CSIRO
CSIRO is Australia's National Science Agency, employing 5,000+ scientists across energy, space, health, environment, and digital technologies, funded by federal appropriations, enterprise R&D contracts, patent licensing, and 170+ spinouts, with a US liaison presence in Silicon Valley.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1926
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CSIRO does
CSIRO is Australia's National Science Agency, a statutory body of the Australian Government established in 1926 under the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Act 1949. The organization employs more than 5,000 scientists across Australia and operates major research infrastructure including the RV Investigator marine research vessel, the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station, and the National Research Collections Australia facility in Canberra, which safeguards 13 million biodiversity specimens. Its digital specialist arm Data61 develops robotics, AI/ML, cybersecurity, and formal verification technologies, with flagship assets including the seL4 microkernel (formally verified, open source on GitHub), Wildcat SLAM navigation (sub-1% deviation in DARPA Subterranean Challenge), the SPARK bushfire prediction framework, and the UbiSENSE and Senaps sensor analytics platforms. Materials and mission programs span perovskite printed flexible solar cells (space-tested aboard the Optimus-1 satellite on SpaceX Transporter-10), the Colvera bowel cancer recurrence blood test, AquaWatch Australia water quality forecasting, the Ending Plastic Waste Mission, and the Green Metals Innovation Network.
CSIRO generates impact through a hybrid revenue model combining Australian federal appropriations, multi-year enterprise and government R&D contracts (notably a five-year US$41M Boeing program renewed in 2021 and an AU$10M Green Metals Innovation Network funded in 2025), technology licensing from more than 3,642 patents, and equity returns from 170+ spinout companies including Emesent and DiagamiRs. CSIRO US, established in 2017 in Silicon Valley and expanded to approximately 10 employees across offices in Silicon Valley, Washington DC, and New York City, operates as the North American innovation center, facilitating partnerships between Australian researchers and US organizations including Boeing, Google Australia, NASA/JPL, Intuitive Machines, IAEA, NREL, Argonne, and NSF. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales and direct relationship facilitation rather than traditional product distribution; customer segments span Global 1000 enterprises, US federal agencies, research institutions, and startups, with no public commercial revenue figure disclosed.
CSIRO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CSIRO
- Legal name
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Website
- https://csiro.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1926
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CSIRO is Australia's National Science Agency, employing 5,000+ scientists across energy, space, health, environment, and digital technologies, funded by federal appropriations, enterprise R&D contracts, patent licensing, and 170+ spinouts, with a US liaison presence in Silicon Valley.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CSIRO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Research and Development Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Border Security & Homeland Security (BPAIAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Threat & Vulnerability Assessments (TVA) (BPAKADAD), Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) & NERC-CIP Compliance (HDADAJAC)
Keywords
Where CSIRO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
CSIRO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding: CSIRO is Australia's National Science Agency, primarily funded through Australian Government appropriations for national scientific research and development.
- Research Partnerships and Contracts: Revenue from industry partnerships such as the $10 million Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN) initiative funded by Australian Government, and the $41 million Boeing 5-year R&D program.
- Technology Licensing and Spinouts: Revenue from licensing intellectual property and equity returns from over 170+ spinout companies. CSIRO has more than 3,642 patents generating licensing opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | LandScape+ software tool available via license purchase |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
CSIRO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CSIRO is Australia's national science agency, delivering applied scientific research and development across disciplines including minerals and energy, agriculture and food, health and biosecurity, manufacturing, digital and AI, and oceans and atmosphere. It develops proprietary technologies and platforms, licenses intellectual property, operates national research facilities, and partners with government, industry, and academia to translate science into economic, environmental, and social outcomes for Australia.
Product overview
CSIRO is Australia's National Science Agency operating as a research organization rather than a product company. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of scientific technologies, software tools, research facilities, and mission programs rather than a unified product platform. Key offerings include: LandScape+ (mineral discovery software using machine learning), SPARK (bushfire prediction framework), Senaps (sensor data platform), UbiSENSE (urban analytics platform), and seL4 (verified microkernel). CSIRO also operates major research infrastructure including RV Investigator research vessel, Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station, and National Research Collections Australia facility. Mission programs include AquaWatch Australia (water quality), Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN, $10M green metals initiative), and Ending Plastic Waste Mission ($50M). Data61 serves as the data and digital specialist division developing robotics, AI, and cybersecurity technologies including Wildcat SLAM navigation and RCVD nuclear inspection robots. Technology products include printed flexible solar cells (perovskite-based) and Colvera cancer detection blood test.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN): A $10 million initiative funded by the Australian Government to strengthen industry-research collaboration for Australia's green metals industry including iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors
- LandScape+
- AquaWatch Australia
- RV Investigator
- Data61
Products and services
- LandScape+
Quantifiable outcome
- Carbon dioxide levels have increased by more than 20% since 1976 at Cape Grim station
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use CSIRO
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CSIRO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability18 records
Feature9 records
CSIRO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.
- Indian Institute of SciencecoreResearch collaboration with CSIRO scientists for large-scale trial at Jindal Steel's plant in Odisha, demonstrating rice husk pellets can partially replace coal in ironmaking.
- Jindal SteelcoreHost facility for Indo-Aus research trial on farm waste (rice husk pellets) to reduce steel sector emissions. Trial demonstrated 5% and 10% biomass blending maintained stable output.
- National Research Collections AustraliacoreNew facility in Canberra safeguarding 13 million irreplaceable biodiversity specimens, uniting Australian National Wildlife Collection and other collections for future science.
- HILT CRC (Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre)flagshipCSIRO leads Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN), a $10 million initiative to accelerate development of domestic green metals industry for iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors. Partnership brings together research, government and industry in a 'Team Australia' approach under Future Made in Australia agenda.
- Space Machines CompanycoreCollaboration for space application of CSIRO's printed flexible solar cell technology. Eight mini-modules of perovskite solar cells attached to Optimus-1 satellite launched on SpaceX Transporter-10 mission for world-first space testing.
- Intuitive MachinescoreCSIRO supporting Intuitive Machines' first Moon mission with Australian lunar expertise and technology contributions.
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)coreCollaboration to develop Robotized Cherenkov Viewing Device (RCVD) for autonomous inspection of spent nuclear fuel. RCVD tested successfully in operating nuclear power facility in South America, providing real-time data for safeguards verification.
- DatastartcoreHungarian robotics company partnered with CSIRO Data61 for RCVD hardware development. Seamless integration of Datastart hardware with CSIRO navigation stack demonstrated intercontinental engineering collaboration.
- NSF (National Science Foundation)majorCSIRO contributing to NSF's Convergence Accelerator program with $11.5 million investment across 16 multidisciplinary teams. CSIRO funding Australian researchers to participate on two US projects focused on circular economy for materials: Designing for Circular Economies and Sustainable Nature-based Nanomaterials for Climate Change Remediation.
- NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)flagshipMoU signing at Sydney Energy Forum for collaboration on renewable energy, electricity grids, hydrogen, and plastic waste. Initial focus on four areas: hydrogen, global power system transformation, plastics, and SME accelerator/incubator program. Builds on existing collaboration in solar, energy resilience, and Global Power System Transformation Alliance.
- Australian Space AgencyflagshipCSIRO serves as technology partner for Australian Space Agency, working on space commercialization initiatives to triple size of Australian space industry by 2030. Co-hosted roundtable with major aerospace companies.
- BoeingflagshipFive-year $41 million R&D program covering space commercialization, sustainable aviation fuels, aircraft assembly processes, fire retardants, coatings, and software for data analytics. Partnership has jointly invested over $120 million since 1989 across wide range of projects.
- Google Australiamajor$1 billion Digital Future Initiative investment in Australian infrastructure, research and partnerships. CSIRO partnered with DFAT and Google for blue carbon project at COP27 for Indo-Pacific coastal ecosystem mapping.
- EmesentcoreCSIRO spinout robotics company contributing to DARPA Subterranean Challenge team. Dr Farid Kendoul, CTO and co-founder, led contributions to advance team's state-of-the-art robotics capabilities.
- Georgia Institute of TechnologycorePartner in CSIRO's Data61 team for DARPA Subterranean Challenge. Professor Ronald Arkin from Georgia Tech Mobile Robot Laboratory contributed to research and development over three-year competition period.
- Argonne National LaboratorymajorStrategic agreement resulting from CSIRO US outreach. Collaboration incorporated CSIRO UbiSENSE into Array of Things (AoT) solution for enhanced modeling and data analysis capability in Chicago smart city initiative.
- University of ChicagomajorPartnered with Argonne National Laboratory and City of Chicago on Array of Things (AoT) project - programmable urban sensor network for real-time environmental and air quality data collection.
- University of MelbournecoreAssociate Professor Robyn Schofield participating in COAST-K voyage on RV Investigator for Southern Ocean atmospheric research alongside CSIRO scientists.
- San Jose State UniversitycoreCollaboration with CSIRO Data61 scientists on wildfire behavior research using SPARK technology. Research informed by experiences from Australia and California wildfire conditions.
- Planet InnovationcoreHealthtech innovation company selected as sole Australian licensee of NASA/JPL VITAL ventilator technology. Introduced through CSIRO US and Victorian Government connection to address COVID-19 ventilator needs.
- PATHcoreInternational not-for-profit global health organization. CSIRO supplied 6000 vials of antibodies for rotavirus vaccine quality control. Partnership supports development of affordable rotavirus vaccines for low-resource countries.
- Clinical GenomicscoreBiotechnology company that launched Colvera blood test developed from CSIRO research. Test detects cancer-specific chemical changes in tumor DNA circulating in blood for bowel cancer recurrence detection. Successfully launched in US market.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CSIRO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- UK Catapult Network: Network of UK government-backed technology and innovation centers bridging academia and industry. Comparable to CSIRO as a publicly-funded applied research infrastructure with focus on commercialization and industrial partnerships.
- SRI International: Major US non-profit scientific research institute with deep technology portfolio and spinout track record (Siri, Siri-like AI predecessors). Comparable as a multi-domain research institute that commercializes IP through licensing and spinouts, similar to CSIRO's 170+ spinout model.
- RTI International: US-based independent non-profit research institute delivering science-based solutions across health, energy, and environment. Comparable to CSIRO in its government funding base, multi-domain research, and contract research partnership model.
- MITRE Corporation: Multiple FFRDCs operating across defense, homeland security, and public sector. Comparable to CSIRO as a non-profit government-sponsored entity operating research centers that facilitate cross-organizational technical collaboration.
- Battelle: Largest non-profit applied R&D organization in the US, operating major national labs for the Department of Energy and Department of Defense. Comparable to CSIRO as a large-scale government-affiliated research enterprise with broad domain coverage and partnership facilitation role.
Regional players
- INRIA (US engagements): French national institute for digital science research with growing international partnerships. Comparable to CSIRO as a European national science agency with growing US-facing partnership activity in AI, robotics, and cybersecurity (seL4-adjacent domains).
Direct peers
- Fraunhofer USA: US-facing arm of Germany's Fraunhofer Society, the largest applied research organization in Europe. Directly comparable as a non-profit government-backed research entity that facilitates industrial R&D partnerships and commercialization in the US market.
- Innovation Norway (US): Norwegian government's innovation and business development agency with US presence. Closely comparable to CSIRO US as a foreign national innovation agency operating in the US market to facilitate partnerships and commercialize domestic R&D.
- The Aerospace Corporation: Federally-funded R&D center (FFRDC) for national-security space programs. Comparable to CSIRO's defense/aerospace work (Boeing, NASA, lunar missions) as a government-backed entity providing independent technical support to space and defense customers.
Emerging players
- Main Sequence Ventures: CSIRO-founded deep-tech venture firm now independently managing substantial AUM. Comparable as CSIRO's commercialization vehicle for spinouts; Emesent and other 170+ CSIRO spinouts flow through Main Sequence's investment platform.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CSIRO social profiles
Digital presenceCSIRO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CSIRO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CSIRO subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
CSIRO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CSIRO 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 CSIRO
What does CSIRO do?
CSIRO is Australia's national science agency, delivering applied scientific research and development across disciplines including minerals and energy, agriculture and food, health and biosecurity, manufacturing, digital and AI, and oceans and atmosphere. It develops proprietary technologies and platforms, licenses intellectual property, operates national research facilities, and partners with government, industry, and academia to translate science into economic, environmental, and social outcomes for Australia.
Is CSIRO a public or private company?
CSIRO is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was CSIRO founded?
CSIRO was founded in 1926. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CSIRO based?
CSIRO is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does CSIRO make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are research Partnerships and Contracts and technology Licensing and Spinouts.
Who are CSIRO's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are UK Catapult Network, SRI International, RTI International, MITRE Corporation and Battelle. INRIA (US engagements) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Fraunhofer USA, Innovation Norway (US) and The Aerospace Corporation. Main Sequence Ventures is listed as an emerging player.
Does CSIRO have an API?
No public API is recorded for CSIRO.
What industry is CSIRO in?
CSIRO's product category is Scientific Research and Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAI, Border Security & Homeland Security, with a secondary code of BPAKADAD, Threat & Vulnerability Assessments (TVA). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.