IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive public information source on global extinction risk status of animal, fungi, and plant species, serving governments, conservation NGOs, researchers, educators, and businesses with standardized assessments of 175,900+ species and structured revenue from donations, corporate sponsorships, and commercial licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersCambridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What IUCN Red List does
The IUCN Red List, established in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi, and plant species. As of Version 2026-1 (released July 9, 2026), it covers extinction risk assessments for 175,909 species using the standardized IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria framework, which divides species into nine categories from Not Evaluated to Extinct. More than 49,500 species (28% of all assessed species) are classified as threatened with extinction. The platform is operated by the IUCN Red List Unit within the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Secretariat, headquartered in the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, UK.
The underlying technology centers on the Species Information Service (SIS), a central database used by global assessors to enter, store, edit, and submit assessments. SIS Connect enables batch-uploading of assessments from external partner databases, and the IUCN Red List API provides dynamic programmatic access to assessment data. Supporting products include the Green Status of Species (recovery measurement), the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric for spatially explicit threat abatement analysis, the Red List Index for tracking conservation trends, the sRedList calculator, spatial data downloads, and a permanent data repository for scientific analyses. The platform serves government agencies, conservation NGOs, natural resource planners, educational organizations, students, and the business community, particularly for ESG and supply chain sustainability reporting.
The IUCN Red List operates as a non-profit public good. Non-commercial use (conservation, education, scientific research) is free; commercial use requires prior written permission from IUCN and may involve licensing fees. Funding comes from public donations, corporate sponsorships — most notably the IUCN-Toyota Partnership with Toyota Motor Corporation and Synchronicity Earth — and contributions from 16 Red List Partners including BirdLife International, Conservation International, NatureServe, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, Arizona State University, Texas A&M University, Sapienza University of Rome, Senckenberg Nature Research Society, ZSL, and Rewild. Distribution occurs through the public website, the Red List API, regional Red List assessments, webinars, scientific publications, and social media. Strategic objectives include assessing 260,000 species and reassessing 142,000 species by 2030.
IUCN Red List firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IUCN Red List
- Legal name
- International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
- Website
- https://iucnredlist.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive public information source on global extinction risk status of animal, fungi, and plant species, serving governments, conservation NGOs, researchers, educators, and businesses with standardized assessments of 175,900+ species and structured revenue from donations, corporate sponsorships, and commercial licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IUCN Red List industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biodiversity Conservation Database
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Threatened & Endangered Species (TES) / Protected Species Surveys & Compliance (EUAHAHAD), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)
Keywords
Where IUCN Red List is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
IUCN Red List business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The IUCN Red List relies on public donations to fund its operations, with a donation page accepting various amounts ($25, $50, $100, $250 or custom amounts) via credit card or PayPal.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support. Toyota Motor Corporation is noted as a major sponsor through the IUCN-Toyota Partnership. Synchronicity Earth is also listed as a sponsor.
- Commercial Licensing: Commercial use of IUCN Red List Data requires prior written permission from IUCN. Non-commercial use for conservation, education, scientific analyses, and research is permitted without charge. This creates a potential licensing revenue stream for commercial applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
IUCN Red List product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus, and plant species. It provides standardized assessments for over 175,900 species using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, supporting biodiversity conservation planning, policy development, and environmental reporting. The platform operates the Species Information Service (SIS) database, the IUCN Red List API for programmatic access, and complementary tools including the Green Status of Species and Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric.
Product overview
The IUCN Red List is a unified conservation assessment platform offering the world's most comprehensive information source on global extinction risk status of species. The core offering is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2026-1), which provides standardized assessments for over 175,900 species using the IUCN Categories and Criteria system. The platform is built around the Species Information Service (SIS), IUCN's central database for managing assessments, with supporting tools including the Red List API for programmatic access, SIS Connect for external database integration, the Green Status of Species module for measuring recovery, the STAR metric for threat abatement analysis, and the Red List Index for tracking conservation trends. Additional offerings include spatial data downloads, a data repository for scientific analyses, the sRedList assessment calculator tool, and online Red List training resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 28% of all assessed species are threatened with extinction
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use IUCN Red List
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IUCN Red List technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature4 records
IUCN Red List partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreThe overarching organization that houses the Red List program. The Red List is a flagship initiative of IUCN.
- IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC)coreNetwork of species experts who conduct Red List assessments. SSC specialists serve as assessors and reviewers.
- BirdLife InternationalcoreGlobal biodiversity conservation organization and Red List Partner contributing to species assessments.
- Conservation InternationalcoreEnvironmental organization and Red List Partner supporting biodiversity assessment work.
- NatureServecoreOrganization focused on biodiversity data and Red List Partner contributing expertise in species status assessment.
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)coreRed List Partner focused on plant conservation, contributing to botanical species assessments.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KewcoreRed List Partner contributing botanical expertise and supporting plant species assessments.
- Missouri Botanical GardencoreRed List Partner providing botanical research expertise for plant species conservation assessments.
- Arizona State University (ASU)coreAcademic partner contributing research and assessment expertise to Red List efforts.
- Texas A&M UniversitycoreAcademic partner providing research and scientific expertise for species assessments.
- Sapienza - Università di RomacoreEuropean academic partner contributing to Red List assessment work.
- Senckenberg Nature Research SocietycoreGerman research organization and Red List Partner contributing to biodiversity research.
- ZSL (Zoological Society of London)coreZoological organization and Red List Partner contributing to animal species assessments.
- RewildcoreConservation organization and Red List Partner focused on rewilding initiatives.
- CABQ BioparkcoreZoological park and Red List Partner contributing to species conservation knowledge.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
IUCN Red List competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IUCN Red List social profiles
Digital presenceIUCN Red List financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IUCN Red List leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
IUCN Red List funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IUCN Red List 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 IUCN Red List
What does IUCN Red List do?
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus, and plant species. It provides standardized assessments for over 175,900 species using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, supporting biodiversity conservation planning, policy development, and environmental reporting. The platform operates the Species Information Service (SIS) database, the IUCN Red List API for programmatic access, and complementary tools including the Green Status of Species and Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric.
Is IUCN Red List a public or private company?
IUCN Red List is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was IUCN Red List founded?
IUCN Red List was founded in 1964.
Where is IUCN Red List based?
IUCN Red List is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does IUCN Red List make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and commercial Licensing.
Does IUCN Red List have an API?
Yes. The IUCN Red List API allows dynamic access to Red List data. The API is available at api.iucnredlist.org. Developer documentation is at api.iucnredlist.org.
What industry is IUCN Red List in?
IUCN Red List's product category is Biodiversity Conservation Database. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAB, Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection, with a secondary code of EUAHAHAD, Threatened & Endangered Species (TES) / Protected Species Surveys & Compliance. Its NAICS code is 813312.