Beta-i
Beta-i is a Lisbon-headquartered collaborative innovation consultancy, founded in 2009, that helps large enterprises across healthcare, energy, mobility, and financial services accelerate innovation, build corporate ventures, and operationalize AI through proprietary frameworks like the Frugal AI Playbook and T³ Model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Beta-i does
Beta-i is a collaborative innovation consultancy founded in 2009 in Lisbon, Portugal, serving large enterprises seeking to accelerate innovation, drive digital transformation, and operationalize AI adoption. With operations in Lisbon, Brussels, São Paulo, and Boston, and a 51-100 person team drawn from more than 10 countries, Beta-i works with clients across healthcare, energy, mobility, financial services, retail, telecommunications, and government — publicly named engagements include Roche, Novartis, EDP, Vodafone, Siemens, Visa, L'Oréal, Philips, TAP, Schiphol Airport, Decathlon, AWS, Brisa, SIBS, and Lisbon Municipality.
The company delivers innovation through four service pillars: Innovation Strategy & Consultancy, Corporate Ventures (intrapreneurship and corporate venture building), Open Innovation & Ecosystem Building, and AI Services. Its proprietary technology stack includes the T³ Model (Trust, Transform, Transcend) for AI integration, the Frugal AI Playbook for de-risking AI adoption, an AI Scouting Tool that delivers 83% financial savings and 78% time savings on startup qualification, an AI Symphony Platform that has scaled to 200+ internal AI agents, an AI Alignment Compass for readiness assessment, and a library of canvases (Synergy, Pilot Development, Reverse Pitch, Impact, Sustainability Assessment). AI capability spans generative AI, predictive analytics, autonomous agents, process automation, and retrieval-augmented generation, with documented client outcomes including 300% sales conversion uplift (Vivo), 23% operational efficiency gain (Grupo Elfa, with €15.5M revenue generated in 8 months and 500%+ projected IRR), 85% audience prediction confidence at a major TV broadcaster, and 89% contact classification accuracy at a digital wallet app.
Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services — fixed-price consulting projects and retainer arrangements — sold via consultative, relationship-driven engagement between senior consultants and C-suite or business unit leaders. The firm relies on content marketing (blog, innovation library, AI Readiness Test), thought leadership (podcast, newsletter, conference presence at Web Summit), and strategic channel partnerships for demand generation, most notably a €4 million investment from Brazilian technology and innovation multinational FCamara in January 2025 that funds expansion into Belgium and Boston and integrates 200+ AI talents into delivery capacity.
Beta-i firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Beta-i
- Legal name
- Beta-i Collaborative Innovation Lda
- Website
- https://beta-i.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Beta-i is a Lisbon-headquartered collaborative innovation consultancy, founded in 2009, that helps large enterprises across healthcare, energy, mobility, and financial services accelerate innovation, build corporate ventures, and operationalize AI through proprietary frameworks like the Frugal AI Playbook and T³ Model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Beta-i industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Innovation Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- AI Integration & Orchestration Platforms (Connectors, Workflow, iPaaS for AI) (HDAEANAI)
Keywords
Where Beta-i is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Beta-i business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Innovation Strategy & Consultancy: Project-based consulting engagements for developing innovation strategies, governance models, and roadmaps. Revenue is generated through professional services fees, typically structured as fixed-price projects or retainer arrangements for ongoing advisory services.
- Corporate Venture Building: End-to-end support from idea validation to market launch for corporate ventures. Includes internal accelerators, intrapreneurship programs, and venture studio engagements.
- Open Innovation Programs: Design and execution of open innovation programs connecting corporations with startups and external innovators. Programs range from single-corporate initiatives to multi-corporate innovation programs.
- AI Innovation Services: AI-focused consulting including readiness assessments, strategy development, and implementation support through the Frugal AI Playbook and T³ methodology.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Senior Innovation Consultant position in Lisbon |
| Subscription | Annual | Finance Lead position in Lisbon |
| Subscription | Annual | Business Director position in Lisbon |
| Subscription | Annual | Innovation Consultant position in Lisbon |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Beta-i product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Beta-i is a collaborative innovation consultancy that helps large corporations accelerate innovation, drive digital and AI transformation, and access startup ecosystems. Its core offerings are organized around four pillars: Innovation Strategy & Consultancy (strategy, governance, opportunity mapping), Corporate Ventures (internal accelerators, venture building, intrapreneurship programs), Open Innovation & Ecosystem Building (corporate-startup collaboration programs), and AI Services delivered through the Frugal AI Playbook and T³ methodology.
Product overview
Beta-i is a collaborative innovation consultancy offering a portfolio of professional services organized around four core pillars: Innovation Strategy & Consultancy, Corporate Ventures (including internal accelerators and intrapreneurship programs), Open Innovation & Ecosystem Building, and AI Services. The AI services suite includes the AI Alignment Compass (readiness assessment), De-Risked AI Strategy, Responsible by Design (governance training), and AI Ecosystem Orchestration. Additional offerings include the AI Readiness Test for organizational assessment and The Frugal AI Playbook methodology. The company also provides a free Innovation Library of downloadable tools including the Synergy Canvas, Pilot Development Canvas, Reverse Pitch Canvas, Impact Canvas, and Sustainability Assessment Canvas. Through partnership with FCamara, the company delivers end-to-end AI transformation combining strategic guidance with technical implementation expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Innovation Strategy & Consultancy Comprehensive innovation consulting including opportunity mapping, innovation governance, and innovation system design for corporate venture capital, open innovation programs, and internal accelerators, targeting large enterprises pursuing innovation transformation.
- Corporate Ventures Internal accelerator and venture building services that help companies quickly validate and bring to market new products, services, and businesses through end-to-end support from idea to market launch.
- Open Innovation & Ecosystem Building Win-win innovation strategy services enabling companies to access and develop new ideas, technology, and products through open innovation programs and ecosystem development connecting corporations with startups and external innovators.
- Intrapreneurship Programs Programs to find and empower intrapreneurs within organizations to drive organizational growth through employee-led innovation, providing mentorship and innovation tools to corporate participants.
- The Frugal AI Playbook Strategic framework and methodology for AI adoption based on frugal innovation principles, guiding organizations through the Trust, Transform, and Transcend phases for AI integration.
- AI Alignment Compass Rapid AI alignment process combining efficient asynchronous data gathering with focused leadership workshops to achieve a 360-degree view of organizational AI readiness and unite leadership around an AI agenda.
- De-Risked AI Strategy Accelerated AI strategy development process that identifies highest-value, lowest-effort pilots for immediate implementation, replacing lengthy 6-month strategy creation with rapid value-finding missions.
- Responsible by Design AI literacy and trust-building program providing governance frameworks to de-risk pilots and build organizational momentum for responsible AI adoption.
- AI Ecosystem Orchestration Partner triaging and secure sandbox services that enable collaborative innovation testing with external AI solutions while managing security and compliance risks.
- AI Readiness Test Online assessment that evaluates organizational AI readiness across strategy, data, people, and governance dimensions to identify enabling and constraining factors for AI adoption.
Quantifiable outcome
- €15.5 million in sales generated for Grupo Elfa in 8 months through AI-powered solution
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Beta-i
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Beta-i technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature7 records
Beta-i partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Beta-i competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- McKinsey & Company (QuantumBlack): Global management consultancy with QuantumBlack as its AI arm. Directly comparable in the enterprise AI strategy and implementation space where Beta-i competes, though McKinsey offers much broader transformation services and pricing.
- BCG (Boston Consulting Group): Global strategy consultancy with a dedicated BCG X AI and BCG Platinion innovation engineering practice. Competes for the same enterprise AI transformation mandates but at much larger scale and with broader service offerings; represents the 'scale-up exit' comparable for Beta-i.
- frog (Capgemini Invent): Design and innovation consultancy now part of Capgemini Invent, offering AI-driven experience and innovation services to global enterprises. Comparable at the methodology and AI-enabled innovation level, with significantly larger delivery capacity through Capgemini.
- Bain & Company (Innovation & Design practice): Global strategy firm with a dedicated innovation practice and Bain Venture Studio. Comparable on corporate innovation strategy and venture building mandates, particularly for the large enterprise clients Beta-i targets.
Regional players
- Stratesys: Spain-headquartered digital transformation and innovation consultancy with strong Iberian and Latin American presence. Comparable on regional enterprise transformation work and Spanish/Portuguese-language market focus.
- Eleven Strategies: Iberia-focused innovation consultancy that helps corporates design and execute open innovation programs. Directly comparable on open innovation and ecosystem building service line within Iberian market.
Direct peers
- Mach49: Silicon Valley-based corporate venture builder and innovation consultancy that builds growth ventures for large enterprises. Direct peer on the corporate ventures/intrapreneurship service line Beta-i offers.
- IDEO: Pioneering design and innovation consultancy with a strong corporate innovation practice and AI-enabled design offerings. Comparable in methodology-driven enterprise innovation consulting, though typically higher brand recognition in the US market.
- Board of Innovation: Antwerp-based corporate innovation consultancy that helps large enterprises run innovation programs, venture studios, and AI transformation. Closest direct competitor given similar size, methodology-led approach, and overlapping client profile in Europe.
Emerging players
- Wovn Tech: Innovation management software platform that helps enterprises run open innovation programs and connect with startups. Comparable as an ecosystem/thematic adjacency in the open innovation value chain, though software-product rather than services model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Beta-i social profiles
Digital presenceBeta-i compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Beta-i financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Beta-i leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Beta-i funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Beta-i M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Beta-i
What does Beta-i do?
Beta-i is a collaborative innovation consultancy that helps large corporations accelerate innovation, drive digital and AI transformation, and access startup ecosystems. Its core offerings are organized around four pillars: Innovation Strategy & Consultancy (strategy, governance, opportunity mapping), Corporate Ventures (internal accelerators, venture building, intrapreneurship programs), Open Innovation & Ecosystem Building (corporate-startup collaboration programs), and AI Services delivered through the Frugal AI Playbook and T³ methodology.
Is Beta-i a public or private company?
Beta-i is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Beta-i founded?
Beta-i was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Beta-i based?
Beta-i is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Beta-i make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Innovation Strategy & Consultancy is the primary driver. The others are corporate Venture Building, open Innovation Programs and AI Innovation Services.
Who are Beta-i's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are McKinsey & Company (QuantumBlack), BCG (Boston Consulting Group), frog (Capgemini Invent) and Bain & Company (Innovation & Design practice). Regional players are Stratesys and Eleven Strategies. Direct peers are Mach49, IDEO and Board of Innovation. Wovn Tech is listed as an emerging player.
Does Beta-i have an API?
No public API is recorded for Beta-i.
What industry is Beta-i in?
Beta-i's product category is Innovation Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAHAF, AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services, with a secondary code of HDAEANAI, AI Integration & Orchestration Platforms (Connectors, Workflow, iPaaS for AI). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.