Smart Water Smart City
Smart Water Smart City is a Durham, NC-based global Fractional CMO consultancy serving water, electric, and gas utilities, utility-focused telecom and technology companies, and city governments implementing smart water and smart city initiatives, with 1-10 employees and multi-year professional services engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smart Water Smart City does
Smart Water Smart City LLC is a Durham, North Carolina-based global strategic marketing consultancy founded in 2014 by Bobbi Harris. The firm specializes in providing Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) services to water, electric, and gas utilities, as well as telecom and technology companies serving the utility sector. Its primary offering delivers executive-level marketing leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO, supplemented by modular services including Strategic Marketing Planning Sessions, Branding & Positioning Analysis, and Competitive & Market Intelligence. The firm also serves city and municipal leaders implementing smart city initiatives.
The company does not develop or sell proprietary technology products; rather, its core deliverable is human domain expertise packaged as professional consulting engagements. Services are delivered directly to enterprise and government clients via multi-year, quote-based contracts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm maintains a small team of 1-10 employees and pursues growth through thought leadership content marketing, industry conference participation, and the founder's personal brand as a globally recognized utility telecom and smart city expert.
Smart Water Smart City operates without external institutional investment or private equity backing. The company holds EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business) certification awarded in 2021, and its founder was recognized as one of the 2019 Global Smart Energy Elites by ESI Magazine. The founder additionally holds leadership positions at SWAN (Outreach Committee Chair, Americas Alliance) and the Utility Broadband Alliance (Executive Director), embedding the firm in two core utility-sector trade-association ecosystems.
Smart Water Smart City firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smart Water Smart City
- Legal name
- Smart Water, Smart City LLC
- Website
- https://smartwatersmartcity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Smart Water Smart City is a Durham, NC-based global Fractional CMO consultancy serving water, electric, and gas utilities, utility-focused telecom and technology companies, and city governments implementing smart water and smart city initiatives, with 1-10 employees and multi-year professional services engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smart Water Smart City industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Strategic Marketing Consultancy
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring) (EUADAPAK)
Keywords
Where Smart Water Smart City is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Smart Water Smart City business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Fractional CMO Consulting Services: Provides executive-level marketing leadership and strategic planning services to utilities and technology companies at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO. Services include strategic marketing planning sessions, branding and positioning analysis, competitive and market intelligence.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fractional CMO professional services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Smart Water Smart City product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smart Water, Smart City provides Fractional CMO services—executive-level marketing leadership and strategic planning—to growing telecom and technology companies in the utility industry at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO. The engagement is supported by specialized modules including strategic marketing planning sessions, branding and positioning analysis, and competitive and market intelligence, all tailored to the smart water, smart city, and utility telecom sectors.
Product overview
Smart Water Smart City is a global strategic marketing consultancy offering Fractional CMO services primarily to utilities and technology companies in the smart water, smart city, and telecom sectors. The core offering is the Fractional CMO service, which provides executive-level marketing leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time industry professional. This service is supplemented by specialized consulting modules including Strategic Marketing Planning Sessions, Branding & Positioning Analysis, and Competitive & Market Intelligence. Founded in 2014, the company focuses exclusively on the utility industry, providing strategic marketing guidance and leadership for growth-marketing activities. The company is led by Founder & CEO Bobbi Harris, a recognized utility telecommunications and smart city industry expert.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fractional CMO Services Provides executive-level marketing leadership and strategic planning services to growing telecom and technology companies in the utility industry at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO, specifically tailored for the utility, smart water, and smart city sectors.
Companies that use Smart Water Smart City
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smart Water Smart City technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Smart Water Smart City partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and minor.
- Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA)coreBobbi Harris serves as Executive Director of UBBA, a growing trade association dedicated to helping utilities understand the evolution and availability of private broadband networks. The association held its inaugural Utility Broadband Plugfest in October 2021 in St. Louis, hosted by Ameren Missouri. UBBA brings together electric, gas and water utilities, technology providers, systems integrators, policymakers, and thought leaders to increase security, reliability and resilience of electrical grids with private broadband networks.
- Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN)coreSWAN is the leading global hub for advancing the use of smart, data-driven solutions in water and wastewater networks worldwide. Bobbi Harris serves as Outreach Committee Chair for SWAN Americas Alliance. The partnership enables knowledge sharing and best practices for smart water infrastructure among industry leaders globally.
- Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC)supportEDPNC, in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration, provides STEP (State Trade Expansion Program) funding to qualifying small businesses to offset costs associated with exporting. The funding assisted with participating in foreign trade shows, developing international marketing materials, and attending export education courses.
- UtiliWorks ConsultingminorPartnered with UtiliWorks Consulting at WATEC Israel conference. UtiliWorks has worked with utilities across the United States and abroad as they evaluate technological and operational changes necessary to modernize. They leverage diverse mix of engineers, data analysts, public relations specialists, project managers, financial experts, and system integrators.
- Israel Water ToursminorTour guide company owned by Michelle Baruch who has completed several research and consulting projects involving management of Israel's water resources and is completing her second Master's degree in Water Studies from Haifa University.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Smart Water Smart City competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chief Outsiders: One of the largest U.S. fractional CMO firms, placing part-time executive marketing leaders into growth-stage companies. Comparable to SWSC in offering senior marketing leadership on a fractional basis, though Chief Outsiders serves a broader cross-industry set versus SWSC's utility/smart-city niche.
- GrowthPlay: Fractional CMO and outsourced marketing leadership firm focused on B2B technology and industrial companies. Comparable in delivering executive-level marketing services on a part-time/fractional basis, with similar positioning around cost efficiency vs. a full-time CMO hire.
- UtiliWorks Consulting: Utility-focused consultancy that partners with water and electric utilities on technology modernization and operational change. SWSC has an existing partnership with UtiliWorks (joint presence at WATEC Israel), and both serve utility clients with strategic and operational guidance.
Broad incumbents
- West Monroe Partners: Large management and technology consultancy with a dedicated utilities practice serving electric, gas, and water clients on digital transformation. Overlaps with SWSC in advising utilities on modernization and growth strategy, though West Monroe operates at far greater scale and breadth.
- Burns & McDonnell: Major engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with significant water and utility infrastructure practices. Adjacent to SWSC in serving utility-sector strategic needs, though Burns & McDonnell's scope is engineering-heavy and global versus SWSC's marketing-only focus.
- Black & Veatch: Global infrastructure and water utility engineering and consulting firm. Comparable in serving municipal and investor-owned water/wastewater clients on strategic initiatives, but Black & Veatch is a multi-billion-dollar EPC incumbent rather than a niche marketing consultancy.
- Itron: Leading smart utility technology vendor (sponsor of the 2019 Global Smart Energy Elites program that recognized SWSC's CEO). Adjacent rather than directly competitive — Itron is a hardware/software platform provider whose ecosystem includes many of SWSC's utility clients.
Emerging players
- BrandTuitive: B2B technology branding and marketing consultancy serving enterprise and growth-stage tech firms. Comparable in offering strategic branding, positioning, and marketing leadership, with partial overlap in serving technology companies seeking senior marketing expertise.
Others
- SWAN (Smart Water Networks Forum): Global industry association advancing smart, data-driven water and wastewater solutions. Not a commercial peer, but SWSC's founder sits as SWAN Americas Outreach Committee Chair, making SWAN a key ecosystem/access channel for SWSC's smart-water authority.
- Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA): Trade association focused on private broadband networks for utilities, of which SWSC's CEO is Executive Director. While not a peer firm, UBBA is a strategic platform through which SWSC engages utility telecom decision-makers and shapes the smart utility narrative.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smart Water Smart City social profiles
Digital presenceSmart Water Smart City compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Smart Water Smart City financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smart Water Smart City leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Smart Water Smart City funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smart Water Smart City 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 Smart Water Smart City
What does Smart Water Smart City do?
Smart Water, Smart City provides Fractional CMO services—executive-level marketing leadership and strategic planning—to growing telecom and technology companies in the utility industry at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO. The engagement is supported by specialized modules including strategic marketing planning sessions, branding and positioning analysis, and competitive and market intelligence, all tailored to the smart water, smart city, and utility telecom sectors.
Is Smart Water Smart City a public or private company?
Smart Water Smart City is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smart Water Smart City founded?
Smart Water Smart City was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Smart Water Smart City based?
Smart Water Smart City is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smart Water Smart City make money?
One revenue line is on record: fractional CMO Consulting Services.
Who are Smart Water Smart City's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chief Outsiders, GrowthPlay and UtiliWorks Consulting. Broad incumbents are West Monroe Partners, Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch and Itron. BrandTuitive is listed as an emerging player. Others are SWAN (Smart Water Networks Forum) and Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA).
Does Smart Water Smart City have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smart Water Smart City.
What industry is Smart Water Smart City in?
Smart Water Smart City's product category is Strategic Marketing Consultancy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIANAJ, Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities), with a secondary code of EUADAPAK, Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4900.