Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado

What Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado does

Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado is a non-profit scientific institution and Authorized Scientific Institution (ICA) headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Established on October 23, 1986, by Resolution No. 8/86 under the Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (UAGRM), it operates seven research areas: Botany (Herbario del Oriente Boliviano / USZ), Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Paleontology, Limnology and Aquatic Resources, Geography/GIS, and Environmental Education and Communication. The museum manages over 1 million biological and geological specimens, including 125,000+ processed botanical specimens, approximately 1 million invertebrate specimens, 30,000+ vertebrate specimens, 10,000 paleontological specimens, and a 500+ satellite image archive dating to the 1970s. Its collection includes unique holotypes and paratypes of species new to science, and represents approximately 826 bird species (60% of national diversity) and 250 mammal species (65% of national diversity).

The museum's core technology consists of traditional scientific infrastructure, including the internationally recognized USZ Herbarium (accredited under Index Herbariorum since 1987), GIS and remote sensing capabilities, and digital cartography at multiple scales. It maintains a network of 250+ associated researchers and has executed more than 20 botany projects, 120+ vertebrate zoology projects, and 40+ geography projects. The institution publishes the institutional bulletin "El Patujú" (ISSN 1991-4652) since 2005 and the scientific journal "Kempffiana," along with illustrated field guides and books.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model comprising competitive research grants from international and national funders (Darwin Initiative, JRS Biodiversity Foundation, Conservation International, Kew, Panthera), government and institutional allocations (UAGRM, SERNAP), visitor admissions and guided tours, publication sales, auditorium venue rental, and paid research services including biodiversity inventories, environmental impact assessments, and taxonomic identification. The museum has served over 100,000 visitors and built partnerships with more than 25 international and domestic institutions including Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, Museo Senckenberg, Panthera, WCS-Bolivia, and several European and Latin American universities. It is governed under UAGRM's Decanatura (Res. Rect. 122/2003) and certified by Bolivia's Ministry of Environment and Water.

Name

Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado

Legal name

Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado

Website

https://museonoelkempff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado is a non-profit natural history museum in Bolivia affiliated with Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno. It manages over 1 million biological and geological specimens across seven research areas, serving researchers, students, government agencies, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Scientific collections
• Biodiversity research
• Environmental education
• Taxonomic identification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Casillas

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Museum Entry Fees and Visitor Services: The museum generates revenue through visitor admissions, guided tours in the exhibition hall, sale of publications and souvenirs, and venue rental (auditorium for 60 people used for meetings, conferences, courses, and workshops).
2. Research Services and Technical Consulting: The museum provides research services to external institutions and government agencies, including biodiversity inventories, environmental impact assessments, taxonomic identifications, GIS mapping, and environmental education services, as part of funded projects.
3. Grants and Funded Research Projects: The museum annually elaborates proposals to present directly to funding institutions or as part of consortia to obtain funds for executing research. Funders include national government agencies, international conservation organizations, and development banks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado operates as a non-profit scientific institution organized into seven research areas (Botany/Herbarium USZ, Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Paleontology, Limnology and Aquatic Resources, Geography/GIS, and Environmental Education), collectively curating over one million biological and geological specimens. It delivers museum visitation and guided tours, scientific research and consulting services (taxonomic identification, biodiversity inventories, GIS/remote sensing, environmental impact assessments), environmental education programs (courses, workshops, fairs), and scientific publications (El Patujú bulletin, Kempffiana journal, books, illustrated guides).

Product overview

The Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado is a non-profit scientific institution that operates as a unified museum offering multiple interconnected research, educational, and collection services. The institution is organized into seven core areas: Botany (Herbario USZ), Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Paleontology, Environmental Education, Geography/GIS, and Limnology. These areas collectively manage over one million biological and geological specimens, providing scientific research services, taxonomic identification, biodiversity inventories, environmental education programs, and educational publications including the El Patujú bulletin and scientific books.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Herbario del Oriente Boliviano (USZ): Herbarium established in February 1987, recognized nationally and internationally under the acronym USZ (Index Herbariorum), serving as the primary scientific collection documenting flora of eastern Bolivia.

Products and services

• Museum Exhibition Hall and Guided Tours

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million biological and geological samples preserved and documented to universal scientific standards
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (UAGRM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum was created in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and is administratively dependent on the Deanery (Rect. Res. 122/2003). It coordinates activities primarily with the Biology program and the Directorate of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (DICIT). Students from UAGRM conduct thesis research, internships, and research practices at the museum.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW (England)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational botanical research institution collaborating on plant documentation, tropical important plant areas (TIPAs) projects, and biodiversity research. Partner in the TIPAs Bolivia project alongside Missouri Botanical Garden and the museum.
• Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading international botanical research institution collaborating on plant documentation and conservation. Co-executor of the TIPAs Bolivia project.
• Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Bolivian conservation organization collaborating on forest conservation, biodiversity research, and sustainable development projects. Co-executor of the TIPAs Bolivia project.
• Herbario Nacional de Bolivia (LPB)majorTechnology or IntegrationNational herbarium collaborating on botanical research, plant specimen documentation, and the TIPAs Bolivia project.
• Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano (FCBC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation dedicated to conserving the Chiquitano forest, collaborating on forest conservation research and community-based sustainable development projects.
• Museo Senckenberg (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman natural history museum collaborating on invertebrate research, entomology studies, and biodiversity documentation projects with the museum's zoology departments.
• Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University (USA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on vertebrate biodiversity research, including bird diversity studies and ecological research in Bolivia.
• Universidad de Reading and Universidad Exeter (Great Britain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish universities collaborating on academic research and student exchange in biodiversity and conservation sciences.
• Department of Plant Science, Oxford University (England)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxford University's plant science department collaborating on botanical research and plant taxonomy.
• Royal Ontario Museum (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian museum collaborating on natural history research and specimen documentation.
• Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS natural history museum collaborating on vertebrate biodiversity research.
• Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Florencia (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian university biology department collaborating on biodiversity research and conservation studies.
• Centro de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva (CEFE), FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench ecology research center collaborating on functional ecology and evolutionary biology research.
• Facultad de Agricultura Tropical – Universidad Checa de Praga (Czech Republic)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech tropical agriculture university collaborating on agricultural and biodiversity research in Bolivia.
• Pantera ColombiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational wild cat conservation organization collaborating on jaguar conservation research and population studies in Bolivia.
• Núcleo de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cervídeos/UNESP (Brazil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian university research center collaborating on deer conservation and wildlife research.
• Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, CONICET (Argentina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArgentina's national natural sciences museum and research council collaborating on natural history research.
• Conservación InternacionalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal conservation organization providing funding and technical support for biodiversity research, deforestation monitoring, and conservation projects.
• Guyra ParaguayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParaguayan bird conservation organization collaborating on bird diversity and migratory species research.
• Fundación Noel Kempff MercadomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed after the same naturalist as the museum, this foundation supports conservation projects and research aligned with the museum's mission.
• Fundación para la Conservación de los Murciélagos de Bolivia (PCMB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian bat conservation foundation collaborating on mammal research and bat diversity studies.
• WCS-BoliviamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife Conservation Society Bolivia office, collaborating on wildlife conservation and research projects.
• Fundación NaturamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian environmental foundation collaborating on environmental projects and conservation initiatives.
• Asociación Civil ArmoníaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian civil association focused on bird conservation, collaborating on ornithological research.
• Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (SERNAP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational protected areas service of Bolivia, collaborating on research and conservation in national protected areas.
• Central Indígena de Lomerío (CICOL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous organization of Lomerío, collaborating on community-based natural resource management and indigenous territorial research.
• Centro Ecopedagógico Simón I. PatiñominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcopedagogical center named after Simón I. Patiño, collaborating on environmental education.
• Ecología y EmpresaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian organization combining ecology and business, collaborating on sustainable development projects.
• Protección del Medio Ambiente Tarija (PROMETA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTarija environmental protection organization collaborating on regional biodiversity research.
• Asociación Succrense de Ecología (ASE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSucre ecological association collaborating on ecological research in Bolivia.
• Aves BolivianasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian bird conservation organization collaborating on avian biodiversity research.
• Apoyo para el Campesino del Oriente Boliviano (APCOB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting peasants of eastern Bolivia, collaborating on community-based environmental projects.
• Centro Boliviano para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CEBDES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian center for sustainable development collaborating on environmental research.
• Royal Botanic Gardens Kew / Forest Futures ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the 'Forest Futures' project focused on sustainable forest management in the Bolivian Amazon (Pando department). Includes agroforestry with Inga species, biodiversity monitoring, non-timber forest products, and community livelihoods. Also involves Kew's partner organizations.
• Free World Trading (Edinburgh, UK)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerFair trade company working with two Fair Trade cooperatives (COINACAPA and ACEBA) in Pando to develop markets for non-timber forest products, reducing castaña (Brazil nut) dependence.
• Herencia (Pando, Bolivia)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization in Pando managing community forestry and sustainable development activities within the Forest Futures project.
• Panthera (International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational wild cat conservation organization co-developing the Jaguar Conservation Project in Bolivia's lowlands, providing scientific expertise and funding for jaguar population studies, camera trapping, and conservation planning.
• Royal Botanic Gardens Kew / TIPAs ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the TIPAs (Tropical Important Plant Areas) Bolivia project, started March 2017, focused on identifying and promoting conservation of the most important plant areas in the Chiquitania region. Kew provides IPA methodology training, conservation assessment tools, and co-supervises thesis projects.
• Centro Geoespacial para la Biodiversidad de Bolivia (CGB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeospatial center for Bolivia's biodiversity, developed as a collaborative initiative to digitize and make accessible invertebrate collection data and spatial biodiversity information.
• Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Agua (MMAyA) - BoliviacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry grants the museum its Authorized Scientific Institution (ICA) certification and collaborates on national biodiversity research projects and policy support.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Missouri Botanical Garden: Major international botanical research institution and existing partner of the Noel Kempff Mercado museum on TIPAs. Comparable as a much larger-scale herbarium operator with global plant documentation programs and capacity for large-funded international research consortia.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Largest natural history museum complex globally, with comparable collections, research, and education functions. Relevant as a benchmark for institutional scale, biodiversity research output, and the digitization and public-engagement capabilities the Noel Kempff museum is building toward.
• Senckenberg Nature Research Society: German natural history research society and existing partner of the Noel Kempff museum on invertebrate and entomology studies. Comparable for its large-scale zoological collections and taxonomic research programs aligned with the museum's invertebrate and vertebrate zoology areas.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical research institution and a core partner of the Noel Kempff Mercado museum on the Forest Futures and TIPAs projects. Comparable as a globally dominant herbarium operator with deep expertise in tropical plant areas, methodology transfer, and conservation project funding.

Regional players

• Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN): Major Bolivian conservation NGO and existing partner of the Noel Kempff museum. Comparable as a domestic institution working on forest conservation and biodiversity research, though focused on field conservation rather than museum-based scientific collections.
• Herbario Nacional de Bolivia (LPB): Bolivia's national herbarium and existing collaborator of the Noel Kempff museum. Directly comparable in herbarium operations, plant specimen documentation, and botanical research, though narrower in taxonomic scope (plants only) than the multi-collection Noel Kempff museum.

Direct peers

• Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia: Argentina's principal natural history museum, already listed as a partner of the Noel Kempff Mercado museum. Comparable as a Latin American natural history institution combining scientific collections, biodiversity research, and public education under public/university governance.
• Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA): Brazilian research institute focused on Amazonian biodiversity with major biological collections and research programs. Highly comparable in scope of biodiversity research, taxonomic collections, and tropical ecology focus relevant to Bolivia's lowland ecosystems.
• Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi: Brazilian natural history museum and research institution with extensive botanical, zoological, and anthropological collections in the Amazon basin. Directly comparable in mission, geographic focus, and integration of scientific collections with environmental research and public outreach.

Others

• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Global conservation organization with active Bolivia operations and an existing partner of the Noel Kempff museum. Comparable as a source of conservation funding, technical support, and field research collaboration, though WCS is not a museum operator and serves a different organizational function.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/museonkm.oficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/MuseoNKM
• Instagraminstagram.com/museonkm.oficial

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado