Cognite

What Cognite does

Cognite is an independent healthcare strategy and communications agency headquartered in London, with additional offices in Zug (Switzerland) and Boston (United States). Founded in 2012, the firm serves global, regional, and local teams within life science companies, with a stated specialization in transformative therapies, rare diseases, and specialist medicines. Its service portfolio is organized around four pillars — Commercial-to-Life (brand strategy, storytelling, omnichannel communications, and commercial training), Medical-to-Life (insight generation, personalized scientific engagement, leadership/operational support, and global delivery), Teams-to-Life (internal alignment, engagement, and corporate communications), and Patient Care-to-Life (patient insight, activation, and patient stories) — supplemented by a Digital Communications line that leverages AI and AR/VR for HCP and patient engagement.

Underlying technology is light-proprietary: the agency builds omnichannel content, scientific platforms, MSL materials, congress experiences, and training programs around established digital and creative tooling rather than a distinct software platform. Cognite monetizes through professional services engagements (project-based and retainer work) sold directly by a senior-led commercial team; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customer segments span pharma and biotech clients, with medical affairs teams, commercial brand teams, and patient-engagement functions as the primary buying centers.

Following a March 2022 private equity investment from Vespa Capital (advised by Ciesco), Cognite has been scaling headcount — including a CFO, Medical Affairs Lead, dedicated Marketing Manager, and physician Medical Strategist — and expanding its US and Asia footprint alongside the Digital Communications capability. The firm does not disclose revenue or specific ownership stakes.

Name

Cognite

Legal name

Cognite Communications Limited

Website

https://cognite.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cognite is an independent healthcare communications agency serving global life science companies with brand strategy, medical affairs, patient engagement, omnichannel campaigns, and digital communications across offices in London, Zug, and Boston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Communications Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Affairs, Scientific Communications & HEOR FSP (HLAGAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Omnichannel Patient Communications & Contact Center (Voice/SMS/Email/Chat) (HLACAEAC)

Keywords

• Healthcare communications
• Medical affairs services
• Life sciences marketing
• Patient engagement solutions
• Rare disease communications

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Communications Services: Professional services model providing strategic communications, creative storytelling, scientific engagement, and training services to life science companies. Services span commercial to life, medical to life, teams to life, and patient care communications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cognite is an independent healthcare communications agency providing strategic communications, scientific storytelling, medical affairs, and patient engagement services to global life science companies. It operates four service pillars: Commercial-to-Life (brand strategy, storytelling, communications, commercial training), Medical-to-Life (insight generation, scientific engagement, strategy/operations, global delivery), Teams-to-Life (internal alignment, engagement, corporate communications), and Patient Care-to-Life (patient insight, activation, stories). The agency specialises in transformative therapies and rare diseases, and also offers Digital Communications leveraging AI and AR/VR.

Product overview

Cognite is an independent healthcare communications agency that offers a comprehensive suite of services focused on bringing science to life for life science companies. The agency operates across four main service pillars: Commercial-to-Life (including Brand Strategy, Storytelling, Communications, and Commercial Training), Medical-to-Life (covering Insight Generation, Scientific Engagement, Strategy/Operations, and Global Delivery), Teams-to-Life (Internal Alignment, Engagement, and Corporate Communications), and Patient Care-to-Life (Patient Insight, Activation, and Patient Stories). The company also offers dedicated Digital Communications services leveraging AI and AR/VR technologies. All services are delivered through an integrated approach with a team based in London, Zug, and Boston, specialising in rare diseases and specialist medicines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Strategy and Planning Bespoke strategic council and guidance throughout the brand journey for life science clients, including commercialisation strategy, brand positioning, customer journey mapping, and tactical planning.
• Compelling Storytelling Captures emotion and makes complex scientific content intelligible for all audiences through brand stories, creative writing, message platforms, and multimedia content.
• Communications That Really Connect Brings brands to life through initiatives that make science accessible, exciting and engaging — including congress experiences, creative video campaigns, and omnichannel campaigns.
• Effective Commercial Training Bespoke training programmes delivering bite-sized, intuitive commercial training aligned with adult learning principles for pharmaceutical and biotech sales representatives.
• Insight Generation and Planning Builds global and local medical affairs strategy from pre-launch patient journey mapping through continued insight generation and analysis.
• Personalised Scientific Engagement Shapes the market with compelling narratives and effective scientific communication underpinned by clinical data and audience insight — including videos, animations, and scientific exchange.
• Medical Affairs Leadership, Strategy and Operational Excellence Fit-for-future processes and bespoke training programmes for medical affairs teams, including MSL materials and medical affairs training.
• Global Delivery Think global, act local approach with provision for unique market needs and emerging regions, including translation management and cost optimisation.
• Internal Alignment Internal communication and activities ensuring overarching strategic plan alignment with team activity at every level.
• Internal Engagement Energises, motivates, and upskills employees through engagement activities, workshops, gamification, and team building.
• Corporate Communications Consistent materials showcasing organisations from corporate branding to corporate communications — including websites, apps, and marketing materials.
• Patient Insight Engages with the patient community to better understand patient needs, touchpoints, and challenges in their journey through workshops and advisory boards.
• Patient Activation Patient and caregiver materials that educate and empower patients to take an active role in their health through ambassador programmes and omnichannel campaigns.
• Patient Stories Reaches the heart of patient stories and showcases authentic narratives through interviews, videos, and photoshoots.
• Digital Communications Omnichannel communications leveraging state-of-the-art technology including AI and AR/VR to engage healthcare professionals and patients in both commercial and medical affairs settings.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Real Chemistry: Independent healthcare communications and marketing agency serving pharma, biotech and consumer health. Highly comparable in scale, business model (independent agency), therapeutic specialization, and integrated commercial/medical affairs offerings.
• Evoke (Evoke Group): Global health and wellness communications agency offering brand strategy, medical communications, patient engagement and omnichannel campaigns. Directly comparable in service mix, pharma/biotech client base, and creative + scientific storytelling approach.
• Inizio: Global healthcare services platform (formed from Ashfield and Huntsworth) offering medical affairs, patient services and commercialization support to pharma. Closely comparable in medical affairs and specialist pharma services, though larger and broader in scope.
• Bionical Solutions: Independent specialist healthcare communications and medical affairs agency serving pharma and biotech. Closely comparable in size, specialist positioning, rare disease focus and MSL/scientific engagement offerings.
• Nucleus Global: Independent medical communications agency group providing scientific communications, medical affairs and patient engagement services. Highly comparable in independent agency model, medical affairs depth and life sciences client base.

Broad incumbents

• McCann Health: Global healthcare network within McCann Worldgroup serving pharma, biotech and consumer health with creative, medical and patient communications. Overlaps with Cognite's full-stack communications offering but at significantly larger scale and through a network model.
• Publicis Health: Large global healthcare communications network within Publicis Groupe, offering brand, medical, patient and digital communications. Competes for the same pharma and biotech clients as Cognite but with global network scale and broader service portfolio.
• Havas Health & You: Global health and wellness communications network within Havas, providing creative, medical affairs and patient engagement services. Direct overlap with Cognite's offering, particularly in medical-to-life and commercial communications for pharma clients.
• IPG Health: Global healthcare-focused communications network within IPG, comprising multiple specialist agencies serving pharma and biotech. Competitor for the same life sciences clients with deeper network integration and broader geographic reach.
• Ogilvy Health: Healthcare arm of Ogilvy (WPP) providing creative communications, medical education and brand strategy to pharma clients. Comparable in delivering brand strategy, scientific storytelling and omnichannel engagement for life sciences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Cognite