Genoa Black
Genoa Black is an Edinburgh-based strategy, brand, marketing, and creative consultancy founded in 2013, serving SMEs, mid-market firms, and enterprise clients across the UK and internationally through bespoke consulting engagements and public-sector framework programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Genoa Black does
Genoa Black is a strategy, brand, marketing, and creative consultancy headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, operating since 2013 as Genoa Black Ventures LLP. The firm delivers four interconnected service pillars — Business Insights (research and analysis), Business Strategy (growth planning and organisational development), Brand Design (identity, visual design, and messaging), and Marketing Services (campaigns, digital, content) — supplemented by structured offerings such as a 72-hour Business Health Check and a Growth Circuit pathway that bundles services with curated partner access. It also delivers the Glasgow Business Growth Framework as an approved Glasgow City Council partner and supports Business Gateway Fife.
The firm has no proprietary technology platform; outputs are produced by an in-house consultancy team of senior strategists, an Account Director with CIM accreditation, creative and motion designers, and graduate hires from Edinburgh College of Art. Service quality is positioned around senior-led delivery, sector depth in complex industries (energy, construction, oil & gas, engineering), and long client tenures including an 8+ year engagement with Mackenzie Construction.
Revenue is generated through bespoke project-based and multi-year retained engagements, with pricing agreed per engagement rather than via published tiers. The go-to-market is sales-led direct engagement, supplemented by content marketing through the GenoaMag blog, social channels, and public-sector framework participation that channels SME growth mandates. The client base spans SMEs, mid-market firms, and select enterprise accounts across the UK and selectively across Europe, North America, Oceania, and the Middle East.
Genoa Black firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Genoa Black
- Legal name
- Genoa Black Ventures LLP
- Website
- https://genoablack.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Genoa Black is an Edinburgh-based strategy, brand, marketing, and creative consultancy founded in 2013, serving SMEs, mid-market firms, and enterprise clients across the UK and internationally through bespoke consulting engagements and public-sector framework programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Genoa Black industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marketing and Business Strategy Consulting
- NAICS
- Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brand Consulting, Audits & Research (Brand Health, Equity, Competitive) (BPAFAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brand Guidelines, Governance & Brand Management (BPAFAEAF), Market, Shopper & Category Insights / Research Services (CRAOAOAI)
Keywords
Where Genoa Black is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Genoa Black business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Strategic Consulting Services: Bespoke consulting engagements providing business strategy, marketing strategy, and brand strategy services. Projects include short-term defined deliverables (rebrands, business planning) and ongoing retained services for marketing and design. Some retained clients have been with them for nearly a decade.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bespoke project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Genoa Black product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Genoa Black is a strategy, brand, marketing and creative consultancy delivering bespoke services across four pillars: Business Insights (research and analysis to inform strategic decisions), Business Strategy (growth planning, 1-3-5 year planning, organisational development), Brand Design (brand strategy, visual identity, messaging), and Marketing Services (digital marketing, content strategy, campaign management, brand activation). They also offer structured offerings including a 72-hour Business Health Check and the Growth Circuit service framework, alongside delivery of public sector growth programmes.
Product overview
Genoa Black is a strategy, brand, marketing and creative consultancy offering a portfolio of interconnected professional services. The core offering comprises four main service pillars: Business Insights (research and analysis), Business Strategy (strategic consulting and growth planning), Brand Design (brand identity and visual design), and Marketing Services (campaign execution and digital marketing). These are supported by structured service offerings including the Growth Circuit framework for guiding ambitious businesses through development phases, and the Business Health Check for rapid 72-hour business assessments. The company also delivers the Glasgow Business Growth Framework as an approved partner of Glasgow City Council, providing targeted consultancy support for high-potential businesses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Business Insights Research and analysis services that provide powerful insights to inform strategic direction and de-risk decision making for business leaders and ambitious organisations.
- Business Strategy Strategic consulting services to help business leaders navigate complexities, including business growth planning, 1-3-5 year planning, and organisational development.
- Brand Design Brand design services to breakthrough market noise and build emotional connection, including brand strategy, visual identity, and messaging development.
- Marketing Services Marketing services that drive customer acquisition, retention and growth, including digital marketing, content strategy, campaign management, and brand activation.
- Business Health Check A 72-hour assessment that provides an external evaluation of business health with clear, actionable recommendations across strategy, commercial performance, customers, operations and risk profile.
- Growth Circuit A curated pathway of services combining business strategy, brand design and marketing, with access to a curated partner pool to support businesses through every step of growth.
- Glasgow Business Growth Framework Delivery
Companies that use Genoa Black
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Genoa Black technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Genoa Black partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Quest CorporatecoreStrategic partnership announced to accelerate SME growth. The partnership addresses the principal barrier that holds back SMEs - the ability to finance growth.
- Scottish EnterpriseminorGenoa Black secured the International Growth Selling programme contract for the 7th consecutive year, working with Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International.
- Glasgow City CouncilcoreGenoa Black was successfully selected as a delivery partner for the Glasgow Business Growth Framework, an initiative designed to accelerate the growth of selected businesses across Glasgow through tailored consultancy support. The framework connects high-potential businesses with expert advisors to help them scale.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Genoa Black competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MadeBrave: Edinburgh-based brand, digital and creative agency of comparable size serving UK enterprise and ambitious growth-stage clients with strategy, brand and digital execution - the closest geographic and capability peer to Genoa Black.
- Whitespace: Edinburgh-headquartered creative and branding agency offering brand strategy, design and integrated campaigns for ambitious brands - directly comparable in services, scale and Scottish market focus.
- Wire (formerly Taxi Studio): UK brand design and creative agency specialising in brand strategy, identity and campaign work for B2B and consumer clients - directly comparable in offering mix and boutique positioning.
- The Lane Agency: UK independent brand and creative agency delivering strategy, brand design and campaigns for ambitious brands - similar boutique model, comparable service pillars and enterprise client base.
- Multiply Marketing: UK marketing and brand consultancy providing strategy, brand and growth marketing services to mid-market and enterprise clients - closely comparable in service mix and target segment.
- Bloom Consultancy: UK brand and marketing consultancy working with ambitious SMEs and mid-market clients on strategy, brand and growth - directly comparable in size, audience and integrated offering.
- Dinosaur (Edinburgh): Edinburgh-based brand and creative agency offering brand strategy, identity and communications - a direct Scottish competitor in the boutique brand consultancy space.
- Reason Digital: UK digital marketing and brand agency serving ambitious organisations with strategy, brand and digital delivery - comparable boutique model targeting similar growth-stage UK clients.
- Hallam Internet: UK multi-award-winning digital marketing and brand agency offering strategy, brand and integrated campaigns to UK and international SMEs and mid-market - similar full-service boutique positioning.
Emerging players
- Frame (UK consulting): UK strategy and brand consultancy focused on ambitious SMEs and scale-ups, providing business strategy, brand and growth services - overlapping offering but typically earlier-stage clients than Genoa Black's enterprise base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Genoa Black social profiles
Digital presenceGenoa Black compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Genoa Black financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Genoa Black leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Genoa Black funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Genoa Black 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 Genoa Black
What does Genoa Black do?
Genoa Black is a strategy, brand, marketing and creative consultancy delivering bespoke services across four pillars: Business Insights (research and analysis to inform strategic decisions), Business Strategy (growth planning, 1-3-5 year planning, organisational development), Brand Design (brand strategy, visual identity, messaging), and Marketing Services (digital marketing, content strategy, campaign management, brand activation). They also offer structured offerings including a 72-hour Business Health Check and the Growth Circuit service framework, alongside delivery of public sector growth programmes.
Is Genoa Black a public or private company?
Genoa Black is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Genoa Black founded?
Genoa Black was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Genoa Black based?
Genoa Black is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Genoa Black make money?
One revenue line is on record: strategic Consulting Services.
Who are Genoa Black's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MadeBrave, Whitespace, Wire (formerly Taxi Studio), The Lane Agency, Multiply Marketing, Bloom Consultancy, Dinosaur (Edinburgh), Reason Digital and Hallam Internet. Frame (UK consulting) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Genoa Black have an API?
No public API is recorded for Genoa Black.
What industry is Genoa Black in?
Genoa Black's product category is Marketing and Business Strategy Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAJ, Brand Consulting, Audits & Research (Brand Health, Equity, Competitive), with a secondary code of BPAFAEAF, Brand Guidelines, Governance & Brand Management. Its NAICS code is 541613 and its SIC code is 8742.