Doggerland Foundation

What Doggerland Foundation does

Doggerland Foundation (Stichting Doggerland) is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 2022 and headquartered in Lochem, Netherlands. The organization is dedicated to protecting and restoring the North Sea ecosystem, with the Doggersbank — a shallow sandbank of roughly 25,000 km² in the central North Sea — as its symbolic and operational focal area. It pursues a four-pillar strategy combining (i) legal advocacy against the Dutch and German governments over enforcement of Natura 2000 and EU Habitats Directive obligations, (ii) active ecosystem restoration led by horse mussel reef seeding on biodegradable substrates, (iii) scientific research expeditions and monitoring using eDNA analysis and a proprietary Biodiversity Sensing Box, and (iv) public engagement through exhibitions, sailing expeditions, documentary sponsorship, and an AI-powered chatbot ("Digitale Stem van de Doggersbank") built on Botpress with Anthropic Claude support.

Its core "products" are programs rather than commercial goods: the Rewilding Dogger Bank three-year restoration programme (funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme), the Doggersbank Coalition (a six-organization cross-border NGO coalition across the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and the UK), the School of Dogger Bank interdisciplinary research programme, and membership in the MPA Legal Coalition (an 11-organization EU coalition for marine protection enforcement). The foundation also sells a commemorative birthday calendar at €17.50 and accepts individual donations. Customers in the conventional sense are replaced by three constituencies: institutional grantors (Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, EU NextGenerationEU, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature), partner NGOs and research institutions (ARK Rewilding NL, Blue Marine Foundation, BUND, WWF Denmark, Wageningen University, NIOZ, ClientEarth, ATU Ireland, Alfred Wegener Institute, and others), and individual supporters engaging via petitions, newsletter subscriptions, expeditions, and merchandise.

The foundation operates with a small core team of 7 employees supplemented by flexible international contributors, led by director Emilie Reuchlin and programme manager Menno de Boer. Revenue is grant- and donation-driven and is not publicly disclosed; programmatic budgets are multi-year and tied to discrete restoration and research milestones. Distribution is non-commercial and centered on digital channels (website, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, newsletter), exhibitions, and earned media from court coverage. Recent strategic milestones include three court victories in 2025-2026, the EU Commission's partial closure of 28% of the Dutch and 53% of the German Doggersbank to bottom trawling, and the June 2026 launch of the Rifherstel-XL reef restoration project.

Name

Doggerland Foundation

Legal name

Stichting Doggerland

Website

https://doggerland.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Doggerland Foundation is a Dutch non-profit foundation (founded 2022, Lochem) that protects and restores the North Sea, focusing on the Doggersbank through legal advocacy, horse mussel reef restoration, scientific research, and cross-border NGO coalitions across the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Marine conservation
• Ocean rewilding
• Reef restoration
• Environmental advocacy
• Natura 2000 protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Lochem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

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 Grants and Program Funding: Funding from Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme for Rewilding Dogger Bank program, EU NextGenerationEU funding for Rifherstel-XL project, and governmental support from Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.
2. Donations and Memberships: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, newsletter subscribers, and organizational donors supporting conservation and restoration projects.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of commemorative calendars featuring Doggersbank species at €17.50 (calendar), €50.00 (with one-time donation), or €15.00/month subscription model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stichting Doggerland protects and restores the North Sea ecosystem through legal advocacy forcing governments to enforce Natura 2000 and EU environmental law, active ecosystem restoration (horse mussel reef seeding via the Rifherstel-XL project), scientific monitoring using eDNA and the proprietary Biodiversity Sensing Box, and public engagement via the School of Dogger Bank, exhibitions, sailing expeditions, and an AI chatbot. The foundation operates across the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and the UK through the Doggersbank Coalition and the MPA Legal Coalition.

Product overview

Doggerland Foundation is a Dutch conservation organization founded in 2022 that protects and restores the North Sea, beginning with the Doggersbank. The foundation operates several interconnected programs: the Rewilding Dogger Bank program for large-scale ecosystem restoration including horse mussel reef restoration; the School of Dogger Bank for interdisciplinary research and public engagement; and the Doggersbank Coalition for policy advocacy. They offer a birthday calendar as a merchandise product (€17.50), and provide a digital chatbot powered by Botpress and Claude as an engagement tool. The organization also participates in the MPA Legal Coalition for European marine protection advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rewilding Dogger Bank: A large-scale rewilding and seascape restoration programme aimed at restoring the Doggersbank ecosystem, including horse mussel reef restoration and cross-border collaboration with international partners.
• Rewilding Dogger Bank Seascape
• Doggersbank Coalition
• MPA Legal Coalition
• School of Dogger Bank
• WILD (Wiederherstellung des Internationalen Lebensraumes Doggerbank)

Products and services

• Doggerland Verjaardagskalender (Birthday Calendar) An exclusive birthday calendar featuring the most iconic species of the Doggersbank and their relationship to this unique marine area, sold to the public to support the foundation's work. Available as a single purchase, a donation bundle, or a recurring monthly subscription.
• Doggerland Chatbot (Digitale Stem van de Doggersbank) A free AI-powered chatbot that speaks from the perspective of the Doggersbank ecosystem, built on Botpress with Claude (Anthropic). It engages users in Dutch and English conversation about the ecology, history, and conservation of the Doggersbank to enhance knowledge, empathy, and connection with the sea.
• Rewilding Dogger Bank Program A large-scale, three-year rewilding initiative focused on restoring the Doggersbank ecosystem through horse mussel reef restoration, scientific research expeditions, habitat recovery, and cross-border collaboration. Funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme.
• School of Dogger Bank An interdisciplinary research and imagination program bringing together scientists, artists, and designers to explore the relationship between humans and the North Sea through research, actions, and design, and to improve the position of the Doggersbank in legal, public, and political domains. Co-developed with Ambassade van de Noordzee.
• Doggersbank Coalition (Doggersbank Coalitie) A coalition of European conservation organizations from the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and the UK working together to protect and restore the Doggersbank through legal action, reef restoration, research, and public engagement.
• MPA Legal Coalition A coalition of 11 European organizations working to ensure EU nature laws are enforced in marine protected areas through coordinated legal action against EU member states that permit destructive fishing practices.
• Rifherstel-XL (Reef Restoration XL) A large-scale reef restoration project that scales up horse mussel reef restoration on the Doggersbank, using biodegradable substrates (coconut mats, jute, wood fiber fabric) to seed mussels and rebuild reef structures. Implemented with ARK Rewilding NL and NIOZ.
• WILD Project (Wiederherstellung des Internationalen Lebensraumes Doggerbank) A three-year research project investigating the historical and current state of Doggersbank biodiversity and developing protection and restoration measures, led by BUND, Alfred Wegener Institute, and Senckenberg Gesellschaft, with Doggerland as a partner.

Quantifiable outcome

• Court ruling requiring Dutch government to stop toxic discharges and enforce permit requirements in protected marine areas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MPA Legal CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Coalition of 11 organizations (Blue Marine, BUND, ClientEarth, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, DMA, DUH, EJF, Manche Nature, Oceana, Seas At Risk, Doggerland) for coordinated legal action across EU to enforce marine protection laws.
• ClientEarthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Environmental law organization providing legal expertise for court cases against governments violating marine protection laws. Key partner in Dutch and EU-level legal proceedings.
• Natuurversterking NoordzeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Initiative coordinating Rifherstel-XL project. Doggerland participates to scale horse mussel restoration efforts on Doggersbank as part of this 10-organization consortium led by NIOZ.
• NIOZ (Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek der Zee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research leading Rifherstel-XL project consortium of 10 organizations. Conducts large-scale reef restoration experiments at Frisian Front.
• Alfred Wegener InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026German Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research partnering on WILD project for Doggersbank restoration research.
• Museum Panorama MesdagcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026The Hague museum hosting DRIFT exhibition (March-September 2026) showcasing Doggersbank through art, sculpture, and interactive installations.
• Stroom Den HaagminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026The Hague art institution providing supplementary exhibition space for DRIFT. Duin tot Doggersbank project.
• Havforskningsinstitutet (Norwegian Institute of Marine Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Norwegian marine research institute providing expertise on horse mussel reef restoration and assessing risks of using Norwegian mussels as source population for Doggersbank.
• Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026German environmental organization partnering on Borkumse Stenen court case and joint legal proceedings for marine protection.
• Stichting MOBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Dutch mobilization foundation partnering on Borkumse Stenen legal action for Natura 2000 designation.
• Burgerinitiatief Saubere Luft OstfrieslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026German citizen initiative for clean air in East Frisia partnering on Borkumse Stenen protection court case.
• European Rewilding NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Pan-European network of >100 rewilding initiatives in 29 countries. Provides knowledge exchange, networking events, and access to European Wildlife Comeback Fund and Rewilding Europe Capital.
• Prakken d'Oliveira Human Rights LawyerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 December 2025Legal counsel providing representation in court cases against Dutch government for marine protection. Advocated Bondine Kloostra and Larab Mohammad.
• Wageningen University & ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Academic partner providing eDNA analysis expertise and Biodiversity Sensing Box development. Dr. Reindert Nijland leads molecular marine ecology research for expedition monitoring.
• Senckenberg Gesellschaft für NaturforschungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025German natural history research institute organizing MV Senckenberg research expeditions to Doggersbank for eDNA sampling and biodiversity monitoring.
• Stichting Duik de Noordzee SchooncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Dutch diving organization organizing dive expeditions to Doggersbank for horse mussel reef restoration research. Operates MS Tender I research vessel.
• ARK Rewilding NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Key rewilding partner contributing horse mussel reef development expertise and sea-based restoration experience. Collaborates on Rifherstel-XL project and joint legal proceedings against Dutch government for marine protection.
• Blue Marine FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025UK-based marine conservation organization co-leading Doggersbank Coalition. Provides legal expertise and coordinates cross-border protection efforts. Key partner in MPA Legal Coalition.
• BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025German environmental organization leading MPA Legal Coalition activities in Germany. Partner in Rewilding Dogger Bank coalition and WILD project for German Doggersbank research.
• Ambassade van de NoordzeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Dutch organization focused on North Sea representation and rights. Co-develops School of Dogger Bank interdisciplinary research program and joint advocacy for improved marine governance.
• WWF DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Danish arm of WWF network participating in Rewilding Dogger Bank coalition for cross-border protection of Doggersbank area.
• Atlantic Technological University (ATU) IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Academic research partner leading scientific monitoring for Rewilding Dogger Bank program. Jose M. Fariñas-Franco serves as program head researcher.
• Wageningen Marine ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Research institute with Pauline Kamermans as senior researcher contributing to reef restoration experiments and marine ecosystem monitoring.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Natuurmonumenten: Largest Dutch nature conservation organization with a broad portfolio of land and coastal projects; broader mandate but overlapping conservation member-base and donor pool in the Netherlands.
• WWF Netherlands: National arm of the global WWF network with marine programs and advocacy comparable in mission; much larger scale and broader geographic remit than Doggerland but a potential donor, partner, or competitor for marine conservation funding.
• Oceana: Large international ocean conservation organization and MPA Legal Coalition member; operates at global scale with policy campaigns on bottom trawling and marine protected areas, overlapping with Doggerland's advocacy agenda.

Direct peers

• Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based marine conservation NGO and fellow Doggersbank Coalition member; comparable focus on marine protected area establishment, legal advocacy against bottom trawling, and cross-border North Sea protection.
• ClientEarth: Environmental law organization and legal partner in Dutch beam trawl litigation; highly comparable in its use of strategic litigation to enforce EU nature laws in marine protected areas.
• Rewilding Europe: Coordinator of the European Rewilding Network that Doggerland joined; operates pan-European rewilding programs and capital vehicles directly comparable to Rewilding Dogger Bank.
• BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland): German environmental NGO leading the WILD project and MPA Legal Coalition work in Germany; directly comparable in combining legal advocacy, rewilding research, and coalition-based marine protection.
• Seas At Risk: European coalition of marine environmental organizations and fellow MPA Legal Coalition member; overlapping mission on EU marine protection policy enforcement and reducing bottom-trawl impacts in the North Sea.
• ARK Rewilding Nederland: Direct coalition partner and co-litigant; fellow Dutch nature organization focused on rewilding and ecosystem restoration, including the horse mussel reef work on the Doggersbank. Highly comparable mission, geography, and operating model.

Emerging players

• De Noordzee (North Sea Foundation): Dutch foundation dedicated to a healthy North Sea; comparable single-sea focus, public engagement approach, and advocacy for reduced bottom trawling, though operating at smaller scale and with less litigation emphasis than Doggerland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@StichtingDoggerland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doggerland
• Instagraminstagram.com/doggerland_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Doggerland Foundation