Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative

Name

Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative

Legal name

Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative

Website

https://globalsoilbiodiversity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research and Environmental Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Land-Use MRV (Soil carbon, livestock, forestry/REDD+) (EUAHADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil & Biomass Carbon Measurement (Soil Sampling, Forest Inventory, Blue Carbon) (EUABACAH), Forest Inventory, Mapping & Monitoring (GIS/Remote Sensing/MRV) (IMAMAJAB)

Keywords

• Soil biodiversity research
• Scientific policy advocacy
• Environmental knowledge network
• Ecosystem conservation
• Sustainable land management

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding and Grants: GSBI operates as a non-profit initiative supported by institutional funding. By 2012, Diana Wall secured funding from Colorado State University (CSU), hired an Executive Director, and organized international workshops. The organization accepts donations through PayPal.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) is a nonprofit scientific coalition that advances soil biodiversity knowledge by connecting researchers, policymakers, and the public through conferences, webinars, peer-reviewed publications, and educational resources. It produces flagship reports such as the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas and the UN-FAO State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity report, and coordinates global soil biodiversity conferences and monitoring networks. All resources are provided free of charge to the global community.

Product overview

The Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) is a research and advocacy organization focused on promoting expert knowledge on soil biodiversity to inform environmental policy and sustainable land management. GSBI does not offer a commercial product or software platform; rather, it serves as a knowledge hub that produces and curates educational content, scientific publications, conferences, and webinars. Its primary offerings include the 'Beneath Our Feet' blog featuring research updates, the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas (jointly published with the European Commission), the State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity report (produced with UN-FAO), the GSBI Speaks webinar series, educational resources for various audiences, and coordination of Global Soil Biodiversity Conferences (GSB1-GSB4). The organization also partners with the Soil Biodiversity Observation Network (SoilBON) for monitoring efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas A global reference publication jointly produced with the European Commission Joint Research Centre that maps soil organisms and the threats to soil biodiversity worldwide, serving policymakers, researchers, educators, and conservation organizations.
• State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity Report The first-ever comprehensive global assessment of soil biodiversity, co-produced with UN FAO, ITPS, SCBD, and the European Commission with input from over 300 contributing scientists; informs policy and conservation decisions.
• GSBI Speaks Webinar Series An ongoing online webinar series launched during the Covid-19 pandemic covering topics such as AI for soil biodiversity measurement, soil inoculation, remote sensing, and soil biodiversity conservation; recordings are freely available on YouTube for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
• Global Soil Biodiversity Conferences (GSB1-GSB4) The flagship international conferences bringing together soil biodiversity researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders, hosted in Dijon (2014), Nanjing (2017), Dublin (2023), and Victoria, Canada (2026).
• Beneath Our Feet Blog

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SoilBON (Soil Biodiversity Observation Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSBI partners with SoilBON, a global network conducting soil biodiversity observations. GSBI participates in international monitoring efforts including SoilBON and UN FAO's Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (GLOSOB). The first soil biodiversity assessment across the United States began in association with SoilBON.
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSBI co-produced the first-ever 'State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity' report with FAO, ITPS, SCBD, European Commission, and 300+ scientists. GSBI participated in UN CBD-COP14 and continues to engage in FAO initiatives and GLOSOB monitoring efforts.
• European Commission Joint Research CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly published the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas with the European Commission Joint Research Centre in 2016, providing detailed mapping of soil organisms and threats to soil biodiversity globally.
• Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPUN and GSBI share aligned missions of protecting soil biodiversity. SPUN scientists contribute to GSBI publications and conferences, and both organizations work on global mycorrhizal fungal conservation.
• UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSBI was called upon by CBD to contribute to soil biodiversity science-policy work. GSBI contributed to the Plan of Action 2020-2030 for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Soil Biodiversity adopted at COP-15 in Montreal (December 2022).
• Global Soil Partnership (GSP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSBI collaborates with the GSP, an umbrella organization for global soil partnerships, on shared goals of soil protection and monitoring.
• Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSBI collaborated with ITPS on producing the State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity report, contributing to global soil assessment efforts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): FAO is the UN agency leading global efforts on food, agriculture, and soil resources. It is comparable to GSBI as a core strategic partner and co-producer of the State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity report, though FAO is far larger and broader in mandate.
• UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): CBD is the intergovernmental treaty governing biodiversity policy at the global level. It is comparable to GSBI because GSBI is a designated science-policy contributor to CBD soil biodiversity work, including the COP-15 Plan of Action 2020-2030.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): IUCN is a global conservation authority producing the IUCN Red List and advising on biodiversity policy. It is comparable to GSBI as a science-driven conservation organization influencing policy, though IUCN operates at much greater scale and broader scope.
• European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC): JRC is the European Commission's science and knowledge service. It is comparable to GSBI as the joint publisher of the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas (2016), making it a scientific partner with overlapping soil biodiversity expertise.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): WWF is a leading global conservation nonprofit with a broad biodiversity mandate. It is comparable to GSBI as a large-scale environmental advocacy organization, though WWF addresses a much wider range of conservation issues beyond soil.
• The Nature Conservancy: TNC is a major environmental nonprofit focused on land and water conservation globally. It is comparable to GSBI as a broader environmental advocacy nonprofit, though TNC operates at much larger scale and does not specialize in soil biodiversity.
• Global Soil Partnership (GSP): GSP is an FAO-hosted umbrella partnership coordinating global soil protection efforts across governments and institutions. It is comparable to GSBI as both focus on soil science and monitoring, but GSP is a larger intergovernmental platform while GSBI is a science-led nonprofit.
• Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS): ITPS is the GSP's scientific advisory body providing technical guidance on soil assessment and sustainable soil management. It is comparable to GSBI given its role in producing the State of Knowledge on Soil Biodiversity report and its overlap on soil science policy work.

Direct peers

• Soil Biodiversity Observation Network (SoilBON): SoilBON is a global monitoring network coordinating soil biodiversity observations across sites. It is directly comparable to GSBI given both organizations work on soil biodiversity measurement and monitoring, and SoilBON is listed as a core partner of GSBI.
• Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN): SPUN is a scientific advocacy organization focused on mapping and protecting underground fungal networks and soil biodiversity globally. It is directly comparable to GSBI given its overlapping mission on soil biodiversity and mycorrhizal conservation, and is explicitly cited as a strategic partner with shared scientists and joint publications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theGSBI

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 Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative