Charcoalblue

Name

Charcoalblue

Legal name

Charcoalblue Group Ltd

Website

https://charcoalblue.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Theatre and Venue Design Consultancy: Professional consulting services for theatre and performance venue design including auditorium concept design, seating design, sightline studies, building-wide strategic planning, and technical systems design.
2. Acoustic Design Services: Room acoustic testing, analysis, design and specification; acoustic modelling and auralisations; sound separation design; noise and vibration control; environmental noise surveys.
3. Charcoalblue Experience (CBX): Experience design consultancy providing project management and owner representation for creative capital projects including guest experience design and event technology.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charcoalblue is a theatre, acoustic, and experience design consultancy that provides professional consulting services for performing arts venues, cultural buildings, and experience-economy projects. The firm offers auditorium concept design, seating and sightline design, stage engineering, technical systems design, room acoustic testing and modelling, noise and vibration control, heritage building consultancy, and experience design/project management through its CBX sub-brand.

Product overview

Charcoalblue operates as a unified consultancy offering three interconnected service lines: Theatre & Venue Design (auditorium design, technical systems, stage engineering), Acoustic Design (room acoustics, acoustic modelling, noise control), and Charcoalblue Experience/CBX (experience design and project delivery for the experience economy). The company also specializes in heritage building consultancy for historic arts venues and sustainability services supporting the Theatre Green Book initiative. The three core services work collaboratively on projects, with theatre and acoustic expertise typically combined on performance venue projects while CBX handles experiential and commercial venue projects independently.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CBX (Charcoalblue Experience): Global experience design consultancy providing project management and owner representation for the experience economy, supporting delivery of creative capital projects.

Products and services

• Theatre & Venue Design
• Acoustic Design
• Charcoalblue Experience (CBX) Global experience design consultancy providing project management and owner representation for creative capital projects in the experience economy. Supports delivery of creative projects from inception through planning, design, construction, and final spectacle delivery.
• Heritage Building Consultancy Specialized consultancy for historic and listed arts buildings, focusing on sensitive interventions that balance preservation with modern technical requirements. Services include integrating technical systems, seating, and performance infrastructure while respecting heritage fabric and cultural integrity.
• Sustainability Consultancy Environmental sustainability services for theatre and performing arts, including support for Theatre Green Book initiatives, Carbon Literacy training, and sustainable design integration. Focuses on long-term stewardship and reducing environmental impact of theatre operations and productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• The BNZ Theatre 'is certainly one of the best orchestral venues in New Zealand'
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Theatre Green BookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharcoalblue serves as a Founding Supporter of the Theatre Green Book as it becomes an independent, not-for-profit organisation. The firm has been involved since the very beginning, contributing case studies, technical insight, and sector knowledge over five years. Charcoalblue's sustainability lead co-chaired the Theatre Green Book's advisory committee for buildings. The partnership involves core financial and sector support for 2026-28 and brings experts to the heart of the Theatre Green Book, ensuring best practice guidance based on intimate knowledge of theatre-making.
• JasmaxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with Charcoalblue for the BNZ Theatre project in Hamilton, New Zealand, where Charcoalblue led theatre planning, technical design and acoustics.
• Haworth TompkinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture practice (2014 Stirling Prize winners) working alongside Charcoalblue, Buro Happold, and Price & Myers for the De La Warr Pavilion renovation (£17m project). Haworth Tompkins has also partnered on Snape Maltings, Court Theatre Christchurch, and other projects.
• archifactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage architect partnered with Charcoalblue for the BNZ Theatre project in Hamilton, New Zealand.
• Foster ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for the BNZ Theatre project in Hamilton, New Zealand, delivering the 1,300-seat venue.
• Marvel ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with Charcoalblue as Lead Consultants for TheatreSquared's first permanent home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The team travelled to over 20 theatres in the US and UK for research.
• ARM ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with Charcoalblue for the Geelong Arts Centre Phase 3 redevelopment ($128m project) providing full theatre planning and auditorium design services.
• Lyons (architecture firm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead architects for Edith Cowan University $852m campus project, partnered with Charcoalblue for WAAPA's 70+ performance spaces.
• Silver Thomas HanleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerth-based architecture firm partnering with Charcoalblue on the ECU/WAAPA project.
• Athfield ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristchurch-based architecture firm partnered with Haworth Tompkins and Charcoalblue for the Court Theatre's new 360-seat main playhouse and 130-seat studio theatre.
• GoogleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough CBX (Charcoalblue Experience), worked closely with Google to provide design strategy and project delivery for event technology at St. John's Terminal, the 33,000 sq ft flagship offices in Manhattan.
• REX (architecture firm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with Charcoalblue for the Ronald O. Perelman Center for the Performing Arts at World Trade Center, designed to achieve 11 configurations and merge several spaces.
• Diller Scofidio + RenfrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with Charcoalblue for Centre for Music, a new concert hall in London's Square Mile to be home for Barbican, London Symphony Orchestra, and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
• Nagata AcousticscoreTechnology or IntegrationAcoustics consultancy partnered with Charcoalblue for the Centre for Music project alongside architects DS&R.

Scale indicators5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services firm with substantial buildings and cultural infrastructure practice. Competes with Charcoalblue for multi-disciplinary mandates where clients prefer a single AEC partner across theatre, acoustics, and engineering.
• Buro Happold: International engineering consultancy with theatre and performance venue experience (recent partner on De La Warr Pavilion renovation). Offers competing integrated engineering, acoustics, and theatre consulting as part of a larger multi-disciplinary portfolio.
• Arup: Global engineering and design giant whose Buildings practice includes dedicated theatre and acoustics consulting. Charcoalblue already partners with Arup on major projects, but Arup's broader portfolio of structural, MEP and acoustics services makes it a competitor for bundled mandates.

Direct peers

• Kirkegaard Associates: Chicago-based acoustic consulting firm with strong performing arts venue portfolio. Direct peer in acoustics for concert halls and theatres, often competing with Charcoalblue's acoustics practice on US projects.
• Fisher Dachs Associates: US-based theatre planning firm specializing in auditorium design, sightlines, and stage machinery for performing arts venues. Direct peer offering overlapping services to opera houses, theatres, and concert halls in North America — competing head-to-head with Charcoalblue on many US marquee projects.
• Nagata Acoustics: World-renowned acoustics consultancy founded by Yasuhisa Toyota, specialist in concert hall and opera house acoustics. Direct peer on acoustic design projects, sometimes partnered with Charcoalblue (e.g., Centre for Music in London) but also a competitor for lead acoustic mandates.
• Acentech: Multi-disciplinary acoustics, audiovisual, and theatre consulting firm based in Cambridge, MA. Direct peer providing acoustics and AV/IT design services to performing arts venues, often competing with Charcoalblue on North American projects.
• Jaffe Holden: NYC-based acoustics consultancy with significant performing arts and cultural venue experience. Direct peer in room acoustics, sound system design, and noise control for theatres, concert halls, and opera houses.
• Theatre Projects: Global theatre planning and design consultancy founded by Tim R.odd in the UK and now operating in the US. Closest direct competitor to Charcoalblue, providing theatre planning, auditorium design, and technical systems design for performing arts venues across the same client base.

Regional players

• Marshall Day Acoustics: Australia/New Zealand-headquartered acoustics consultancy with significant performing arts venue portfolio. Comparable peer on acoustic design for ANZ theatres and concert halls, overlapping with Charcoalblue's Australasian practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charcoalblue
• Xx.com/Charcoalblue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Charcoalblue