Rimba
Rimba was a Malaysian nonprofit conservation research organization founded in 2010 that conducted field research on biodiversity in Peninsular Malaysia — spanning fruit bats, limestone ecosystems, and Malayan tigers — and translated findings into evidence-based management recommendations for policymakers and practitioners before ceasing operations in 2022.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rimba does
Rimba was a Malaysian nonprofit conservation research organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Kuala Lumpur that ceased operations at the end of 2022 due to financial limitations and the inability to assemble sustainable long-term funding to pay staff a living wage. The organization functioned as a bridge between conservation science and conservation practice in Peninsular Malaysia, conducting field research and proactively translating findings into evidence-based management recommendations for policymakers and on-the-ground practitioners. It deliberately targeted less popular species and habitats — particularly fruit bats (flying foxes), limestone hill ecosystems, Malayan tigers, and wildlife corridors — that typically receive limited conservation attention.
Rimba's work was organized around named projects: Project Pteropus (fruit bat research and pollination ecology), Project Limestone (limestone hill mapping), Project Cerberus (wildlife monitoring), Harimau Selamanya (tiger anti-poaching), and the Kenyir Wildlife Corridor Project. The organization built proprietary resources including a Limestone Hills Database covering 1,393 hills across Malaysia created via satellite, drone, and ground verification, an online GIS map of 445 Peninsular Malaysian limestone hills, a camera-trap database with PRESENCE/SECR compatibility, and a Biologist's Toolbox of field protocols. Rimba produced 26+ peer-reviewed publications in journals including Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal of Ethnobiology, and Ecology and Evolution, and distributed free multilingual educational materials (posters, videos, a children's card game) under a non-profit educational license.
Funding came from donations and grants sourced from international conservation bodies (Bat Conservation International, Rainforest Trust), individual fundraising campaigns (e.g., RM43,790 raised in 2021), and partnerships with government agencies (PERHILITAN, Terengganu State Government), academic institutions (Sunway University), NGOs (Panthera, Woodland Park Zoo, WWF-Malaysia), and corporate entities (LafargeHolcim, YTL Cement). All research outputs and outreach materials were open-access with no commercial pricing model.
Rimba firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rimba
- Legal name
- Rimba
- Website
- https://rimba.ngo
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rimba was a Malaysian nonprofit conservation research organization founded in 2010 that conducted field research on biodiversity in Peninsular Malaysia — spanning fruit bats, limestone ecosystems, and Malayan tigers — and translated findings into evidence-based management recommendations for policymakers and practitioners before ceasing operations in 2022.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rimba industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)
Keywords
Where Rimba is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kuala Lumpur
- HQ country
- Malaysia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rimba business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a small local nonprofit, Rimba relied on donations and grants for funding. They operated for over a decade before ceasing operations due to financial limitations and lack of sustainable financial support.
- Fundraising Campaigns: Project Pteropus Fruit Bat Fundraiser raised RM43,790, exceeding their original target of RM30,000, to support research and public outreach initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free non-profit educational materials |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rimba product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rimba conducted conservation research in Peninsular Malaysia to produce evidence-based management recommendations that helped decision-makers mitigate threats to biodiversity. The organization functioned as a bridge between conservation science and conservation practice, both proactively bringing research results to practitioners and policymakers and directly implementing necessary conservation efforts. Its work focused on uncharismatic or less popular species and habitats, including fruit bats, limestone ecosystems, and Malayan tigers, and it produced open-access publications and free educational outreach materials.
Product overview
Rimba was a conservation research nonprofit organization operating as a group of scientists who conducted conservation research to produce evidence-based management recommendations for biodiversity in Peninsular Malaysia. The organization operated as a collection of interconnected conservation projects rather than a unified platform product. Their core offerings included Project Pteropus (fruit bat conservation), Project Limestone (limestone ecosystem research), Project Cerberus (wildlife monitoring), Harimau Selamanya (tiger conservation), and the Kenyir Wildlife Corridor Project. Supporting these projects were open-access resources including the Biologist's Toolbox (research protocols and databases) and Fruit Bat Outreach Materials (educational materials for public awareness). The organization also produced peer-reviewed conservation publications. Rimba ceased operations at the end of 2022 due to financial limitations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Project Pteropus: Research and conservation project focused on fruit bats (flying foxes) and their role in ecosystem services including pollination of durian trees in Peninsular Malaysia.
- Project Limestone
- Harimau Selamanya
- Project Cerberus
Products and services
- Project Pteropus A fruit bat research and conservation initiative focused on flying foxes (Pteropus spp.) in Peninsular Malaysia, studying bat-plant interactions, pollination ecology (including durian pollination), and producing outreach materials for public education.
- Project Limestone A research initiative documenting limestone hill biodiversity in Malaysia, creating comprehensive databases and maps of limestone ecosystems using satellite imagery, drone technology, and ground verification. Covered 1,393 limestone hills (911 in Peninsular Malaysia, 482 in Malaysian Borneo).
- Project Cerberus A wildlife monitoring project focused on biodiversity surveys and conservation efforts in Malaysian ecosystems.
- Harimau Selamanya A Malayan tiger conservation project working with government agencies and rangers to reduce poaching and protect forest habitats in Kenyir, Terengganu.
- Kenyir Wildlife Corridor Project A conservation initiative focused on maintaining wildlife connectivity in the Kenyir region, including camera trap monitoring and corridor assessment.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mapped 1393 limestone hills in Malaysia (911 Peninsular, 482 Borneo) over two years of analysis with 22,000 km of travel
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Rimba
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Rimba technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Rimba partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PantheracoreGlobal wild cat conservation organization partnering on the Harimau Selamanya tiger conservation project in Kenyir, Terengganu, focused on anti-poaching efforts and tiger habitat protection.
- Woodland Park ZoocoreZoo-based conservation organization partnering with Rimba and Panthera on the new protected area establishment in Kenyir region for tiger conservation.
- Tree Climbers MalaysiaminorTree climbing service that collaborated with Rimba researchers on Tioman Island for durian pollination research involving video camera traps in durian trees.
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History MuseumminorMuseum collaborated with Rimba researchers on publication describing novel predation strategy by white-bellied sea-eagle on island flying fox.
- WWF-MalaysiaminorLong-standing collaboration on wildlife monitoring including camera-trap database development and biodiversity monitoring in Peninsular Malaysia since 2005.
- Lafarge Malaysia (now LafargeHolcim)coreCement manufacturer collaborated with Rimba scientists on joint study to document diversity of land snails at limestone hills in Peninsular Malaysia, supporting quarrying industry while addressing limestone biodiversity protection.
- YTL CementcoreCement company involved in Project Limestone research on limestone hill biodiversity conservation in Malaysia.
- PERHILITAN (Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia)coreGovernment wildlife department collaborating with Harimau Selamanya project on anti-poaching patrols and ranger training for big cat protection in Kenyir.
- Terengganu State GovernmentcoreState government that designated 10,386 hectares as Lawit-Cenana State Park, collaborating with Rimba, Rainforest Trust, Panthera and Woodland Park Zoo.
- Sunway UniversitycoreRimba's Dr. Reuben Clements serves as Associate Professor at Sunway University; academic partnership for conservation research and education.
- Society of EthnobiologyminorPublished research on cultural values of bats across Asia-Pacific region in their journal Journal of Ethnobiology.
Scale indicators6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Rimba competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- The Habitat Foundation: Malaysian-based conservation and environmental education nonprofit focused on Peninsular Malaysian biodiversity and sustainability, providing a regional peer with similar size, mission, and operating geography to Rimba.
Broad incumbents
- Fauna & Flora International (FFI): Large, established international conservation NGO operating across Southeast Asia including Malaysia. Comparable in combining field research with direct conservation action, though with broader species and country scope than Rimba.
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Major global conservation organization with active wildlife programs in Malaysia, including on tigers and forest landscapes. Operates with a similar field-research-plus-policy model but at much larger scale.
- Conservation International: Global conservation organization with significant Asia-Pacific footprint and focus on biodiversity hotspots. Overlaps with Rimba in producing scientific evidence and translating it into protected-area outcomes.
Direct peers
- Bat Conservation International: International NGO dedicated to bat conservation that funded Project Pteropus Phase 1 and featured it as a BATS Magazine cover story. Directly comparable in mission around fruit-bat and flying-fox conservation globally.
- WWF-Malaysia: Malaysian affiliate of the World Wildlife Fund, a direct peer that conducts biodiversity research, field conservation projects, and policy advocacy in the same geographies Rimba operated. WWF-Malaysia was an actual partner of Rimba (camera-trap database collaboration), making the comparison particularly close.
- Panthera: Global wild cat conservation organization that was a core partner on Rimba's Harimau Selamanya tiger project. Operates with a similar science-to-practice model focused on big cats and prey-base monitoring in the same Terengganu landscape.
- Malaysian Nature Society (MNS): Malaysia's oldest and largest homegrown conservation NGO; engages in biodiversity research, public education, and protected-area advocacy across Peninsular Malaysia. Closest local nonprofit counterpart to Rimba in mission and geography.
- Rainforest Trust: Conservation financing organization that partnered with Rimba, Panthera, and the Terengganu government to create Lawit-Cenana State Park. Directly comparable in funding and co-creating protected areas from science-driven proposals.
Emerging players
- TRAFFIC: Wildlife trade monitoring network active in Malaysia addressing illegal trade in species like pangolins and sun bears — overlapping with Rimba's wildlife monitoring and species-protection work but with a narrower illegal-trade remit.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rimba social profiles
Digital presenceRimba financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rimba leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Rimba funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rimba M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rimba
What does Rimba do?
Rimba conducted conservation research in Peninsular Malaysia to produce evidence-based management recommendations that helped decision-makers mitigate threats to biodiversity. The organization functioned as a bridge between conservation science and conservation practice, both proactively bringing research results to practitioners and policymakers and directly implementing necessary conservation efforts. Its work focused on uncharismatic or less popular species and habitats, including fruit bats, limestone ecosystems, and Malayan tigers, and it produced open-access publications and free educational outreach materials.
Is Rimba a public or private company?
Rimba is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was Rimba founded?
Rimba was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rimba based?
Rimba is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the Asia region.
How does Rimba make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are fundraising Campaigns.
Who are Rimba's main competitors?
The Habitat Foundation is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Conservation International. Direct peers are Bat Conservation International, WWF-Malaysia, Panthera, Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and Rainforest Trust. TRAFFIC is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rimba have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rimba.
What industry is Rimba in?
Rimba's product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8731.