What SABIMA does

Sabima is a Norwegian nonprofit umbrella organization founded on May 7, 1996 (originally as Samarbeidsrådet for biologisk mangfold) and headquartered at Mariboes gate 8, Oslo, with approximately 15 employees. It serves as the registered umbrella body for 10 Norwegian biological associations spanning botany, zoology, entomology, mycology, marine biology, ornithology, and ecology, and works to halt the loss of biodiversity in Norway through policy advocacy, citizen science mobilization, and knowledge dissemination.

Sabima's core offerings are programs and digital platforms rather than commercial products. The primary programmatic asset is Den store artsjakten (The Great Species Hunt), an annual 24-hour nationwide citizen science event whose 2026 edition mobilized 869 participants to record 2,625 species across 274 of Norway's 357 municipalities, feeding data into Artsdatabanken's Artsobservasjoner national database. The organization also operates Naturkampen, a web-based democracy tool developed pro bono by IT firm Kantega that benchmarks Norwegian municipalities and counties across 32 nature-management indicators in five categories, plus a peat-free soil retailer directory supporting the 'Redd myra' campaign and a citizen species-mapping program with 5-6 annual field trips.

The revenue model is a hybrid of individual donations (one-time gifts, the Sabima-fadder recurring donation program, Vipps, SMS giving), low-margin merchandise sales (e.g., shopping bags at NOK 300), and project grants from foundations and government bodies. The most significant recent inflow is a record NOK 50 million grant from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB (2023), shared with WWF, Naturvernforbundet, and Natur og Ungdom for the 'Skogen – mer enn bare trær' youth forest engagement project that reached over 2.6 million people. Customer segments include individual Norwegian donors, the 10 member biological organizations, farmers and landowners eligible for nature-management subsidies, Norwegian municipalities, and politicians at local, regional, and national levels. Distribution is single-country (Norway) via the sabima.no platform, Vipps/SMS infrastructure, retail-partner networks, and in-person events including Arendalsuka.

Name

SABIMA

Legal name

Sabima

Website

https://sabima.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sabima is a Norwegian nonprofit umbrella organization for 10 biological associations, founded in 1996 with ~15 staff in Oslo, working to halt biodiversity loss through policy advocacy, citizen science (Den store artsjakten), the Naturkampen municipal-assessment tool, and funding from individual donations, merchandise sales, and project grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Assessment / Valuation (EUAHAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Biodiversity conservation
• Citizen science programs
• Environmental advocacy
• Nature mapping
• Species documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

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. Individual Donations and Gifts: Sabima receives financial support from individuals through one-time gifts, the Sabima-fadder recurring monthly donation program, Vipps (mobile payment), SMS (send SABIMA to 1990 to donate NOK 150), bank transfer (account 1503.52.56293), and corporate gifts ([email protected]). Donations between NOK 500 and NOK 25,000 per year are tax-deductible in Norway.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sabima operates an online store (nettbutikk) selling merchandise such as reusable shopping bags ('handlenett – redd biene') priced at NOK 300, greeting cards, and other products to raise funds while promoting their environmental mission.
3. Project Grants and Institutional Funding: Sabima receives grants from foundations and government bodies for specific projects. Notable include a NOK 50 million grant from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB (shared with WWF, Naturvernforbundet, and Natur og Ungdom) for the 'Skogen – mer enn bare trær' youth engagement project. Additional funding from Norges Forskningsråd and Akershus fylkeskommune for Naturkampen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sabima is a Norwegian non-profit environmental umbrella organization that works to halt the loss of biodiversity in Norway through policy advocacy, citizen science programs, educational content, and digital tools such as Naturkampen. Its core offerings include the annual Den store artsjakten citizen science species hunt, voluntary species mapping (artskartlegging), the Naturkampen municipal nature management benchmarking tool, a peat-free soil guide ("Redd myra"), and a merchandise online store funded by individual donations and grants.

Product overview

Sabima is a Norwegian environmental organization (umbrella organization for biological associations) focused on stopping the loss of biodiversity. Rather than a traditional product company, Sabima offers programs, tools, and initiatives including: Den store artsjakten (The Big Species Hunt) - an annual citizen science event; Naturkampen - a digital democracy tool for evaluating municipal nature management; voluntary species mapping programs; and a peat-free soil guide. Sabima also operates an online store for merchandise. The organization primarily operates through advocacy, knowledge dissemination, and citizen science participation rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Den store artsjakten (The Great Species Hunt) Annual nationwide citizen science event where volunteers document as many plant, animal, and fungi species as possible within a 24-hour period, contributing to the Artsdatabanken Artsobservasjoner database. In 2026, 869 participants recorded 2,625 species across 21 organized tours covering 274 of Norway's 357 municipalities.
• Naturkampen A web-based democracy tool developed with IT company Kantega that evaluates Norwegian municipalities and counties on 32 indicators across five categories related to nature management. Used by journalists, residents, politicians, and municipal professionals to compare how municipalities manage nature.
• Artkartlegging (Species mapping program) Voluntary species-mapping activities organized across Norway, including mapping courses, field trips, and financial support for mapping activities among member organizations. Coordinates artsobservasjoner submitted to Artsdatabanken.
• Torvfri jord (Peat-free soil guide / "Redd myra" campaign) An information guide and directory listing retailers and stores across Norway (including chains KIWI, MENY, Hageland, Felleskjøpet, Plantasjen, Clas Ohlson, Europris, Obs Bygg, and local garden centers) where consumers can purchase peat-free soil to advance the "Redd myra" peat-bog conservation campaign.
• Sabima Netthandel (Online merchandise store) Online store selling merchandise including reusable shopping bags ('handlenett – redd biene' priced at NOK 300), greeting cards, and other products to raise funds while promoting Sabima's environmental mission.
• Sabima-fadder (Recurring donation program) Recurring monthly donor ("godparent") program for individuals, with donor-chosen amounts; donations between NOK 500 and NOK 25,000 per year are tax-deductible in Norway.
• Skogen – mer enn bare trær (Forest youth engagement program) Joint project with WWF Verdens naturfond, Naturvernforbundet, and Natur og Ungdom funded by a NOK 50 million grant from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB to engage Norwegian youth aged 15–25 in forest conservation through campaigns, educational programs, social media, events, forest tours, and activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,625 species recorded during Den store artsjakten 2026, with observations across 274 of Norway's 357 municipalities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KantegacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Kantega, an IT company, developed the Naturkampen tool for Sabima free of charge as a significant volunteer contribution. Naturkampen is a web-based democracy tool that evaluates Norwegian municipalities on 32 nature management indicators across five categories.
• WWF Verdens naturfondcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-partner with Sabima, Naturvernforbundet, and Natur og Ungdom in the 'Skogen – mer enn bare trær' project funded by Sparebankstiftelsen DNB. Jointly engaged in forest conservation advocacy, youth engagement, and public campaigns about Norwegian forests.
• NaturvernforbundetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-partner with Sabima in the 'Skogen – mer enn bare trær' project and joint forest conservation campaigns. Also a partner in the Skogkur 2030 initiative alongside WWF and Natur og Ungdom.
• Natur og UngdomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-partner with Sabima in the 'Skogen – mer enn bare trær' youth engagement project funded by Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.
• Artsdatabanken (Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre)coreTechnology or IntegrationArtsdatabanken provides and maintains the Artsobservasjoner database where all species observations from Sabima's citizen science programs (including Den store artsjakten) are recorded. Species data is used by the Norwegian Environmental Agency and made available in Artskart for management and conservation decisions.
• Member biological organizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSabima is a registered umbrella organization for 10 Norwegian biological organizations (BirdLife Norge, Norsk Biologforening, Norsk Botanisk Forening, Norsk Økologisk Forening, Norsk Zoologisk Forening, Norsk entomologisk forening, Norsk Havforskerforening, Nordisk kulturlandskapsforbund-Norge, Norges sopp- og nyttevekstforbund, and another listed). These organizations collaborate on citizen science, advocacy, and mapping activities.
• Arne Nævra (photographer)minorOthersPhotographer Arne Nævra provided photographs for free use on Naturkampen.no.
• Bjørn Rangbu (photographer)minorOthersProvided the top photograph (spurveugle / Eurasian scops owl) for Naturkampen at no cost.
• Den Norske Turistforening (DNT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSabima, WWF, and DNT jointly developed a map service showing planned development on natural areas in Norway, helping citizens see what nature is at risk of being built on in their municipalities.
• Grønn VekstminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA Norwegian company that develops, produces, and sells peat-free soil with outlets across Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central Norway. Sabima promotes Grønn Vekst products in its peat-free soil guide to support the 'Redd myra' campaign.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Den Norske Turistforening (DNT): Norwegian trekking association. Partnered with Sabima and WWF on a national map service for planned development on natural areas, thematically related to nature conservation but focused on outdoor recreation.
• Norges Jeger- og Fiskerforbund (NJFF): Norwegian hunting and fishing association. Co-coordinates water management volunteer work with Sabima, sharing interest in wetlands and biodiversity but operating from a hunting/fishing constituency rather than pure conservation.

Direct peers

• Natur og Ungdom: Norwegian youth environmental organization with a focus on climate and nature. Co-partner in the Skogen project and peer in mobilizing young supporters for biodiversity advocacy.
• WWF Verdens naturfond (Norway): Norwegian arm of the WWF global network, focused on biodiversity and habitat conservation. Direct co-partner with Sabima in the NOK 50M Skogen project and a competitor for the same Norwegian environmental donor base.
• Naturvernforbundet: Norway's largest environmental NGO, focused on nature conservation and climate. Direct co-partner in the Skogen project and a near-substitute for Sabima in policy advocacy, competing for the same donor and grant funding.

Broad incumbents

• Greenpeace Norge: Norwegian office of global environmental campaign organization. Competes with Sabima for high-profile environmental advocacy coverage and donor attention in Norway.
• BirdLife Norge: Norwegian member of the BirdLife International partnership, focused on bird conservation and habitat protection. Member organization of Sabima but operates its own national programs and competes for conservation funding.

Emerging players

• Norsk Botanisk Forening: Norwegian botanical society focused on plant species and conservation. Member organization of Sabima, but operates plant-specific mapping and citizen science programs that partially overlap with Sabima's work.
• Norsk Økologisk Forening: Norwegian ecological society focused on ecological research and education. Member organization of Sabima, providing expert scientific input and partial overlap in mapping and conservation advocacy.
• Norsk Biologforening: Norwegian professional association for biologists. Member organization of Sabima, providing professional expertise and partial overlap in species mapping and policy advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SABIMAnorge
• Facebookfacebook.com/SABIMANorge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sabima
• Instagraminstagram.com/sabima_norge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 SABIMA