independent science advice to UK policymakers. Its products and services are largely free to end users or institutionally accessed, funded by publishing revenue, grants, and donations.

Product overview

The Royal Society operates as a unified platform combining scientific publishing, archival access, grants, events, and membership services. Its core publishing products include Philosophical Transactions (the world's oldest scientific journal, established 1665) and Proceedings of the Royal Society, both part of Royal Society Publishing. The Science in the Making digital platform provides access to over 310,000 archival images and 2,800 Fellows' records. The Picture Library offers over 10,000 high-resolution historical images. The Society also administers grants programmes, organises the annual Summer Science Exhibition and scientific meetings, maintains Library and Archives collections, confers medals and prizes including the Copley Medal, and maintains a Fellows Directory of eminent scientists. This is a platform-plus-services architecture serving the scientific community, policymakers, and public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society The world's first and longest continuously running scientific journal, published since 1665, showcasing the work of preeminent scientific minds. Part of Royal Society Publishing and available to institutional subscribers and open access readers.
• Proceedings of the Royal Society Scientific journal publishing papers read before meetings of Fellows, continuing from proceedings established in 1830. Part of Royal Society Publishing.
• Science in the Making Digital archive platform hosting over 310,000 images and 2,800 Fellows' records from Royal Society archives, allowing users to discover how science was made, discussed, and shared since 1665. Available online to researchers and the public.
• Royal Society Picture Library Digital repository of over 10,000 high-resolution images including paintings, drawings, prints, portraits, and scientific instrument illustrations from historic collections. Available for licensing via [email protected].
• Grants Programme Range of grant schemes supporting the UK scientific community and fostering international collaboration, including Partnership Grants, the Flexi-Grant application system, Research Fellows Portal, Global Talent Visa support, and Faraday Discovery Fellowships.
• Summer Science Exhibition Annual flagship public exhibition showcasing cutting-edge UK research, held at the Royal Society's Carlton House Terrace venue in London. Open to the public with a full published programme.
• Scientific Meetings and Venue Hire Organised scientific meetings, public lectures, and venue hire services for the scientific community and public engagement activities at the Society's Carlton House Terrace headquarters.
• Library and Archives Extensive collections of manuscripts, papers, records, books, and journals accessible to researchers and members of the public by pre-booked appointment, including digital resources such as Science in the Making. Free of charge.
• Medals, Awards and Prizes Recognition programme including the Copley Medal (first awarded 1731, the Society's most prestigious award), Premier awards, the Science Book Prize, and the Young People's Book Prize. Administered through nominations and judging processes.
• Fellowship of the Royal Society Self-governing Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists, engineers, and technologists, with new Fellows elected annually through a peer nomination and election process. Includes searchable Fellows Directory and Biographical Memoirs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90 new Fellows elected annually
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026FAPESP Week London partnership bringing together researchers from São Paulo and UK at Science Museum. Event covers AI, energy transition, and healthcare innovation. São Paulo is UK's second most significant scientific collaborator globally. Previous FAPESP Week symposia increased joint research proposals by up to 98% in Germany. Five deep-tech startups from FAPESP PIPE program participating alongside visits to UK innovation hubs.
• Genomics EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026UK innovation hub visit included in FAPESP Week London program for São Paulo deep-tech startups.
• Cell and Gene Therapy CatapultminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026UK innovation hub visit included in FAPESP Week London program for São Paulo deep-tech startups.
• Heriot-Watt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 December 2025Host institution for Dr. Kazunori Akiyama's £4 million Faraday Discovery Fellowship. Dr. Akiyama relocating from MIT Haystack Observatory to Heriot-Watt University in Scotland for TomoGrav project developing AI algorithms for dynamic 3D movies of plasma flows around black holes.
• AssisTech Foundation (ATF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2025Bangalore-based assistive technology organization whose Co-Founder and CEO Prateek Madhav participated in Royal Society London's Global Disability Technology Report launch. Madhav is sole Indian member on Royal Society's Steering Committee for the report.
• University of East AngliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead institution for international research initiative to revise global coastal defense engineering standards targeting ASCE/SEI 7 guidelines. Initiative involves collaborators from UK, US (University of Michigan), and Japan (Waseda University), funded in part by Royal Society research exchanges.
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on coastal defense engineering standards initiative led by University of East London, targeting ASCE/SEI 7 guidelines for hybrid green-grey infrastructure solutions.
• Waseda University (Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on coastal defense engineering standards initiative led by University of East London, contributing international perspective on hybrid green-grey infrastructure solutions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• U.S. National Academy of Sciences: The US National Academy of Sciences is the closest functional analogue — chartered by Congress in 1863 to advise the US government on science, elects a distinguished membership, and operates a major publishing programme. Comparable in mission, prestige model, and policy advisory role.
• German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina: Germany's national academy of sciences, founded 1652 (even older than the Royal Society) and chartered to advise the German federal government on scientific issues. Directly comparable as a chartered national scientific academy with fellowship recognition and policy advisory mandate.
• Académie des sciences (Institut de France): France's national academy of sciences, part of the Institut de France. Closely mirrors The Royal Society's fellowship recognition, scientific publishing, and government advisory functions in the French context.
• British Academy: UK's national academy for the humanities and social sciences, fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences federation. Comparable as a UK-recognised national academy with elected fellowship, grant programmes, and policy advisory role — though discipline-focused differently.
• Royal Society of Edinburgh: Scotland's national academy, founded 1783. Comparable in mission (fellowship recognition, knowledge exchange, policy advice), though smaller in scale and focused on Scotland.
• American Philosophical Society: America's oldest learned society, founded 1743 by Benjamin Franklin. Comparable as a heritage scholarly society with elected membership, research grants, and a library/archive function, though smaller and US-based.
• Indian National Science Academy: India's national science academy, founded 1935. Comparable as a fellowship-based scientific academy with government advisory and publishing functions, recently intersecting with the Royal Society through elected Indian Fellows such as Soumya Swaminathan and Manindra Agrawal.

Broad incumbents

• Chinese Academy of Sciences: China's national academy, but operates at vastly larger scale with extensive research institutes and operational R&D capabilities rather than a purely honorary fellowship model. Comparable in national advisory role, much broader in operational scope.

Emerging players

• EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization): European organization for life sciences with fellowship and grant programmes. Comparable in selected scientific disciplines (life sciences) and fellowship model, but narrower in disciplinary scope and not a chartered national academy.

Regional players

• Wellcome Trust: Major UK charitable foundation funding scientific research and publishing. Comparable as a UK-based scientific charity with substantial grantmaking and publishing interests, though not a membership academy and operating at much larger financial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RSocPublishing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/royalsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoyalSocietyPublishing.FanPage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/41589
• Instagraminstagram.com/theroyalsociety

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Royal Society