Natural Apptitude
Natural Apptitude is a UK-based software firm building the Coreo no-code ecological data collection platform and bespoke citizen science apps for conservation NGOs, ecological consultancies, and land managers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Natural Apptitude does
Natural Apptitude is a UK-based, privately held software firm (founded 2011, headquartered in London, 1-10 employees) that builds digital tools for ecological and environmental data collection. Its core product, the Coreo platform, is a no-code Progressive Web App (PWA) system that lets organisations construct field data collection apps with offline functionality, GPS/mapping tools, and standardised ecological survey templates — including the official UKHab Survey App and an integrated Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) calculation platform. Beyond Coreo, the company delivers bespoke mobile applications and websites for conservation organisations, with a portfolio of 50+ citizen science projects spanning mammals (Mammal Mapper, 100,000+ records), cetaceans (Whale Track), butterflies (Big Butterfly Count, 100,000+ annual participants), swifts (Swift Mapper, 100,000+ records), insects (Bugs Matter, AWS IMAGINE Grant winner), birdsong (Dawn Chorus, with BirdNET AI), invasive species (INNS Mapper), and marine environments (Big Blue Bag).
The company monetises through a hybrid model: Coreo operates on a freemium-to-subscription SaaS basis with tiered pricing scaling from sole traders to multinational organisations, while bespoke app and website development is sold as professional services to conservation NGOs (RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, Mammal Society, HWDT, Kent Wildlife Trust, Species Recovery Trust), ecological consultancies (ECOSA, The Ecology Co-op, Urban Green), land managers, and environmental technology firms (Soil Acoustics Ltd). A newer transactional layer has emerged with the Environmental Trading Platform, a marketplace for BNG and nutrient credits hosting 450+ organisations. Distribution is multi-channel: app stores for consumer citizen science apps, self-serve signup for Coreo, and direct enterprise sales for bespoke engagements.
Technically, Natural Apptitude combines PWA architecture for cross-platform delivery without app-store friction, pre-built ecological content (species lists, UKHab templates, BNG metrics), and selectively integrated AI/ML capabilities — notably BirdNET for audio species recognition in Dawn Chorus and proprietary acoustic analysis generating the Soil Acoustic Quality Index for Soil Acoustics Ltd. The business is founder-led (CEO Dave Kilbey), has no disclosed institutional funding, and operates with a small, domain-specialised team of former ecologists and engineers.
Natural Apptitude firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Natural Apptitude
- Legal name
- Natural Apptitude
- Website
- https://natural-apptitude.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Natural Apptitude is a UK-based software firm building the Coreo no-code ecological data collection platform and bespoke citizen science apps for conservation NGOs, ecological consultancies, and land managers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Natural Apptitude industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ecological Data Collection Software
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Assessment / Valuation (EUAHAHAI), CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control) (AFAAAHAG)
Keywords
Where Natural Apptitude is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Natural Apptitude business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Coreo SaaS Platform Subscription: Coreo operates as a subscription-based SaaS platform where organizations pay to use the data collection platform. The platform offers tried and tested survey templates and custom survey creation tools.
- Bespoke App Development: Natural Apptitude develops custom mobile apps and websites for environmental organizations, conservation groups, and citizen science projects. This is a professional services engagement model.
- Data Portal Development: Custom data portal development for environmental technology companies, such as the Soil Acoustics data portal.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier available for Coreo platform |
| Subscription | Annual | Sole trader to multinational scaling |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Natural Apptitude product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Natural Apptitude develops and operates the Coreo platform, a no-code Progressive Web App that enables environmental organisations to build custom ecological survey and data collection apps without coding. In parallel, the company designs and develops bespoke citizen science mobile apps and websites for conservation NGOs, ecological consultancies, and land managers. Core offerings include the Coreo SaaS subscription, the official UKHab/BNG survey platform, and a portfolio of named apps such as Big Butterfly Count, Mammal Mapper, Whale Track, Dawn Chorus, Bugs Matter, Swift Mapper, INNS Mapper, Soil Acoustics Data Portal, and the Environmental Trading Platform.
Product overview
Natural Apptitude is an environmental data collection specialist offering both a proprietary no-code platform (Coreo) and bespoke app/website development services. Their Coreo platform enables organizations to create custom survey apps without coding, featuring GIS mapping, offline functionality, and data management tools. The company also develops standalone citizen science applications including Big Butterfly Count (world's largest butterfly survey with 100,000+ annual participants), Mammal Mapper (100,000+ records for The Mammal Society), Whale Track (Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust), Dawn Chorus (AI-powered bird song recording with BirdNET), Bugs Matter (insect monitoring), Swift Mapper (RSPB), and INNS Mapper (invasive species). Professional tools include the official UKHab App & BNG Platform for ecological surveys. Additional bespoke solutions include Soil Acoustics Data Portal (AI-powered soil health analysis), Environmental Trading Platform (BNG marketplace), and Big Blue Bag (marine conservation).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Coreo: A powerful data creation and collection platform that enables users to create their own survey apps without coding knowledge. Coreo is designed for sole traders to multinational organisations for ecological data collection. It is also the platform powering the official UKHab Data Collection App and BNG Platform.
Products and services
- Coreo Platform A no-code Progressive Web App data collection platform that enables organisations to create bespoke survey apps without coding knowledge. Features include a drag-and-drop survey builder, GIS mapping tools, offline functionality, and data management/export capabilities. Designed for sole traders through to multinational organisations conducting ecological and environmental surveys. Powers the official UKHab Data Collection App and BNG Platform.
- Bespoke App and Website Development Services Custom development of mobile apps and websites for environmental organisations, conservation groups, and citizen science projects. Includes scope definition, design, native/PWA development, and ongoing support. Past deliverables include Whale Track, Dawn Chorus, Big Butterfly Count digital platform, Soil Acoustics Data Portal, Environmental Trading Platform, and Wild Spaces.
- UKHab App and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Platform Official UKHab survey application and integrated Biodiversity Net Gain calculation platform. Includes pre-loaded habitat information, species lists, mapping tools, and automatic BNG metric calculations. Used by ecological consultancies such as Urban Green to achieve 65% efficiency gains in UKHab surveys.
- Big Butterfly Count Citizen science app and website enabling members of the public to count butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK during the annual survey period. Developed for Butterfly Conservation as part of their conservation outreach programme.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65% increase in UKHab survey efficiency for Urban Green using Coreo
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Natural Apptitude
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Natural Apptitude technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Natural Apptitude partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- HX FoundationstrategicBig Blue Bag project partnership with Monty Halls and HX Foundation for marine environment citizen science sampling.
- Environmental Trading PlatformcoreDevelopment of digital marketplace platform for BNG and Nutrient Credits matching providers with developers, hosting 450+ organisations.
- Kent Wildlife Trust and BuglifecoreBugs Matter app development for citizen science survey of flying insect populations. Partnership won AWS IMAGINE Grant for global expansion in 2024.
- Hebridean Whale and Dolphin TrustcoreDevelopment of Whale Track app for HWDT to enable coastal community sightings recording of whales, dolphins, and porpoises in Scottish waters.
- UKHabcoreNatural Apptitude developed the official UKHab Survey App and integrated BNG calculation platform in collaboration with UKHab authors. The platform is powered by Coreo and compatible with the statutory BNG metric 4.0.
- BirdNETcoreAI technology partnership to integrate BirdNET's bird species recognition into the Dawn Chorus app. The AI analyzes recordings and suggests bird species with confidence levels.
- Species Recovery TrustcoreCoreo platform powers species monitoring across 1,200 conservation sites for The Species Recovery Trust's mission to save Britain's most endangered species.
- Butterfly ConservationcoreMultiple projects including Big Butterfly Count (world's largest butterfly survey) and Wild Spaces portal for butterfly and moth conservation.
- Mammal SocietycoreMammal Mapper app developed for The Mammal Society to help collect vital data on UK mammals, with over 100,000 records collected.
- Soil Acoustics LtdcoreDevelopment of data portal for the Soil Acoustic Meter (SAM) device that assesses soil health through acoustic analysis of invertebrate activity.
- RSPBcoreSwift Mapper development with RSPB for tracking swift nesting sites across UK, reaching 100,000+ records milestone.
- BIOTOPIAcoreDevelopment of Dawn Chorus app for BIOTOPIA (German life sciences museum) for global bird song recording research.
- Nattergal, Knepp, Wendling Beck, RestorestrategicCoreo platform used for site baseline and monitoring programmes including birds, butterflies, reptiles and earthworm counts for major nature restoration projects.
- Polar CollectivestrategicCoreo platform used to collect research data in the Antarctic from expeditions.
- Bore Place EstateminorCoreo used for community citizen science monitoring across 500-acre regenerative agriculture estate.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Natural Apptitude competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CyberTracker: CyberTracker is a field data collection tool widely used in ecological surveying and wildlife monitoring, particularly in conservation and indigenous knowledge contexts. It is a direct peer to Coreo for customisable, offline-capable ecological survey apps.
- iNaturalist: iNaturalist is the world's largest citizen science biodiversity platform, enabling public recording of species observations with AI-assisted identification. It is a direct peer to Natural Apptitude's citizen science apps (Mammal Mapper, Whale Track, Big Butterfly Count), though iNaturalist is broader and volunteer-led rather than professionally managed.
- KoboToolbox: KoboToolbox is an open-source, no-code data collection platform widely used by NGOs and field researchers for surveys. It is a direct peer to Coreo in the no-code field data collection space, with comparable offline, GPS, and form-building capabilities.
- Fulcrum: Fulcrum is a no-code mobile data collection platform that enables organisations to build custom field survey apps. It is a direct peer to Coreo in the no-code field data collection space, with comparable drag-and-drop form building, offline functionality, and GIS mapping, though Fulcrum serves many verticals beyond ecology.
- eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): eBird is the world's largest bird-related citizen science platform, collecting millions of bird sighting records annually. It is a direct peer to Natural Apptitude's Swift Mapper and Dawn Chorus apps in the bird citizen science niche, though operated by a major academic institution.
Broad incumbents
- Esri (ArcGIS Field Maps / Survey123): Esri's ArcGIS ecosystem (Field Maps, Survey123, QuickCapture) is the dominant enterprise GIS platform used by ecologists and conservation organisations worldwide. It competes with Coreo on field data collection, GIS mapping, and survey workflows, but Esri is a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist in ecological surveys or BNG.
Emerging players
- Zooniverse: Zooniverse is the largest online platform for citizen science, enabling volunteers to contribute to research via web-based and some app-based projects. It overlaps with Natural Apptitude's citizen science mission but is more focused on data classification and analysis workflows than field data collection.
- Fieldmargin: Fieldmargin is a farm and land management software platform that includes field mapping, livestock, and records features. It overlaps with Natural Apptitude's Coreo use cases for land managers, regenerative agriculture, and nature recovery monitoring.
- Mappt: Mappt is a mobile GIS and field data collection app focused on environmental, mining, and agricultural sectors. It is an emerging peer to Coreo for offline-capable field data collection with mapping and form-building features, though not specifically focused on ecological surveys.
- LandApp: LandApp is a UK-focused land management and mapping platform used by land agents, farmers, and conservation organisations for habitat mapping, BNG baseline assessments, and land use planning. It is an emerging regional peer overlapping with Coreo's UKHab/BNG use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Natural Apptitude social profiles
Digital presenceNatural Apptitude financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Natural Apptitude leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Natural Apptitude funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Natural Apptitude 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 Natural Apptitude
What does Natural Apptitude do?
Natural Apptitude develops and operates the Coreo platform, a no-code Progressive Web App that enables environmental organisations to build custom ecological survey and data collection apps without coding. In parallel, the company designs and develops bespoke citizen science mobile apps and websites for conservation NGOs, ecological consultancies, and land managers. Core offerings include the Coreo SaaS subscription, the official UKHab/BNG survey platform, and a portfolio of named apps such as Big Butterfly Count, Mammal Mapper, Whale Track, Dawn Chorus, Bugs Matter, Swift Mapper, INNS Mapper, Soil Acoustics Data Portal, and the Environmental Trading Platform.
Is Natural Apptitude a public or private company?
Natural Apptitude is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Natural Apptitude founded?
Natural Apptitude was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Natural Apptitude based?
Natural Apptitude is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Natural Apptitude make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Coreo SaaS Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are bespoke App Development and data Portal Development.
Who are Natural Apptitude's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CyberTracker, iNaturalist, KoboToolbox, Fulcrum and eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). Esri (ArcGIS Field Maps / Survey123) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Zooniverse, Fieldmargin, Mappt and LandApp.
Does Natural Apptitude have an API?
No public API is recorded for Natural Apptitude.
What industry is Natural Apptitude in?
Natural Apptitude's product category is Ecological Data Collection Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAM, Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital), with a secondary code of EUAHAHAI, Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Assessment / Valuation. Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 7372.