What Colony does

Colony, operating as We Are Colony, is a privately held AI-focused investment and transformation firm headquartered in Dubai with operational presence across Europe and the United States. The firm invests in listed and pre-listed companies with enterprise values of $20M-$200M across ten sectors — Professional Services, Manufacturing, Logistics, Retail, Healthcare, Media, Financial Services, Construction, Education, and Energy — combining capital deployment, proprietary AI technology, embedded operating teams, on-premise compute, and built-in path-to-listing services into a single integrated offering.

The firm's core technology is Probabilistic Problem Models (PPMs), a proprietary in-house AI architecture developed as a domain-specific alternative to large language models and designed for solving business problems within specific sectors. This is supplemented by a portfolio of sector-specific AI modules including route and load optimisation, computer vision quality control, AI cost forecasting, demand forecasting with dynamic pricing, clinical documentation AI, audience intelligence for media, and document processing automation. AI capability spans text, structured data, image, and multimodal modalities, with documented generative AI, predictive analytics, optimisation, and process automation capabilities deployed across portfolio companies.

Revenue is generated through investment returns rather than product licensing — specifically via re-rating of listed holdings as AI transformation improves financial performance, IPO valuation premiums on pre-listed companies, and dividends from portfolio company cash flows. The firm operates under a permanent capital structure with no fund pressure or forced exit timeline, distributing investment opportunity selectively to institutional investors, family offices, and qualified private investors under NDA. The go-to-market is direct engagement: founders and CEOs of target companies are reached through outbound outreach, while institutional capital is sourced through a dedicated investor relations function with a two-working-day response commitment.

Name

Colony

Legal name

We Are Colony

Website

https://wearecolony.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

We Are Colony is a privately held AI investment and transformation firm that invests in listed and pre-listed companies ($20M-$200M enterprise value) across ten sectors, deploying proprietary AI technology, embedded operating teams, and capital alongside a built-in path to listing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity / Growth Equity

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

IPO & Public Markets Advisory (BPAHADAH), Private Placements (144A/Reg S/MTN) (FSACABAK)

Keywords

• Private equity firm
• AI transformation investment
• Growth equity capital
• Portfolio AI deployment
• Pre-listing advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns from Portfolio Companies: We Are Colony generates returns through re-rating of listed holdings as AI transformation improves financial performance, IPO valuation premiums on pre-listed companies, and dividends from portfolio company cash flows. Returns are generated through real transformation, not financial engineering. The firm holds positions for as long as it takes to realise full value, with no forced timeline.
2. Management Fees / Investment Management: As a privately held permanent capital firm, We Are Colony likely generates revenue through management of invested capital and carried interest on realized gains. The firm structures investments with equity stakes and embeds team members inside portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

We Are Colony is a privately held, permanent capital investment firm that partners with listed and pre-listed companies by combining equity capital with proprietary AI deployment, embedded operational teams, on-premise compute infrastructure, and path-to-listing services. The firm invests in revenue-generating businesses across ten sectors, deploying domain-specific AI applications (route optimization, demand forecasting, computer vision, document processing, clinical documentation, etc.) and structuring listings across NASDAQ Dubai, DFM/ADX, Euronext, NASDAQ US, and NYSE. Returns are generated through re-rating of listed holdings, IPO valuation premiums, and portfolio company dividends rather than financial engineering.

Product overview

We Are Colony is an AI investment and transformation company offering a unified platform that combines capital investment with proprietary AI technology, embedded operational teams, on-premise compute infrastructure, and listing pathway services. The platform targets companies across ten sectors (Professional Services, Manufacturing, Logistics, Retail, Healthcare, Media, Financial Services, Construction, Education, Energy) where AI can unlock untapped profit. The core offering is the AI Investment & Transformation Platform, supplemented by sector-specific AI modules including Probabilistic Problem Models (PPMs) as proprietary domain-specific AI, Asset Performance Management for energy, Content Development for education, Cost Forecasting for construction, Report Automation for financial services, Audience Intelligence for media, Clinical Documentation for healthcare, Demand Forecasting for retail, Route Optimization for logistics, Computer Vision for manufacturing, and Document Processing for professional services. Each module addresses specific business problems within target sectors, with the platform deploying multiple AI applications per portfolio company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AI Investment and Transformation Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% of companies effectively using AI (vs 95% with untapped potential)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability24 records

Feature8 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• General Atlantic: Global growth equity firm investing in sector leaders with operational support and capital for both minority and control positions. Comparable as a permanent-capital-style growth investor providing transformation capital and global reach.
• Thoma Bravo: Technology-focused private equity firm known for operational improvement programmes in software businesses. Its thematic focus on applying technology and process improvements to mid-market and large-cap tech companies overlaps directly with Colony's AI-transformation thesis.
• Permira: Global private equity firm with deep technology and operational improvement capabilities, including sector-focused funds in healthcare, consumer, and financial services. Comparable for its combination of sector specialisation and operational transformation programmes.
• Vista Equity Partners: Large-cap technology-focused private equity firm with an operating-value-add model (Vista Flagship, Vista Foundation) that embeds teams into portfolio companies to drive software and operational transformation. Directly comparable as a tech-led PE platform with embedded operations.
• Insight Partners: Growth equity investor in technology and software with an operating bench that supports portfolio companies on go-to-market, talent, and product. Comparable in its combination of capital, operational support, and sector specialisation.
• EQT Partners: Global investment organisation with growth and private equity strategies that pair capital with operational and digital transformation teams. Comparable as a multi-strategy platform with embedded operational support and thematic sector investing.
• B Capital Group: Growth equity firm investing in technology and tech-enabled businesses with an operating bench and sector specialisation. Comparable for its mid-market focus on AI and digital transformation plays.

Broad incumbents

• KKR: Large global investment firm with significant technology, growth, and buyout strategies. Comparable as an incumbent with scale capital, sector breadth, and growing thematic focus on AI and operational transformation.
• CVC Capital Partners: Large global private equity firm with multiple sector and regional strategies including growth, buyout, and continuation vehicles. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in adjacent private capital strategies, though with a more traditional fund structure.

Emerging players

• Radical Ventures: AI-focused venture and growth firm investing in applied-AI businesses with a research-led approach. Comparable as an emerging player operating at the intersection of AI capability deployment and capital, though earlier-stage than Colony's listed-company focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreColony
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearecolony
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-are-colony

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 records

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 Colony