What Hutan does

Hutan is a grassroots wildlife research and conservation non-profit organization established in 1996 (with operations beginning in 1998 from Sukau village) in the Kinabatangan floodplain of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Founded by French biologists Dr. Isabelle Lackman and Dr. Marc Ancrenaz, the organization delivers conservation services through seven specialized units: Orangutan Research, Wildlife Survey & Protection, Reforestation-N, Reforestation-M, Science Department, Sumbu Hutan (environmental awareness), and Pangi Swiftlet Recovery. The organization employs over 100 staff from the local Orang Sungai community and runs the world's longest-running wild orangutan research site spanning three generations of orangutans.

The organization's technology stack integrates traditional fieldwork with modern monitoring tools including camera trapping across habitat types (dry forests, riparian zones, limestone habitats, abandoned plantations), bioacoustic monitoring via the Arbimon platform in partnership with Rainforest Connection since 2021, thermal drone technology for population surveys, and satellite-based wildlife monitoring. Hutan has produced a Handbook for Wildlife Monitoring Using Camera-traps and publishes peer-reviewed research in journals including Nature, PLoS One, Science, and Frontiers. Operational outputs include 246,000+ planted trees across 11 reforestation sites since 2008, 12 hanging bridges since 2005, a 110-acre Keruak Wildlife Corridor partnership with Genting Plantations Berhad, and species recovery programmes that grew the Pangi swiftlet population from 317 to over 5,000 breeding pairs between 2010 and 2024.

Hutan operates as a non-commercial entity funded through grants, donations, and partnerships with international conservation foundations (Arcus Foundation, World Land Trust, Wildlife Conservation Network), international zoos (Chester Zoo and others), private-sector plantation companies (Genting Plantations, Melangking Oil Palm Plantations), and Malaysian government agencies under formal MOUs (Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department). Go-to-market operates through community-led conservation methodology combined with cross-sectoral partnerships and scientific dissemination. The organization holds IUCN Member status, NGOSource equivalency determination, and UN-GRASP membership, and serves as a primary scientific advisor for the Orangutan Action Plan 2020-2029 and Bornean Elephant Action Plan 2020-2029.

Name

Hutan

Legal name

Hutan

Website

https://hutan.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hutan is a Sabah, Malaysian Borneo-based non-profit wildlife conservation organization founded in 1996 that conducts wildlife research, habitat restoration, and community-led conservation across the Kinabatangan floodplain, employing 100+ Orang Sungai staff and partnering with government, academic, and private-sector entities to protect orangutans and other species.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Habitat restoration programs
• Biodiversity research
• Community-based conservation
• Wildlife monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Sabah

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Grant Funding: Hutan receives funding from international conservation foundations, zoos, and conservation organizations that provide grants for wildlife research and conservation projects.
2. Partnership and Donor Support: Financial support from funding partners including Arcus Foundation, World Land Trust, Wildlife Conservation Network, and numerous zoos worldwide that support conservation initiatives.
3. Government Partnership (MOU): Hutan operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sabah Wildlife Department for wildlife conservation activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hutan operates grassroots wildlife research and conservation programs in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The organization runs seven specialized units covering orangutan research, wildlife survey and protection, reforestation, environmental education, and community engagement, employing over 100 staff primarily from the local Orang Sungai indigenous community.

Product overview

Hutan is a grassroots wildlife research and conservation organisation, not a technology product company. It does not offer a unified product platform or software-as-a-service offering. Instead, it delivers conservation services through seven operational units: Orangutan Research, Wildlife Survey & Protection, Reforestation-N, Reforestation-M, Science Department, Sumbu Hutan (Environmental Awareness), Pangi Swiftlet Population Recovery, and Operations. These units collectively deliver research, monitoring, habitat restoration, and community engagement services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major, core and minor.

• Sabah Wildlife DepartmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency with formal MOU for wildlife research, protection, and conservation management. Hutan operates under this partnership and assisted in developing action plans.
• Sabah Forestry Department (SFD)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment forestry agency partnered on forest reserve management and reforestation activities including letter of authorization for Pangi Swiftlet Recovery Project.
• Genting Plantations BerhadflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPioneering partnership since 2018 for Keruak Wildlife Corridor creation along Kinabatangan River. Hutan reforests corridor with native species and monitors biodiversity. Early 2024 completed planting of 110-acre corridor with over 71,000 trees.
• CIRADmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench agricultural research institution collaborating on TRAILS initiative exploring integrating oil palm cultivation with native forest species through agroforestry.
• University Putra MalaysiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in TRAILS agroforestry research initiative.
• Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Sabah conducting wildlife studies. Collaborated on Bornean Elephant Action Plan 2020-2029 and ecoacoustic biodiversity monitoring.
• Rainforest Connection (RFCx)majorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing ecoacoustic monitoring equipment and Arbimon platform for biodiversity documentation in Kinabatangan Reserve.
• SEARRP (Sabah Environmental Education Research & Resource Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for environmental education initiatives in Sabah.
• OrangJUGAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on promoting Best Management Practices for Coexistence with Orangutans in Mixed-Forest Oil Palm Landscapes published March 2023.
• Seratu AataiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in publishing Bornean Elephant Action Plan 2020-2029.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fauna & Flora International: Global wildlife conservation NGO with active programs across Southeast Asia including Borneo. Comparable approach of combining long-term species research, habitat restoration, and community-based conservation; operates at much larger geographic and budget scale.
• Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme: Focused on Sumatran orangutan conservation through research, habitat protection, and community engagement. Shares Hutan's methodology of science-driven, long-term population monitoring and human-wildlife coexistence work, but operates across the Strait of Malacca.
• TRAFFIC: Wildlife trade monitoring network active across Southeast Asia, working on species protection, illegal trade reduction, and policy advocacy. Comparable species-protection focus and operating geography; different primary activity (trade monitoring vs. field conservation) but related mission.
• Panthera: Global wild cat conservation organization using science-driven, community-based approaches in tropical landscapes. Comparable methodological approach (long-term research, field units, partnerships) and similar scale and funding model (foundation grants, donor support).
• Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation: Largest orangutan conservation NGO globally, focused on rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of orangutans across Borneo and Sumatra. Most directly comparable peer given shared species focus, geography overlap (Borneo), and similar conservation mission including habitat protection and community engagement.
• Orangutan Foundation UK: UK-based orangutan conservation organization operating in Borneo with focus on wild orangutan populations and habitat protection. Comparable mission, species focus, and conservation approach combining research, community engagement, and protected-area support.

Broad incumbents

• WWF Malaysia: Major conservation NGO operating across Malaysia with strong focus on forest conservation, species protection, and sustainable commodity production. Operates in overlapping geographies (Sabah) with broader portfolio of programs including policy advocacy and sustainable palm oil initiatives.
• Conservation International: Major global conservation NGO with substantial operations across the Heart of Borneo and broader Southeast Asia. Comparable in mission and species focus but operates at global scale with corporate partnership models (e.g., sustainability commitments with major brands) that Hutan could emulate.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: One of the world's largest wildlife conservation NGOs with significant field operations in Malaysian Borneo including orangutan and elephant programs. Comparable in mission but vastly larger in scale, geographic scope, and budget; Hutan's community-led model is a differentiating feature.

Regional players

• Malaysian Nature Society: Malaysia's oldest and largest nature conservation organization, addressing environmental issues at national scale including habitat protection, species conservation, and environmental education. Comparable conservation mission but operates at national scale with broader scope rather than site-specific depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hutan.earth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hutan-earth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Hutan