What Ecosystem Marketplace does

Ecosystem Marketplace is a non-profit publication and market intelligence platform focused on voluntary carbon markets, biodiversity credit markets, and nature-based solutions. Operated as a program under the Forest Trends nonprofit, the platform publishes articles, reports, and analysis covering carbon market integrity, biodiversity credit development, REDD+ programs, Article 6 policy, and SDG co-benefit assessment frameworks. Its core product surface comprises the main ecosystemmarketplace.com publication site, the Global Carbon Markets Hub data resource, the annual State of the Voluntary Carbon Market report, the Gaining Ground: State of Private Investment in Nature annual report, and recurring series such as Shades of REDD+ and Conversations on Integrity in Nature-based Carbon. Content is distributed freely through the website, email newsletters, social media (X, LinkedIn, Facebook), and the EM Insights Briefings webinar series, with permitted reprint licensing extending reach into third-party publications.

The business model is non-commercial: the platform generates no direct content revenue, instead operating as a mission-aligned information service funded through Forest Trends' nonprofit support (foundations, corporations, government agencies) and sponsored research partnerships with organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International, the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), and Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC). Customer segments are horizontal rather than transactional, serving carbon market participants (project developers, credit buyers, intermediaries), biodiversity and nature market stakeholders, and policymakers and NGOs seeking transparent market intelligence on voluntary carbon and biodiversity credit pricing, transaction volumes, and integrity. The platform's primary defensible value lies in its long-running editorial archive, its position as a primary data source cited by major market sizing platforms, and its network of advisory board members and expert contributors.

Name

Ecosystem Marketplace

Legal name

Ecosystem Marketplace

Website

https://ecosystemmarketplace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ecosystem Marketplace is a non-profit publication program under Forest Trends that provides free market intelligence on voluntary carbon markets, biodiversity credits, and nature-based solutions to project developers, investors, and policymakers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Information Services / Publication: Ecosystem Marketplace operates as a free publication platform under Forest Trends, a non-profit organization. Revenue appears to come from organizational support, sponsorships, and grants rather than direct monetization of content. The platform generates value through building market intelligence and facilitating connections in the voluntary carbon market ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ecosystem Marketplace is a publication and information platform that delivers news, analysis, and market intelligence on voluntary carbon markets, biodiversity credit markets, REDD+, and nature-based solutions. It publishes articles, annual flagship reports (e.g., State of the Voluntary Carbon Market), a Global Carbon Markets Hub for data, and the EM Insights Briefings webinar series, all accessible freely to carbon market participants, project developers, investors, policymakers, and researchers.

Product overview

Ecosystem Marketplace is a publication and media platform operated by Forest Trends that provides news, analysis, and research on voluntary carbon markets, biodiversity credit markets, and environmental market intelligence. The platform operates as a single unified website publishing articles, reports, and data visualizations. Key offerings include the annual State of the Voluntary Carbon Market (SOVCM) report, the Global Carbon Markets Hub for data and insights, and article series such as Shades of REDD+ and Conversations on Integrity in Nature-based Carbon. The platform also publishes topic-specific publications covering carbon pricing, biodiversity markets, and sustainable development goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ecosystem Marketplace Website/Platform Primary publication and news platform covering carbon markets, biodiversity markets, REDD+, nature-based solutions, and environmental market intelligence; publishes articles, reports, and analysis freely for carbon market participants.
• State of the Voluntary Carbon Market (SOVCM) Annual flagship publication providing comprehensive analysis of the voluntary carbon market, including transaction volumes, prices, market trends, and integrity assessments.
• Global Carbon Markets Hub A centralized resource hub providing data and insights on global carbon markets.
• EM Insights Briefings (Webinar Series) Regular webinar series featuring market experts, report launches, and discussions on carbon prices, co-benefits, SDG assessments, and VCM trends; free registration available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Market data cited by Statista for global VCM pricing and transaction volume reports
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Carbon Capital LabmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023Carbon Capital Lab partnered with Ecosystem Marketplace on research regarding the carbon credit selling process, noting that selling carbon credits can feel like 'getting a Rube Goldberg machine to work' - a complex process with many moving parts.
• Forest TrendscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem Marketplace is a program of Forest Trends, a non-profit organization. Forest Trends connects capital markets with environmental conservation through market-based approaches. This is the parent organization relationship.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) InternationalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFSC International is a sponsor of Ecosystem Marketplace's EM Insights Briefing report on carbon prices and co-benefits. FSC provides additional support for reports on voluntary carbon credit project values and Sustainable Development Goals.
• Wildlife WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured project developer in EM Insights Briefing 'Voices from the Ground' segment, highlighting the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project in Kenya to demonstrate on-the-ground carbon project implementation.
• International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem Marketplace (through Forest Trends) collaborated with IAPB and Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) on a global study mapping government-led approaches to nature credit markets across six continents.
• Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPIC collaborated with Forest Trends' Ecosystem Marketplace on the study 'Learnings from Government-Led Approaches to Nature Credit Markets' providing first systematic global mapping of nature credit policies.
• American Forest FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNathan Truitt, Senior Vice President of Business Development at American Forest Foundation, participated as a panelist in EM Insights Briefing on carbon prices and co-benefits.
• Calyx GlobalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem Marketplace authors Charlotte Streck and colleagues serve as expert advisors to Calyx Global's SDG assessments of carbon projects. The collaboration focuses on evaluating sustainable development co-benefits of carbon projects.
• Ecosystem Investment PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdam Davis, co-founder and Managing Partner at Ecosystem Investment Partners, contributed commentary on biodiversity offsets and mitigation banking as part of the publication's expert perspectives.
• Katoomba GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem Marketplace reprinted commentary originally published on the Katoomba Group blog, indicating a collaborative relationship in environmental market knowledge sharing. The Katoamba Group first met in 1999 to advance ecosystem service markets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sylvera: Sylvera provides ratings and analytics on carbon credits, overlapping directly with Ecosystem Marketplace's focus on voluntary carbon market intelligence. Both serve corporate buyers and project developers seeking trustworthy market data, though Sylvera monetizes via subscriptions while EM provides free intelligence.
• BeZero Carbon: BeZero Carbon offers independent ratings of carbon credits, directly competing for the same audience of corporate carbon credit buyers and policymakers that Ecosystem Marketplace serves. BeZero's paid ratings model complements EM's free editorial and reports.
• Carbon Capital Lab: Carbon Capital Lab is a research and advisory firm focused on carbon credit pricing and project financing. It is an Ecosystem Marketplace partner but also produces original market intelligence and reports addressing the same audience of buyers and developers.

Broad incumbents

• MSCI Carbon Markets (formerly Trove Research): MSCI acquired Trove Research to provide carbon market data and analytics. It competes for institutional buyers of carbon market intelligence with a paid data offering, overlapping with Ecosystem Marketplace's pricing and transaction-volume reporting.
• OPIS (S&P Global Commodity Insights): OPIS, part of S&P Global, provides commodity pricing data including carbon and environmental markets. It offers paid data feeds competing for institutional buyers of carbon pricing and transaction data that Ecosystem Marketplace provides editorially.
• BloombergNEF: BloombergNEF publishes paid research and data on carbon markets, energy transition, and commodity prices. It competes for the same enterprise audience as Ecosystem Marketplace but with a much broader portfolio and premium subscription pricing.

Direct peers

• Carbon Brief: Carbon Brief is a climate-focused news publication covering carbon markets, climate science, and policy. Like Ecosystem Marketplace, it is editorial-first, free-to-access, and targets professionals tracking carbon market developments, making it a direct analogue in business model and audience.
• GreenBiz: GreenBiz is a media and events company covering sustainable business, carbon markets, and ESG topics. Like Ecosystem Marketplace, it provides free editorial content, newsletters, and webinars to corporate sustainability professionals and policymakers.
• Climate Focus: Climate Focus is a climate policy and carbon markets consultancy whose experts have authored for Ecosystem Marketplace. Both operate as non-profit/grant-funded organizations producing thought leadership for the same policy and corporate audience.

Others

• Verra: Verra administers major carbon credit standards (VCS, Gold Standard-equivalent) and is a frequent subject of Ecosystem Marketplace's reporting. While Verra sets standards rather than publishes market intelligence, the two are deeply intertwined in the VCM ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ecomarketplace
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForestTrends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecosystem-marketplace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ecosystem Marketplace