Gradient
Gradient is a Boston-based environmental and risk sciences consulting firm founded in 1985 that provides multidisciplinary toxicology, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance services to clients in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, mining, chemicals, and government sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gradient does
Gradient is a US-based environmental and risk sciences consulting firm founded in 1985 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm operates as a service mark of Gradco, LLC and maintains seven US offices across Boston, Seattle, Bend, Charlottesville, Leavenworth, Middlebury, and Minneapolis, employing 101-250 staff. Gradient delivers multidisciplinary scientific consulting across toxicology, epidemiology, environmental and forensic chemistry, risk assessment, contaminant fate and transport, hydrology, climate science, product stewardship, product safety, sustainability, industrial hygiene, and GIS, organized into core service areas including Risk Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Product Safety & Regulatory Support, Medical Devices, (Bio)Pharmaceuticals, Environmental Costs, and Food & Supplement Safety.
The firm serves regulated industries — pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, mining and energy, chemicals, government, and research institutions — providing specialized services such as medical device biocompatibility and hemocompatibility testing support, toxicological and environmental risk assessments for new drugs, PFAS and TSCA compliance consulting, California Proposition 65 support, third-party profiling for EPA Safer Choice and GreenScreen, alternatives assessment, and litigation expert testimony. Its competitive position rests on a deep bench of board-certified toxicologists (DABT), European Registered Toxicologists (ERT), Fellows of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (ATS), and licensed Professional Engineers, supported by formal collaborations with entities such as Medtronic and the Humane Society of the United States.
Gradient generates revenue exclusively through project-based professional consulting engagements billed directly to enterprise clients in regulated sectors. Demand is generated through scientific reputation, peer-reviewed publications, the firm-authored Trends newsletter, conference participation (notably the Society of Toxicology), and direct business development to enterprise buyers, with no self-serve, retail, or digital channels. The firm holds no external institutional funding and discloses no external investors.
Gradient firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gradient
- Legal name
- Gradco, LLC
- Website
- https://gradientcorp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gradient is a Boston-based environmental and risk sciences consulting firm founded in 1985 that provides multidisciplinary toxicology, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance services to clients in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, mining, chemicals, and government sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gradient industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental & Risk Sciences Consulting
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting (BPAHACAJ)
Keywords
Where Gradient is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Gradient business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Consulting Services: Gradient generates revenue by providing specialized scientific consulting services to clients in regulated industries. Services are billed on a project or retainer basis, targeting organizations requiring expert environmental and health risk assessment, regulatory compliance support, and scientific litigation expertise.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Gradient product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gradient is a US-based risk science consulting firm that provides scientific consulting services in toxicology, epidemiology, environmental chemistry, exposure and risk assessment, product safety, medical device biocompatibility, and regulatory compliance. The firm serves clients in regulated industries including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, mining, energy, chemicals, food and supplements, and government agencies.
Product overview
Gradient is an environmental and risk sciences consulting firm that provides professional scientific consulting services rather than a software product. The firm operates as a unified consulting practice organized around core service areas including Risk Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Product Safety & Regulatory Support, and Medical Devices. Within these areas, Gradient offers specialized sub-services such as Biocompatibility Support, Hemocompatibility Testing Support, Toxicological Risk Assessment, Environmental Risk Assessment of New Drugs, Third-Party Profiling (for GreenScreen, Safer Choice, and ChemFORWARD programs), Alternatives Assessment, and Exposure & Risk Assessment. These services are delivered by scientists with expertise in toxicology, epidemiology, environmental chemistry, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance, supporting clients in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, chemicals, energy, and government sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Risk Sciences
- Environmental Sciences
- Sustainability
- Product Safety & Regulatory Support
- Medical Devices
- (Bio) Pharmaceuticals
- Environmental Costs
- GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
- Food & Supplement Safety
Companies that use Gradient
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Gradient technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Gradient partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Medtronic (Kelly Coleman, Sr. Distinguished Toxicologist)coreGradient Principal Toxicologist Lindsey Borton and Medtronic Sr. Distinguished Toxicologist Kelly Coleman co-authored research published in ALTEX journal on material-mediated pyrogens in medical devices and the rabbit pyrogen test. They jointly received the 2026 Lush Prize for Political Advocacy for their work on alternatives to animal-based testing.
- Lush PrizecoreLush Prize is a collaboration between Lush cosmetics and Ethical Consumer Research Association. The £250,000 prize fund is the largest prize in the non-animal testing sector. Gradient scientist Lindsey Borton was awarded the 2026 Lush Prize for Political Advocacy for her work on alternatives to animal-based medical device testing.
- Ethical Consumer Research AssociationminorCo-founder of the Lush Prize, the Ethical Consumer Research Association is a not-for-profit research co-operative specializing in independent research into social, animal welfare, and environmental issues. It co-sponsors the Lush Prize with Lush cosmetics.
- Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)coreGradient teams with the Humane Society of the United States on implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) with a focus on animal welfare objectives. Gradient provided written comments to US EPA regarding draft chemical prioritization and risk evaluation rules, focusing on alternatives to animal testing.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gradient competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ramboll: Ramboll's Environment & Health practice provides risk assessment, toxicology, and regulatory consulting to industrial and chemical clients globally, overlapping with Gradient's product safety, PFAS, and chemicals regulatory work but at a much larger international scale.
- SLR Consulting: SLR is an international environmental and advisory consultancy with practice areas in environmental management, risk, and compliance — directly competitive with Gradient in regulated industry environmental work, but with broader geographic coverage.
- Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech is a large global consulting and engineering firm with a major environmental sciences practice covering water, site remediation, and risk assessment — it competes with Gradient in environmental risk and regulatory work but at much greater scale and breadth.
- WSP: WSP's Earth & Environment practice provides environmental consulting and engineering to industrial, energy, and government clients, including risk and regulatory advisory that overlaps with Gradient's environmental sciences and government (Superfund) work.
- Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design, engineering, and environmental consulting firm whose resilience and environment practice competes with Gradient in site assessment, contamination, and environmental due diligence for industrial clients.
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is one of the largest global environmental, health, and safety consultancies, serving the same pharma, chemicals, and consumer-products clients as Gradient with overlapping risk assessment, product stewardship, and EHS capabilities.
- Geosyntec Consultants: Geosyntec is an engineering and scientific consulting firm with a broader environmental, geotechnical, and water-resources practice; Gradient operates with operational ties to Geosyntec (joint careers portal, shared consent language) and is in effect a specialized affiliate.
Direct peers
- Integral Consulting: Integral Consulting is a scientific and engineering firm focused on environmental forensics, risk assessment, and contaminant fate and transport for regulated industries — closely aligned with Gradient's environmental sciences and risk sciences practices.
- Exponent: Exponent is a multi-disciplinary scientific and engineering consulting firm employing PhD-level scientists to provide expert testimony, regulatory support, and risk analysis to clients in chemicals, medical devices, pharma, and consumer products — the same regulated end markets and service mix as Gradient.
- ToxStrategies: ToxStrategies is a private toxicology and risk sciences consulting firm providing human health risk assessment, regulatory toxicology, and litigation support to chemical, pharmaceutical, and consumer product clients — directly comparable in size, credentials, and service portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gradient social profiles
Digital presenceGradient financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gradient leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Gradient funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gradient 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 Gradient
What does Gradient do?
Gradient is a US-based risk science consulting firm that provides scientific consulting services in toxicology, epidemiology, environmental chemistry, exposure and risk assessment, product safety, medical device biocompatibility, and regulatory compliance. The firm serves clients in regulated industries including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, mining, energy, chemicals, food and supplements, and government agencies.
Is Gradient a public or private company?
Gradient is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Gradient founded?
Gradient was founded in 1985. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gradient based?
Gradient is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gradient make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Consulting Services.
Who are Gradient's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ramboll, SLR Consulting, Tetra Tech, WSP, Arcadis, ERM (Environmental Resources Management) and Geosyntec Consultants. Direct peers are Integral Consulting, Exponent and ToxStrategies.
Does Gradient have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gradient.
What industry is Gradient in?
Gradient's product category is Environmental & Risk Sciences Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAJ, Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 8731.