black jaguar foundation

What black jaguar foundation does

Black Jaguar Foundation (Stichting Black Jaguar Foundation, Netherlands; Instituto Black Jaguar, Brazil) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Ben Valks in Amsterdam. It conducts large-scale native tree planting and ecological restoration in the Amazon–Cerrado transition zone of Brazil, executing the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor — a planned 1,700 km corridor intended to be one of the longest nature corridors on Earth, with a stated long-term goal of 1.7 billion native trees. Core operations rest on three technical pillars: (1) a 17-step restoration cycle executed in collaboration with rural landowners on their own degraded properties, (2) a forest nursery in Santana do Araguaia (Pará) producing native seedlings — 146,000 for the 2024/2025 season — alongside direct sowing using 2,429.6 kg of acquired forest seeds, and (3) the Ressemear (Araguaia Seed Network), a community-based seed-collection program, now with ~150 collectors (60% women), that supplies native seeds and has generated roughly R$450,000 in supplementary income for local families. Natural regeneration is also used selectively (30 ha restored in 2022–2023). Since inception, BJF has planted 1.2 million native trees and brought 626.81 hectares under restoration, with 590,000 trees and 244 ha delivered in the 2024/2025 season alone.

BJF's revenue model is donation- and grant-based rather than commercial. It runs TheFirst600 tiered sponsorship program (Supporting Friend at €1,000/yr to Diamond Friend at €25,000/yr) targeting individuals and corporates, alongside one-off tree donations, recurring contributions, and crowdfunding via the Ma Earth platform. Corporate CSR partnerships — including Kienbaum (since 2009, 10 trees per placement), FIDUC (per-planner tree donation), De Heus, and CAIXA Econômica Federal's Socio-Environmental Fund (1 million trees, ESG Gold Medal 2026) — provide anchor revenue. Institutional grants from BNDES/Fundo Amazônia (via Conservation International for the Forest for Well-Being project, 150 ha in Pará) and CAIXA provide project-scale funding. Ancillary revenue comes from book sales ('No Risk, No Life' by Ben Valks at €19.50), Google Ad Grants ($10,000/month in-kind), and awareness campaigns such as Hike4Nature. Customers/dirs are: (i) rural landowners and smallholder farmers in the Araguaia region who provide land and labor, (ii) corporate sponsors seeking ESG outcomes, (iii) individual donors, and (iv) institutional funders (NGOs, development banks, governments).

Name

black jaguar foundation

Legal name

Stichting Black Jaguar Foundation

Website

https://black-jaguar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Black Jaguar Foundation is a Netherlands-registered non-profit that restores the Amazon–Cerrado transition zone in Brazil through the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, planting native trees with rural landowners and a community seed network (Ressemear), funded by individual donations, corporate sponsors, and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Restoration Services

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seed Collection, Processing & Storage (Provenance/Genetics) (AFAMACAB)

Keywords

• Native tree planting
• Ecological restoration services
• Biodiversity corridor creation
• Community reforestation programs
• Habitat restoration projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals through TheFirst600 sponsor packages (ranging from €1,000 to €25,000), one-time tree donations, and recurring monthly/yearly contributions. Donors receive personalized certificates, benefit packages, and profile pages.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors through TheFirst600 campaign and dedicated partnership programs. Companies like Kienbaum, FIDUC, and others sponsor corridor zones and tree planting initiatives. Includes logo usage rights and CSR partnership benefits.
3. Institutional Grants and Partnerships: Funding from institutional partners including Conservation International (via BNDES/Fundo Amazônia), CAIXA Socio-Environmental Fund, and other development banks for specific restoration projects.
4. Book Sales: Sale of 'No Risk, No Life' book by Ben Valks at €19.50 per copy. All proceeds go to the foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Black Jaguar Foundation is a non-profit organization that conducts large-scale native tree planting and ecological restoration in Brazil to build the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor, connecting the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna. It works with rural landowners and local seed-collecting families, operates a forest nursery producing native seedlings, and funds operations through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, institutional grants, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

The Black Jaguar Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on large-scale ecological restoration rather than a traditional technology company. Its primary offering is the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor restoration project, supplemented by donor programs (The First 600 Campaign, Donate a Tree), community initiatives (Ressemear Seed Network), operational infrastructure (Forest Nursery), merchandise (No Risk, No Life book), and awareness campaigns (Hike4Nature). These programs work together to achieve the organization's mission of restoring 1.7 billion native trees across the Amazon and Cerrado biomes in Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The First 600 Sponsorship Campaign A tiered sponsorship program offering Supporting Friend (€1,000/yr), Corporate Friend (€5,000/yr), Corporate Friend Gold (€10,000/yr), and Diamond Friend (€25,000/yr) packages with profile pages, logo usage rights, and jaguar sculptures for individuals and corporations supporting the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.
• Donate a Tree Program A donation program allowing individuals to fund planting of native trees, with personalized certificates, coordinates of the reforestation site, and progress updates on planted trees.
• No Risk, No Life (Book by Ben Valks)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.2 million native trees planted in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor since project inception
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• De HeuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2025Long-standing partnership with De Heus, an aquaculture company. De Heus has published feature stories highlighting BJF's ecological restoration work and how native seed collection transforms lives in the Araguaia region. Partnership supports biodiversity restoration through collaborative efforts with local farmers.
• Conservation International (CI-Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBJF selected as implementing organization for the Forest for Well-Being project led by Conservation International. Over 24 months, BJF will restore 150 new hectares on smallholder farms in Pará state. Project financed by BNDES through Fundo Amazônia.
• Kienbaum NetherlandscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor since 2009. Plants 10 trees for every candidate successfully placed in organizations. Part of The First 600 campaign. Managing Director Hans Jonkers features in video testimonials about the partnership.
• FIDUCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment management company launching system where all new financial planners donate a tree to join their network. Provides permanent campaign with personalized tree certificates.
• Ma EarthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrowdfunding platform partner for 21-day campaigns to restore the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Features matching fund mechanism where all participants help unlock additional resources.
• World Resources Institute (WRI) BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner supporting BJF's restoration efforts. WRI Brasil is part of the project partner ecosystem shown on the BJF website.
• Commonland FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in World Economic Forum article about the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Partnership supports large-scale ecological restoration in Brazil.
• Redário (Seed Collective Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian seed network collective. BJF's Ressemear seed network participates in annual conferences. 22 seed networks from across Brazil participate. Workshops cover communication, teamwork, and gender equity.
• Cerrado Seed NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for 'Weaving Networks and Spreading Seeds' project to strengthen seed collector groups in the Cerrado region. Financed by CERES through PPP-ECOS fund managed by ISPN.
• United Nations Decade on Ecosystem RestorationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a global movement coordinated by UNEP and FAO to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation.
• Aliança AmazôniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon alliance partner listed on BJF website as project partner supporting restoration efforts in the Amazon region.
• Baker TillycoreOthersIndependent auditor for BJF's combined Dutch and Brazilian financial statements. Provides audited annual reports and consolidated finances.
• Carlos Nobre (Ambassador)flagshipOthersWorld-renowned climate scientist serving as BJF ambassador. Published opinion piece in Valor Econômico highlighting BJF as example of large-scale restoration. Key speaker at Web Summit Rio 2026.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Tree Planted: One Tree Planted is a nonprofit that runs low-friction per-tree donation campaigns and partners with reforestation projects worldwide, including in Brazil. It is a direct peer in the consumer tree-donation, corporate-partnership and ecological restoration space.
• World Resources Institute: World Resources Institute (WRI) Brasil is listed as a BJF project partner and independently runs forest restoration initiatives, Global Forest Watch monitoring and policy work in the Amazon and Cerrado. It is a direct peer in evidence-driven landscape restoration and forestry data analytics.
• Conservation International: Conservation International is a global environmental NGO that both partners with BJF (as funder of the Forest for Well-Being project in Pará) and operates overlapping Amazon/Cerrado conservation and reforestation programs. It is the most directly comparable organization in scope, geography and biodiversity-plus-livelihoods model.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: Eden Reforestation Projects is a large-scale tree-planting nonprofit that employs local community members to plant native trees in deforested regions including parts of Latin America. It is a direct functional peer in combining employment generation with native-species reforestation at scale.
• WeForest: WeForest is an international reforestation NGO that funds landscape restoration in tropical and subtropical regions, including Brazil, and works with corporate sponsors for measurable impact. It is a direct peer in the corporate-sponsored, scientifically monitored tropical reforestation niche.
• Trees for the Future: Trees for the Future operates the Forest Garden Approach with smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. It is a direct peer in combining farmer training, native-species planting and livelihoods as a path to landscape restoration.
• Trillion Trees: Trillion Trees is a coalition-backed conservation initiative funding forest protection and restoration projects globally, including in the Amazon. It is a direct peer in mobilizing corporate and institutional capital for tropical reforestation and protection.
• Commonland Foundation: Commonland is a Dutch-based foundation that promotes large-scale landscape restoration using the '4 Returns' framework. It is a direct peer in the large-scale, multi-stakeholder landscape restoration space and is also an existing BJF partner.

Emerging players

• Restore the Earth Foundation: Restore the Earth Foundation runs large-scale reforestation in Latin America (notably Ecuador and the Amazon basin) using a one-million-hectare model that integrates livelihoods and ecosystem services. It is an emerging player peer focused on corridor-scale restoration in similar biomes.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is one of the world's largest environmental nonprofits with significant land protection, restoration and policy programs across the Americas. It is a broad incumbent peer — not focused exclusively on the Araguaia Corridor but operating in the same conservation/reforestation space with substantially greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/blackjaguarfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-black-jaguar-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackjaguarfoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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