Society for Nature Conservation

What Society for Nature Conservation does

Society for Nature Conservation (SABUKO) is a Georgian non-governmental, non-commercial organization founded in 2014 and headquartered in Tbilisi. It operates as the local partner of BirdLife International and runs a portfolio of programs across four pillars: species conservation, habitat restoration, community empowerment, and environmental education. Core activities include GPS telemetry tracking of Eastern Imperial Eagles and Egyptian Vultures, bird ringing camps, monitoring of the Batumi migratory flyway to curb illegal bird killings, multi-year habitat restoration in the Iori River valley and Kakheti steppe (covering 25,000 hectares), and cross-border environmental monitoring with the EU, Bulgaria, Romania, and Armenia.

SABUKO's technology stack is centered on field research and a custom consumer mobile application. The SABUKO Bird App, available on Google Play and App Store, enables species identification, citizen-science observation submission with GPS, and offline map integration. Field work uses camera trapping, acoustic monitoring, and GPS telemetry transmitters attached to raptors. The organization also develops smart environmental monitoring platforms for the Black Sea basin, including wireless sensor networks and cloud-based video for air and water quality.

Revenue is generated through three streams: an annual membership at 15 GEL providing training, field trips, and nest-box perks; voluntary donations; and project-based grants from institutional funders including the Sigrid Rausing Trust, Cambridge Conservation Initiative / Endangered Landscapes Programme, GEF Small Grants Programme, and the European Union. Distribution is community-led via school outreach, volunteer recruitment, public events, and the Batumi Birding sub-brand offering paid birdwatching tours across the Caucasus. Key counterparties are the Protected Areas Agency of Georgia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Batumi Raptor Count, and pastoralist communities in Kakheti.

Name

Society for Nature Conservation

Legal name

საზოგადოება ბუნების კონსერვაციისთვის – საბუკო

Website

https://sabuko.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SABUKO is a Georgian non-profit founded in 2014 and BirdLife International's local partner, delivering bird conservation, habitat restoration, environmental education, and policy advocacy across Georgia and the broader Caucasus region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Bird conservation programs
• Habitat restoration projects
• Environmental education services
• Wildlife monitoring research
• Nature conservation NGO

Headquarters

HQ city

Tbilisi

HQ country

Georgia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and periodic membership fees at 15 GEL per membership, providing access to training, educational materials, field trips, and bird-themed wooden nest boxes as member perks.
2. Donations: Voluntary donations from supporters and the public, used to maintain financial stability and fund activities with limited budgets such as illegal bird killing monitoring and Egyptian Vulture population protection.
3. Grant Funding: Project-based grants from institutional donors including Sigrid Rausing Trust, Cambridge Conservation Initiative/Endangered Landscapes Programme, Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, EU, and other international conservation funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Society for Nature Conservation (SABUKO) is a Georgian non-governmental, non-commercial nature conservation organization and the local partner of BirdLife International. It delivers four integrated pillars of work: species conservation (including bird ringing, GPS telemetry on Eastern Imperial Eagles and Egyptian Vultures, and the Batumi Flyway anti-poaching program), habitat and landscape restoration (Iori River gallery forest and Kakheti steppes), environmental policy advocacy and impact assessment review, and environmental education and community empowerment for schools, farmers, and pastoralists in Georgia.

Product overview

SABUKO (Society for Nature Conservation) operates a portfolio of conservation-focused products and programs centered around its core mobile application (SABUKO Bird App) for bird identification and citizen science data collection. The organization delivers field research programs including bird ringing camps and Batumi Flyway conservation, species-specific initiatives like Eastern Imperial Eagle conservation, and environmental education through urban birding programs and published materials. Eco-tourism services at the Chachuna Managed Reserve and multi-year habitat restoration projects in Kakheti complement the offering. The portfolio functions as an integrated conservation platform combining citizen science, field research, environmental education, and community empowerment activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Batumi Birding: Birdwatching tours to the Caucasus region including Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, operated in partnership with Batumi Raptor Count
• SABUKO Bird App

Products and services

• SABUKO Bird App A mobile application for identifying bird species recorded in Georgia, logging user observations with GPS into a shared database, and viewing an integrated offline map of species observed by other users in the surrounding area.
• Bird Ringing Camp A seasonal field program in which experienced bird ringers attach identification markers to birds to study their life cycles, behavior, populations, and migration patterns.
• Urban Birding Initiative An environmental education program that maps birdwatching hotspots in Tbilisi and runs public birding activities to raise awareness of urban biodiversity.
• SABUKO Membership Program An annual membership subscription priced at 15 GEL that provides members with access to training and workshops, educational materials in Georgian and English, participation in field trips, and bird-themed wooden nest boxes (owl, swallow, stork, and house sparrow designs).
• Batumi Birding Birdwatching Tours Conservation-funded birdwatching tours operated through the Batumi Birding sub-brand, offering guided trips across the Caucasus region including Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
• Environmental Education Materials Educational resources, brochures, articles, and teaching materials developed and translated by SABUKO for schools, eco-clubs, and environmental awareness programs targeting both children and adults.
• Chachuna Managed Reserve Eco-tourism Services Development of nature conservation-oriented visitor services in Chachuna Managed Reserve, including bungalows, camping sites, bird observation points, and restaurant facilities, combined with local community capacity building in ecotourism management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 leopards rescued and housed at Etawah Safari Park supported by Society for Conservation of Nature
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Azerbaijan Conservation PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021New 3-year project (2021) jointly addressing Eastern Imperial Eagle conservation threats in both Georgia and Azerbaijan, including population monitoring, habitat restoration, and policy advocacy across borders.
• BirdLife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSABUKO is the local partner organization of BirdLife International in Georgia — the world's largest nature conservation partnership. This affiliation provides access to global conservation strategies, methodologies, co-funding opportunities, and the BirdLife network of national conservation organizations.
• Protected Areas Agency of GeorgiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSABUKO collaborates with the agency on management planning for Emerald Network sites, protected area biodiversity monitoring, and joint training programs for rangers in Kolkheti National Park and other protected areas.
• Export Development AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSABUKO works with the Export Development Association to assess export potential for sheep and wool products from pastoralist communities, supporting rural livelihoods as part of its local empowerment mandate.
• Batumi Raptor CountmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSABUKO cooperates with Batumi Raptor Count to monitor and reduce illegal bird killings along the Batumi migratory bottleneck, combining scientific ringing camps with community awareness and enforcement support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sabuko.org
• Xx.com/SABUKOGEORGIA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sabuko

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 Society for Nature Conservation