Political Intelligence
Political Intelligence is an independent public affairs consultancy founded in 1995, advising global corporations and industry associations on political and regulatory strategy across the EU, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal from offices in Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Political Intelligence does
Political Intelligence is an independent, privately held public affairs consultancy founded in 1995 and headquartered in Brussels. The firm advises enterprise clients — including global corporations, industry associations, and major brands — on navigating European political and regulatory environments. Its core offering is organized around six integrated service modules: Intelligence and Analyses, Public Affairs Strategies, Positioning and Advocacy, Mobilization, Policy Communications, and Talent Management Services. The firm has no proprietary technology platform; its value is delivered through senior consultants and Managing Partners working directly with clients.
The company operates across four markets from offices in Brussels (EU and Belgium operations, established 1997), Madrid (Spain, 2001), Lisbon (Portugal, 2018), and Barcelona (Spain, 2024). Sector coverage spans energy, mobility, digital and AI policy, cybersecurity, healthcare/pharma, food and consumer goods, and aviation. The firm is a member of the major European public-affairs associations — EPACA, PACE, BEPACT, APRI, and LETZPACT — and complements its consulting work with proprietary research (the 'Gobernanza de asuntos públicos' series, #InformePI reports) and a recurring PI Coffee & Policy event series that convenes public officials with business leaders.
Revenue is generated through quote-based B2B professional services engagements sold via enterprise field sales, with Managing Partners and Directors directly driving business development. The firm is founder/management-owned with no disclosed parent company, external institutional investors, or M&A activity. In December 2025 it announced a strategic academic partnership with IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs, signaling an investment in talent pipelines and thought leadership beyond traditional consulting delivery.
Political Intelligence firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Political Intelligence
- Legal name
- Political Intelligence
- Website
- https://political-intelligence.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Political Intelligence is an independent public affairs consultancy founded in 1995, advising global corporations and industry associations on political and regulatory strategy across the EU, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal from offices in Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Political Intelligence industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Affairs Consulting
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (54182)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN), Public Affairs & Government Relations (MPAAADAE)
Keywords
Where Political Intelligence is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Political Intelligence business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Public Affairs Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for public affairs, strategic communications, and government relations across EU, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal markets. Services include policy monitoring, stakeholder engagement, advocacy campaigns, and strategic positioning for enterprise clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Political Intelligence product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Political Intelligence is an independent public affairs and strategic communications consultancy founded in 1995 that advises global corporations, industry associations, and major brands on political risks, regulatory engagement, and stakeholder positioning across the European Union, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. The firm provides six integrated service modules (Intelligence and Analyses, Public Affairs Strategies, Positioning and Advocacy, Mobilization, Policy Communications, and Talent Management Services) and operates from offices in Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon.
Product overview
Political Intelligence is a public affairs consultancy offering a unified service portfolio focused on strategic communications, policy analysis, and governmental relations. The core offering consists of six integrated service modules: Intelligence and Analyses (political landscape monitoring), Public Affairs Strategies (campaign development), Positioning and Advocacy (institutional reputation building), Mobilization (coalition and grassroots organizing), Policy Communications, and Talent Management Services. Additionally, the firm publishes proprietary research reports including the 'Gobernanza de asuntos públicos' series and hosts the 'PI Coffee & Policy' event series. The consultancy operates across four geographic markets (Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and European Union) from offices in Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, and Brussels, providing market-specific expertise with a holistic cross-border approach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Intelligence and Analyses In-depth analysis of political landscapes, public policies, and legislative proposals to help clients proactively identify political risks and opportunities across European markets.
- Public Affairs Strategies Development of comprehensive strategies for effective public policy engagement, including 360-degree campaigns from concept through execution for enterprise clients.
- Positioning and Advocacy Establishing and improving institutional positioning through stakeholder relationship strategies and visibility opportunities within political and institutional ecosystems.
- Mobilization Creation of coalitions uniting organizations and stakeholders for transformation objectives, including management of sectoral and interdisciplinary associations and coordination of grassroots campaigns.
- Policy Communications Comprehensive communication tools supporting institutional objectives, including narrative adaptation for target audiences and media relationship building in political contexts.
- Talent Management Services Specialized recruitment and selection of public affairs talent, including organizational consulting, specialized training, and strategic positioning for managers and leaders.
Quantifiable outcome
- Five of the largest companies in the world trust their institutional relations advice for Portugal
Companies that use Political Intelligence
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Political Intelligence technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Political Intelligence partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IE School of Politics, Economics & Global AffairscoreGlobal partnership where Political Intelligence is strategic partner for the new Master in Public Policy and Bachelor in Political Science. Includes joint research, student competitions, field visits to PI offices, expert speaker exchanges, and internship opportunities.
- EPACA (European Association of Political Consultancy)coreEPACA is the European Association of Political Consultancy. Political Intelligence actively contributes to the development of professional associations in the public affairs field and complies with strict codes of conduct and transparency.
- PACE (Public Affairs Community of Europe)corePACE is a European association providing support, networking, and intelligence to EU and country-based public affairs professionals. PI Brussels Managing Partner Matti Van Hecke was nominated to PACE's Board of Directors to represent Bepact.
- BEPACT (Belgian Public Affairs Community)coreBelgian Public Affairs Community representing public affairs professionals in Belgium. Matti Van Hecke from PI Brussels was appointed to represent Bepact in the PACE Board of Directors.
- APRIminorSpanish public affairs association that Political Intelligence Spain is part of, contributing to professional standards development in the field.
- LETZPACTminorLuxembourg public affairs association. Political Intelligence participates in this professional network.
- AMP AssociadosminorPortuguese consultancy network partner in Portugal market.
- AMCHAM PortugalminorAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Portugal, part of Political Intelligence Portugal's network.
- More in CommonminorResearch organization that partnered with Political Intelligence Spain to host an event with parliamentary groups on energy transition understanding.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Political Intelligence competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GPlus Europe: Brussels-based independent public affairs consultancy serving EU and national-level clients across multiple sectors. Directly comparable to Political Intelligence in scale, multi-market European focus, and B2B public affairs advisory model.
- Kreab: European-headquartered public affairs and communications consultancy with offices across multiple EU capitals. Highly comparable in cross-border PA advisory, though Kreab operates at a larger scale across more markets.
- Hume Brophy: European public affairs and corporate communications consultancy with offices in London, Brussels, Dublin, Paris, and Berlin. Comparable mid-sized independent PA firm targeting multinational corporates across European jurisdictions.
- Interel (now part of Ecker + Ecker): European public affairs and association management firm headquartered in Brussels with offices in several EU capitals. Closely comparable in EU-focused PA advisory, association representation, and integrated advocacy model.
- Cabinet DN: Belgian public affairs and communication consultancy based in Brussels. Direct peer operating in the same Belgian/EU market, serving similar corporate and association clients with comparable service offerings.
- EPPA (European Public Policy Advisors): Brussels-based public affairs and policy advisory consultancy. Direct peer competing in the same EU institutional ecosystem for similar corporate and trade association clients.
- Llorente y Cuenca (LLYC): Iberian-headquartered public affairs and corporate communications consultancy with strong presence in Spain and Portugal. Direct peer to Political Intelligence's Iberian operations, competing for the same Spanish and Portuguese corporate clients.
Broad incumbents
- Finsbury Glover Hering: Global strategic communications and public affairs firm with European presence. Comparable offering but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Political Intelligence.
- Brunswick Group: Global advisory firm specializing in critical issues, public affairs, and communications. A larger incumbent offering overlapping PA capabilities as part of a wider strategic advisory portfolio.
- APCO Worldwide: Global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy with extensive European presence. Larger incumbent offering overlapping public affairs, government relations, and policy advisory services to multinational corporates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Political Intelligence social profiles
Digital presencePolitical Intelligence financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Political Intelligence leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Political Intelligence funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Political Intelligence 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 Political Intelligence
What does Political Intelligence do?
Political Intelligence is an independent public affairs and strategic communications consultancy founded in 1995 that advises global corporations, industry associations, and major brands on political risks, regulatory engagement, and stakeholder positioning across the European Union, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. The firm provides six integrated service modules (Intelligence and Analyses, Public Affairs Strategies, Positioning and Advocacy, Mobilization, Policy Communications, and Talent Management Services) and operates from offices in Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon.
Is Political Intelligence a public or private company?
Political Intelligence is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Political Intelligence founded?
Political Intelligence was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Political Intelligence based?
Political Intelligence is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Political Intelligence make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Affairs Consulting Services.
Who are Political Intelligence's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GPlus Europe, Kreab, Hume Brophy, Interel (now part of Ecker + Ecker), Cabinet DN, EPPA (European Public Policy Advisors) and Llorente y Cuenca (LLYC). Broad incumbents are Finsbury Glover Hering, Brunswick Group and APCO Worldwide.
Does Political Intelligence have an API?
No public API is recorded for Political Intelligence.
What industry is Political Intelligence in?
Political Intelligence's product category is Public Affairs Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAB, Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying, with a secondary code of BPAHACAN, Public Sector & Policy Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54182 and its SIC code is 8700.