WCS Brasil

What WCS Brasil does

WCS Brasil is the Brazilian program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a New York-based nonprofit founded in 1895, operating in Brazil since 2000 with a head office in Manaus, Amazonas. The organization implements biodiversity conservation across three major Brazilian biomes — the Amazon (Central Amazon, Rio Içá Basin, Interflúvio Purus-Madeira, BR-319 corridor, Baixo Rio Negro, Baixo Rio Madeira), the Pantanal, and the Caatinga — through protected-area management, species programs (jaguars, hyacinth macaws, Amazonian turtles, white-lipped peccaries), freshwater ecosystem protection (Amazon Waters Initiative), and sustainable-livelihood programs for indigenous peoples and traditional communities. Its core methodological stack centers on conservation science, participatory monitoring, and integrated landscape management, with the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) platform used in Amazonas protected areas and tools such as participatory mapping, fishing-agreement management in the Putumayo-Içá basin, and the first fauna overpass on BR-319.

The organization is funded primarily through institutional grants and cooperation agreements — including USAID ($28M over four years through Conservando Juntos and ECOS alongside UNODC), World Bank/GEF, Rainforest Trust, Swiss Re Foundation, Fundação Segrè, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation — complemented by bilateral cooperation with government agencies (ICMBio, Sema Amazonas, MMA) and strategic alliances with indigenous federations (COIAB, APIAM) and conservation NGOs (Instituto Arara Azul, WWF Brasil, Instituto Quinta do Sol). Marcos Amend serves as Executive Director.

WCS Brasil's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: operational delivery depends on direct engagement with riverside, indigenous, and traditional communities in the field, formalized by cooperation agreements with federal and state environmental agencies, and amplified through participation in international forums (COP30, CITES COP19, IUCN Congress), digital channels (brasil.wcs.org, Facebook, YouTube), and educational programs including the 'No Rastro das Tartarugas' initiative and the botanical illustration exhibition at Parque Nacional do Jaú. The organization does not sell commercial products or services; revenue is sourced from grants, donations, and cooperation agreements.

Name

WCS Brasil

Legal name

Wildlife Conservation Society

Website

https://brasil.wcs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WCS Brasil is the Brazilian program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, a New York-based nonprofit, operating biodiversity conservation across the Amazon, Pantanal, and Caatinga biomes through community-led programs, protected-area management, and partnerships with indigenous peoples, government agencies, and international donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ), Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ), Ecosystem Restoration & Rewilding Services (AFAMAMAE)

Keywords

• Biodiversity conservation
• Protected area management
• Species conservation programs
• Indigenous territorial governance
• Environmental crime prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Manaus

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. International Institutional Funding: WCS Brasil operates primarily through grants and funding from international organizations and development banks including GEF, World Bank, USAID, Rainforest Trust, and Swiss Re Foundation. These fund specific conservation projects and programs.
2. Donations: Individual donations through the WCS.org platform supporting conservation work in Brazil.
3. Project-based Cooperation Agreements: Bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements with government agencies for implementing conservation projects in protected areas and indigenous territories.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WCS Brasil is a nonprofit conservation organization that delivers biodiversity conservation programs across Brazil's Amazon, Pantanal, and Caatinga biomes through protected-area management, species protection, community-based sustainable livelihoods, indigenous territorial governance, and environmental crime prevention. Services are funded by international grants and donations and delivered in partnership with government agencies, indigenous organizations, and local communities rather than sold as commercial products.

Product overview

WCS Brasil (Wildlife Conservation Society Brasil) is a non-governmental organization focused on wildlife conservation in Brazil. The organization operates across multiple biomes including the Amazon, Pantanal, and Caatinga, implementing conservation programs for species protection, habitat preservation, and sustainable development. The organization does not offer commercial software products but rather delivers conservation outcomes through scientific research, community engagement, and institutional partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Amazon Conservation Programs Biodiversity conservation initiatives in the Amazon biome, including protected-area management, species monitoring, and sustainable resource use, delivered in partnership with government agencies and indigenous and traditional communities.
• Pantanal Conservation Programs Wildlife conservation initiatives in the Pantanal wetland covering habitat protection, sustainable cattle ranching practices, and species recovery.
• Caatinga Conservation Programs Conservation efforts in the Caatinga dry forest biome, focusing on endemic species protection and sustainable land management.
• Amazon Waters Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• Participatory fishing agreement updated with 300 fishing environments mapped and ~60 communities identified in Rio Içá basin
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Integration meeting held in January 2026 to align priorities and build an integrated work plan for 2026 in federal protected areas of the lower Rio Negro. Focus areas include Parque Nacional do Jaú, Parque Nacional de Anavilhanas, and extractive reserves, covering fishing management, turtle conservation, sustainable tourism, and infrastructure support.
• COIAB (Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Protocolo de Intenções signed establishing bases for joint projects supporting indigenous peoples and territories in the Amazon. The four-year agreement focuses on cultural valorization, territorial defense, and sustainability of indigenous peoples, with a joint Work Plan to detail specific projects.
• UNODC (Escritório das Nações Unidas sobre Drogas e Crime)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the ECOS project (Cooperação Regional para o Enfrentamento de Crimes Ambientais) improving regional cooperation and judicial system capacity to detect, investigate, and prosecute environmental crimes in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.
• Instituto Arara AzulsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for conservation of the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), the Pantanal's flagship species. Includes exchange of knowledge and collaboration on species protection strategies.
• WWF BrasilsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint implementation of SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) for biodiversity monitoring in Amazonas protected areas, supporting community monitors in environmental management activities.
• Instituto Quinta do SolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner NGO for Pantanal and Cerrado conservation, collaborating on sustainable land-use practices, agroforestry courses for family farmers, and white-lipped peccary research.
• ViaFAUNA Consultoria AmbientalsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental consultancy partnership for the first fauna overpass on BR-319, designed for threatened primates, demonstrating innovative approach to highway impact mitigation.
• MMA (Ministério do Meio Ambiente)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil's Ministry of Environment participates in environmental governance forums, including participation in Amazon conservation discussions at COP30 and national environmental policy development.
• INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with INPA's Master's program in Protected Areas (MPGAP) for research collaboration and presentation of conservation management work at II SIGAP event.
• APIAM (Articulação das Organizações e Povos Indígenas do Amazonas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in indigenous participation initiatives including Pre-COP30 Indigenous event in Amazonas and support for indigenous delegations at COP30 in Belém.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WWF Brasil: Brazilian program of WWF, one of the world's largest conservation NGOs. Direct peer: similar mission across Amazon, Pantanal, and Cerrado biomes, comparable donor base, and overlapping partnerships with ICMBio and indigenous organizations. WCS Brasil and WWF Brasil are already co-implementing SMART monitoring in Amazonas state protected areas.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Brazil: Brazilian operations of the global conservation NGO. Directly comparable to WCS Brasil as a science-based, multi-biome conservation NGO with corporate and institutional donor relationships and protected-area management expertise.
• Imazon (Instituto do Homem e Meio Ambiente da Amazônia): Amazonian research institute producing deforestation monitoring and policy research. Comparable to WCS Brasil's science-based approach, with shared focus on Amazon policy influence and sustainable-use landscape management.
• Instituto Socioambiental (ISA): Major Brazilian socio-environmental NGO focused on Amazon indigenous territories, biodiversity, and policy advocacy. Directly comparable to WCS Brasil's indigenous-territorial governance and Amazon conservation programs, and a frequent collaborator on Brazilian environmental policy.
• Instituto Mamirauá: Brazilian research and conservation institute based in the Amazon floodplain (Tefé, Amazonas). Direct peer in Amazon conservation, sustainable fisheries management, and participatory monitoring — overlapping substantially with WCS Brasil's Putumayo-Içá fisheries work.
• Fauna & Flora International (FFI): UK-based global conservation NGO with programs in Latin America. Comparable to WCS as a long-established, science-led, project-based conservation NGO working with local partners on species and habitat protection.
• Conservation International (CI) Brazil: Brazilian program of Conservation International. Closely comparable to WCS Brasil in mission (biodiversity conservation in the Amazon), donor profile (USAID, GEF), and engagement with indigenous communities and protected-area management.

Broad incumbents

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global conservation authority convening governments, NGOs, and scientists to set conservation standards. WCS Brasil participates in IUCN World Conservation Congress; IUCN is a comparable broader-incumbent in the conservation-policy space and shares WCS's science-policy interface in Brazil.
• BirdLife International: Global partnership of national conservation organizations focused on birds and habitats. Comparable mission to WCS Brasil (species and habitat conservation in the Amazon and Pantanal, including Important Bird Areas and key biodiversity areas), but operating as a broader global federation rather than a single Brazil-based program.
• Greenpeace Brasil: Brazilian arm of global environmental advocacy organization. Overlaps with WCS Brasil's Amazon and Pantanal conservation mission, particularly on deforestation and indigenous rights, but operates primarily through advocacy and campaigns rather than field-based protected-area management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd4cKuvimFxURuN5BMSSfpA
• Facebookfacebook.com/309383795747130
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wcs-brasil

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WCS Brasil