What Know History does

Know History Inc. is a privately held, Ottawa-headquartered historical research and consulting firm founded in 2011 that has grown from a single employee to over 90 staff across offices in Ottawa and Calgary, operating as the largest historical research firm in North America with nearly 600 projects completed. The firm delivers professional services across a defined product set including archival research, oral history collection, interpretive planning, museum exhibit development, cultural resource inventory, digital history, community engagement, collections management, and commemorative anniversaries. Its technology stack centers on human-led research methodologies augmented by custom digital platforms: the Nunavut Cultural Portal (a community-contributed cultural inventory database for Inuit communities holding 15,000+ items), a research database for the Survivors' Secretariat (organizing 30,000+ residential school documents), a searchable Corporate Archive system (e.g., Graham Construction), and a 360° interactive DEW Line digital experience; the firm also holds exclusivity as the only Canadian Foundational Partner of the TheirStory digital storytelling platform.

Know History generates revenue through project-based, quote-negotiated professional services contracts with no public pricing. Its go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct enterprise engagement (website, email, phone, dedicated Director of Strategic Growth) with an event-driven layer (participation and sponsorship of Museums Canada, American Alliance of Museums, Indigenous History and Heritage Gathering, CHA Annual Conference, Alberta Museums Association, and the 2026 Canadian Trail Summit). The customer base is segmented by vertical into Indigenous communities and nations, museums and cultural institutions, federal/provincial/territorial government agencies, Indigenous cultural centres, and a smaller corporate segment, with named engagements spanning Survivors' Secretariat, Parks Canada, Juno Beach Centre, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Nunatsiavut Government, Diefenbunker Museum, Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, Trans Canada Trail, Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, LGBT Purge Fund, Chapleau Cree First Nation Community Trust, and Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia. The firm is differentiated by its multidisciplinary team (researchers, interpretive planners, digital artists, software developers, writers, oral historians), deep Indigenous-community relationships built under OCAP and data-sovereignty protocols, and senior leadership credibility (notably Dr. Dean F. Oliver, knighted by The Netherlands and formerly Chief Curator at the Canadian Museum of History). The firm is privately held, incorporated in Ontario, has no disclosed parent company, no institutional funding rounds, and appears to have grown organically through reinvested earnings.

Name

Know History

Legal name

Know History Inc.

Website

https://knowhistory.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Know History is the largest historical research firm in North America, providing archival research, oral history, interpretive planning, and museum exhibit services to Indigenous nations, governments, museums, non-profits, and corporations across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Research Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Historical research services
• Archival research
• Oral history collection
• Museum exhibit development
• Interpretive planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Research Services: Project-based historical research, archival research, oral history collection, interpretive planning, and museum exhibit development services provided to government agencies, Indigenous communities, museums, and corporations. Revenue generated through contracts and service agreements.
2. Pro-bono and Sponsored Projects: Company conducts pro-bono projects for Indigenous communities and organizations, sponsors conferences and events, and provides donations. These represent charitable contributions rather than revenue-generating activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Know History is a professional historical research firm that provides project-based archival research, oral history collection, interpretive planning, museum exhibit development, digital history services, community engagement, corporate archive development, collections management, and commemorative anniversary services. The firm serves government agencies, Indigenous communities, museums and cultural institutions, non-profits, and corporations across Canada, operating through direct client engagement and customized project proposals.

Product overview

Know History is a historical research and consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of services including archival research, oral history collection, interpretive planning, digital history, museum exhibits, and community engagement. The company operates as a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, interpretive planners, digital artists, software developers, writers, and oral historians. Their product portfolio centers on core service offerings (archival research, oral history, interpretive planning, museum exhibits, digital history) supplemented by specific project deliverables including digital platforms (Nunavut Cultural Portal, DEW Line digital experience), publications (Franklin Expedition book), digital collections (LGBT Purge Survivor Stories), and free resources (Statement Gathering Guide, Archival Research Guide). The company serves Indigenous nations, museums, all levels of government, not-for-profits, and corporations, positioning itself as North America's largest historical research firm with nearly 600 projects completed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Archival Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 600 completed projects over 12+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trans Canada Trail / Sentier TranscanadiencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Know History is a Supporting Sponsor of the 2026 Canadian Trail Summit organized by Trans Canada Trail in Winnipeg. The partnership supports the trail sector's efforts to address climate change, aging infrastructure, and sustainable trail development across Canada. Know History brings expertise in connecting trails to historical narratives and community stories.
• TheirStorycoreTechnology or IntegrationKnow History is the only Canadian Foundational Partner with TheirStory, an end-to-end digital storytelling platform that captures and preserves oral histories. The partnership enables enhanced collection, archiving, and presentation of oral histories, supporting community ownership of knowledge.
• Konek ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInuit-owned production company that exclusively employs Inuit videographers. Partnership began over 13 years ago for filming interviews in Nunavut. Collaboration supports local talent and community involvement in cultural documentation projects.
• NVision Insight Group Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnow History has worked closely with NVision as a partner for over 10 years. NVision is an Indigenous-owned company featured in Globe and Mail for their six-part series 'The Path' addressing Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. Both companies share commitment to Indigenous history and reconciliation work.
• Nattilik Heritage Centre and Parks CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to document Inuit knowledge about the 1845 Franklin Expedition and the land where HMS Erebus and HMS Terror wrecks lie. Know History led fieldwork, interviewed 19 Knowledge Holders in Nunavut communities, and co-authored book 'The Land Was Always Used' celebrating Inuit leadership in discovering the shipwrecks.
• TheirStory (Digital Storytelling Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with TheirStory to integrate their platform into Know History's oral history services, enabling easier collection, organization, and sharing of stories while supporting community ownership of cultural knowledge and legacy.
• SandBay Entertainment and LGBT Purge FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnow History worked with SandBay Entertainment and the LGBT Purge Fund to create the Survivor Stories series, a digital collection preserving experiences of those affected by Canada's systematic LGBT Purge in the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP, and federal public service.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lord Cultural Resources: Lord Cultural Resources is a global cultural planning and consulting firm advising museums, galleries, and heritage institutions on strategy, programming, and interpretive planning. It overlaps with Know History's interpretive planning and museum exhibit development service lines, though Lord is more strategy-focused and global.
• History Associates Incorporated: History Associates Inc. is a US-based historical research and archival services firm serving government, corporations, and cultural institutions. It is the most direct North American peer to Know History, offering comparable archival research, oral history, and corporate history services.
• NVision Insight Group: NVision Insight Group is an Indigenous-owned research and engagement firm featured in The Globe and Mail for its work on Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. It is a long-standing Know History partner (10+ years) and a direct peer in Indigenous history, engagement, and reconciliation services.
• JCM Heritage Group (formerly Haley Sharpe Design): JCM Heritage Group is a UK-based heritage interpretation, museum, and cultural planning consultancy that delivers interpretive planning, exhibition design, and heritage strategy. It is comparable to Know History on the museum exhibit development and interpretive planning dimensions.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM - Cultural Heritage Services: AECOM operates a global cultural heritage and archaeology practice within its environmental services business. Comparable to Know History on large-scale cultural resource inventory and heritage management, though AECOM is a much larger, diversified professional services firm.
• Stantec - Cultural Resources: Stantec's Cultural Resources group delivers heritage consulting, archaeology, and interpretive services as part of a global engineering and environmental firm. It is a broad incumbent competing with Know History on cultural resource inventory and heritage impact assessment engagements.
• Golder Associates (now WSP) - Heritage Services: Golder (now part of WSP) operates a heritage and archaeology services practice within a much larger engineering and environmental consulting platform. It is a broad incumbent providing cultural resource management that overlaps with Know History's Cultural Resource Inventory work, especially on resource-sector projects.
• CallisonRTKL (now Callison) Heritage: Callison (formerly CallisonRTKL) is a global design and architecture firm with a heritage and cultural practice that designs museums, visitor centers, and interpretive experiences. It is comparable to Know History on the museum and cultural institution design side, though Callison is a much broader design firm.

Emerging players

• Split River Studios: Split River Studios is a Canadian Indigenous-led production and storytelling studio producing documentary and digital content for Indigenous communities. It is a thematic peer to Know History on Indigenous oral history and storytelling, but smaller and more production-focused.
• Rivet Professional (Rivet Group): Rivet Professional / Rivet Group provides research, engagement, and communications services with a focus on Indigenous communities and public history. It is a smaller, more regional peer in Indigenous historical and engagement work compared to Know History's national footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knowhistory
• Xx.com/knowhistorycdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/KnowHistory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Know History