What Hack The Planet does

Hack The Planet (legal name: Stichting Hack The Planet) is a Dutch ANBI-registered non-profit foundation headquartered in Rotterdam, founded in 2016 by Tim van Deursen as a hackathon project inside Q42 and formalized as an independent foundation in 2025. The organization builds and deploys three field-proven technology platforms for wildlife conservation and human-wildlife coexistence: ScannerEdge, a passive radio-frequency detection system that identifies human presence (mobile phones, satellite phones, VHF radios) up to ~1 km radius without decoding signals; Instant Detect, an AI camera-trap system with on-device species recognition (two-stage MegaDetector + SpeciesNet pipeline) that transmits near-real-time images via LoRaWAN and Iridium satellite from locations without cellular coverage (the platform was transferred from ZSL in 2025); and Smart Deterrent, an AI-triggered non-lethal deterrent combining light and sound patterns to prevent wildlife-human conflict. Hardware is solar-powered, ruggedized for extreme conditions, and integrated with conservation intelligence platforms EarthRanger and Sensing Clues.

Name

Hack The Planet

Legal name

Stichting Hack The Planet

Website

https://hack-the-planet.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Technology

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Geospatial Vision (satellite/drone imagery) (HDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) & Autonomous Land Platforms (IMABAIAD)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation technology
• Anti-poaching detection systems
• AI camera traps
• Human-wildlife conflict mitigation
• Remote wildlife monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations processed through Stripe. Dutch donations are tax-deductible as the organization is ANBI-registered. One-time and recurring monthly donation options available.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Multi-year funding from foundations (Fred Foundation, Tanka Foundation) and corporate sponsors (Q42). Grants support specific pillars, countries, projects, or capacity-building.
3. Project Partnership Revenue: Co-developed field deployments with NGOs, rangers, and research institutions. Joint grant applications and pilot/PoC programmes. Long-term technical contracts for hardware integration and maintenance.
4. Merchandise Sales: Jubilee shirts and merchandise sold through Spreadshirt. Proceeds fund conservation work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hack The Planet designs, builds and deploys ruggedised, solar-powered field hardware with embedded AI for remote wildlife conservation and social impact. Its three flagship platforms — ScannerEdge (passive RF detection of human presence), Instant Detect (AI camera traps with on-device species recognition and satellite backhaul) and Smart Deterrent (AI-triggered non-lethal wildlife deterrence) — are deployed through long-term partnerships with rangers, NGOs, indigenous communities and research institutions across 10+ countries. The foundation also develops social-impact technology experiences and humanitarian innovation prototypes.

Product overview

Hack The Planet operates as a non-profit foundation offering three integrated field-proven technology platforms for conservation and social impact. ScannerEdge provides passive radio-frequency detection for anti-poaching operations, detecting human presence via mobile phones and radios. Instant Detect is an AI-powered camera trap system with on-device species recognition that transmits images via satellite from remote locations. Smart Deterrent is an AI-triggered non-lethal deterrent that works alongside Instant Detect cameras to keep wildlife and humans apart using variable light and sound patterns. These three products form a complementary system: Instant Detect identifies target species approaching conflict zones, and Smart Deterrent responds to deter them; ScannerEdge operates independently for covert anti-poaching detection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ScannerEdge: Passive radio-frequency detection system that warns rangers about people in protected areas — detects mobile phones, satellite phones and VHF radios used by poachers.
• Instant Detect
• Smart Deterrent

Products and services

• ScannerEdge Passive radio-frequency detection system for anti-poaching operations; listens for signals from mobile phones, satellite phones, VHF radios, Wi-Fi devices and Bluetooth beacons within a ±1 km radius without decoding signals or collecting personal data, alerting rangers to human presence in protected areas hours before traditional monitoring would detect suspicious activity. Solar-powered and integrates with LoRaWAN or Iridium satellite backhaul.
• Instant Detect AI-powered wildlife monitoring system with on-device species recognition; camera traps form a LoRa network with a single satellite-linked base station, sending relevant images (elephants, bears, humans) in near-real-time from the most remote locations on Earth. The 4G variant uses a two-stage AI pipeline (MegaDetector for animal localisation and SpeciesNet for species classification) and integrates with EarthRanger and Sensing Clues platforms.
• Smart Deterrent AI-triggered, non-lethal deterrent system that keeps wildlife and people safe by deploying variable, unpredictable combinations of light and sound from a large onboard sound library when paired AI cameras detect target species approaching villages or conflict zones; works with elephants, brown bears, hippos and other species; solar-powered and modular for flexible deployment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Immediate detection results on day 1 of Amazon deployment - illegal loggers changed behavior upon learning they were being monitored
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• WWF NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings global conservation network and decades of field experience. Support helps put anti-poaching and monitoring technology in places where it changes the most.
• Green SafariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCombines low-impact tourism with active conservation in southern Africa. Hosts Hack The Planet deployments in Zambia and contributes local knowledge and logistics no remote operation can do without.
• EarthRangermajorTechnology or IntegrationOpen-source operational platform for ecosystem monitoring and protected area management. Hardware feeds events and tracks straight into EarthRanger so ranger teams can act on them in real time.
• Sensing CluesmajorTechnology or IntegrationDutch foundation building wildlife-intelligence platform. 4G camera detections feed into their platform for real-time bear monitoring deployment in Romania.
• ZSL (Zoological Society of London)coreTechnology or IntegrationLondon-based science institution and conservation NGO. Hack The Planet adopted Instant Detect from them in 2025 and continues to develop and deploy the technology worldwide.
• IRNASmajorTechnology or IntegrationSlovenian institute building advanced applied systems with long track record in open-source conservation hardware. Collaborates on underlying electronics behind several field-deployed devices.
• Game Rangers InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuns ranger-led wildlife protection in Zambia's Kafue ecosystem. Hosts anti-poaching deployments and turns hardware signals into field action.
• Conservation South LuangwacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnti-poaching unit working across Zambia's South Luangwa Valley. Runs detection tools alongside ranger patrols in one of Africa's richest wildlife landscapes.
• Gonarezhou Conservation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-manages Gonarezhou National Park in southeast Zimbabwe. Monitoring and detection work supports their elephant and wildlife protection mandate.
• Frankfurt Zoological SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation NGO with deep field operations across Africa. Collaborates in Gonarezhou and other protected areas on technology that makes parks safer.
• Agence Nationale des Parcs NationauxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGabon's national parks authority. AI camera traps and acoustic monitoring deployed across rainforest network in close collaboration with their teams.
• Artemis AlertmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNamibian company building anti-poaching and farm-security solutions. Rollout partner in Namibia deploying detection technology alongside local operations on farms and reserves.
• SigmotecmajorTechnology or IntegrationNamibia's leading LoRaWAN system integrator. Runs connectivity that detection hardware relies on in Namibia, deploying the network that gets signals from sensor to ranger.
• Tsleil-Waututh NationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous Nation in British Columbia leading stewardship across their territory. Collaborates on biodiversity monitoring technology in the Salish Sea region.
• Zoetica EnvironmentalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiodiversity consultancy specializing in cumulative-effects monitoring. Brings scientific rigor to deployments in western Canada.
• Foundation Conservation CarpathiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Europe's largest forest restoration project across Romanian Carpathians. Collaborates specifically on human-bear conflict using Smart Deterrent to keep bears away from mountain villages.
• TreesistancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-led movement protecting Amazon forests by equipping Forest Guardians to surveil illegal activity. Hack The Planet provides detection technology for early warning of illegal logging.
• Leiden UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch research university. Collaborates on ecology, acoustics, and computer vision that anchor field deployments.
• University of LeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK research university. Partners on long-term ecological questions that field deployments help answer.
• University of StirlingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish research university with strong programs in environmental science and ecology. Collaborates on research turning field deployments into peer-reviewed knowledge.
• GreenpeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal environmental advocacy organization - where Hack The Planet's story started. SkyHawq (2016) was the first project, an autonomous drone supporting field work against deforestation.
• Netherlands Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch humanitarian organization. Built immersive VR training experiences for first responders preparing for emergencies.
• Mensen met een MissieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch peacebuilding organization working with communities in fragile contexts. Built digital storytelling tools that surface community voices in Uganda.
• Fonds SlachtofferhulpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch foundation supporting victims of crime. Built digital interventions for people who need them most - collaborated on WTFFF!? project.
• Municipality of The HagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on EldersVR - immersive experiences for care residents bringing back meaningful places and moments. Also collaborated on Help Maya.
• WolfstreetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmsterdam-based creative agency. Helps turn field deployments into films, narratives, and visual identity that travel further.
• Hear the YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch, innovation, and activation agency treating young people as source of insight. Collaborates where technology meets community engagement and youth-led storytelling.
• LAYCO MedicalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical device manufacturer. Partner on affordable, field-deployable medical hardware designed for the most remote care settings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EarthRanger (Vulcan / Allen Institute): Operational platform for protected-area management used by hundreds of parks worldwide. Hack The Planet hardware integrates into EarthRanger; comparable in serving the same ranger/protected-area customer with sensor-driven situational awareness, though EarthRanger is software/aggregator while Hack The Planet is hardware/AI.
• Sensing Clues: Dutch non-profit building a wildlife-intelligence platform that ingests camera-trap and sensor detections for real-time monitoring. A Hack The Planet integration partner and direct functional peer in turning field detections into actionable wildlife intelligence.
• Smart Parks: Dutch non-profit building open-source LoRaWAN-based conservation technology (camera traps, sensors) for wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching. Near-identical mission, technology stack, and partner profile; they are also a Hack The Planet technology partner.
• TrailGuard AI (RESOLVE): RESOLVE's TrailGuard AI program deploys AI-enabled camera traps in African protected areas to detect poachers in real time. Most direct functional competitor — same problem (anti-poaching), same technology (edge-AI camera traps), same customer base (rangers and protected-area authorities).
• IRNAS: Slovenian institute building open-source applied systems with a long track record in conservation hardware (LoRaWAN, satellite-IoT). Co-develops electronics behind Hack The Planet's field devices and operates in the same conservation-tech niche with comparable technology and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool): Open-source patrol-monitoring software co-developed by WWF and WCS, used by thousands of protected areas to track ranger patrols and poaching incidents. Adjacent incumbent — different layer of the conservation-tech stack but serving the same ranger/protected-area customer with overlapping mission.
• Reconyx: Established US manufacturer of professional-grade wildlife camera traps used widely by researchers and conservation agencies. Broad incumbent in the camera-trap segment that Hack The Planet's Instant Detect competes with on ruggedness and field reliability, though without on-device AI or satellite connectivity.
• Zoological Society of London (ZSL): London-based science and conservation institution that originally built the Instant Detect platform (2016–2023) before transferring it to Hack The Planet in 2025. Comparable as a former peer in conservation-tech R&D and a current large-NGO customer deploying Hack The Planet hardware in their own conservation programs.

Emerging players

• Wildlife Protection Solutions: US-based non-profit deploying AI-enabled camera traps (TrailGuard-derived) for anti-poaching in African and Asian protected areas. Direct functional peer targeting the same ranger customers with comparable edge-AI camera-trap technology, though operating at smaller scale.

Regional players

• Artemis Alert: Namibian anti-poaching and farm-security technology company deploying detection hardware (RF/camera-based) on farms and reserves across southern Africa. A Hack The Planet rollout partner for ScannerEdge; comparable product offering but focused on the Namibian/Southern African commercial-security and conservation market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foundation-hack-the-planet

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Hack The Planet