GEO BON

What GEO BON does

GEO BON (Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network) is a global scientific coordination network that standardizes and operationalizes biodiversity observation across ecosystems. It is hosted by the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and is governed by an Executive Secretary (Katie Millette), a steering committee, and distributed National, Regional, and Thematic BONs. Its primary users are biodiversity researchers, national environmental agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and conservation policymakers who rely on common variables and indicators to monitor ecosystem change.

The network's core technical outputs center on the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and Essential Ecosystem Service Variables (EESVs) frameworks, which define standardized observation metrics. Its product surface comprises BON in a Box (an open-source implementation toolkit for standing up national and regional observation networks), the EBV Portal (a centralized data discovery interface), EcoCode (a modeling and analytics environment), and a suite of biodiversity indicators. Recent peer-reviewed publications in BioScience (January 2026) and Nature Reviews Biodiversity (June 2026) formally document the BON in a Box platform and a new animal movement indicators framework, respectively. The network operates as a flagship initiative within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO).

GEO BON is structured as a non-profit scientific network rather than a commercial enterprise. It has no product pricing, no paying customer base, and no direct revenue model. Operational and programmatic support flows from institutional partnerships, academic hosting arrangements (notably McGill University), and governmental science agencies. The network's value proposition is coordination, methodological standardization, and convening capacity, not commercial product sales; this means traditional PE/VC return metrics do not apply, and the organization's "valuation" is more accurately framed in terms of mission impact, scientific influence, and ecosystem reach.

Name

GEO BON

Legal name

GEO BON – The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network

Website

https://geobon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GEO BON is a global non-profit biodiversity observation network hosted at McGill University, coordinating monitoring standards, open-source data platforms, and policy-relevant indicators for researchers, governments, and conservation policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodiversity Monitoring Software

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE), Ecosystem Service Valuation, Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) (AFAMAMAG), Environment, Climate & Sustainable Development IGOs (BPADAAAI)

Keywords

• Biodiversity observation
• Essential biodiversity variables
• Ecosystem service variables
• Biodiversity indicators
• Open science platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GEO BON coordinates a global network of biodiversity observers through National, Regional, and Thematic Biodiversity Observation Networks (BONs) and develops open-source software platforms — BON in a Box, the EBV Portal, and EcoCode — that enable reproducible biodiversity monitoring, Essential Biodiversity Variable (EBV) and Essential Ecosystem Service Variable (EESV) computation, and reporting aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Product overview

GEO BON is a global coordination network for biodiversity observation, not a traditional software vendor. Its product portfolio centers on the BON in a Box platform as the primary open-source software tool for biodiversity monitoring, indicator calculation, and reporting. This core platform integrates with the EBV Portal for accessing Essential Biodiversity Variables data, and is complemented by the EcoCode modeling platform. The organization also coordinates various thematic, national, and regional BON (Biodiversity Observation Network) networks and provides a suite of biodiversity indicators that support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The offering functions as a platform-plus-community architecture where the software tools enable data collection and analysis, supported by a global network of affiliated organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BON in a Box

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework monitoring and reporting
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GEO (Group on Earth Observations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEO BON is the flagship of GEO (Group on Earth Observations). GEO BON connects biodiversity observation initiatives, organizations, and scientists worldwide to support coordinated biodiversity monitoring and reporting, operating under the broader GEO framework.
• Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science at McGill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting institution for GEO BON Secretariat. Located at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, providing institutional support and infrastructure for the global network.
• China BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Biodiversity Observation Network contributing to the global GEO BON network
• Colombia BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Biodiversity Observation Network contributing to the global GEO BON network
• French BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Biodiversity Observation Network contributing to the global GEO BON network
• Japan BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Biodiversity Observation Network contributing to the global GEO BON network
• Arctic BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Biodiversity Observation Network for the Arctic region
• Asia-Pacific BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Biodiversity Observation Network for the Asia-Pacific region
• EuropaBONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Biodiversity Observation Network for Europe
• MBON (Marine Biodiversity Observation Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic BON focused on marine biodiversity observation
• Move BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic BON focused on animal movement monitoring and indicators
• FW BON (Freshwater BON)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic BON focused on freshwater biodiversity observation
• Soil BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic BON focused on soil biodiversity observation
• Omic BONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic BON focused on genomic and omic approaches to biodiversity observation

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• iNaturalist: Citizen-science platform producing global biodiversity occurrence data at massive scale. iNaturalist is an emerging but partial alternative for the species-occurrence layer of GEO BON's EBVs, with stronger citizen-science volume but weaker standardization for policy-grade indicators.
• eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): Citizen-science bird observation database run by Cornell Lab. eBird is comparable to a thematic BON (it functions like a taxon-specific biodiversity observation network) and contributes primary occurrence data that intersects GEO BON's Species Populations EBVs.
• Earth Genome: Nonprofit applying open environmental data and analytics to biodiversity and supply-chain sustainability. Earth Genome is comparable to GEO BON in offering environmental data products to corporate and policy users but is earlier-stage and narrower in geographic scope.

Others

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat: UN treaty body that administers the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which GEO BON's monitoring infrastructure directly serves. CBD is the demand-side counterpart to GEO BON's supply-side observation network.

Direct peers

• Map of Life: Yale-led platform assembling global species distribution data and biodiversity indicators. Map of Life overlaps directly with GEO BON's EBV Portal and indicator suite (e.g., Species Habitat Index), targeting the same research and policymaker audience.
• NatureServe: Nonprofit that maintains authoritative biodiversity data, conservation status assessments, and indicator products used by governments and NGOs. NatureServe operates the same type of standardized biodiversity data infrastructure as GEO BON, particularly in the Americas, and serves overlapping policy use cases.
• UNEP-WCMC: UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre that generates biodiversity data and indicators to support international policy. WCMC is directly comparable because, like GEO BON, it serves the Convention on Biological Diversity policy machinery and produces standardized biodiversity indicators.
• LifeWatch ERIC: European e-infrastructure consortium providing biodiversity and ecosystem research data services. LifeWatch is directly comparable to GEO BON because both provide open biodiversity data platforms with geospatial infrastructure to research networks.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): Intergovernmental network providing open access to biodiversity occurrence data worldwide. GBIF is the closest analog to GEO BON in mission (global biodiversity data infrastructure), operating model (intergovernmental, open data), and customer base (researchers and policymakers), with the main difference being an occurrence-data focus versus GEO BON's EBV/indicator focus.

Broad incumbents

• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature is a much larger, older conservation organization whose Red List and ecosystem assessments overlap with GEO BON's Species Status Information Index and ecosystem indicators. IUCN is a broader incumbent that addresses policy, capacity, and field conservation in addition to monitoring, unlike GEO BON's narrower observation focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GEOBON_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxr9BT2Y_CP5CJ_TTXvsNIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BiodiversityObservationNetworkGEOBON
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/geo-bon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 GEO BON