What Sharkproject Germany does

SHARKPROJECT is a non-profit shark and marine conservation organization founded in 2001 and operated through multiple national registered associations across Switzerland (International HQ in Cham; Switzerland entity in Zurich), Austria (Gablitz), and Germany (SHARKPROJECT Germany e.V.), with a separate merchandising entity (SHARKPROJECT Merchandising e.V.). Its mission is the protection of shark populations and their ecosystems through three strategic focus areas: fisheries policy, marine protected areas, and public education.

The organization's core offerings are conservation field projects and education rather than software products. Active projects include the Madagascar Whaleshark Project, Galapagos Whaleshark Project, Great White Mystery (great white shark research), Mission William (whale shark migration, partnered with Over The Swell), and the Angola Elasmo Project (in cooperation with Elasmoproject). Educational products comprise free interactive programs for children, youth, and adults, the 'Contains Shark. Know Your Choice.' consumer awareness campaign, and a free newsletter delivered via rapidmail. An online merchandise shop at shop.sharkproject.org (Shopify/Stripe/PayPal/PostFinance) supports funding and brand visibility. The underlying technology stack is purely operational — Google Analytics 4, Zoom/Teams/Meet for meetings, bexio for accounting — with no proprietary platform or AI components.

Revenue is generated entirely through non-commercial channels: one-time donations (general mission or project-specific), recurring monthly sponsorships ('Pate werden'), and merchandise sales. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, combining educational programs, conferences (CITES 2025, UNOC 3, Sharks International 2026), media appearances, and policy advocacy. The primary customer segment is individual supporters across the DACH region and global online visitors, with secondary engagement from schools and policy stakeholders.

Name

Sharkproject Germany

Legal name

SHARKPROJECT International

Website

https://sharkproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SHARKPROJECT is a DACH-region non-profit founded in 2001 that protects sharks through field research projects, educational programs, policy advocacy, and consumer awareness campaigns, funded by individual donations, monthly sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Shark conservation
• Marine conservation
• Ocean advocacy
• Wildlife protection
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cham

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual donations for general mission or specific projects; sponsorship programs (Pate werden) where supporters commit to ongoing contributions; these form the primary revenue source for the organization's conservation work.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise (clothing, accessories) with shark conservation messaging. The shop is operated by SHARKPROJECT Merchandising e.V.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SHARKPROJECT is a non-profit shark and marine conservation organization that funds and operates field research projects, runs free educational programs for children and adults, and advocates for stronger shark protection policies. Revenue comes primarily from individual donations, recurring sponsorships (Pate werden), and merchandise sold through its own online shop, while it delivers impact via project-specific funding (satellite tags, biologging, PhD research), public awareness campaigns such as "Contains Shark. Know Your Choice.", and coalition work influencing EU fisheries regulation.

Product overview

SHARKPROJECT is a shark and ocean conservation organization (not a traditional software company) offering a portfolio of conservation-focused products and services. Core offerings include: (1) Educational Programs providing free interactive learning for children, teenagers, and adults about sharks; (2) multiple Field Research Projects including the Madagascar Whaleshark Project, Galapagos Whaleshark Project, Great White Mystery, Mission William Project, and Angola Elasmo Project; (3) The 'Contains Shark. Know Your Choice.' consumer awareness campaign; (4) an Online Shop for merchandise; (5) a Newsletter subscription service; and (6) three strategic Focus Areas covering Fishing, Marine Protected Areas, and Education. The organization also enables donations and sponsorships to support their mission of intact shark populations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bildungsprogramme (Educational Programs) Free interactive educational programs offered to children, teenagers, and young adults covering sharks and their role in the marine ecosystem. Designed for schools, youth groups, and the broader public to build understanding of shark ecology as part of the organization's core conservation mission.
• Madagascar Whaleshark Project Conservation and research project focused on a newly discovered whale shark hotspot in Madagascar, combining field research with local community support to protect whale sharks in the region.
• Galapagos Whaleshark Project Research and conservation project studying whale sharks in the Galapagos Islands, positioned as a living example of marine biodiversity and used to advance shark protection.
• Great White Mystery Research project dedicated to the study and conservation of great white sharks, deploying biologging sensors, cameras, and telemetry receivers to gather behavioral and ecological data.
• Mission William Project International conservation initiative, launched in 2022 in partnership with Over The Swell, to protect whale sharks and strengthen local communities from St Helena through São Tomé and Príncipe to the Gulf of Guinea. SHARKPROJECT funds satellite tags and supports field engagement and educational outreach.
• Angola Elasmo Project PhD research project, in cooperation with Elasmoproject, focused on studying and protecting sharks and rays in southwest Africa, including local market surveys, community engagement, and field work in Angola.
• Online Shop (Merchandise) Online merchandise shop (shop.sharkproject.org) selling branded products such as clothing and accessories carrying shark conservation messaging, operated by SHARKPROJECT Merchandising e.V. to raise awareness and funds.
• Newsletter Free email newsletter providing regular updates on SHARKPROJECT projects, events, and shark conservation news, delivered via rapidmail under a double opt-in subscription model.
• Pate werden (Sponsorship Program) Recurring monthly sponsorship program ("Pate werden") allowing individual supporters to commit to ongoing contributions, with each euro supporting SHARKPROJECT's shark protection work.
• Donation Program (Mission and Project Donations) Donation program allowing supporters to contribute to the general mission (used where funds are most urgently needed) or to a specific project of their choice via the SHARKPROJECT website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful advocacy led to unanimous parliamentary decision for shark product import ban in Austria, effective April 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Over The SwellcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SHARKPROJECT supports the Mission William Project in partnership with Over The Swell, an international initiative to protect whale sharks and strengthen local communities from St Helena to Sao Tome and Principe to the Gulf of Guinea. SHARKPROJECT provides funding for satellite tags and field engagement.
• Pro WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advocacy partnership for sustainable fishing policy in the EU. SHARKPROJECT and Pro Wildlife issued a joint statement on sustainable fisheries in the EU, covering ecological aspects, monitoring and enforcement, and socio-economic factors.
• Make Stewardship CountcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHARKPROJECT is an active partner behind the marine conservation coalition 'Make Stewardship Count' which assesses MSC seafood certification standards. Dr. Iris Ziegler from SHARKPROJECT serves on the Steering Committee.
• Seas at RiskcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHARKPROJECT engages directly in EU fisheries policy review process together with the Seas at Risk network to bring shark and ray conservation perspectives into policy discussions.
• South African Shark ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting shark conservation research in South Africa. SHARKPROJECT supports students conducting research at the South African Shark Conservancy in Hermanus.
• Divemaster MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation partnership with Divemaster Magazine for virtual shark diving tours and educational content about sharks.
• ElasmoprojectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHARKPROJECT supports the Angola Elasmo Project in cooperation with Elasmoproject, a PhD research project studying and protecting sharks and rays in southwest Africa.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF: Largest global conservation organization with substantial marine and shark conservation programs. A broader incumbent whose scale dwarfs SHARKPROJECT but whose policy advocacy footprint overlaps directly.
• Marine Stewardship Council: Global standards-setting organization for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. Directly relevant because SHARKPROJECT is actively engaged through the 'Make Stewardship Count' coalition challenging MSC certification.

Direct peers

• Oceana: Largest international advocacy organization focused exclusively on ocean conservation, with significant policy work on fisheries, bycatch, and marine protected areas. Comparable in ocean-focused policy advocacy and science-driven campaigns.
• WildAid: International wildlife conservation NGO running awareness campaigns on marine species including sharks, with celebrity-driven media and government partnerships. Comparable in conservation communications and donor-funded advocacy model.
• Over The Swell: International whale shark conservation initiative running the Mission William Project, with active field operations across the Gulf of Guinea. Direct operational partner of SHARKPROJECT on satellite tagging and community engagement.
• Seas at Risk: European coalition of environmental NGOs working on ocean conservation and EU marine policy. SHARKPROJECT is an active participant in its EU fisheries policy review process.
• SeaLife Trust: Marine conservation charity operating conservation, education, and rescue programs focused on marine species. Comparable in educational programming and donor-supported conservation operations.
• Shark Trust: UK-based shark conservation charity focused on advocacy, research, and policy engagement for shark and ray protection. Highly comparable to SHARKPROJECT in mission, donor-supported model, and policy advocacy orientation.
• Pro Wildlife: German-based wildlife conservation NGO specializing in policy advocacy for species protection and sustainable fisheries in the EU. Named as a direct joint-advocacy partner of SHARKPROJECT on EU fisheries policy.
• Sea Shepherd: International marine conservation organization known for direct-action campaigns and advocacy against commercial fishing of marine wildlife. Comparable in marine conservation advocacy and international field presence, though larger and more confrontational in approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sharkproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharkproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Sharkproject Germany