Build Up ^
Build Up is a US-headquartered non-profit collective that builds open-source digital tools — including the Phoenix social-media analysis platform and Mersal consultation platform — and runs programs, research, and the Build Peace Conference for peacebuilders, mediators, and policymakers operating in conflict-affected regions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Build Up ^ does
Build Up is a US-headquartered non-profit collective (How to Build Up, Inc., a California 501(c)(3) founded in 2013–2014) with independent subsidiary entities in Kenya and Germany that operates at the intersection of peacebuilding, mediation, and technology. The organization delivers programs, research, and digital tools across three program areas — Inclusive Politics, Digital Conflict, and Creative Peace — and serves peacebuilders, mediators, civil-society organizations, multilateral institutions and policymakers operating in conflict-affected regions including Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and multiple MENA countries.
Its core technology product is Phoenix, an open-source, non-commercial social media analysis platform built with datavaluepeople and funded by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, released under an AGLP-3.0 license. Phoenix provides cross-platform data collection (X, Facebook, TikTok), AI/ML-enabled text classification using open-source language models for hate speech, incitement, polarization, and actor-affiliation detection, plus visualization tooling; access is free to approved peacebuilders and self-hostable via GitLab. A second core product, Mersal (2025), is a WhatsApp- and Pol.is-based digital consultation platform with 9,000+ Sudanese subscribers. Complementing these are the Polarization Footprint methodology, online courses (including "Digital Peacebuilding 101"), the "Digital Peacebuilder's Guide" toolkit, and the annual Build Peace Conference.
Build Up operates as a grant-funded non-profit with no commercial revenue stream; Phoenix and Mersal are provided free of charge to peacebuilding organizations, with revenue derived from institutional grants (UK FCDO, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) and foundation support (Ashoka). Distribution is community-led through the Build Peace Conference, webinars, research publications, an application-gated self-serve platform, open-source self-deployment, and capacity-building programs. Customer/funder concentration is moderate, anchored by a handful of government donors and a global but small end-user base.
Build Up ^ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Build Up ^
- Legal name
- How to Build Up, Inc.
- Website
- https://howtobuildup.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Build Up is a US-headquartered non-profit collective that builds open-source digital tools — including the Phoenix social-media analysis platform and Mersal consultation platform — and runs programs, research, and the Build Peace Conference for peacebuilders, mediators, and policymakers operating in conflict-affected regions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Build Up ^ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Technology
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Peace, Security Sector Reform & Stabilization Programs (BPADABAH), Open-Source & Developer Communities (BPAMABAM)
Keywords
Where Build Up ^ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Build Up ^ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Grant Funding and Donations: Build Up is a non-profit organization that operates primarily through grant funding from government donors (UK FCDO, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) and private foundations (Ashoka). Revenue supports program implementation, platform development, and research activities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Platform Access for Peacebuilders |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Build Up ^ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Build Up designs, develops, and distributes open-source digital tools and applies them through programs and research to support peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Its core product, Phoenix, is an open-source social media analysis platform that helps peacebuilders understand online discourse, polarization, and conflict dynamics. It also delivers Mersal for digital large-group consultations, the Polarization Footprint diagnostic, online courses, toolkits, and direct program support to peacebuilding organizations.
Product overview
Build Up is a peacebuilding collective operating across three program areas (Inclusive Politics, Digital Conflict, Creative Peace) with a portfolio of technology products and research resources. The core product is Phoenix, a free open-source social media analysis platform for peacebuilders and mediators, complemented by Mersal for digital consultations. Additional offerings include the Polarization Footprint methodology for measuring platform-level polarization, online courses, toolkits (including the Digital Peacebuilder's Guide), and the annual Build Peace Conference. The company also publishes extensive research on digital peacebuilding through reports on social media analysis, elections monitoring, and technology for conflict transformation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Phoenix: An open source, non-commercial platform designed to enable peacebuilders and mediators to conduct ethical and participatory social media listening to inform conflict transformation work. Features cross-platform analysis, AI/ML classification of social media data, and is freely available to peacebuilding organizations.
- Build Peace Conference
Products and services
- Phoenix
Quantifiable outcome
- Phoenix platform used by hundreds of peacebuilders globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Build Up ^
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Build Up ^ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
Build Up ^ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- datavaluepeoplecoredatavaluepeople collaborated with Build Up to develop the Phoenix social media analysis platform. They provide technical expertise in data science and platform development, contributing to the AI/ML capabilities integrated into Phoenix for text classification and social media analysis.
- Conciliation ResourcescoreBuild Up collaborates with Conciliation Resources on the Accord publication series, specifically on digital peacemaking. They co-hosted webinars exploring technology integration in peacebuilding policies, strategies, and practice.
- British CouncilmajorBritish Council partnered with Build Up on the Digital Media Arts for an Inclusive Public Sphere (DMAPS) program across eight MENA countries. The collaboration uses participatory action research led by 18 local organizations.
- University of SheffieldminorPart of the DMAPS consortium, contributing academic research expertise to the social media mapping program in MENA regions.
- University of ManchesterminorPart of the DMAPS consortium, providing academic research capabilities to the social media analysis and polarisation research program.
- American University of KurdistanminorPart of the DMAPS consortium contributing research expertise to the social media mapping initiative.
- Columbia Knight First Amendment InstituteminorCollaborated on research paper 'The Algorithmic Management of Polarization and Violence on Social Media' exploring platform design impacts on conflict dynamics.
- Berghof FoundationminorCommissioned Build Up to write 'Sealing the cracks: An intersectional feminist perspective on digital peacebuilding' in collaboration with Plattform Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung.
- Puntland Development and Research CentreminorCollaborated with Build Up on the HeshiisBeeg survey project in Puntland and South West State, Somalia, reaching 1,800 respondents on digital harms and social cohesion.
- Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (East Consult)minorPartner in HeshiisBeeg research collaboration studying digital harms and reconciliation dynamics in Somalia.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Build Up ^ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue: Switzerland-based mediation-focused organization with overlapping funder base (Swiss FCDO); comparable in operating geographies, mediation support focus, and confidential track-diplomacy toolkit.
- Interpeace: International peacebuilding organization with strong Somalia/East Africa programs (Build Up team members have Interpeace backgrounds); operates comparable participatory peacebuilding methodologies and also receives bilateral donor funding.
- Berghof Foundation: Commissioned Build Up to author digital peacebuilding research; comparable Europe-based peacebuilding think-and-do tank with similar focus on conflict transformation and donor-driven research outputs.
- Conciliation Resources: Strategic collaborator with Build Up on the Accord publication series and digital peacemaking work; comparable in mission, donor base, and emphasis on inclusive peace processes.
- Search for Common Ground: One of the world's largest dedicated peacebuilding NGOs; named as a Phoenix platform user, it engages in similar conflict transformation work globally and would be a direct comparable in mission and donor ecosystem.
- PeaceRep: Research consortium on peace and conflict (Build Up's Caleb Gichuhi sits on its board); comparable in producing evidence-based research for peacebuilders and policymakers in conflict-affected states.
Broad incumbents
- International Crisis Group: Large, established conflict-analysis organization operating in the same geographies and producing conflict reporting; broader and more resourced than Build Up but overlapping in audience (policymakers, media, mediators).
Emerging players
- Meedan: Open-source civic technology nonprofit building digital tools for journalists, fact-checkers, and human rights researchers; direct technical analogue to Phoenix with overlap in datasets and AI-for-public-good orientation.
- Ushahidi: Open-source civic technology platform originally built for election monitoring in Kenya; comparable in open-source ethos, civic-tech stack, and African operational footprint.
- Code for Africa: Africa's largest civic-tech network; Build Up's Allan Cheboi previously led its data science team. Overlaps in open-source digital tools for accountability, misinformation, and citizen engagement across Africa.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Build Up ^ social profiles
Digital presenceBuild Up ^ compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Build Up ^ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Build Up ^ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Build Up ^ subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Build Up ^ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Build Up ^ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Build Up ^
What does Build Up ^ do?
Build Up designs, develops, and distributes open-source digital tools and applies them through programs and research to support peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Its core product, Phoenix, is an open-source social media analysis platform that helps peacebuilders understand online discourse, polarization, and conflict dynamics. It also delivers Mersal for digital large-group consultations, the Polarization Footprint diagnostic, online courses, toolkits, and direct program support to peacebuilding organizations.
Is Build Up ^ a public or private company?
Build Up ^ is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Build Up ^ founded?
Build Up ^ was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Build Up ^ based?
Build Up ^ is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Build Up ^ make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding and Donations.
Who are Build Up ^'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Interpeace, Berghof Foundation, Conciliation Resources, Search for Common Ground and PeaceRep. International Crisis Group is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Meedan, Ushahidi and Code for Africa.
Does Build Up ^ have an API?
No public API is recorded for Build Up ^.
What industry is Build Up ^ in?
Build Up ^'s product category is Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAEAK, Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming, with a secondary code of BPADABAH, Peace, Security Sector Reform & Stabilization Programs. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8300.