Ki Culture

What Ki Culture does

Ki Culture is an international nonprofit foundation (Stichting Ki Culture) registered in the Netherlands, founded to integrate sustainability — across environmental, social, and economic dimensions — with the global cultural sector. It serves museums, art institutions, galleries, heritage organizations, residencies, conservators, vendors, performing arts bodies, and academia through a portfolio of programs: Ki Futures (an annual coaching and training network with carbon-emissions-based pricing), Ki Books (free step-by-step sustainability guides co-created with external experts such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Green Building Council), Ki Trainings (core and specialty courses), Ki Workshops (peer-to-peer sessions), Ki Coaches (mentors), Ki Champions (trained sector leaders), and the Ki Port platform that centralizes resources and a user-generated Ki Reports case-study database. The organization monetizes through Ki Futures subscriptions, structured sponsorships (1,650 EUR/year per institution, 600 EUR/year per individual), and donations via PayPal, GlobalGiving, and direct bank transfer. Operations are distributed across Amsterdam, Oslo, St. Louis, Berlin, and Brussels, and the organization holds endorsements from ICOM, NEMO, Exarc, CMCJ, and We Are Museums.

Name

Ki Culture

Legal name

Stichting Ki Culture

Website

https://kiculture.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ki Culture is an Amsterdam-based international nonprofit that provides sustainability coaching, training, and free expert-authored guides (Ki Futures and Ki Books) to museums, galleries, heritage institutions, and cultural-sector professionals worldwide, funded through program fees, sponsorships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ki Futures Program Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from the Ki Futures coaching and training program. Pricing is based on participants' carbon emissions, with reduced rates available for educational institutions (teachers, professors, researchers, students). The application process involves receiving a quote based on entity size, location, and carbon footprint.
2. Donations: As a non-profit organization, Ki Culture accepts donations through multiple channels: PayPal, GlobalGiving, and direct bank transfer. Donations support the general operations and specific programs including the Museum Innovation Incubator.
3. Sponsorships: Organizations and individuals can sponsor other participants: annual donation of 1,650 EUR to support a museum or institution, monthly donation of 145 EUR, annual donation of 600 EUR for an individual, or monthly donation of 35 EUR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ki Culture provides sustainability coaching, training, and resources tailored to the cultural sector through its core Ki Futures program — a global coaching, training, and networking network for museums, galleries, and cultural heritage organizations — supported by free downloadable Ki Books (step-by-step sustainability guides), Ki Trainings (core and specialty courses), Ki Workshops (peer-to-peer sessions), and the Ki Port online platform that centralizes all resources and case studies. Pricing for Ki Futures is based on each participant's carbon emissions, with reduced rates for educational institutions and scholarships available.

Product overview

Ki Culture offers a comprehensive sustainability program portfolio for the cultural sector centered around the Ki Futures coaching and training network. The core offering includes Ki Futures, which integrates Ki Port (a customized online platform), Ki Trainings (core and specialty courses), Ki Toolkit (resources and guides), Ki Workshops (peer-to-peer sessions), Ki Coaches (mentorship), and Ki Champions (trained sustainability leaders). Supporting the program are Ki Books—free downloadable step-by-step guides on Waste & Materials, Social Sustainability, and Energy—co-created with global sustainability experts. Together, these products form an end-to-end sustainability enablement system that provides training, tools, mentorship, and peer networking to help cultural institutions and professionals achieve environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ki Futures An international coaching and training network providing institutions and individuals with sustainability tools, guides, training, mentoring, and connections to local and global sustainability leader networks to help the cultural sector become more sustainable. Pricing is based on participant carbon emissions with reduced rates for educational institutions.
• Ki Books Free downloadable step-by-step action guides on sustainability co-created with leading global sustainability experts in collaboration with cultural professionals. Available themes include Waste & Materials, Social Sustainability, and Energy.
• Ki Trainings Training program consisting of Core Trainings (2-hour sessions correlating with Ki Book themes) and Specialty Training courses that deep dive into specific topics taught by experts in their field. Some sessions are open to non-participants as entry points to the full Ki Futures program.
• Ki Port A customized online platform that powers the Ki Futures program, providing a centralized hub for Champions and Coaches to connect, share resources, access guides and recorded trainings, and submit Ki Reports (case studies).

Quantifiable outcome

• A single museum can produce the same amount of waste as 365 households
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICOM (International Council of Museums)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKi Culture is endorsed by ICOM, the international organization of museums. The founder, Caitlin Southwick, serves as Secretary of the ICOM Working Group on Sustainability.
• We Are Museums (WAM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKi Culture is endorsed by We Are Museums, a network connecting museum professionals globally.
• Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice (CMCJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKi Culture is endorsed by CMCJ, with Robert R. Janes (founder of CMCJ) serving on the Ki Culture Advisory Board. Both organizations share the mission of advancing sustainability in museums.
• ExarcminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKi Culture is endorsed by Exarc, an organization for archaeological museums and collections.
• NEMO (Network of European Museum Organisations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKi Culture is endorsed by NEMO, representing European museum organizations.
• Gallery Climate CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKim Kraczon, Ki Culture's Material Specialist, is an advisor to Gallery Climate Coalition and founding member of Gallery Climate Coalition Berlin, developing resources and tools for environmentally responsible art world practices.
• World Green Building CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictoria Burrows, Director of Advancing Net Zero at World Green Building Council, is a contributor to the Energy Ki Book, providing expertise on net zero and building sustainability.
• Ellen MacArthur FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColin Webster, Learning Content Manager at Ellen MacArthur Foundation, contributed to the Waste & Materials Ki Book, providing circular economy expertise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Theatre Green Book: UK initiative providing sustainability standards and practical tools for theatre and live performance. Comparable in offering standards-based guidance and tools for a cultural sub-sector, but narrower (theatre only) than Ki Culture.
• Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts: US-based organization focused on sustainability across performing arts and live events through research, training, and resources. Comparable in mission (sustainability + arts/culture) but narrower performing-arts focus versus Ki Culture's broader cultural-sector scope.
• Sustainable Museums: Advisory and training provider focused on helping museums adopt sustainable practices. Directly comparable in target customer (museums) and offering (sustainability advisory/training), though smaller and more consultancy-model than Ki Culture's network platform approach.
• Climate Museum: New York-based museum and cultural project dedicated to climate change. Comparable in being a culture-climate intersection organization; Ki Culture's honorary board includes its founder Miranda Massie. Differs in being an emerging physical/exhibition entity rather than a training platform.

Regional players

• Creative Carbon Scotland: Scottish organization supporting arts and cultural organizations to reduce their environmental impact. Directly comparable in mission and program design but operates regionally (Scotland) rather than globally like Ki Culture.

Direct peers

• Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice: Coalition advocating for climate justice within the museum sector. Ki Culture is endorsed by CMCJ and shares the founder of CMCJ (Robert R. Janes) on its advisory board — a near-twin mission with overlapping constituency.
• Julie's Bicycle: UK-based nonprofit supporting the arts and culture sector to act on the climate crisis through research, training, and resources. Most directly comparable to Ki Culture in mission, sector focus, and program structure (e.g., Creative Climate Tools, sector-specific guidance).
• Gallery Climate Coalition: International nonprofit of gallery professionals developing and sharing resources for environmentally responsible practice in the art world. Highly comparable to Ki Culture's cultural-sector sustainability mission; Ki Culture's Material Specialist is also an advisor to GCC.

Others

• World Green Building Council: Global network of green building councils that contributed expertise to Ki Culture's Energy Ki Book. Not a direct competitor; relevant as a thematically adjacent sustainability organization whose building-sector work intersects with Ki Culture's cultural-facilities scope.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Global thought leader on circular economy that has contributed expert content (Waste & Materials Ki Book) to Ki Culture. Not a direct competitor but a thematically adjacent ecosystem participant whose mission overlaps Ki Culture's materials pillar.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KiCulture_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-aR8IiB3DBKc3r94NJMvWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/kiculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ki-culture
• Instagraminstagram.com/ki_culture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Ki Culture