Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA)

What Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA) does

Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA) is a non-profit research project of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung (SGN), a Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research established in 1867 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Founded in 2022-2023, SOSA operates with approximately five employees and is organized around three pillars: DISCOVER, PROTECT, and INSPIRE. Its mission is to accelerate the description and conservation of marine invertebrate species — which comprise roughly 90% of marine animal life but are critically underrepresented on the IUCN Red List.

SOSA's core products are the Discovery Laboratory (a shared taxonomy services hub providing high-resolution imaging, DNA barcoding, and micro-CT scanning to taxonomists worldwide), Ocean Species Discoveries (an open-access publication platform for rapid taxonomic descriptions), and MIRLA (Marine Invertebrates Red List Authority), an official IUCN SSC Red List Authority coordinating global marine invertebrate conservation assessments. The technology stack is rooted in physical laboratory infrastructure rather than software platforms. SOSA also conducts public engagement through museum exhibits, the Frankfurt 'Species in Love' billboard campaign, social media, and the DEEP DIVE newsletter.

The business model is institutional and grant-funded; SOSA generates no commercial revenue and offers no paid services. Funding flows through SGN and the Leibniz Association, supplemented by partnerships with organizations such as LOEWE TBG, Unitas Malacologica, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, and the IUCN. The organization operates a global research network spanning workshops and assessments in Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Seychelles, Cape Verde, Spain, Argentina, Portugal, Australia, the Philippines, Ireland, and Russia.

Name

Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA)

Legal name

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN)

Website

https://sosa.senckenberg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOSA is a non-profit research project of the Senckenberg Leibniz Institution that accelerates marine invertebrate species description and IUCN Red List assessment through a shared taxonomy laboratory, an open-access publication platform, and a global network of taxonomic experts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Biodiversity Research and Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental DNA (eDNA) & Advanced Biodiversity Methods (Bioacoustics, Camera Traps) (EUAHAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Marine taxonomy services
• Biodiversity conservation research
• Species description publication
• IUCN Red List assessments
• Marine invertebrate research

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

SOSA is a non-profit research project that accelerates the discovery and conservation of marine invertebrate species. It provides shared taxonomy services through the SOSA Discovery Laboratory (advanced imaging, DNA barcoding, micro-CT scanning), publishes collaborative species descriptions via the Ocean Species Discoveries platform, and coordinates global IUCN Red List assessments for marine invertebrates through MIRLA.

Product overview

SOSA is a research and conservation project of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, organized around three pillars: DISCOVER (Ocean Species Discoveries publication platform and Discovery Laboratory for rapid species description), PROTECT (MIRLA for IUCN Red List assessments of marine invertebrates), and INSPIRE (public engagement including billboard campaigns, social media, and educational outreach). The core offerings include the OSD taxonomic publication series, MIRLA Red List Authority coordination, and the Discovery Laboratory taxonomy services, supported by communication initiatives like the DEEP DIVE Newsletter and public awareness campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MIRLA: Marine Invertebrates Red List Authority - an official Red List Authority coordinating assessments of marine invertebrates for the IUCN Red List.
• Ocean Species Discoveries (OSD)

Products and services

• Ocean Species Discoveries (OSD)
• Marine Invertebrates Red List Authority (MIRLA)
• SOSA Discovery Laboratory
• Ocean Species Discoveries II
• DEEP DIVE Newsletter Monthly newsletter providing updates on accomplishments, upcoming events, opportunities, and alliance-exclusive content for members of the SOSA community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced species description timeline from 20-40 years to months through Discovery Laboratory services
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• LOEWE TBGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the annual International Mollusc of the Year competition. LOEWE TBG provides funding and organizational support for the competition which awards complete genome sequencing to the winning mollusc species, promoting biodiversity research and public engagement with molluscs worldwide.
• Unitas MalacologicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational mollusc research society collaborating on the annual International Mollusc of the Year competition. Provides scientific expertise and global network of mollusc researchers to support species nominations and competition judging.
• Deep Sea Conservation CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnabled SOSA Science Communication Officer Carly Rospert to attend the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) as part of their official observer status, supporting SOSA's policy advocacy work on deep-sea mining.
• International Seabed Authority (ISA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN body governing seabed beyond national jurisdiction where SOSA participates as observer to advocate for marine invertebrate protection and precautionary approach to deep-sea mining regulations.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2023, Senckenberg is an official partner organisation of the IUCN Red List. MIRLA operates as an official IUCN SSC Red List Authority coordinating marine invertebrate assessments. SOSA contributes to global conservation policy through expert participation in UN World Ocean Assessment.
• Government of PrincierminorOthersPartner organization listed on MIRLA page, nature conservation entity in Princier region.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS): WoRMS is the authoritative global taxonomic database for marine species, including many invertebrate taxa. Highly comparable to SOSA's discovery and cataloguing mission, operating as a shared scientific infrastructure rather than a commercial entity.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI): MBARI operates advanced imaging and ROV infrastructure to discover and document deep-sea species, particularly invertebrates. Direct overlap in deep-sea invertebrate taxonomy methodology and similar equipment-driven discovery workflow as SOSA's Discovery Lab.
• Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL): Long-standing marine research institution in Woods Hole with deep taxonomic and biodiversity programs. Comparable in mission (fundamental marine biology research and taxonomic capacity building) and institutional structure (non-profit affiliated with a university).

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Conservation Society: Large non-profit combining field conservation, species assessments, and public engagement across taxa. Overlaps with SOSA's mission to bring conservation attention to less-charismatic species and to use assessment work to drive policy.
• Natural History Museum, London: Major natural history museum with substantial marine invertebrate collections and active taxonomy research. Comparable in combining specimen-based taxonomy, imaging infrastructure, and public exhibits, though broader in scope than SOSA's marine-only focus.
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service: U.S. federal agency with responsibility for marine species assessment and protection, including invertebrates. Functions as a broad government incumbent in marine species policy and science that overlaps with MIRLA's Red List mandate.
• Census of Marine Life (legacy program) / Current Marine Life 2030: Legacy global program and its continuation efforts to document marine biodiversity. Highly comparable in mission to accelerate marine species inventory, though at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Ocean Census: A recently launched collaborative mission to accelerate discovery of marine species, including invertebrates. Directly comparable in mission (accelerated species description) and publishing-style outputs, partially overlapping with SOSA's OSD platform.

Others

• Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW): A Leibniz-Association peer institute with combined taxonomy, conservation status assessment, and biodiversity research. Functionally comparable as a sibling Leibniz biodiversity institute, sharing governance model and funding streams.
• IUCN Species Survival Commission: The IUCN body that houses Red List Authorities. Comparable as the institutional umbrella to which SOSA's MIRLA directly reports; an enabling/partner organization in the same conservation authority network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/senckenberg-ocean-species-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/oceanspecies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA)