Certified B Corporation

What Certified B Corporation does

Certified B Corporation, operated by the global nonprofit B Lab, is the steward of the B Corp Certification standard, which independently verifies that businesses meet defined social, environmental, and governance performance thresholds. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Wayne, USA, B Lab oversees a movement of approximately 10,600 certified companies operating across 102 countries and 163 industries and collectively employing over 1.1 million workers. The organization is governed by an independent board and led under a co-leadership model, and operates through a network of regional partner organizations including Sistema B in Latin America and local B Lab teams in Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.

The core product portfolio centers on three tightly linked assets: the B Corp Certification program (the assessment and audit that confers certified status), the B Impact Platform (a self-serve impact management tool used to measure, track, and submit evidence against the standards), and the B Lab Standards framework (the underlying social, environmental, and governance criteria). Supporting products include the Certification Hub for onboarding, B Movement Builders for early-stage companies pursuing certification, the Find a B Corp Directory, the Knowledge Hub, B Corp Films, and the Forces For Good podcast. Distribution is digital-first via the B Impact Platform, supplemented by local partner teams in 100+ countries that provide on-the-ground certification support.

B Lab's business model is that of a global nonprofit certification body: it generates revenue primarily through certification and recertification fees, B Impact Platform access, ecosystem partnerships (e.g., Nasdaq OneReport for ESG reporting integration, BBC StoryWorks for media), and likely foundation/grant funding. Customer segments are horizontal — purpose-driven businesses of varying sizes across 163 industries — with no individually material customer logos disclosed. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the organization has no traditional equity investors, parent company, or subsidiaries beyond jointly-controlled regional partners. Recent strategic emphasis has been on positioning B Corp as a credible defense against greenwashing and a compliance bridge to emerging sustainability regulation.

Name

Certified B Corporation

Legal name

B Lab

Website

https://bcorporation.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

B Lab is a global nonprofit founded in 2006 that operates the Certified B Corporation program, independently verifying social, environmental, and governance performance for roughly 10,600 purpose-driven businesses across 102 countries and 163 industries via the B Impact Platform and a regional partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability and ESG Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• B Corp certification
• Impact assessment platform
• ESG verification standards
• Sustainability certification services
• Social environmental governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

B Lab administers the Certified B Corporation certification, independently verifying that businesses meet rigorous social, environmental, and governance standards. The certification is delivered through the B Impact Assessment Platform, an online tool that measures company impact against the B Lab Standards framework, supported by a global network of 100+ local B Lab partner organizations that provide on-the-ground guidance across 102 countries.

Product overview

Certified B Corporation (B Lab) operates as a certification body and movement organizer rather than a traditional product company. The core offering is the B Corp Certification program, which verifies that businesses meet social, environmental, and governance standards. This is supported by the B Impact Platform for impact measurement and management, and the B Lab Standards framework that defines the requirements. Additional offerings include the Certification Hub for onboarding guidance, the B Movement Builders program for early-stage companies, Forces For Good Podcast for thought leadership content, B Corp Films for storytelling, and the Knowledge Hub for educational resources. Together, these form an ecosystem supporting the certification lifecycle from exploration through ongoing compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• B Corp Certification The core certification program that independently verifies businesses meet verified social, environmental, and governance standards, enabling them to become Certified B Corporations. Designed for for-profit companies across 163 industries seeking credible, third-party ESG verification.
• B Impact Assessment Platform

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BBC StoryWorkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2024Partnership with BBC StoryWorks to produce a digital series celebrating the B Corp community, showcasing positive changes for workers, consumers, communities, and the environment.
• Nasdaq OneReportcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 September 2023B Lab Global and Nasdaq OneReport partnered to help companies streamline ESG reporting processes and showcase their environmental, social, and governance efforts through unified data.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Carbon Trust: Independent climate and sustainability certification and advisory organization, established longer than most climate verifiers. Comparable in running standards-driven certification programs alongside paid advisory/assurance services.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization): World's largest developer of voluntary international standards (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 14001). Operates a similar independent standards/certification model but at vastly greater scale and breadth than B Lab's B Corp program.

Direct peers

• Rainforest Alliance: Global sustainability certification organization operating across agriculture, forestry, and consumer goods with independently verified standards. Comparable to B Corp in running international certification programs with consumer-facing seals.
• Fair Trade USA: Independent third-party certification body verifying social, environmental, and ethical standards across supply chains. Directly comparable to B Lab as a global certification organization with rigorous, independent verification processes.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): International non-profit that sets standards for responsible forest management and provides third-party certification. Operates the same conformity-assessment/certification business model as B Lab but in a different vertical.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): International standards organization for sustainability reporting, providing the most widely used ESG reporting framework. Comparable to B Lab's B Lab Standards as a globally recognized, independently developed framework with broad corporate adoption.
• 1% for the Planet: Global network certifying member businesses that contribute at least 1% of revenue to environmental causes. Comparable to B Lab in running a corporate certification/membership program with a globally recognized seal.
• Green America: U.S. non-profit that certifies and promotes socially and environmentally responsible businesses. Comparable to B Lab as a mission-driven certification organization targeting purpose-led companies and consumers.

Emerging players

• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): Partnership that defines and validates corporate climate targets with verified standards, increasingly referenced by regulators and investors. Comparable to B Lab as a voluntary but credible third-party verifier gaining institutional weight in ESG.
• Climate Neutral Certified (Climate Neutral Now / Propagate Ventures): Brands-focused climate certification program requiring verified carbon measurement and offsets. Narrower scope than B Corp but operates the same third-party verified certification model targeted at consumer-facing purpose-driven brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-VDwwCN-6z3DGEzcrmvQtQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/bcorporation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/bcorporation
• Xx.com/bcorporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Certified B Corporation