Polpeo
Polpeo is a London-based crisis simulation company providing immersive, software-driven crisis preparedness training to enterprise brands, PR agencies, and executive teams worldwide, combining proprietary multi-channel simulation technology with live role-play from experienced crisis communications professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Polpeo does
Polpeo is a London-based crisis simulation company founded in 2013 by Tamara Littleton (also CEO of parent company The Social Element) and Kate Hartley. The company operates a proprietary crisis simulation software platform that recreates crisis environments across social media, blogs, forums, news sites, and activist communities, enabling client teams to manage reputation, craft crisis strategies, and respond to stakeholders in real-time. Experienced role-players sourced from parent The Social Element (300+ staff) simulate public responses and provide live feedback, lending authentic domain expertise drawn from managing major global brand social media presences. Polpeo offers modular crisis simulations ranging from off-the-shelf packages for smaller teams to full-scale bespoke exercises for up to 200 participants, delivered either in-person or virtually worldwide in multiple languages.
The company generates revenue primarily through professional services — bespoke crisis simulation engagements, crisis communications training, and ongoing crisis communications support — via a sales-led, quote-based pricing model targeting enterprise clients. Its customer base spans in-house brand communications teams, PR and communications agencies, and executive leadership across multiple industries and both public and private sectors. Distribution is through direct enterprise sales (with a "Book Your Free Demo" funnel), supplemented by thought leadership content including the "What Just Happened?" podcast, white papers, an active blog, and speaking engagements at industry events such as the Corporate Affairs Summit. The company holds Cyber Essentials Certified Plus certification and has no external institutional investment disclosed in available sources, operating as a subsidiary of The Social Element.
The company's core team of approximately seven professionals (co-founders, COO Catherine Williams, Head of Content Gemma Storey, and specialists in digital, crisis communications, and business development) is augmented by the parent's deep bench of social media practitioners, allowing Polpeo to scale simulation delivery globally without proportional fixed-cost expansion of its own payroll.
Polpeo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Polpeo
- Legal name
- Polpeo Limited
- Website
- https://polpeo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Polpeo is a London-based crisis simulation company providing immersive, software-driven crisis preparedness training to enterprise brands, PR agencies, and executive teams worldwide, combining proprietary multi-channel simulation technology with live role-play from experienced crisis communications professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Polpeo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crisis Simulation and Communications Training Software
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (54182), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crisis Communications & Issues Management (BPAFADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- PR, Corporate Communications & Crisis Management (BPAFAAAL), Crisis Communications Planning & Response (MPAAAOAD)
Keywords
Where Polpeo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Polpeo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Crisis Simulation Services: Polpeo generates revenue through providing crisis simulation services to brands and agencies. They offer modular simulations ranging from off-the-shelf simulations for smaller teams to full-scale bespoke simulations for up to 200 people. Services include crisis communications training, facilitation, and support.
- Crisis Communications Training: Full crisis communications training as well as crisis simulations. Expert training and facilitation team can train organizations on how best to manage communications in a crisis and guide them through crisis simulations. Can work with in-house or agency crisis training teams to deliver crisis simulations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Off-the-shelf simulations for smaller teams |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Full-scale bespoke simulations for up to 200 people |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Polpeo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Polpeo provides immersive crisis simulation services using a proprietary software platform that recreates realistic crisis scenarios unfolding across social media, blogs, forums, news sites, and activist communities. Crisis teams practice managing reputation, stakeholder communications, and crisis strategy in real time, with live responses from experienced crisis role-players, complemented by crisis communications training and ongoing support delivered in-person or virtually worldwide.
Product overview
Polpeo is a crisis simulation and communications training company offering a suite of services centered around its unique crisis simulation software platform. The core product is the Crisis Simulation, which recreates real-world crisis scenarios across social, digital, and traditional media. This is complemented by Social Media Crisis Simulations, Crisis Communications Training, and Crisis Communications Support services. The company also produces the 'What Just Happened?' podcast as educational content. Simulations range from off-the-shelf packages for smaller teams to bespoke full-scale simulations for up to 200 participants, and can be delivered in-person or virtually worldwide in multiple languages. All simulations leverage the company's proprietary software where teams experience a simulated crisis environment with live responses from experienced role-players.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crisis Simulation
Quantifiable outcome
- Build team resilience and confidence to face real crises
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Polpeo
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Polpeo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Polpeo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Social ElementcoreThe Social Element is the parent company of Polpeo. Tamara Littleton is co-founder of Polpeo and founder/CEO of The Social Element. Polpeo's team of role-players are sourced from The Social Element, which manages social media presences for some of the biggest brands and agencies globally, providing authentic expertise for crisis simulations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Polpeo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crisp (formerly Crisp Thinking): Crisp provides social media crisis management and risk monitoring for brands, directly overlapping with Polpeo's social media crisis simulation offering. Both serve enterprise communications teams dealing with online reputation threats.
Broad incumbents
- Everbridge: Everbridge is a public critical event management and mass notification platform serving large enterprises and government. Its crisis communication capabilities overlap with Polpeo's broader crisis preparedness value proposition, though it focuses on operational rather than communications rehearsal.
- FTI Consulting: FTI Consulting's Strategic Communications segment is a global leader in crisis and litigation communications, advising corporations during high-profile incidents. Comparable to Polpeo in serving enterprise clients facing reputational crises, though FTI's scale and full-service model dwarf Polpeo's niche simulation focus.
- Edelman: Edelman is the world's largest PR firm with a dedicated crisis and risk practice. It serves similar enterprise and brand clients to Polpeo, though Edelman's crisis work is reactive advisory rather than rehearsal-based simulation training.
- Brunswick Group: Brunswick is a global advisory firm specializing in critical issues and crisis communications for corporations and boards. Comparable client base to Polpeo's enterprise segment, though Brunswick delivers senior counsel rather than immersive simulation training.
- Kroll: Kroll's Cyber Risk and Investigations practices include crisis and incident response advisory for enterprises. Overlaps with Polpeo's crisis preparedness positioning, particularly on cyber and security-driven crises, though Kroll operates at much larger scale.
- Cision: Cision is a major PR and communications software platform offering media monitoring, analytics, and crisis intelligence tools. Comparable in serving PR and communications teams at large brands, with adjacent crisis communications capabilities.
- Crisis24 (GardaWorld): Crisis24, a GardaWorld company, is a global risk management and crisis response firm serving multinational clients. Overlaps with Polpeo on enterprise crisis preparedness, with broader security and travel risk capabilities.
- BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): BCW is a global communications agency with a significant crisis and issues management practice serving multinational brands. Comparable enterprise client base and crisis communications focus, though BCW delivers advisory services rather than simulation-based training.
Emerging players
- Dataminr: Dataminr provides real-time AI-driven event and crisis detection from public data signals. Adjacent to Polpeo's crisis simulation work because both serve corporate crisis response teams, though Dataminr focuses on detection rather than rehearsal.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Polpeo social profiles
Digital presencePolpeo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Polpeo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Polpeo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Polpeo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Polpeo 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 Polpeo
What does Polpeo do?
Polpeo provides immersive crisis simulation services using a proprietary software platform that recreates realistic crisis scenarios unfolding across social media, blogs, forums, news sites, and activist communities. Crisis teams practice managing reputation, stakeholder communications, and crisis strategy in real time, with live responses from experienced crisis role-players, complemented by crisis communications training and ongoing support delivered in-person or virtually worldwide.
Is Polpeo a public or private company?
Polpeo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Polpeo founded?
Polpeo was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Polpeo based?
Polpeo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Polpeo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Crisis Simulation Services are the primary driver. The others are crisis Communications Training.
Who are Polpeo's main competitors?
Crisp (formerly Crisp Thinking) is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Everbridge, FTI Consulting, Edelman, Brunswick Group, Kroll, Cision, Crisis24 (GardaWorld) and BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe). Dataminr is listed as an emerging player.
Does Polpeo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Polpeo.
What industry is Polpeo in?
Polpeo's product category is Crisis Simulation and Communications Training Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAE, Crisis Communications & Issues Management, with a secondary code of BPAFAAAL, PR, Corporate Communications & Crisis Management. Its NAICS code is 54182 and its SIC code is 7311.