CORDIO East Africa

What CORDIO East Africa does

CORDIO East Africa (Coastal Oceans Research and Development – Indian Ocean East Africa) is a non-governmental, non-profit marine research and conservation organization registered in Kenya (No. 101783) and headquartered in Mombasa. Founded in 1998 and operating with 32 employees, the organization conducts marine ecosystem research and conservation action across the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), spanning Kenya, Tanzania, Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Mauritius. Its work is organized around four pillars: scientific research (coral reef, fisheries, and social science), local marine resource management (LMMAs, participatory monitoring, sustainable financing, and capacity building), and policy and advocacy at global, regional, national, and sub-national levels.

The organization's core technical capabilities rest on standardized marine monitoring methodologies — Underwater Visual Census, Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVs), photo-quadrat analysis for benthic assessment, and Lagrangian particle tracking for oceanographic connectivity — combined with proprietary approaches such as the Proportional Oceanographic Connectivity Metric, the SDG Narrative Model of Action, and a hybrid participatory mapping system using the SeaSketch GIS platform. Outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications in Science, Nature, Conservation Biology, and the ICES Journal of Marine Science; a public CORDIO Data Portal; an open R programming course; field toolkits (Coral Reef Monitoring Guide, Shark Awareness Kits); and the Digital VSLA fintech system integrating MPESA for community conservation finance.

CORDIO's revenue model is entirely grant-funded, with no commercial pricing. Income derives from foundation and donor grants (Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bertarelli Foundation, WRLD-KLARNA, Bloomberg Philanthropies), bilateral and multilateral project funding (European Union, UN Environment Programme, GIZ, FFEM), and collaborative research contracts with institutions such as the University of Oxford, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, and the University of York. Major recent programmes include the €4.3M Blue Tourism Initiative and Kenya's Shark Conservation Strategy. Customers in the operational sense are governments (Kenya Fisheries Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, WRTI), research institutions, and coastal community groups across the WIO; the organization distributes its services through direct field engagement, government policy partnerships, and open-access publications.

Name

CORDIO East Africa

Legal name

Coastal Oceans Research and Development – Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa

Website

https://cordioea.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CORDIO East Africa is a non-profit marine research and conservation organization headquartered in Mombasa, Kenya, conducting coral reef monitoring, fisheries research, community-led conservation, and policy advisory work across the Western Indian Ocean for governments, research institutions, and coastal communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Research

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Coral reef monitoring
• Fisheries management
• Marine spatial planning
• Coastal resource management

Headquarters

HQ city

Mombasa

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

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. Foundation and Donor Grants: CORDIO operates primarily through funding from international foundations, governmental development agencies, and environmental conservation donors. Major funders include the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, WRLD Foundation through Milkywire-KLARNA project, European Union, UN Environment Programme, and various bilateral aid agencies.
2. Project-Based Conservation Funding: Time-limited project grants for specific conservation initiatives such as the Blue Tourism Initiative (€4.3 million, four-year programme co-funded by FFEM), R-POC programme for Comoros ocean protection, and IKI-GIZ transboundary marine management projects.
3. Collaborative Research Contracts: Research collaborations with universities and international research institutions generating funding for scientific studies, often as part of multi-institutional projects like SOLSTICE-WIO with National Oceanography Centre.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CORDIO East Africa is a non-governmental research and conservation organization that conducts long-term marine scientific research and applies it to conservation action and policy support across the Western Indian Ocean. It delivers coral reef and fisheries monitoring programs, locally managed marine area (LMMA) support, participatory marine spatial planning, policy and advocacy work (including shark and ray conservation strategies), and capacity building for coastal communities. Its outputs include peer-reviewed publications, open datasets, monitoring toolkits, training resources, and digital tools such as the CORDIO Data Portal, the R Course, and a Digital VSLA application, all provided free of charge to partners.

Product overview

CORDIO East Africa operates as a marine research and conservation NGO, not a traditional software product company. The organization offers a portfolio of research programs, educational resources, data platforms, and community engagement tools focused on marine ecosystem conservation in the Western Indian Ocean. Key offerings include the R Course for data analysis training, a public Data Portal for sharing coral reef monitoring data, Coral Reef Monitoring Guides and Shark Awareness Kits as educational toolkits, a Digital VSLA System for community conservation financing via MPESA integration, the SDG Narrative Model of Action as a policy framework, and Participatory Mapping Programs using SeaSketch. These products and services work together to support science-based marine conservation across the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CORDIO Data Portal
• CORDIO R Course
• Coral Reef Monitoring Guide
• Children's Shark Awareness Kit
• Adult Shark Awareness Kit
• Digital VSLA System (Village Savings and Loan Association)
• SDG Narrative Model of Action
• Participatory Mapping Program
• Kenya Shark Conservation Strategy
• Blue Tourism Initiative Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 coastal community members engaged in VSLA 'table banking' scheme for conservation finance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wildlife Conservation Trust (WILDTRUST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey implementation partner for the Blue Tourism Initiative and community-led marine protection initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean. Co-hosting events at the Our Ocean Conference focused on 30x30 marine protection targets.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCORDIO Directors hold leadership positions in IUCN Specialist Groups (Melita Samoilys as Co-Chair of IUCN SSG Snapper, Seabream and Grunt Specialist Group and Shark Specialist Group; David Obura as IPBES Nexus Co-Chair). Partner in Regenerative Ocean Forum.
• WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing regional partner for marine science collaboration. CORDIO actively contributes to WIOMSA Scientific Symposia and related initiatives.
• WWFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in blue tourism development, with WWF Madagascar's Blue Finance Lead participating in CORDIO-hosted events and initiatives.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFunding and technical partner for transboundary marine management projects, including IKI-GIZ project on participatory mapping in Kwale, Kenya and Tanga, Tanzania border regions, and Blue Economy Technical Advisor support.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on oceanographic connectivity and reef fish populations. Lead author Laura Warmuth from Oxford's Department of Biology; Professor Mike Bonsall as senior author.
• National Oceanography Centre, SouthamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SOLSTICE-WIO project and collaborative research on oceanographic connectivity, fish populations, and marine ecosystem dynamics.
• Indian Ocean CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation framework partner supporting coral reef monitoring networks and the Biodiversity Project for post-bleaching assessment in WIO countries.
• Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN Specialist Group engaged to facilitate the inclusive, science-driven conservation planning process for Kenya's Shark Conservation Strategy.
• Blue VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in community-led marine protection initiatives, co-hosting events at Our Ocean Conference.
• OceanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in fisheries transparency reforms and community-led marine protection initiatives.
• University of Dar es Salaam - Institute of Marine SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on Pemba Island BRUV surveys and coral reef monitoring in Tanzania.
• University of YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in SOLSTICE-WIO project with PhD student Kennedy Osuka leading Pemba Island BRUV surveys.
• WildOceanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in R-POC programme for Comoros ocean protection, with RPOC programme manager Housseni Houssoyni collaborating on monitoring activities.
• AIDE (Comoros)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner institution in Comoros for marine research and conservation priorities, involved in high-level meetings and monitoring activities.
• CNDRS (Comoros)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research partner in Comoros for coral reef monitoring and conservation planning.
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment research partner for coral reef monitoring and fisheries research in Kenya.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF (World Wildlife Fund): A global conservation giant with active WIO programs, including blue finance and blue tourism in Madagascar. WWF's regional presence overlaps CORDIO's geography and thematic focus but at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): The global conservation authority with which CORDIO has deep leadership entanglement (Specialist Group Co-Chairs). IUCN's Species Survival Commission and Ecosystem Management programs overlap with CORDIO's science-to-policy work across overlapping geographies.
• Oceana: A global ocean advocacy organization with active fisheries transparency and marine protection campaigns. Oceana is identified as a CORDIO partner on community-led marine protection and fisheries transparency, and shares advocacy-focused DNA.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): A global conservation organization with extensive marine programs across multiple regions including Africa. WCS overlaps CORDIO on coral reef and fisheries conservation but operates at significantly larger scale with a broader species and geography mandate.
• Conservation International: A large international conservation NGO with active marine programs in Africa and the Indian Ocean. Overlaps with CORDIO on coral reef science, blue economy, and capacity building, but with a much larger funding base and global portfolio.

Direct peers

• Wildlife Conservation Trust (WILDTRUST): A regional conservation NGO with shared Western Indian Ocean focus, particularly on community-led marine protection and Blue Tourism. WILDTRUST is CORDIO's key implementation partner on the Blue Tourism Initiative and co-hosts Our Ocean Conference activities.
• Reef Check Foundation: An international coral reef monitoring organization using volunteer-based reef survey protocols. Reef Check's global reef monitoring network and standardized methodology are highly comparable to CORDIO's WIO reef monitoring programs.
• Blue Ventures: A marine conservation organization focused on community-led marine resource management and fisheries in coastal communities. Blue Ventures operates a similar model of participatory community conservation plus scientific monitoring, and co-hosts events with CORDIO at the Our Ocean Conference.
• WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association): The regional marine science association for the WIO. WIOMSA's scientific symposium and research network directly overlaps CORDIO's mission and partnerships, making it the most direct institutional peer for science collaboration in the region.

Regional players

• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI): Kenya's national marine and fisheries research agency, partnered with CORDIO on coral reef monitoring and fisheries research. KMFRI serves a similar scientific role in Kenya but with a government mandate and broader national scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastal-oceans-research-and-development-in-the-indian-ocean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CORDIO East Africa