What Nautilus Institute does

Nautilus Institute (legally Nautilus of America, Inc.) is a private, non-profit public policy think-tank founded in 1992 in Berkeley, California by Peter Hayes and colleagues. Its mission is to address critical security and sustainability issues in the Asia-Pacific region — nuclear war prevention and non-proliferation in Korea and Northeast Asia, energy insecurity in East Asia, climate change adaptation, and the strengthening of regional governance through civil society engagement. The institute serves government policymakers and diplomats, scholars and academic institutions, journalists and major media outlets, and NGOs and civil society organizations, with reach into 50+ countries and daily readership of approximately 10,000 via its mailing lists.

The institute's core outputs are research publications and information networks rather than software products. The flagship NAPSNet (Nautilus Peace and Security Network), launched in 1993, is a daily email bulletin covering Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change adaptation, and DPRK policy. ADAPTNet, produced in partnership with RMIT University, is a semi-weekly publication on urban climate change adaptation. Additional products include the FOIA Global Disclosure Project (synchronized multi-national Freedom of Information Act filings for policy transparency), briefing books on North Korea, nuclear weapons, and global nuclear futures, and scenario reports for strategic foresight. The institute also convenes workshops and conferences as a core engagement channel.

The business model is foundation-funded research, not commercial product sales. Primary revenue derives from grants and research contracts from foundations including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Korea Foundation, the Ploughshares Fund, the Samuel Rubin Foundation, the New Land Foundation, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A secondary revenue stream is consulting fees from international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, UNDP, UN University, OECD, East-West Center, the Global Environment Facility, and the Earth Council. All mailing-list publications are free; no commercial pricing model exists. The institute operates three offices — Berkeley (headquarters), Seoul (Northeast Asian node, currently temporarily inactive), and Melbourne (Australia, producing NAPSNet Weekly Report).

Name

Nautilus Institute

Legal name

Nautilus of America, Inc.

Website

https://nautilus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nautilus Institute is a Berkeley-based non-profit think-tank founded in 1992 that produces research, scenario reports, FOIA disclosures, and the NAPSNet and AdaptNet email networks on nuclear security, energy insecurity, and climate adaptation in the Asia-Pacific, serving policymakers, scholars, journalists, and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research Services

NAICS

National Security (928110), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPAGAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Nuclear security analysis
• Climate adaptation research
• Asia-Pacific security
• Think-tank publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Research Contracts: Primary funding source. Nautilus Institute is a non-profit organization funded primarily by grants and research contracts from foundations including Carnegie Corporation of New York, Korea Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Ploughshares Fund, and others.
2. Consulting Services: Institute researchers provide consulting services to international organizations on program-related projects including Asian Development Bank, UN agencies, East-West Center, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nautilus Institute is a non-profit public policy think-tank that conducts research, analysis, and convening on peace, security, and sustainability issues in the Asia-Pacific region. It produces and disseminates research publications through information networks (NAPSNet and AdaptNet), briefing books, scenario reports, and FOIA documents, and provides consulting services to international organizations on nuclear security, energy security, and climate change.

Product overview

The Nautilus Institute operates as a public policy think-tank producing research publications and information networks rather than a software technology product. Its core offerings include NAPSNet (Nautilus Peace and Security Network), a non-governmental information network covering security issues in the Asia-Pacific region; ADAPTNet, a climate change adaptation network produced in partnership with RMIT University; and various briefing books and reports on nuclear weapons policy, energy security, and regional security issues. The institute also manages a FOIA Global Disclosure Project and publishes scenarios reports for strategic foresight. These publications serve policy makers, scholars, and civil society organizations working on peace and security in the Asia Pacific region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NAPSNet (Nautilus Peace and Security Network): Non-governmental information network launched in November 1993 covering peace and security issues in Asia-Pacific region including Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change adaptation, and DPRK policy
• AdaptNet
• FOIA Global Disclosure Project

Products and services

• NAPSNet (Nautilus Peace and Security Network) A non-governmental information network covering Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change adaptation, DPRK policy, governance and civil society across North America, Northeast Asia, and Austral-Asia. Distributes policy forums, special reports, and analysis to thousands of daily readers.
• AdaptNet (Climate Change Adaptation Network) A climate change adaptation network produced in partnership with RMIT University Global Cities Research Institute, focused on urban climate change adaptation, offering semi-weekly information, analysis, and methodology for policy research across Australia and Asia-Pacific cities.
• Briefing Books

Quantifiable outcome

• Informs 10,000 readers daily on security developments in East and South Asia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RMIT University Global Cities Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with RMIT University to produce AdaptNet, a climate change adaptation network focused on urban climate change adaptation. Nautilus Institute co-produces this semi-weekly publication with RMIT's Climate Change Adaptation Program.
• Asia Pacific Leadership Network (APLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing relationship on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation analysis. APLN is a leadership network of former senior military, diplomatic, and political figures working on nuclear issues in the Asia-Pacific.
• RECNA-Nagasaki UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University collaborates on nuclear threat analysis, scenario reports, and policy recommendations including the Nagasaki 75th Anniversary Nuclear-Pandemic Nexus Scenario Project.
• Asian Development BankminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to ADB on program-related projects including energy security and environmental sustainability in developing countries.
• United Nations Development ProgrammeminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to UNDP on international development and sustainability programs.
• United Nations UniversityminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to UN University on global governance and policy research.
• East-West CenterminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to East-West Center on Asia-Pacific issues.
• Global Environment FacilityminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to GEF on environmental programs.
• OECDminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to OECD on economic cooperation and development issues.
• Earth CouncilminorOthersInstitute researchers have consulted to Earth Council on environmental and sustainability issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: One of the largest US-based public policy think-tanks producing research across international affairs, security, and economic policy. Comparable to Nautilus as a non-profit, donor-funded research organization publishing analysis for policymakers and the public, though operating at materially greater scale and broader thematic scope.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major US-based international affairs think-tank with global research centers, including work on nuclear policy, Asia-Pacific security, and non-proliferation. Directly comparable mission overlap with Nautilus in nuclear security and Asia-Pacific policy, with broader scope and substantially larger resources.
• RAND Corporation: Large US research organization producing policy analysis on national security, international affairs, and energy. Overlaps with Nautilus on Asia-Pacific security, nuclear strategy, and energy security topics, though operating at vastly larger scale with a defense-contractor heritage.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): US bipartisan policy research organization covering defense, security, and international affairs including Asia-Pacific issues. Comparable to Nautilus as a DC-anchored think-tank producing policy analysis for government and media, with substantially broader thematic and program scope.

Direct peers

• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): Independent international research institute focused on arms control, disarmament, nuclear security, and conflict resolution. Highly comparable to Nautilus in thematic focus on nuclear proliferation and security, with a similar non-profit, research-publication-driven model serving policymakers and scholars.
• RECNA - Nagasaki University Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition: University-affiliated research center in Japan focused on nuclear weapons abolition and threat reduction in the Asia-Pacific. Already a research collaborator with Nautilus on scenario reports and the Nagasaki 75th Anniversary Nuclear-Pandemic Nexus project, sharing a narrowly comparable mission and donor base.
• East-West Center: US-established institution for Asia-Pacific research, education, and dialogue. Listed among organizations to which Nautilus researchers consult, with directly comparable mission of policy analysis and convening on Asia-Pacific issues, though with broader programming and government affiliation.
• Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN): Network of former senior military, diplomatic, and political figures working on nuclear issues in the Asia-Pacific. Already a strategic co-publishing partner of Nautilus on nuclear disarmament analysis, making it the most directly comparable peer in mission and region.
• Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS): Nonprofit research organization focused on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and related technology. Comparable to Nautilus in producing technical analysis of proliferation issues (especially DPRK), operating as a small, specialized, donor-funded think-tank with policy-focused outputs.

Emerging players

• Union of Concerned Scientists: US nonprofit science-based advocacy organization conducting technical analysis on nuclear weapons, climate, and energy. Comparable to Nautilus as a non-profit, donor-funded research organization publishing on nuclear security and energy policy, though with a US domestic policy and climate focus rather than Asia-Pacific specialization.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nautilus_inst
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nautilus Institute