What Graphite Digital does

Graphite Digital is a privately held specialist digital experience design agency focused exclusively on the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, headquartered in Brighton with an additional office in London. The company was founded in 2006 (per its compliance page; firmographic metadata lists 2009) and completed a strategic pivot around 2020 to drop non-healthcare clients and discontinue development and technology services, repositioning itself as a dedicated Health and Pharma digital design partner. Day-to-day operations are organised around decentralised, non-hierarchical squads delivered through enterprise consulting engagements.

The agency's core service portfolio comprises Product Design, Design Systems, and Design Thinking & Innovation as flagship offerings, with supporting capabilities spanning UX Strategy, Digital Experience Strategy, UX Research and Usability Testing, Heuristic Audits, HCP Engagement Optimisation, Patient Experience Design, Accessibility and Inclusive Design, Digital Transformation, and Website and Platform Optimisation. Underlying methods are clinical-research-grade, with DBS-checked and safeguarding-trained researchers, HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant research tooling, and design sprint protocols tailored for pharma regulatory environments. Technology assets include proprietary design system methodologies and component libraries specifically built for pharmaceutical compliance and multi-market scalability, evidenced by a two-year Astellas Pharma engagement that produced 40 websites across 15 countries with 90% lower launch costs.

Graphite monetises exclusively through professional services revenue streams: strategic consulting engagements, UX and design services delivered via embedded squads or project-based engagements, discovery and research programmes, and long-term managed digital partnerships. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting global pharmaceutical brands, medical affairs teams, commercial and brand teams, patient engagement teams, and digital transformation leaders, with named customer relationships at Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, Astellas Pharma, Vhi Healthcare, NHS North West London, and global medical technology organisations. The company is founder-led under CEO Rob Verheul, holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, and Certified B Corporation status, and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Graphite Digital

Legal name

Graphite Digital Ltd

Website

https://graphitedigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Graphite Digital is a UK-based specialist digital experience design agency focused exclusively on healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations, delivering UX research, product design, and design systems to global pharma brands, insurers, and NHS bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Digital Design Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Digital Experience (BPAHAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Pharma digital design
• Healthcare UX research
• Design systems pharma
• HCP engagement design
• Patient experience design

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Engagements: Consulting engagements providing UX strategy, digital product strategy, and omnichannel experience strategy for pharmaceutical and healthcare organisations.
2. UX and Design Services: User research, UX design, UI design, and design systems creation delivered through embedded squads or project-based engagements.
3. Discovery and Research Programmes: Research programmes including HCP engagement optimisation, patient experience design, and usability testing.
4. Long-term Digital Partnerships: Ongoing digital partnerships providing continuous optimisation, product redesigns, and sustained digital transformation support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Graphite Digital is a specialist digital experience agency that delivers UX strategy, user research, and human-centered product design for healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations. Its work spans design systems, omnichannel experience strategy, patient and HCP (healthcare professional) experience design, and end-to-end digital transformation consulting delivered through embedded squads.

Product overview

Graphite Digital is a specialist digital experience agency that offers a portfolio of professional services for healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations. Their core offerings include Product Design, Design Systems, and Design Thinking & Innovation, supported by specialised services in UX Research, Heuristic Audits, HCP Engagement Optimisation, Patient Experience Design, Accessibility & Inclusive Design, Digital Transformation, and Website & Platform Optimisation. Rather than a software product or platform, Graphite operates as a consulting and design agency using cross-functional squads of strategists, designers, researchers, and delivery specialists to deliver human-centred digital experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product Design Design of digital products that build trust, drive engagement and exceed customer expectations for healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations.
• Design Systems Creation of consistent, scalable digital experiences across brands, markets and platforms, encapsulating business, customer and regulatory requirements along with accessibility and UX best practices.
• Design Thinking and Innovation Innovation workshops and design sprint facilitation that enables meaningful digital innovation rooted in real user needs and evidence-based decision making.
• Heuristic Audits UX evaluation of digital products against predetermined usability principles to identify key areas for enhancement, providing a prioritised list of actionable recommendations.
• UX Research and Usability Testing User research including interviews, usability testing, diary studies, and moderated testing to gain first-hand understanding of HCP and patient needs and behaviours.
• HCP Engagement Optimisation Creation of more relevant, frictionless, and engaging digital experiences for healthcare professionals across websites, portals, educational platforms, and omnichannel ecosystems.
• Patient Experience Design Patient-centred digital experiences that prioritise clarity, accessibility, empathy, and trust while supporting engagement and behaviour change.
• Digital Experience Strategy Strategy for creating intuitive, accessible, measurable digital healthcare and pharmaceutical experiences aligned to both user needs and business objectives.
• Digital Transformation Consulting and design services for modernising legacy digital experiences and driving organisational digital transformation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% reduction in website launch costs and 40 websites launched in 15 countries in under 6 months for Astellas
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Astellas PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Two-year strategic partnership with Astellas Pharma to develop and implement a global design system. In under 6 months, created and launched a new global design system and launched 40 websites across 15 countries with 90% reduction in launch costs. Partnership included internal communications campaign and comprehensive training for brand teams.
• Vhi HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-year partnership with Ireland's largest healthcare and insurance provider to revitalise their core customer-facing app. Created best-in-market digital experience for 100k+ monthly app users, winning 'Best App' at 2023 Digital Media Awards. Developed features including Online Doctor telehealth, Women's Health, Snap & Send claims, and Symptom Checker.
• NHS North West LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NHS North West London CCG to deepen audience understanding and evolve the Know Diabetes digital service. Conducted UX research with South Asian patient demographics, heuristic audits, user testing, and tree testing to improve patient engagement and site navigation.
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivering work at global level for Pfizer, helping drive real-world improvements in patient and HCP experience through human-centred digital strategy, research and design.
• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with AstraZeneca delivering human-centred digital strategy, research and design solutions to improve patient and HCP experiences globally.
• MerckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Merck to deliver impactful digital experiences for healthcare and pharmaceutical clients, focusing on patient and HCP engagement through strategy, research and design.
• EcologiminorOthersCarbon offsetting partnership involving offsetting the impact of employees and business activities, and supporting climate-friendly projects around the world as part of B Corp commitment.
• Resurgo SPEARminorOthersPartnership with local organisation supporting disadvantaged young people into employment or further education. Graphite supports with regular volunteering and donations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Healthware Group: Italy-headquartered global health innovation and digital agency with consulting, design, and technology services for pharma and life sciences — closest European mid-sized direct peer in terms of size and scope.
• Klick Health: Largest independent health-specialist digital agency in North America, offering strategy, UX, design systems, and content for pharma and life sciences. Closest scale-comparable peer with the same health-only positioning.
• Intouch Group (Avalanche): Health and pharma digital agency providing omnichannel experience design, design systems, and HCP/patient engagement — directly comparable offering and customer base to Graphite Digital.
• Fingerpaint: Independent health and wellness marketing agency providing digital experience, CRM, and media services to pharma. Comparable mid-sized independent specialist with similar customer profile.
• Real Chemistry: Independent health and pharma marketing and communications agency offering data-driven digital experience, content, and analytics; comparable mid-sized specialist competitor with similar customer mix.

Broad incumbents

• VMLY&R Health: Global WPP-owned health creative and digital experience network serving major pharma clients with brand, CX, and digital transformation. Comparable services but broader portfolio and global scale.
• Ogilvy Health: WPP's healthcare creative and consulting arm offering brand, digital, and medical communications for pharma. Overlaps with Graphite on pharma HCP/patient digital experience work.
• Accenture Song (Health): Accenture's experience and design practice with a dedicated health industry group delivering digital transformation, design systems, and omnichannel engagement for global pharma — competing for the same enterprise accounts.
• Deloitte Digital (Life Sciences & Health Care): Global consultancy's creative digital agency practice with deep life sciences and healthcare consulting capability; competes for enterprise pharma digital experience and transformation mandates.
• Syneos Health Communications: Clinical and commercial services network with a dedicated communications and experience practice serving pharma across the product lifecycle; comparable enterprise pharma customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearegraphite
• YouTubevimeo.com/graphitedigital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/graphite-digital
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearegraphite

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Graphite Digital