NatureServe
NatureServe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the recognized authoritative biodiversity data network for North America, federating 60+ member programs and 1,000+ scientists to deliver species, ecosystem, and habitat intelligence to government agencies, conservation NGOs, and businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What NatureServe does
NatureServe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded circa 1970 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that operates the recognized authoritative source of standardized biodiversity data for North America. The organization federates a NatureServe Network of more than 60 member programs and 1,000+ scientific experts across the United States and Canada, who collect, classify, and apply biodiversity information through the proprietary Biotics data and analytics platform. The resulting database covers more than 100,000 species, 7,000+ classified ecosystems, and 1M+ mapped locations, and is delivered to 900,000 annual users across NGOs, state agencies, federal land managers, and businesses.
NatureServe's product surface spans the public NatureServe Explorer database; the 2024-launched NatureServe Explorer Pro professional tier; the November 2025-launched InSite by NatureServe paid B2B site-level intelligence product for the contiguous United States; the Map of Biodiversity Importance (MoBI) spatial prioritization layers; iMapInvasives; the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) standard (Version 3.0 released October 2025 with ESA, USGS, and USFS); and the Biodiversity Indicators Program dashboards. The underlying Biotics platform integrates with Esri Survey123 for field data capture and is the operational backbone of the network.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: individual donations (The Nest monthly giving at $5 minimum, Adopt-a-Species tiered up to $5,000, planned giving/Heritage Circle, stock gifts, and Combined Federal Campaign #10299 workplace giving), corporate sponsorships (Corporate Voices for Biodiversity Science; BWB conference sponsors including Chevron, Bartlett, SFI, and Ramboll), foundation and government grants (notably the 2020 AWS Imagine Grant for Biotics cloud infrastructure, the five-year USFS master agreement, and partnership grants with the U.S. Botanic Garden), B2B product sales (InSite), and custom data services. NatureServe is governed by an independent board and has no parent company; NatureServe Canada operates as its regional Canadian affiliate.
NatureServe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NatureServe
- Legal name
- NatureServe
- Website
- https://natureserve.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- NatureServe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the recognized authoritative biodiversity data network for North America, federating 60+ member programs and 1,000+ scientists to deliver species, ecosystem, and habitat intelligence to government agencies, conservation NGOs, and businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NatureServe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biodiversity Conservation Data and Analytics
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Terrestrial Ecology & Habitat Surveys (EUAHAHAA), Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Threatened & Endangered Species (TES) / Protected Species Surveys & Compliance (EUAHAHAD), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)
Keywords
Where NatureServe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
NatureServe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Recurring Monthly Donations (The Nest): Monthly donor community with minimum $5/month recurring gift, providing sustained funding for biodiversity science operations.
- Adopt-a-Species Program: Symbolic adoptions of species or ecosystems with tiered minimum donations ranging from $25 (standard) to $5,000 (Critically Imperiled G1 species), with custom adoptions available.
- Corporate Sponsorship and Grants: Corporate Voices for Biodiversity Science flagship program, corporate grants, event sponsorship, and matching contributions; provides unrestricted funding.
- Planned Giving and Legacy Funds: Heritage Circle planned giving and named legacy funds (Robert E. Jenkins Legacy Fund, Larry E. Morse Botany Fund, Tom Breden Legacy Fund) supporting long-term biodiversity science.
- Gifts of Stock/Securities: Long-term appreciated stock or mutual fund gifts processed through a Goldman Sachs account, providing a tax-efficient donation channel.
- InSite by NatureServe Sales: B2B sales of next-generation biodiversity assessment tool providing site-level biodiversity intelligence; introductory webinar and store-based purchase model.
- Custom Data Requests: Custom data and analysis services available via [email protected] for organizations needing tailored biodiversity intelligence.
- Foundation Grants: Major foundation grants including the 2020 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine Grant for non-profits supporting cloud infrastructure for Biotics.
- Workplace Giving (CFC and EarthShare): Workplace giving via Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #10299) and EarthShare @ Work, enabling payroll-deduction donations to NatureServe.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Standard species adoption — $25 minimum |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom species adoption tiers by conservation rank |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Nest donor — $5 minimum/month |
| Subscription | Annual | InSite by NatureServe — B2B product with introductory webinar and free sample report |
| Freemium | Annual | NatureServe Explorer Pro — free account creation |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
NatureServe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NatureServe operates a biodiversity data and analytics platform that tracks 100,000+ species, 7,000+ ecosystems, and 1,000,000+ mapped locations across North America. It sells software products such as NatureServe Explorer (public database), NatureServe Explorer Pro (professional tier), InSite by NatureServe (paid site-level biodiversity intelligence for the lower 48 U.S.), Map of Biodiversity Importance (MoBI) layers, iMapInvasives, and maintains the U.S. National Vegetation Classification standard. The Biotics platform powers data collection, habitat modeling, and extinction risk assessment for a network of 60+ state and provincial member programs.
Product overview
NatureServe operates a unified biodiversity conservation data platform anchored by its flagship public-facing database NatureServe Explorer and the professional extension NatureServe Explorer Pro. The underlying Biotics platform ingests field observations (via Esri Survey123) and powers derived products including the Map of Biodiversity Importance (MoBI) for spatial prioritization, InSite by NatureServe for paid site-level biodiversity intelligence across the lower 48 U.S., iMapInvasives for invasive-species tracking, the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) standard, and the Biodiversity Indicators Dashboards that report national and regional conservation progress.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NatureServe Explorer: NatureServe's flagship authoritative conservation database providing comprehensive information on more than 100,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems.
- NatureServe Explorer Pro
- InSite by NatureServe
- iMapInvasives
- The NatureServe Network
Products and services
- NatureServe Explorer Flagship public-facing authoritative conservation database providing comprehensive information on more than 100,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems, including taxonomy, distribution maps, global and national conservation status ranks, and photos; serves as the primary public entry point into NatureServe's biodiversity data.
- NatureServe Explorer Pro Professional-tier application layered on NatureServe Explorer to enhance accessibility to vital biodiversity data and to spearhead open data initiatives across Canada and the United States; introduced with a free account tier.
- InSite by NatureServe Next-generation, paid biodiversity assessment tool that delivers instant, site-level biodiversity intelligence for any location in the lower 48 United States, providing data-driven insights for land-use planning, conservation, and investment decision-making.
- Map of Biodiversity Importance (MoBI) Spatial ML-driven map layers that combine species occurrence data with biodiversity-relevant environmental variables to highlight where conservation action would have the greatest impact; layers are published on Esri's Living Atlas and underpin tools such as Microsoft's Planetary Computer.
- Biotics NatureServe's core internal data and analytics solution for mapping species locations, modeling species habitats, and assessing extinction risk; powers the NatureServe Network's biodiversity data workflows and integrates with Esri Survey123 for field data capture.
- iMapInvasives Online tool and shared platform for tracking and managing invasive species, supporting presence/not-detected data, treatments, and infestation management for partner agencies and programs.
- U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) Official U.S. national standard for classifying and mapping terrestrial ecosystems, jointly maintained by NatureServe, the Ecological Society of America, USGS, and USFS; supports natural resource management and biodiversity conservation.
- Biodiversity Indicators Program (Dashboards) Program delivering customizable National Indicator Reporting Toolkits (interactive dashboards, indicator reporting frameworks, indicator workflows, and a global data/indicator library) that visualize biodiversity health and trends at regional, national, basin, and site scales for partners including the Arctic Council, ASEAN, Bahamas, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Ghana, Uganda, and Rwanda.
Quantifiable outcome
- 900,000 annual users of NatureServe tools across NGOs, state agencies, federal land managers, and businesses
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use NatureServe
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
NatureServe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature10 records
NatureServe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Ecological Society of America (ESA)flagshipNatureServe, ESA, USGS, and U.S. Forest Service jointly released Version 3.0 of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC), the official national standard for classifying and mapping terrestrial ecosystems across the United States.
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)flagshipCo-developed the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) Version 3.0 with NatureServe, ESA, and U.S. Forest Service.
- U.S. Forest Service (USFS)flagshipCo-developed the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) Version 3.0 with NatureServe, ESA, and USGS. Also funds NatureServe global plant ranking work under a five-year master agreement that updated 500+ global ranks.
- United States Botanic Garden (USBG)coreNatureServe and USBG announced a partnership to tackle two critical areas of plant conservation — assessing threats to at-risk plants and safeguarding the wild relatives of crops — while educating the public about the growing risk of plant extinction.
- SAScoreNatureServe and SAS joined forces through SAS's Data for Good program to apply analytics and AI for assessing the degree of imperilment for plants and animals. CEO Sean O'Brien stated the partnership has 'the potential to set a new global standard on how the world evaluates the condition of biodiversity.'
- Microsoft (AI for Earth / Planetary Computer)coreThrough Microsoft's AI for Earth program, Microsoft and NatureServe collaborated on the machine-learning component of the Map of Biodiversity Importance. MoBI now plays a key role in Microsoft's Planetary Computer to make biodiversity data more accessible to scientists, businesses, and conservationists.
- EsriflagshipNatureServe and Esri co-developed the Map of Biodiversity Importance; Esri synthesized new environmental layers and made the results free to the public through Esri's Living Atlas. NatureServe unveiled MoBI at Esri's 2020 Federal GIS Conference to 5,000+ attendees. Survey123 integration supports the Biotics 5 platform.
- Bartlett (Bartlett Tree Experts)minorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference. Logo displayed alongside other sponsors in the 'Closing Conversations' episode.
- ChevronminorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference, displayed alongside other sponsors.
- Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)minorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference. Earlier, SFI's Darren Sleep participated as a guest speaker at the Virtual BWB 'Data Needs for Decision-makers' webinar discussing sustainable forest value chains.
- RambollminorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference, displayed alongside other sponsors.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)minorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference. NatureServe also contributes imagery to and from BLM land-management projects.
- iNaturalistminorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference and source of biodiversity imagery and citizen science data referenced by NatureServe.
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources — Natural Heritage ProgramminorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference and member of the NatureServe Network.
- NatureServe CanadacoreSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference and NatureServe's regional Canadian affiliate coordinating EBAR mapping and Canadian network programs.
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation — Natural Heritage ProgramminorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference and member of the NatureServe Network.
- Pennsylvania Natural Heritage ProgramminorSponsor of the Biodiversity Without Boundaries (BWB) conference and member of the NatureServe Network.
- EarthShareminorNatureServe participates in EarthShare @ Work, the employee engagement and philanthropy program; EarthShare manages many workplace charity campaigns for employers, including Combined Federal Campaigns.
- One Percent for the PlanetminorNatureServe is a member/partner organization of One Percent for the Planet, as shown by the partner logo in the website footer.
- Goldman SachsminorNatureServe maintains a securities custody account with Goldman Sachs to process gifts of stock and mutual fund donations from donors.
- Biodiversity Without Boundaries Conference Sponsors (collective)coreBiennial BWB conference (2024 in Seattle; 2027 scheduled in St. George, Utah) convenes more than 60 NatureServe Network programs, federal agencies, leading academic institutions, and fellow conservation organizations.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NatureServe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global authority on species conservation status (IUCN Red List) and biodiversity standards. Most directly comparable to NatureServe as the worldwide counterpart for authoritative species and ecosystem assessment, with overlapping methodology and federal/international policy influence.
- USGS Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON): U.S. federal government aggregator of biodiversity occurrence data. Comparable as a U.S.-focused biodiversity data platform with significant overlap in species occurrence data, and a working partner to NatureServe on federal ecosystem standards (USNVC).
- The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest environmental nonprofits globally, combining conservation land management with science and data programs. Comparable as a peer conservation nonprofit leveraging biodiversity data for land protection, and a member of the NatureServe Network partner ecosystem.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation NGO working on species and habitat protection. Comparable as a peer donor-funded conservation organization, with similar global footprint, federal and corporate partnership models, and engagement in biodiversity policy frameworks.
- Conservation International: Global conservation nonprofit integrating biodiversity science with policy and corporate engagement. Comparable as a peer environmental nonprofit with corporate ESG programs, donor-driven funding model, and global biodiversity indicator work that overlaps NatureServe's indicators program.
Direct peers
- Map of Life (Yale University): Yale-hosted digital platform integrating species occurrence data with expert range maps and habitat suitability modeling. Closest direct competitor in the academic/research biodiversity data platform category, with comparable ML-based species range and habitat products.
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Intergovernmental network providing open access to biodiversity occurrence data worldwide. Directly comparable as a global biodiversity data infrastructure provider; overlaps with NatureServe on species occurrence data distribution and Darwin Core interoperability standards.
Others
- Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (IUCN-led): Multi-organization partnership (including IUCN, BirdLife International, Conservation International) producing site-level biodiversity priority maps. Comparable as a peer framework producing spatial biodiversity prioritization products conceptually similar to NatureServe's Map of Biodiversity Importance.
Emerging players
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird): Citizen-science-driven bird occurrence data platform. Comparable as a specialty biodiversity data platform demonstrating the citizen-science-to-data-product model that informs NatureServe's Biotics and Biodiversity Observation Data Standard integrations.
- iNaturalist (California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic): Citizen-science biodiversity observation platform. Comparable as a biodiversity data source and a NatureServe Network BWB sponsor, with overlapping species observation data feeding into NatureServe's Biotics platform via the Biodiversity Observation Data Standard.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NatureServe social profiles
Digital presenceNatureServe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NatureServe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
NatureServe subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
NatureServe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NatureServe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NatureServe
What does NatureServe do?
NatureServe operates a biodiversity data and analytics platform that tracks 100,000+ species, 7,000+ ecosystems, and 1,000,000+ mapped locations across North America. It sells software products such as NatureServe Explorer (public database), NatureServe Explorer Pro (professional tier), InSite by NatureServe (paid site-level biodiversity intelligence for the lower 48 U.S.), Map of Biodiversity Importance (MoBI) layers, iMapInvasives, and maintains the U.S. National Vegetation Classification standard. The Biotics platform powers data collection, habitat modeling, and extinction risk assessment for a network of 60+ state and provincial member programs.
Is NatureServe a public or private company?
NatureServe is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NatureServe founded?
NatureServe was founded in 1970. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NatureServe based?
NatureServe is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does NatureServe make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. Recurring Monthly Donations (The Nest) is the primary driver. The others are adopt-a-Species Program, corporate Sponsorship and Grants, planned Giving and Legacy Funds, gifts of Stock/Securities, inSite by NatureServe Sales, custom Data Requests, foundation Grants and workplace Giving (CFC and EarthShare).
Who are NatureServe's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), USGS Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON), The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Conservation International. Direct peers are Map of Life (Yale University) and GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility). Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (IUCN-led) is listed as an others. Emerging players are Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird) and iNaturalist (California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic).
Does NatureServe have an API?
No public API is recorded for NatureServe.
What industry is NatureServe in?
NatureServe's product category is Biodiversity Conservation Data and Analytics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAM, Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital), with a secondary code of EUAHAHAA, Terrestrial Ecology & Habitat Surveys. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 800.