Centro ODS

What Centro ODS does

Centro ODS (Centro para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible para América Latina y el Caribe) is an interdisciplinary, nonprofit think tank operating as a research center within Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. The organization promotes evidence-based science to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 across Latin America and the Caribbean, and it is a member of the SDSN global network led by Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University.

CODS's core offerings span three product lines: (1) data and research tools, including the Índice ODS y Reporte Caribe, the Visualizador de Datos ODS, a municipal SDG indicators database of 135 indicators (34 disaggregated by Afrocolombian, Raizal, and Palenquera ethnic belonging), and Power BI/Excel dashboards for municipal gap analysis; (2) technical assistance, most notably the six-step municipal accompaniment strategy used to embed SDG and ethnic-focus content into municipal development plans, delivered to 16 municipalities in Chocó, Bolívar, and Cesar; and (3) educational programs, including MOOCs on Coursera (SDG courses for the region, schools, and businesses, plus digital rights), the Cátedra Nuestro Futuro academic chair, and a research Semillero program. CODS also produces research publications on cleaner production, rural sustainability, biodiversity, climate policy, and digital human rights.

The organization is funded through research grants and project partnerships with multilateral and foundation sources, notably CAF for the Afro ODS project and Foundation Botnar for the digital human rights project. CODS does not charge for its educational content, publications, or data tools, and operates as a community-led GTM motion engaging municipalities, civil society, and academic audiences rather than as a commercial entity. Its current scale is approximately 10 employees with a geographic reach spanning Colombia and the broader Latin America and Caribbean region.

Name

Centro ODS

Legal name

Centro para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible para América Latina y el Caribe (CODS) - Universidad de los Andes

Website

https://cods.uniandes.edu.co

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centro ODS is a nonprofit think tank at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá that develops SDG indices, municipal data dashboards, MOOCs, and technical assistance for governments in Colombia and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Development Research and Policy Advisory

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Program Management (BPADAOAC), Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG)

Keywords

• Sustainable development research
• SDG data analytics
• Municipal development planning
• Policy advisory services
• Online sustainability education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Project Funding: CODS operates as a university-affiliated research center funded through project grants from development banks (CAF), foundations (Foundation Botnar), and institutional partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Centro ODS is an interdisciplinary think tank at Universidad de los Andes that produces evidence-based research, data tools, and educational programs to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its core deliverables include the Índice ODS y Reporte Caribe, an interactive Visualizador de Datos ODS, municipal-level SDG databases and dashboards (Power BI and Excel) with ethnic disaggregation for Afro-descendant populations, MOOCs on Coursera, and direct technical accompaniment to municipalities for SDG-aligned development planning. All outputs are provided as free public goods funded through research grants from development banks and foundations.

Product overview

Centro ODS (Centro para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible) is an interdisciplinary think tank at Universidad de los Andes focused on promoting evidence-based science and knowledge for sustainable development in Colombia and Latin America and the Caribbean. The center operates a portfolio of research tools, data platforms, and educational programs including the SDG Index and Caribbean Report (Índice ODS y Reporte Caribe) for rigorous evaluation of Agenda 2030; a Data Visualizer (Visualizador de Datos ODS) for interactive SDG data exploration; municipal-level data dashboards in Excel and Power BI formats for Afro ODS project municipalities; a municipal SDG indicators database with ethnic disaggregation; and educational offerings including MOOCs on Coursera, the Cátedra Nuestro Futuro academic chair, and a research seedbed (Semillero) program. The center also produces research publications on topics spanning cleaner production, rural development, biodiversity, climate policy, and digital human rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Índice ODS y Reporte Caribe (SDG Index and Caribbean Report)
• Visualizador de Datos ODS (SDG Data Visualizer)
• Tablero de Control Municipal de Indicadores ODS (Municipal SDG Indicators Dashboard)
• Tablero Brechas ODS (Power BI)
• Base de Datos de Indicadores Municipales ODS (Municipal SDG Indicators Database)
• MOOCs - Cursos Virtuales sobre ODS (Massive Open Online Courses on SDGs)
• Cátedra Nuestro Futuro (Our Future Academic Chair)
• Semillero de Investigación (Research Seedbed)
• Estrategia de Acompañamiento a Municipios (Municipal Accompaniment Strategy)
• Publicaciones y Documentos CODS (CODS Research Publications)

Quantifiable outcome

• 135 SDG indicators at municipal level with 34 disaggregated by ethnic belonging (2018-2022)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SDSN (Sustainable Development Solutions Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCODS is part of the SDSN network, led by Professor Jeffrey Sachs from Columbia University. This global initiative was launched by the UN to mobilize technical and scientific expertise from universities, research centers, and civil society to promote practical solutions for implementing SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement.
• AMUNAFRO (Asociación Nacional de Alcaldes y Gobernadores de Municipios y Departamentos con población afrodescendiente de Colombia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association of mayors and governors of municipalities with Afro-descendant population in Colombia. CODS collaborates with AMUNAFRO for municipal outreach in the Afro ODS project.
• Universidad de los AndescoreOthersParent academic institution. CODS is an interdisciplinary think tank at Universidad de los Andes, a private university in Bogotá, Colombia recognized by the Ministry of Education (Vigilada Mineducación).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• CAF (Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe): CAF is both a current funder of CODS' Afro ODS project and an independent producer of LAC development research and indices. Comparable in its regional LAC development mandate, but is a multilateral development bank rather than a think tank.

Emerging players

• CIDE (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas): Mexican academic research center producing applied policy research and training. Comparable as a Latin American university-affiliated think tank producing policy evidence for government, though focused on Mexico and on economic/political rather than SDG-specific issues.

Regional players

• UNDP Brazil: UNDP country office for Brazil executing SDG-aligned subnational programming and producing SDG indicator analysis. Mirrors CODS' SDG municipal accompaniment role but operates in a different country and at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• WRI (World Resources Institute): Global sustainability research organization producing indicators, datasets, and tools (e.g., Climate Watch, Resource Watch) for SDG and environmental monitoring. Comparable to CODS in its data-product-led research approach, but at global rather than LAC scale.
• ECLAC / CEPAL (UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean): UN regional commission producing SDG indicator analysis, indices, and policy reports for LAC. Overlaps directly with CODS' Índice ODS and Caribbean Report, but at a larger, multilateral scale and broader thematic scope.
• UNDP Colombia: UNDP's Colombia country office is a major implementer of SDG-aligned programming and provides technical assistance to subnational governments. Operates in the same municipal SDG-planning space as CODS but at significantly greater scale and budget.

Direct peers

• FLACSO (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales): Latin American social sciences academic network that produces applied social research, postgraduate education, and policy publications. Directly comparable to CODS in its interdisciplinary research and academic-affiliated, region-wide operating model.
• Dejusticia: Colombian research and litigation center producing evidence-based research on social justice, human rights, and ethnic minority rights — including transgender rights work shared with CODS' Foundation Botnar-funded project. Closely comparable in its Colombian policy-research-and-advocacy model and ethnic/vulnerable-population focus.
• Fedesarrollo: Colombian economic research think tank producing policy analysis, indices, and publications for government and the private sector. Mirrors CODS' think-tank model, evidence-based publishing, and policy advisory role, but focused on macroeconomic rather than SDG-specific issues.
• UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN): CODS operates as a national/regional node within SDSN. SDSN's broader network shares the same SDG research, index-building, and policy advisory mandate at a global scale, making it the most directly comparable peer organizationally and methodologically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-ods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centro ODS