Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

What Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists does

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Chicago and founded in 1945 by Manhattan Project scientists including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The organization is structured as a media and policy analysis entity rather than a technology company: it publishes daily journalism on thebulletin.org, a bimonthly (six issues per year) premium digital magazine with archive access dating to 1945, a twice-weekly newsletter, a podcast/multimedia presence, and signature convenings led by the annual Conversations Before Midnight fundraising event in Chicago. Editorial independence is structural — the Bulletin does not accept government or corporate funding that could influence its coverage, and donors supply 80% of revenue.

The core editorial product is an authoritative, expert-led commentary stream on man-made existential risks, organized around three coverage pillars — Nuclear Risk (with the Nuclear Notebook and the Nuclear Arsenals of the World multimedia), Climate Change, and Disruptive Technologies (Biosecurity and the AI Power Trip). The organization's most recognizable asset is the Doomsday Clock, created in 1947 by the Science and Security Board as a metaphorical measure of proximity to global catastrophe and reset annually; the 2026 setting at 85 seconds to midnight is the closest in the clock's history. Supporting programs include the Pathogens Project (biosecurity governance work presented at the United Nations), the Arts + Science Initiative, the Next Generation Initiative including Voices of Tomorrow, and the Turn Back the Clock virtual tour.

Name

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Legal name

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Website

https://thebulletin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an independent nonprofit media organization founded in 1945 by Manhattan Project scientists. It informs the public, policymakers, and scientific experts about nuclear weapons, climate change, and emerging-technology risks through journalism, a bimonthly premium magazine, and the iconic Doomsday Clock.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the Bulletin relies on donors for 80% of its revenue. The organization accepts one-time or recurring gifts, donations in honor or memory of someone, and planned giving through the Legacy Society.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: The Bulletin publishes an in-depth digital magazine six times per year. Subscriptions provide access to the archive going back to 1945 featuring articles by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Stephen Hawking, and multiple Nobel laureates. Subscribers also receive a discount code for the Threadless store.
3. Merchandise Sales: The Bulletin operates a Threadless merchandise store selling t-shirts, mugs, and other items. Products are sustainably produced, ethically sourced, and printed on demand. Proceeds support the nonprofit's mission.
4. Advertising: The Bulletin sells advertising on a sponsorship model. Media kit is available for potential advertisers.
5. Events: Annual signature event Conversations Before Midnight raises critical funds. Sponsorship packages are available at various levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is an independent nonprofit media organization that publishes science journalism and expert analysis on man-made existential risks (nuclear weapons, climate change, AI, biosecurity). Its core offerings are a free-access website (thebulletin.org) with daily articles, a bimonthly premium digital magazine with archive access dating to 1945, the iconic Doomsday Clock set annually by the Science and Security Board, signature events such as Conversations Before Midnight, and a Threadless merchandise store. The organization is funded primarily through donations, which supply 80% of revenue.

Product overview

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists operates a multi-platform media organization centered around its iconic Doomsday Clock, which serves as a universal symbol of existential risk. The core offerings include a free-access website (thebulletin.org) delivering daily coverage of nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies, plus a premium bimonthly magazine with archive access dating to 1945. Key interactive features include the Virtual Tour (Turn Back the Clock), Nuclear Arsenals of the World multimedia, and the Global Biolabs Map. The organization runs signature programs including the annual Conversations Before Midnight event, the Pathogens Project, Arts + Science Initiative, Next Generation Initiative, and the AI Power Trip special project. The Science and Security Board, composed of global experts, sets the Doomsday Clock annually and provides editorial and program guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Doomsday Clock: The iconic Doomsday Clock is a metaphor for how close humanity is to destroying itself with dangerous technologies. Set each year by the Science and Security Board, it has symbolized existential threats since 1947.

Products and services

• Bulletin Premium Magazine A bimonthly (six issues per year) in-depth digital magazine covering existential threats and the policies to fight them, targeted at mission-aligned individual readers, science professionals, educators, and librarians. Subscribers gain access to the archive dating back to 1945 featuring original work by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Stephen Hawking, and multiple Nobel laureates, plus a discount code for the Threadless merchandise store. Billed annually.
• Conversations Before Midnight Annual Event The Bulletin's annual signature fundraising event bringing together Board of Sponsors, Science and Security Board, and Governing Board members to discuss existential threats. Distinguished panel discussions are followed by exclusive dinners. Available through sponsorship packages and table sales for corporate and individual supporters.
• Bulletin Merchandise Store (Threadless) Online merchandise store selling t-shirts, mugs, and other items featuring Bulletin and Doomsday Clock branding. Products are sustainably produced, ethically sourced, and printed on demand via Threadless. Proceeds support the Bulletin's nonprofit mission to reduce man-made threats to human existence.
• Online Publication (thebulletin.org) The Bulletin's main website providing free-access articles, analysis, and news coverage on nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. The site serves as the primary digital platform for reaching the public, policymakers, and scientists, with daily content plus a free twice-weekly newsletter sign-up.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 2026 Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest to catastrophe in its history
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ThreadlessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThreadless is a print-on-demand merchandise platform that hosts the Bulletin's online store. The partnership allows the Bulletin to sell sustainably produced, ethically sourced merchandise including t-shirts, mugs, and other items. Proceeds from all sales help support the Bulletin's nonprofit mission to reduce man-made threats to human existence.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foreign Affairs: Published by the Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs is a similarly prestigious policy and global-affairs magazine that informs public and policymaker audiences on nuclear, climate, and security issues. Comparable as a long-form policy journalism outlet with a magazine subscription model and similar elite, globally distributed readership.
• Arms Control Association: A nonprofit advocacy organization focused on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation policy. Directly comparable to the Bulletin as a nonprofit that educates public and policymakers on nuclear threats, publishes analysis, and depends on donations for the majority of revenue.
• Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO): A peer-reviewed public health journal published by the WHO that informs policymakers and experts on global health threats. Comparable as a globally recognized scientific bulletin/journal with a similar mission of communicating expert analysis to public and policy audiences, though focused on health rather than existential threats.
• Union of Concerned Scientists: A nonprofit science advocacy organization founded by MIT scientists that works on nuclear security, climate change, and emerging technology risks. Directly comparable as a science-driven nonprofit that combines expert analysis, public education, and policy advocacy on the same topical pillars as the Bulletin.
• Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (self) — Federation of American Scientists: A nonprofit policy organization founded by Manhattan Project scientists that analyzes nuclear weapons, biosecurity, and emerging technology risks. Highly comparable to the Bulletin as a peer nonprofit with shared origin in the atomic scientist community, overlapping topical focus, and similar expert-driven policy analysis mission.

Broad incumbents

• Scientific American: A long-established science magazine with broader topic coverage than the Bulletin but a similar bimonthly magazine + website + subscription model. Comparable as a science journalism institution that informs the public on emerging risks, though its scope is far broader than the Bulletin's existential-risk focus.
• Nature: One of the most prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals with a global scientific audience. Comparable to the Bulletin as a venue for authoritative scientific analysis and commentary on existential risks, though its scope spans all scientific disciplines rather than being mission-focused on threats.
• Council on Foreign Relations: A major U.S. foreign policy think tank that publishes Foreign Affairs and produces influential analysis on nuclear, climate, and security issues. Comparable as a similarly elite nonprofit that informs U.S. and global policymakers, though it operates with significantly larger scale and scope than the Bulletin.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A global think tank with major research programs on nuclear policy, climate, and disruptive technologies. Comparable to the Bulletin as an authoritative nonprofit producing expert analysis on the same existential-risk topics, with significantly larger staff and global office footprint.

Regional players

• Center for a New American Security (CNAS): A U.S.-focused national security think tank that publishes analysis on nuclear weapons, AI risks, and emerging technology threats. Comparable as a nonprofit policy analysis organization with overlapping subject matter, though it serves primarily U.S. defense policymakers rather than a global public audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BulletinAtomic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bulletinatomic
• Facebookfacebook.com/BulletinOfTheAtomicScientists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bulletin-of-the-atomic-scientists
• Instagraminstagram.com/bulletinoftheatomicscientists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists