What Clay Interactive does

Clay Interactive Limited is a London-based multidisciplinary design studio founded in 2007 by Anthony Pearson, Chris Owens, and Adrian Ward. The studio designs and produces bespoke interactive digital experiences — including touch-screen interfaces, large-scale projections, gesture- and body-tracking installations, RFID-enabled exhibits, augmented reality mobile applications, and custom physical interfaces — primarily for museums and cultural institutions. Its portfolio spans 100+ projects with flagship UK clients such as the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Library, V&A, and Imperial War Museums, alongside international and corporate work including Siemens' The Crystal, the UAE Pavilion at EXPO Milano (with Foster and Partners), and Christie's auction house.

The studio operates on a project-based professional services model, engaging clients directly through bespoke commissions rather than packaged product lines. Its technical capabilities span interactive 3D and real-time visualisation (Unity), photogrammetry-based 3D conversion, full-body gesture tracking (Kinect-based), generative audio software, RFID smart-ticket integration, facial analysis, and AR mobile applications. Notable signature projects include the British Music Experience permanent exhibition system, the Information Age Gallery's ten interactive exhibits at the Science Museum, and the British Museum's first iPhone app (Book of the Dead).

Clay Interactive has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and remains a privately held boutique studio of 1–10 employees. It reaches clients primarily through portfolio-based marketing and its reputation within the UK cultural sector, supported by partnerships with leading exhibition designers and architects (Zaha Hadid Architects, Casson Mann, WilkinsonEyre, Easy Tiger, Hara Clark). In 2025 it was awarded 'Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year' at the Museum and Heritage Awards for Beyond the Bassline at the British Library.

Name

Clay Interactive

Legal name

Clay Interactive Limited

Website

https://clayinteractive.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clay Interactive is a London-based multidisciplinary design studio, founded in 2007, that creates bespoke interactive digital exhibits, projections, AR apps, and immersive installations primarily for UK museums and cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Interactive Exhibit Design

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG)

Keywords

• Interactive exhibit design
• Museum digital experiences
• Interactive media production
• Immersive experience design
• Cultural venue installations

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Design and Production: Project-based design and production of interactive digital exhibits for museums and cultural institutions. Services range from consultancy through to full design, production, and delivery of interactive experiences including exhibits, projections, digital media, and mobile apps.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Clay Interactive is a multidisciplinary design studio that designs and produces bespoke interactive digital exhibits and media experiences for museums and cultural institutions. Their work spans custom physical interfaces, large-scale projections, animation, digital media production, mobile applications, AR/VR experiences, and custom hardware/software integration, delivered as individual projects from consultancy through to full design, production, and delivery.

Product overview

Clay Interactive is a multidisciplinary design studio (not a unified software product) that creates bespoke interactive media experiences primarily for museums and cultural institutions. Their portfolio includes interactive exhibits featuring custom hardware interfaces, large-scale projections and animation, mobile applications, and immersive installations. Notable products include the British Music Experience permanent exhibition system, The Crystal's five major interactive exhibits for Siemens, the Information Age Gallery's ten interactive software exhibits, various mobile apps including the British Museum's Book of the Dead app, and specialized interactive installations like the UAE Pavilion's 48 holographic media cubes. Their work spans touch-based interactives, projection-mapped experiences, body-tracking installations, RFID-enabled exhibits, and AR mobile applications, delivered as custom projects rather than standardized product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interactive Exhibition Design and Production End-to-end project-based service designing and producing bespoke interactive digital exhibits for museums and cultural institutions. Spans consultancy through to full design, production, and delivery of interactive experiences including exhibits, projections, digital media, and mobile apps. For major UK museums, international cultural institutions, and exhibition designers.
• Mobile Applications for Museums

Quantifiable outcome

• Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year at Museum and Heritage Awards 2025 for Beyond the Bassline
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability32 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Easy TigercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular collaboration partner on museum exhibitions including Executions at Museum of London and Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition. Easy Tiger serves as exhibition designers while Clay provides digital media and interactive production.
• Hara ClarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular exhibition design collaborator including London: Port City at Museum of London, Gold and Glory at Hampton Court Palace, and Russian Revolution at British Library.
• Land Design StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing design partner including Octagon Gallery at UCL and British Music Experience, working together on exhibition design projects.
• Casson MannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition design collaborators on Nelson, Navy, Nation at National Maritime Museum and Atmosphere gallery at Science Museum.
• Drinkall DeanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partners on Fantasy: Realms of Imagination and Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth at British Library.
• Zaha Hadid ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Mathematics Gallery at Science Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, with Clay providing interactive exhibits for the gallery.
• Ralph Appelbaum AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWindow on the World project at National Museum of Scotland with Ralph Appelbaum Associates as exhibition designers.
• Foster and PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on UAE Pavilion at EXPO Milano, with Foster and Partners as architects and Clay providing interactive media exhibits.
• WilkinsonEyreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition design partners on Gibson Pharmacy at Science Museum.
• SiemenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Crystal sustainable cities initiative by Siemens - Clay designed and developed multiple interactive exhibits including sustainable building design, city management, and urban emergency response simulations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ideum: Designs and fabricates multitouch tables, interactive exhibits, and large-format displays for museums, science centres, and cultural venues. Direct peer: same bespoke interactive exhibit model, same museum customer base, complementary hardware/software integration capabilities.
• ESI Design: Long-standing NYC-based interactive experience studio delivering permanent museum installations (e.g. National Museum of African American History, 9/11 Museum). Overlapping client profile and similar multidisciplinary approach with Clay; key difference is ESI's larger US scale.
• Local Projects: New York-based studio creating interactive, narrative-driven installations for museums and cultural institutions (e.g. National September 11 Memorial Museum, Cooper Hewitt). Closest international peer to Clay — same niche, similar use of digital and physical interfaces, similar prestigious client roster.
• Holition: London-based AR/VR experiential studio producing interactive and augmented reality content for museums, retail and brands. Comparable niche: technology-led visitor engagement for cultural and commercial clients, similar size and London base.
• Tellart (formerly Second Story): Interactive experience studio with deep museum and brand-experience portfolio, building sensor-rich, projected, and gesture-driven exhibits. Comparable scope of work to Clay (visitor centres, museums, brand experiences) at a similar creative-technical altitude.
• C&G Partners: Design studio combining branding, exhibit, and interactive media work for cultural institutions and corporate clients. Direct competitor for museum interpretation and digital exhibit briefs; comparable cross-disciplinary "design studio" structure.
• Project Projects: Design studio specialising in exhibitions, identity, and interactive media for cultural institutions (Whitney, Cooper Hewitt, Cleveland Museum of Art). Direct peer in museum exhibition design with overlapping interactive practice.

Emerging players

• Studio NAND: Berlin-based studio creating interactive data-visualisation and digital exhibit experiences for museums and cultural clients. Smaller and geographically narrower than Clay but operates in the same data-driven interpretive niche (e.g. "Our Lives in Data"-style work).

Broad incumbents

• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Global exhibition design firm with deep museum portfolio (Smithsonian, Science Museum). Sometimes partners with Clay (e.g. National Museum of Scotland), sometimes competes for interpretive design scope at larger institutions.
• Squint/Opera: London-based creative studio producing immersive experiences for museums, brands, and cultural venues (e.g. V&A, Natural History Museum — overlapping with Clay's clients). Wider scope (branded content, theatre, VR) and larger team than Clay, but directly competes for the same UK museum brief.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/clayinteractive
• Instagraminstagram.com/clayinteractive
• Xx.com/clayinteractive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clay-interactive-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Clay Interactive