Antarctic Heritage Trust

Name

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Legal name

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Website

https://nzaht.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Heritage conservation services
• Antarctic expedition programmes
• Youth education outreach
• Immersive heritage technology
• Historic artefact preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters worldwide, including a specific Ross Sea Party tent conservation appeal that raised over NZD $70,000 in 2024.
2. Membership Programme: Annual membership programme offering various tiers including Antarctic Explorer Membership, providing ongoing engagement and benefits for supporters.
3. Inspiring Explorers Fund: Dedicated fund for the Inspiring Explorers Expeditions programme, accepting donations earmarked specifically for youth expedition programmes.
4. Merchandise Shop: Online shop selling gift ideas and merchandise, available through the website.
5. Legacy Giving / Bequests: Leave a Gift in Your Will programme for supporters to include the Trust in their estate planning.
6. Conservation Plan Publications: Conservation Plans for historic huts, developed as part of the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project, sold by emailing [email protected].

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Antarctic Heritage Trust conserves five historic expedition bases in Antarctica's Ross Sea Region and manages over 20,000 associated artefacts. It delivers youth expedition and education programmes (Inspiring Explorers Expeditions and Young Inspiring Explorers), produces immersive digital experiences (VR tours of Scott's Discovery Hut and Hillary's Hut, the My Explorer Journal AR app, and the Scott's Discovery Hut Minecraft world), publishes podcasts, films, and exhibitions, and sustains the mission through donations, membership, and legacy giving.

Product overview

Antarctic Heritage Trust operates as a heritage conservation organization offering a portfolio of digital and physical experiences centered on Antarctic exploration heritage. The core offerings include: conservation of five historic expedition bases (Borchgrevink's Hut, Scott's Hut at Hut Point, Shackleton's Hut at Cape Royds, Scott's Hut at Cape Evans, and Hillary's Hut at Scott Base); immersive virtual reality experiences (VR Discovery Hut, Hillary's Hut VR, Antarctica 360 VR); educational technology products (Scott's Discovery Hut Minecraft World, Antarctic AR App); Inspiring Explorers Expeditions and Youth Programmes; publications (The Explorer newsletter, podcasts); and films/documentaries. The digital experiences (VR, Minecraft, AR) are delivered through various platforms including Minecraft Education and VR headsets, while physical programmes include youth summits, explorer conferences, and actual Antarctic expeditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™: Expedition programme connecting young people with Antarctic exploration and heritage
• Inspiring Explorers Education™
• Young Inspiring Explorers™
• 77 Degrees South Podcast

Products and services

• Scott's Discovery Hut Virtual Reality Experience Fully immersive virtual reality experience allowing users to step inside and explore Scott's Discovery Hut at Hut Point, Antarctica. Developed in partnership with Auckland University of Technology and Staples VR and delivered free to classrooms and the public.
• Hillary's Hut Virtual Reality Experience Fully immersive VR experience of Sir Edmund Hillary's Antarctic hut at Scott Base, celebrating New Zealand's first leadership presence in Antarctica. Created with Auckland University of Technology and Staples VR and available at selected institutions in New Zealand and online internationally.
• Antarctica 360 VR 360-degree VR video series filmed during Inspiring Explorers Expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula, featuring locations including Port Lockroy, Portal Point, Paradise Harbour, Half Moon Island, and Foyn Harbour, with kayaking, wildlife interaction, and overnight camping footage.
• Scott's Discovery Hut Minecraft World Educational Minecraft world allowing students to explore Ross Island and Discovery hut, built with WDekkers Digital and students from Shirley Intermediate School. Delivered free to year 7-8 classrooms across Aotearoa New Zealand through the Greater Christchurch Schools Network Kāhui Ako Digital Project.
• Antarctic Augmented Reality App (My Explorer Journal) Augmented reality mobile app bringing historic Antarctic artefacts to life for primary school children, developed in partnership with Staples VR. Designed to inspire the spirit of exploration in the next generation.
• 77 Degrees South Podcast Six-part podcast series documenting the 2025 Inspiring Explorers Expedition to the Ross Sea, following eight diverse rangatahi (young people) through their journey to conserve and return a precious taonga to Antarctica. Available on the website and major podcast platforms.
• Inspiring Explorers Expeditions Expedition programme connecting young people with Antarctic exploration and heritage, including trips to Ross Sea Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, South Pole, and the Mahu Whenua Traverse. Delivered through partnerships with Heritage Expeditions, Antarctica21, Quark Expeditions, and Spirit of Adventure Trust.
• Young Inspiring Explorers Programme Youth engagement programme featuring annual summits, explorer conferences, and educational outreach for students aged 11-14, delivered in partnership with William Pike Challenge. First Explorer Conference held in 2021 (South Auckland, 100 students).
• Inspiring Explorers Education Programme Educational programme combining VR technology with real-world adventure, giving students from AIMHI network schools the opportunity to explore Antarctica virtually and participate in ten-day voyages aboard tall ships through the Spirit of Antarctica partnership.
• Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project Multi-year conservation initiative caring for historic expedition bases including Borchgrevink's Hut at Cape Adare, Scott's Hut at Hut Point, Shackleton's Hut at Cape Royds, Scott's Hut at Cape Evans, and Hillary's Hut at Scott Base, along with the over 20,000 artefacts they contain.
• Films and Documentaries Documentary films including 'Across the Atlantic' about the South Georgia 2023 expedition and 'Polheim' about the 2022 South Pole expedition, directed by Inspiring Explorers alumni and premiered at international film festivals.
• Exhibitions Travelling and hosted exhibitions including 'Still Life', 'Breaking the Ice: The First Year in Antarctica', and 'The Frozen Wild: Photographic & Soundscape Exhibition' showcasing Inspiring Explorers' work.
• Digital Collection (Icy Heritage) Online digital collection platform providing access to the Trust's archive of Antarctic heritage images and artefacts via the Recollect platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5700 hours of conservation work completed on Hillary's Hut during 2016-2017 summer, restoring the hut and conserving over 500 artefacts.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister trust and strategic partner in Antarctic heritage conservation. Jointly toured VR experiences across England and Scotland. Collaborate on Antarctic Peninsula conservation (Port Lockroy, Stonington Island, Horseshoe Island) and share best practices in heritage management.
• Spirit of Adventure TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver the Spirit of Antarctica programme combining virtual exploration with tall ship voyages. 150 students from 10 AIMHI network schools explore Antarctica through VR, with 15 students joining a ten-day voyage aboard a three-masted tall ship.
• Staples VRcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner responsible for developing immersive VR experiences (Hillary's Hut VR, Scott's Discovery Hut VR) and the My Explorer Journal AR app, providing world-leading digital technology for Antarctic heritage education.
• Auckland University of Technology (AUT)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with AUT to create a ground-breaking VR experience of Sir Edmund Hillary's Antarctic hut, developing immersive guided-tour technology for heritage preservation and public education.
• Antarctica NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing logistics support for Trust conservation teams operating from Scott Base in Antarctica. Acknowledged for logistics support in VR experience development.
• Greater Christchurch Schools Network Kāhui AkominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational network that collaborated on the Scott's Discovery Hut Minecraft World project, enabling delivery of free Minecraft Education experiences to year 7-8 classrooms across the network.
• AIMHI Network (Achievement in Multi-Cultural High Schools)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of multicultural high schools with which the Trust has collaborated over seven years to deliver New Zealand-based education and expedition programmes across a range of age groups, including the Spirit of Antarctica partnership.
• Heritage ExpeditionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExpedition partner for the 2025 Inspiring Explorers Ross Sea Expedition, providing logistics and vessel services for the expedition to the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica.
• Backcountry TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Backcountry Trust to successfully pilot a New Zealand Huts initiative connecting young Kiwis with conservation work on historic New Zealand heritage structures.
• William Pike ChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in delivering the annual Young Inspiring Explorers Summit, providing challenge and adventure programming for students aged 11-14 alongside the Trust's Antarctic content.
• Royal Society Te ApārangiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific academy that co-sponsored the 2023 Young Inspiring Explorers Summit, supporting access to Antarctic education for young New Zealanders.
• Antarctica21minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRespected Antarctic operator that presented the 2023 South Georgia Inspiring Explorers Expedition, providing expedition logistics and vessel services.
• Reach the WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to connect Inspiring Explorers with classrooms globally, enabling expedition updates and virtual interactions with students worldwide.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UK Antarctic Heritage Trust: The UK sister trust and most direct peer; both conserve Antarctic heritage sites, partner on the Antarctic Peninsula Partnership (Port Lockroy, Stonington Island, Horseshoe Island), and jointly tour VR experiences across the UK. They share best practices and operate complementary rather than competing conservation portfolios.
• International Polar Foundation: A Belgium-based non-profit focused on polar science and education, including the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station. Comparable as a mission-driven polar heritage and education organization with a global supporter base and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• Antarctica New Zealand: The New Zealand government agency that operates Scott Base and provides critical logistics support to the Antarctic Heritage Trust. It is a key operational partner (not a competitor) but shares deep knowledge of Antarctic heritage, conservation, and the NZ polar ecosystem.
• Scott Polar Research Institute: A University of Cambridge department managing polar heritage collections, archives, and research. The Trust partners with SPRI's Picture Library for educational resources, and SPRI operates as a comparable polar heritage, research, and public engagement institution globally.
• Royal Geographical Society: A historic UK learned society managing polar exploration heritage, archives, and educational programming. The Trust partners with RGS for educational resources (images library), and RGS is a comparable heritage and exploration-focused non-profit with public engagement at scale.

Regional players

• International Antarctic Centre: A Christchurch-based Antarctic visitor attraction and education centre that delivers Antarctic experiences and educational programming to schools and tourists. Comparable as both a Christchurch-based Antarctic education operator and a potential cross-promotion partner for the Trust's VR experiences.

Emerging players

• PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating): A US-based program that connects K-12 teachers with polar researchers and provides polar educational resources. Comparable as a polar-focused educational outreach initiative targeting schools and youth, overlapping with the Trust's Inspiring Explorers Education mission.
• Oceanites: A non-profit focused on Antarctic penguin population monitoring and conservation science. Comparable as a small, mission-driven Antarctic conservation organization with similar donor-dependent fundraising and educational outreach models.
• Antarctic Ocean Alliance: A coalition of environmental NGOs advocating for Antarctic marine protection. Comparable as a non-profit operating in the Antarctic conservation space with a mission-driven, donor-supported model and emphasis on public engagement and education.

Others

• Quark Expeditions: A specialist Antarctic expedition operator that has supported Trust Inspiring Explorers logistics. Comparable as a polar expedition enabler whose infrastructure (vessels, Antarctic Peninsula access) is increasingly intertwined with the Trust's expedition programming model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inspireexplore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb9ip-6TTOoctUVfLyIjP3Q?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/Antarctic.Heritage.Trust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/antarctic-heritage-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/antarcticheritage

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 Antarctic Heritage Trust