Species 360

What Species 360 does

Species360 is a non-profit organization headquartered in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area that operates ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System), a cloud-based platform used by zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations worldwide to record and manage animal care, welfare, veterinary, and population data. Its product architecture is organized around a core platform with modular add-ons: ZIMS for Husbandry, ZIMS for Aquatics, ZIMS for Medical, ZIMS for Studbooks, ZIMS for Care and Welfare, and ZIMS for Education (LearnZIMS), supported by mobile data entry with QR codes, single sign-on, and integration with the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative (SCTI) tools Vortex, PMx, MetaModelManager, Outbreak, and Spatial for population viability analysis and breeding program coordination. The system houses the world's largest aggregated dataset on animals in human care — over 10 million animals, 22,000+ species, 1,730+ studbooks, and 50+ years of records contributed by 1,400+ member institutions across 102 countries.

Species360's business model is membership-based: zoos, aquariums, universities, and conservation organizations pay recurring annual membership fees to access ZIMS and contribute data to the global resource, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Supplementary recurring revenue comes from Species360 Insights subscriptions (aggregated data access for research), LearnZIMS subscriptions for teaching institutions, and the ZIMS Academy for Students, alongside a newly introduced US$100 non-refundable Research Request application fee for non-members. The organization is financially supported by Conservation Impact Partners and corporate sponsors including Brookfield Zoo Chicago, San Diego Wildlife Alliance, Mandai Nature, and Mazuri (Land O'Lakes). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging the Conservation Science Alliance, annual research symposia, training webinars, and formal endorsement by international and regional zoo associations (WAZA, AZA, EAZA, BIAZA, JAZA) and IUCN, with direct membership as the primary distribution channel and no resellers or intermediaries.

The organization is led by CEO Jim Guenter and governed by a Board of Trustees that expanded by five members in 2025, and it employs 11–50 people. Notable 2024 hires include the first Director of Institutional Partnerships (Alex Walsh) and a new Director of Finance and Administration (Cheri Horvath), reflecting a deliberate build-out of fundraising and operational capacity. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no venture or private equity backing, and no acquisitions or divestitures; strategic activity centers on product development, partnership deepening, and member expansion rather than capital-driven growth.

Name

Species 360

Legal name

Species360

Website

https://species360.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Species360 is a non-profit operating ZIMS, a cloud-based zoological information management system serving 1,400+ zoos, aquariums, universities, and wildlife organizations across 102 countries with animal care, medical, studbook, and population management tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoological Information Management Software

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Practice Management Systems (PIMS) (HLAMAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM), Animal Disease Surveillance & Reporting Systems (HLAMAJAB), Livestock Precision Monitoring Software (Herd/Flock Analytics, Health Alerts) (AFAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Zoological information management
• Wildlife conservation software
• Animal records database
• Studbook management software
• Veterinary records platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Species360 operates as a non-profit organization with membership fees from zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations that use ZIMS. Members contribute data and pay for access to the platform and its services.
2. Species360 Insights Subscription: Subscription-based access to aggregated global wildlife data for organizations and individuals seeking direct and continuous access to veterinary and demographic data.
3. LearnZIMS Subscriptions: Educational licensing for universities and educational facilities, with free courses available for registered ZIMS users.
4. Research Request Fees: Non-refundable application fee of US$100 for non-members accessing ZIMS data through the Research Request process. Members and subscribers receive this service at no extra charge.
5. Donations and Conservation Impact Partnerships: Support from Conservation Impact Partners, corporate sponsors, and individual donors who contribute to Species360's mission. Major supporters include Brookfield Zoo, San Diego Wildlife Alliance, Mandai Nature, and Mazuri.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Species360 develops and operates the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), a cloud-based platform that enables zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations to record, share, and analyze animal care, husbandry, medical, welfare, and population management data. It complements the core platform with subscription-based Species360 Insights for aggregated research data access and the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative (SCTI) for population viability modeling (Vortex, PMx).

Product overview

Species360 is a non-profit organization that operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), the world's leading zoological recording keeping system. ZIMS is a unified core platform with integrated modules including ZIMS for Husbandry, ZIMS for Aquatics, ZIMS for Medical, ZIMS for Studbooks, ZIMS for Care and Welfare, and ZIMS for Education (LearnZIMS). Supporting the platform are complementary programs: the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative (SCTI), which provides population modeling tools (Vortex, PMx, MetaModelManager, Outbreak, Spatial); Species360 Insights, a subscription data access service; the Conservation Science Alliance (CSA) for collaborative research; and Hortis for botanical data. The platform also includes ZIMS Single Sign-on for unified authentication. Together, these products serve over 1,400 member zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations in more than 100 countries, supporting animal care, population management, veterinary records, welfare monitoring, and conservation research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System): The world's leading zoological recording keeping system used to manage daily animal care, welfare, health, and population management data. Includes modules for Husbandry, Medical, Studbooks, Care and Welfare, Education, and Aquatics.
• Hortis
• LearnZIMS
• ZIMS Academy for Students
• Species360 Insights

Products and services

• ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System) The world's leading zoological record-keeping system managing daily husbandry, welfare, health, and population management data for zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations. Central platform with integrated modules for husbandry, medical, studbooks, aquatics, care and welfare, and education.
• ZIMS for Husbandry ZIMS module focused on daily animal husbandry, enclosure management, and life support systems. Supports husbandry log templates, enclosure notes, feeding logs, weight tracking, and environmental measurements.
• ZIMS for Aquatics Specialized ZIMS module for managing aquatic enclosures and collections, supporting water quality management, life support systems, and marine/aquatic animal welfare data.
• ZIMS for Medical

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.19% increase in adult life expectancy linked to sterilization/contraception in mammals studied across 117 species
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, conservation impact partner and conservation partner.

• IUCNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership between Species360 and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Species360 data supports IUCN Red List assessments and conservation planning efforts globally.
• World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAZA officially recommends ZIMS for managing international studbooks and explicitly names it in the WAZA 2027 Population Management Goal. WAZA's International Studbook Framework was developed in collaboration with Species360.
• Brookfield Zoo ChicagomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlayed a pivotal role in founding and developing the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative (SCTI). Brookfield Zoo serves as long-time host of SCTI and major supporter of conservation technology development.
• Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlayed a pivotal role in founding and developing SCTI. Contributed expertise in population biology and species conservation planning.
• IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated Ex Situ Feasibility Assessment and Planning workshops for species recovery programs. CPSG's long history with Vortex (40+ years) makes them a steady advocate for population modeling tools.
• Mazuriconservation impact partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing Conservation Impact Partner. Mazuri (Land O'Lakes division) provides specialized animal nutrition and has been committed to exotic animal nutrition since 1989. Their support helps empower 1,300+ member institutions.
• Turtle Survival Allianceconservation partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMazuri has partnered with the Turtle Survival Alliance to help develop specialized life-stage diets supporting breeding and reintroduction programs for threatened species.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceconservation partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuides Poweshiek skipperling recovery planning and field releases. Mazuri has helped develop specialized diets in partnership with this agency.
• WAZA Committee for Population Management (CPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversees International Studbooks in collaboration with Species360. Taskforce developed the new International Studbook Framework over more than a year.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRhTs0DqtbDa9rGZjbmJ5KQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/species360
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10654079
• Instagraminstagram.com/species360
• Xx.com/species360

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Species 360