Scientific Animations without Borders

What Scientific Animations without Borders does

Scientific Animations without Borders (SAWBO) is a university-based nonprofit educational program that produces scientifically accurate 2D and 3D animations covering agriculture, health, women's empowerment, climate change resilience, and peace & justice. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Barry Pittendrigh and Dr. Julia Bello-Bravo, SAWBO originated at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, relocated to Michigan State University, and currently operates as a Purdue University-based program. The organization maintains a content library of 150+ expert-vetted animations available in 280+ language variants, with new content continuously released — including 2025 additions on East Coast Fever vaccination and rice field management.

The core product ecosystem consists of a web-based video library, an Android mobile application (100K+ Google Play downloads) with offline access and Bluetooth/WhatsApp peer-to-peer sharing, a low-bandwidth "Lite" version, TV programming distributed via MKTV in Kenya, podcasts, and music videos. The Android app's offline-first architecture and Bluetooth sharing capability is the technical centerpiece, enabling content distribution to low-literate populations in low-connectivity regions of developing countries. The animation production pipeline incorporates input from international research institutions (IITA, CIMMYT), government ministries (Kenya MoALF&C), and universities (Njala, UIC), yielding co-developed and locally validated content.

SAWBO operates a freemium revenue model with no commercial pricing; all content is freely distributed for educational purposes, and operations are funded through grants, donations (processed via Purdue University's giving system), and institutional support. Headcount is 1-10. End users include smallholder farmers, community health workers, missionaries, extension agents, and women's empowerment groups across 130+ countries, with documented reach of 60M+ total viewers. The organization has no external investors, no venture backing, and no commercial revenue stream; growth is driven by grant cycles, partnership expansion, and volunteer translation contributions rather than market-based demand.

Name

Scientific Animations without Borders

Legal name

Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) - A program of Michigan State University and University of Illinois

Website

https://sawbo-animations.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SAWBO is a university-based nonprofit that creates scientifically accurate 2D and 3D educational animations in 280+ language variants, covering agriculture, health, women's empowerment, and climate resilience, and freely distributes them to low-literate communities in developing nations via web, Android app, and offline Bluetooth/WhatsApp sharing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Animation and Media

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

2D Character Animation (MPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH), 2D (Traditional & Digital) Animation Production (MPADACAA), Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI)

Keywords

• Educational animation services
• Agricultural extension content
• Global health education media
• Multilingual e-learning content
• Nonprofit educational technology

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Educational Content Distribution: SAWBO releases all animations freely for educational purposes. The organization is funded through grants, donations, and foundation support rather than commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Scientific Animations without Borders (SAWBO) creates 2D and 3D educational animations on agriculture, health, women's empowerment, peace and justice, and climate change resilience, and distributes them free of charge through a web video library, an Android mobile app, YouTube channels, TV broadcasting, and partner portals. All content is translated into 280+ language variants using a volunteer localization model and validated with global subject-matter experts, with content designed to be understandable by low-literacy audiences and usable offline.

Product overview

SAWBO (Scientific Animations Without Borders) is an educational technology organization that creates scientifically accurate animations translated into 100+ languages. The core offering consists of the SAWBO Video Library web portal, the SAWBO Android mobile app, and specialized content formats including TV programming, podcasts, and music videos. All animations are freely available for educational use and cover topics in agriculture, health, economics, women's empowerment, peace & justice, and climate change resilience. The product ecosystem enables global knowledge dissemination through multiple channels including web, mobile app, YouTube, TV, and offline Bluetooth/WhatsApp sharing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SAWBO Video Library Web-based portal providing access to over 150 educational animation topics in 280+ language variants, covering agriculture, health, economics, women's empowerment, peace and justice, and climate change resilience. Designed for individual learners, extension workers, and development partners worldwide.
• SAWBO Android App
• SAWBO Video Library Lite Low-bandwidth version of the SAWBO Video Library for users on slower internet connections, enabling access to educational content in areas with limited connectivity.
• SAWBO MoALF&C Portal Collaborative portal developed with the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives for distributing agricultural extension content to Kenyan farmers and agricultural communities.
• SAWBO Podcasts Audio podcast series covering educational topics in health, agriculture, and development, hosted on the website alongside the video library.
• SAWBO Songs Educational music videos developed in collaboration with the Global Youth Groove Band, including the Malaria Prevention Song and Jerrycan Bean Storage Song, blending health and agricultural education with locally relevant music in English and Swahili.
• SAWBO TV Programming 30-minute television programming developed in partnership with MKTV (Mombasa TV), available in 1080p and 720p resolutions with optional MKTV branding, for broadcast to Kenyan audiences.
• SAWBO Project Libraries Curated, partner-specific animation project sites with specialized content libraries maintained for specific initiatives, partners, and projects.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Fisheries and Cooperatives (MoALF&C)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative website (moalfac.sawbo-animations.org) for distributing agricultural knowledge in Kenya. This is a government partnership for reaching farmers and agricultural communities with SAWBO content.
• Njala University (Sierra Leone)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in creating Ebola Prevention animation for Sierra Leone, collaborating on content adaptation for local context.
• Sierra Leone YMCAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner in Ebola Prevention animation project, helping with distribution and community outreach in Sierra Leone.
• UIC's Hospital and Health Sciences ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Colorectal Cancer Prevention animation, with UIC's program providing medical expertise and content validation.
• IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple agricultural animations (IITA variants) including bean production, rice management, composting, and soil health content.
• CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Mbili-Mbili Strip Intercropping animation, providing agricultural research expertise.
• Michigan State UniversitycoreOthersCurrently MSU-based program (previously at University of Illinois). SAWBO operates as a university-affiliated program embedded in agricultural research community.
• Global Youth Groove Band (GYGB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusical collaboration for creating Malaria Prevention and Jerrycan Bean Storage music videos in Kenya with English and Swahili lyrics.
• MKTV (Mombasa TV)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelevision partnership for 30-minute programming broadcast in Kenya, with and without MKTV branding.
• Purdue UniversityminorOthersSAWBO donations are processed through Purdue University's giving system. The organization is currently transitioning to be Purdue-based.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CGIAR / IITA: International agricultural research centers that SAWBO partners with to source and validate content (IITA, CIMMYT). They are ecosystem participants and content co-developers rather than direct competitors, but they represent the upstream research pipeline that SAWBO translates into animations.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Media Action: The BBC's international development media unit producing educational and public-health programming in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable to SAWBO on educational media for development, but operates at much larger scale and across multiple media formats.
• One Acre Fund: Provides smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with farm inputs, financing, and training on agronomic practices. Comparable to SAWBO on serving smallholder farmers in Africa with agricultural extension content, though One Acre Fund is a much larger service organization.
• Khan Academy: Large-scale free educational platform with translated content reaching global learners. Comparable to SAWBO on free, multilingual educational content distribution, but serves a fundamentally different audience (connected learners seeking formal education) and lacks SAWBO's offline-first mobile distribution.

Direct peers

• Digital Green: Uses video (including animated and live-action) to extend agricultural knowledge to smallholder farmers in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable to SAWBO on target user (smallholder farmers), distribution approach (community video), and topic focus (agriculture).
• Precision Development (PxD): Delivers agricultural advisory information to smallholder farmers via mobile phones, often with visual content tailored to low-literacy users. Highly comparable to SAWBO in mission and target population, though PxD emphasizes voice/SMS/IVR channels alongside video.
• Global Health Media Project: Produces free, high-quality video animations for frontline health workers and caregivers in low-resource settings. Directly comparable to SAWBO in target audience, content format, and free distribution model, though more narrowly focused on maternal and child health.
• AgroInsight: Creates animated training videos and learning materials on plant health and integrated pest management for farmers and extension workers in developing countries. Directly comparable to SAWBO's agricultural animation work and expert-vetted content approach.

Emerging players

• Farmerline: Provides agricultural content, advisory, and market-access services to smallholder farmers via mobile in Africa. Comparable to SAWBO on the farmer-education mission and mobile-first delivery, though Farmerline is a commercial company with a broader service bundle.
• One Health Lessons: Creates free educational animations on infectious disease and public health for global audiences. Comparable to SAWBO on short-form animated educational content for health topics, though smaller in language coverage and distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sawbosm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SAWBOsm
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAWBOsm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scientific-animations-without-borders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Scientific Animations without Borders