Kwusen Research & Media

What Kwusen Research & Media does

Kwusen Research & Media Ltd. is a privately held Canadian company founded in 2010 by Towagh Behr in Victoria, BC, that provides research, custom software, and media services exclusively to Indigenous communities and Nations across Canada. The company conducts Indigenous Land Use Studies, Traditional Use Studies, Cultural Heritage Assessments, and Cumulative Effects Assessments, and produces documentary media on the impacts of industrial development on Indigenous territories. Its research practice is built around a methodology that trains community members to lead their own data collection, aligned with OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, Possession) data sovereignty principles.

Kwusen has developed and operates three proprietary software products built and maintained by an in-house team of four software developers: Community KnowledgeKeeper (CKK), a web-based mapping, spatial data management, consultation tracking, and digital community archive platform first released in 2011 and now deployed across 40+ Nations; GeoKeeper, a Flutter-based mobile application for offline and online field data collection with GPS tracking and custom survey forms, used by 9 Nations for community-based monitoring; and NationsConnect, a two-sided consultation submission portal launched in 2022 that routes government and industry referral requests into multiple CKK deployments, currently live in BC, Ontario, and Yukon.

The company monetizes through annual CKK subscription packages (hosting, maintenance, on-site training, remote support), recurring subscriptions and support for GeoKeeper and NationsConnect, project-based professional services revenue from research engagements, and select media production work. It reaches customers via direct enterprise sales, community referrals, academic conference presence, and collaborative content. As of 2025–2026 the company operates with 12 full-time staff from a single office in Victoria, BC, has been bootstrapped without external funding, and is actively developing CKK2.

Name

Kwusen Research & Media

Legal name

Kwusen Research & Media

Website

https://kwusen.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kwusen Research & Media, founded 2010 and based in Victoria, BC, provides research, proprietary software (CKK, GeoKeeper, NationsConnect), and media services exclusively to Indigenous communities and Nations across Canada to support data sovereignty and consultation management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Research & Data Sovereignty Software

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

Keywords

• Indigenous research services
• Traditional land use studies
• Consultation management software
• Community-based monitoring
• Cultural heritage assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CKK Subscription Packages: Kwusen offers subscription packages for Community KnowledgeKeeper that include hosting of a unique version of the software, maintenance, on-site training, and remote support. The development of the CKK has been funded by a network of communities across Canada.
2. Research Services: Research services including Indigenous Land Use Studies (ILUS), Traditional Use Studies (TUS), Cultural Heritage Assessments (CHA), and Cumulative Effects Assessments conducted collaboratively with Indigenous communities in relation to environmental impact assessments.
3. Digital Solutions Subscriptions: Subscription and support services for GeoKeeper and NationsConnect platforms, with data syncing capabilities to CKK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kwusen Research & Media delivers collaborative research, custom-built digital software, and media production services exclusively for Indigenous communities and Nations in Canada. Its proprietary platforms — Community KnowledgeKeeper (CKK), GeoKeeper, and NationsConnect — provide map-based research, consultation tracking, offline field data collection, and a digital cultural archive, while its research team conducts Indigenous Land Use Studies, Traditional Use Studies, Cultural Heritage Assessments, and Cumulative Effects Assessments in support of environmental impact assessments and Indigenous data sovereignty.

Product overview

Kwusen Research & Media offers a suite of three integrated software products: Community KnowledgeKeeper (CKK), GeoKeeper, and NationsConnect. These products work in conjunction to provide Indigenous nations with a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates research data, field data, and consultation information. GeoKeeper serves as the field data collection app, pushing collected data to the CKK which provides centralized storage, mapping, and consultation tracking. NationsConnect syncs consultation data directly to multiple CKKs, allowing communities without a CKK to receive consultation notifications via email and respond through the NationsConnect platform. The company also offers research services (Indigenous Land Use Studies, Cultural Heritage Assessments, Cumulative Effects Assessments) and media production capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community KnowledgeKeeper (CKK): A map-based research application and consultation tracking and management tool with an integrated response letter system
• GeoKeeper
• NationsConnect

Products and services

• Community KnowledgeKeeper (CKK) Web-based mapping, data management, and integrated consultation tracking and response system for First Nations that stores spatial and research data, supports consultation and land management decision-making, and provides a comprehensive digital community archive for documents, photographs, audio, and video files. Sold as annual subscription packages including hosting, maintenance, on-site training, and remote support.
• GeoKeeper Mobile community-based monitoring application for Indigenous communities conducting field data collection, providing offline and remote data collection on handheld devices with customizable survey forms, real-time GPS tracking, and automatic data synchronization. Available on Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store).
• NationsConnect Consultation submission portal that streamlines consultation submissions from government organizations and industry proponents to Indigenous communities, providing a single portal for securely uploading and tracking consultation information with multiple Nations, with data syncing capabilities directly to CKK instances.
• Indigenous Research Services Collaborative research services for Indigenous communities including Indigenous Land Use Studies (ILUS), Traditional Use Studies (TUS), Cultural Heritage Assessments (CHA), Cumulative Effects Assessments, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) studies, conducted in support of environmental impact assessments and Indigenous rights and title work.
• Collaborative Media Production Documentary and multimedia productions created in collaboration with Indigenous communities to communicate perspectives, values, and priorities regarding industrial development impacts and land use planning, including films such as 'The Buffalo Hunters', 'Moose Lake Home and Refuge', and 'DᶟNE YI'INJETL - The Scattering of Man'.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kwusen's research with Tsawout First Nation informed BC government's decision to reject a major residential development plan for James Island
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mikisew Cree First NationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Initial development partner for GeoKeeper app development. GeoKeeper was initially developed for MCFN and continues to be used by their Community-based Monitoring programs.
• Athabasca Chipewyan First NationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Initial development partner for GeoKeeper alongside Mikisew Cree First Nation. ACFN has used GeoKeeper for over 7 years in Community-based Monitoring programs for Peace-Athabasca Delta.
• Gitxaała NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year partnership on Wap nłuudisk a txa'nii ndaa (Everywhere Museum) Project to create a repatriation database for community belongings held in museums worldwide. Kwusen is developing specific CKK features including collections management and virtual museum functionality.
• First Peoples' Cultural CouncilcoreOthersLanguage Technology Program grant funder for the Sm'algyax language object development project in the CKK, in partnership with Gitxaała Nation's Language & Culture team.
• Yukon UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKwusen worked with instructors and students at Yukon University to develop a custom GeoKeeper program for their Environmental Monitoring Certificate Program.
• ALCESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with ALCES on Moose Lake cumulative effects modeling project that identified buffer zone recommendations for Fort McKay protection.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering, environmental, and community development consultancy with dedicated Indigenous services teams delivering environmental impact assessments and consultation support to industry and government clients overlapping with Kwusen's research practice.
• ESRI Canada: Distributor of the ArcGIS platform and a large provider of GIS solutions to government and Indigenous communities in Canada, representing the mainstream mapping technology stack that Kwusen's CKK and GeoKeeper differentiate against via OCAP-compliant design.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with strong Indigenous engagement and environmental assessment capabilities across Canada, competing for the same EIA and consultation engagements that fund Kwusen's research services.
• Dillon Consulting: Canadian engineering and environmental management consultancy with established Indigenous engagement and environmental assessment practices, frequently competing for the same impact-assessment mandates that drive Kwusen's research revenue.

Direct peers

• SLR Consulting: Environmental and advisory consultancy that delivers impact assessment, Indigenous engagement, and environmental management services to resource and infrastructure clients in Canada, directly comparable to Kwusen's research and assessment work.
• Two Row Consulting: Indigenous-owned environmental and community planning consulting firm delivering impact assessments, land use planning, and consultation services to First Nations, directly comparable in mandate and client base to Kwusen's research services.
• Animikii: Indigenous-owned digital agency and technology company building web, mobile, and data products for Indigenous communities and organizations, sharing Kwusen's mandate of Indigenous-led technology and community-empowering software.
• Pivotal Research: Canadian social research firm conducting Indigenous land use, heritage, and traditional knowledge studies for First Nations clients, operating in the same research-services lane as Kwusen.

Others

• First Nations Technology Council: Indigenous-led non-profit advancing digital equity and technology capacity in First Nations communities; an ecosystem partner and capacity builder that influences the demand environment for Kwusen's software and research services.
• First Peoples' Cultural Council: Provincial Crown agency funding Indigenous language, heritage, and arts initiatives in BC, and a current grant funder for Kwusen's CKK language object development; comparable as an ecosystem shaper and funder in Kwusen's addressable market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Kwusen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Kwusen Research & Media