Sapere Consulting

What Sapere Consulting does

Sapere Consulting is a US-based professional services firm founded in 2003 and headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington, with additional offices in Chicago, Seattle, Walla Walla, Washington DC, and Brooklyn. The firm operates four integrated practice areas — Organizational Transformation, Digital Transformation, Energy Solutions, and Sustainability & Resilience — that are routinely combined to deliver multidisciplinary consulting engagements. Sapere serves primarily the energy and utility sector, with named clients including the US Army Corps of Engineers (a five-year contract covering 75 hydropower dams in 16 states), a Fortune 200 Investor Owned Utility, AES, Avista, Bonneville Power Administration, Chelan PUD, Southern Company, Seattle City Light, Tacoma Public Utilities, PacifiCorp, the US Bureau of Reclamation, Southwestern Power Administration, the DOE Hanford Site, and the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center.

The firm's core offerings span strategic planning, change management, AI and analytics, custom software products and integrations, energy finance and procurement, regulatory policy support, and sustainability strategy. Sapere has built proprietary AI/ML capabilities including a Hydropower Fleet Data Platform, AI/ML Price Prediction Tools for energy traders, a Dissolved Oxygen Optimization AI for environmental compliance, a deep-learning Hydropower Generator Predictive Maintenance Tool, and System Dynamics Models via AnyLogic. Sapere also conceptualized, built, and operates the Hydropower Research Institute, a non-profit digital platform representing over 44% of US hydropower generation capacity.

Sapere generates revenue through professional services engagements on a project-based, quote-driven model with no publicly disclosed pricing. Business development relies on direct enterprise and federal sales, thought leadership content, industry conference presence, and long-term relationship cultivation. The firm is privately held, founder-led (President Jeff Smyth since founding), with no institutional investment or ownership changes disclosed. A GSA Schedule contract vehicle (47QRAA25D005G) enables direct federal procurement access, and the company maintains approximately 25 team members across six US offices.

Name

Sapere Consulting

Legal name

Sapere Consulting

Website

https://sapereconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sapere Consulting is a US-based professional services firm serving energy and utility clients across four integrated practices: Organizational Transformation, Digital Transformation, Energy Solutions, and Sustainability & Resilience. They develop custom AI/ML tools and operate the Hydropower Research Institute digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Process & Digital Transformation Consulting (BPAEAAAD), Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA), Corporate & Voluntary Procurement Policy (PPAs, Green Tariffs, 24/7 CFE) (EUAMANAH)

Keywords

• Management consulting
• Digital transformation
• Energy consulting
• Sustainability advisory
• Organizational transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Walla Walla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Sapere generates revenue through professional consulting engagements across four practice areas: Organizational Transformation, Digital Transformation, Energy Solutions, and Sustainability & Resilience. Services are delivered by integrated teams addressing complex client challenges, with engagements typically involving multi-disciplinary teams combining expertise from multiple practices.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sapere Consulting is a professional services firm that provides integrated management and business consulting across four practice areas: Organizational Transformation, Digital Transformation, Energy Solutions, and Sustainability & Resilience. Engagements are delivered by multi-disciplinary consulting teams embedded in client organizations, with deep specialization in the energy and utility sectors (especially hydropower). The firm also develops custom AI/ML tools, custom software, and operates the Hydropower Research Institute digital platform serving over 44% of US hydropower generation capacity.

Product overview

Sapere Consulting is a professional services firm providing integrated consulting across four practice areas: Organizational Transformation, Digital Transformation, Energy Solutions, and Sustainability & Resilience. Their service portfolio includes strategy and architecture consulting, AI and analytics (encompassing machine learning model development and custom tool creation), custom software product development, energy finance and procurement, regulatory policy support, strategic planning, change management, process improvement, and sustainability strategy. They also operate the Hydropower Research Institute digital platform for the power industry. Practices routinely collaborate to offer tailored solutions combining subject matter expertise with technology capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organizational Transformation Consulting Consulting practice that guides and supports clients as they plan for and implement changes to operations and organizations to increase operational efficiency, deliver better products and services, or become leaders in their markets. Includes strategic planning, decision strategy, change management, process improvement, project leadership, and process facilitation.
• Digital Transformation Consulting Consulting practice combining subject matter expertise in energy and technology with deep knowledge of AI/ML, data, storage, and digital strategy. Service lines include Strategy & Architecture, AI & Analytics, and Custom Software Products & Integrations.
• Energy Solutions Consulting Consulting practice leveraging expertise in energy policy and regulation to help clients navigate the complexities of markets, resource planning and adequacy, and ensure compliance. Service lines include Energy Finance and Procurement, Regulatory Policy and Market Support, and Planning and Analysis.
• Sustainability & Resilience Consulting Consulting practice providing insights and expertise to help clients integrate sustainability and resilience into their identity, operations, and stakeholder communications. Includes Sustainability Strategy, Systems Change, and Sustainability Communications services.
• Hydropower Research Institute (HRI) Platform First international non-profit digital platform dedicated to digitally transforming the hydropower industry, conceptualized, built, and operated by Sapere. Represents over 44% of US hydropower generation capacity and enables industry benchmarking, data analytics, and anomaly detection through a hydropower fleet data platform with AI/ML capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.3M under negotiated contract value on Avista project through effective risk management
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSapere has worked with USACE since 2018 as a trusted partner driving organizational and digital transformation for the nation's largest hydropower generator. Sapere prepared USACE's National Hydropower Program Strategic Plan (2019) and supports policy, guidance, analysis, organizational change, and digital transformation planning through a 5-year contract. Sapere also helped establish the Hydropower Research Institute as a data-driven collaborative for the hydropower industry.
• Hydropower Research Institute (HRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSapere conceptualized, built, and now operates this non-profit organization dedicated to digitally transforming the hydropower industry. HRI represents over 44% of US hydropower generation capacity and provides a platform for industry benchmarking, data analytics, and anomaly detection.
• Southwestern Power AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSapere worked with Southwestern Power Administration and Idaho National Laboratory to evaluate the business case for a hydro-battery hybrid installation on the Illinois River, including predictive modeling and market optimization analysis.
• Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSapere facilitates collaborative decision-making for the Pacific Marine Energy Center South Energy Test Site (PMEC-SETS), working with regulatory agencies and stakeholders through FERC's Alternative Licensing Process for this first-of-its-kind marine energy testing project.
• Idaho National LaboratorysupportingTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated with Idaho National Laboratory on the hydro-battery hybrid analysis project for the Illinois River hydropower facility.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ICF International: ICF International is a global consulting and digital services firm with a strong energy and environment practice serving federal agencies and utilities. It is the closest direct peer to Sapere given its comparable federal energy client base and digital transformation capabilities.
• West Monroe Partners: West Monroe is a management and technology consulting firm with a strong energy and utilities practice focused on digital transformation, data analytics, and operational improvement. Comparable to Sapere's Digital Transformation and AI/ML capabilities applied to utility clients.
• Energy + Environmental Economics (E3): E3 is an energy consulting firm focused on planning, market analysis, and resource adequacy for utilities and regulators. Comparable to Sapere's Energy Solutions practice, particularly on planning, analysis, and regulatory work for energy clients.
• ScottMadden: ScottMadden is a management consulting firm specializing in the energy and utilities sector with deep focus on operational improvement, regulatory strategy, and transformation. It directly competes with Sapere's Energy Solutions and Organizational Transformation practices for utility clients.

Broad incumbents

• Black & Veatch: Black & Veatch is a global engineering, procurement, and consulting firm with a significant hydropower and water practice serving utilities and federal agencies. It overlaps with Sapere on hydropower clients and energy transition work but at a much larger scale.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Booz Allen Hamilton is a large federal consulting firm with substantial energy and environment work for agencies like USACE and DOE. It competes with Sapere on federal hydropower and clean energy engagements but as part of a much broader portfolio across defense, civil, and intelligence.
• Leidos: Leidos is a large federal systems integrator with energy, environment, and digital transformation work for agencies like USACE. It competes with Sapere on federal energy and infrastructure contracts but operates at a far larger scale with a much broader technology portfolio.
• Accenture Federal Services: Accenture Federal Services delivers large-scale digital transformation and AI work to US federal agencies including energy clients. It competes with Sapere on digital transformation mandates for federal energy agencies, though at significantly greater scale and broader scope.
• DNV (Energy Systems): DNV provides energy consulting, testing, and certification services to utilities and renewable energy developers worldwide. Comparable to Sapere's energy and sustainability consulting, particularly around hydropower standards, asset management, and energy transition advisory.

Others

• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): RMI is a non-profit think-and-do tank focused on clean energy transition with deep work in grid modernization and renewable energy strategy. Comparable to Sapere's Sustainability & Resilience and Energy Solutions practices in mission and client base, though structured as a non-profit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sapereconsultng
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sapere-consulting

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Sapere Consulting