Design Sprint Academy
Design Sprint Academy is a Berlin-based consultancy that helps enterprise teams make better decisions on AI, strategy, and product through facilitated workshops, proprietary AI-specific methodologies (AI Problem Framing, AI Workflow Sprint, AI Lab), and self-serve facilitator toolkits sold via e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Sprint Academy does
Design Sprint Academy GmbH & Co. KG is a Berlin-based consultancy founded in 2017 by John and Dana Vetan that helps enterprise teams make higher-quality decisions on AI, strategy, and product. The company has codified and adapted the original Google Ventures Design Sprint methodology — alongside an original Problem Framing method — into shorter, enterprise-grade formats and built an explicit AI practice around AI Problem Framing (1-day), AI Workflow Sprint (4-day), AI Design Sprint (4-day), and the AI Lab operating model installed inside client organisations. To date, DSA has trained 800+ teams across 17 industries and certified 208+ facilitators.
The product portfolio combines high-touch professional services with self-serve digital kits. Enterprise engagements are structured as either paid facilitation (Option A at €100K for the first two sessions) or full AI Lab installation (Option B at €125K, including facilitator training, toolkit licensing, and Lab support for the first three cycles). Public AI Facilitator Training cohorts run at €2,500 per participant (max 8 per cohort, 3 days). A direct-to-consumer e-commerce layer sells ~8 facilitator toolkits — including the 4U Workshop Kit, AI Problem Framing Facilitator Stack, Problem Framing Playbook, Design Sprint Method Cards, and Remote Sprint Facilitation Kit (with 9+ templates each for MIRO, MURAL, and ConceptBoard) — priced €19–€597 under one-time/perpetual licences.
DSA serves a blue-chip enterprise roster spanning construction (Turner Construction, ALEC Holdings, Caterpillar), energy (ENOC Dubai), consumer goods and retail (Red Bull, Adidas, Reckitt Benckiser, Ocado, Elm, Blue California), financial services (Barclays, RGA/RGAX), pharmaceuticals (Roche), and technology (Google, SAP, Amazon, eBay, Virgin Media). Go-to-market is a hybrid: enterprise field sales for corporate training and facilitation (driven by 'Book a call' CTAs and event-converted leads across London, Dubai, Riyadh, Bangalore, San Francisco, and Boulder), and self-serve e-commerce plus inside-sales public cohorts for the SMB/individual facilitator segment. The legal entity is a German GmbH & Co. KG, the company is founder-owned with no disclosed external investment, and headcount is reported at 1–10.
Design Sprint Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Sprint Academy
- Legal name
- Design Sprint Academy GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://designsprint.academy
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Design Sprint Academy is a Berlin-based consultancy that helps enterprise teams make better decisions on AI, strategy, and product through facilitated workshops, proprietary AI-specific methodologies (AI Problem Framing, AI Workflow Sprint, AI Lab), and self-serve facilitator toolkits sold via e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Sprint Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting and Training Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Science, Machine Learning & AI (Modeling, MLOps, GenAI) (EDABAFAE)
Keywords
Where Design Sprint Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Sprint Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Facilitator Toolkits and Digital Products: Sale of pre-packaged workshop kits and digital templates for facilitators. Products range from €19 to €597, including playbooks, method cards, presentation decks, and remote facilitation templates. One-time purchase model.
- Corporate Training Programs: Hands-on training programs that help enterprise teams run structured sessions independently. Training covers full methodology with playbooks and facilitation materials. Training catalog available upon request. Also includes public cohorts like AI Facilitator Training at €2,500 per participant.
- Expert Facilitation Services: DSA facilitates high-stakes workshops and strategy sessions for organisations. Clients include Turner Construction, ENOC Dubai, Red Bull, and Which?. Pricing for facilitation engagements reported at €100K for first two sessions or €125K for full AI Lab installation with training and support.
- AI Lab Installation: Full-service engagement to install AI Lab operating model inside organisations, including facilitator training, toolkit licensing, and support through first three Lab cycles. Option B engagement at €125K covering up to 15 internal facilitators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 4U Workshop Kit - 2-hour facilitation recipe for senior leaders |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | AI Problem Framing Facilitator Stack - Complete workshop-in-a-box |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Strategic Opportunity Brief - Document template |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Design Sprint Facilitation Kit 2025 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Problem Framing Playbook |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Design Sprint Method Cards |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Design Sprint Brief |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Remote Sprint Facilitation Kit - Templates and playbooks |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | AI Problem Framing + AI Workflow Sprint - Public cohort training |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Option A - DSA facilitates (AI Problem Framing + AI Workflow Sprint) |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Option B - DSA installs (AI Lab full installation) |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | AI Workflow Sprint individual engagement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Design Sprint Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Sprint Academy helps enterprise teams make better decisions on AI, strategy, and product through facilitated workshops (AI Problem Framing, AI Workflow Sprint, AI Design Sprint, Problem Framing, Design Sprint) and corporate training programs that build internal client capability. The company also sells a portfolio of downloadable facilitator toolkits (4U Workshop Kit, Method Cards, Remote Sprint Facilitation Kit, etc.) and installs its AI Lab operating model inside client organisations for ongoing AI decision-making.
Product overview
Design Sprint Academy offers a portfolio of facilitated workshops, structured methodologies, and downloadable digital products for enterprise decision-making on AI, strategy, and product. Core offerings include AI Problem Framing (one-day workshop), AI Workflow Sprint (4-day workshop), AI Design Sprint (4-day workshop), Problem Framing, and Design Sprint methodologies. The company also offers AI Facilitator Training (cohort-based 3-day and intensive 5-day formats) and the AI Lab — an operating model installed inside organisations built on AI Discovery Pods, AI Facilitators, and structured workshop cadence. Supporting these core services is a range of digital Facilitator Kits available for purchase: the 4U Workshop KIT, AI Problem Framing Facilitator Stack, The Strategic Opportunity Brief, Design Sprint Facilitation KIT 2025, The Problem Framing Playbook, Design Sprint Method Cards, The Design Sprint Brief, and the Remote Sprint Facilitation KIT.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The AI Lab: A structured system installed inside organisations for AI discovery and decision-making capability
- AI Problem Framing
- AI Workflow Sprint
- AI Design Sprint
- Problem Framing
- Design Sprint
Products and services
- AI Problem Framing
- AI Workflow Sprint
- AI Design Sprint
- Problem Framing
- Design Sprint
- AI Facilitator Training
- AI Lab
- 4U Workshop KIT
- AI Problem Framing Facilitator Stack
- The Strategic Opportunity Brief
- Design Sprint Facilitation KIT 2025 Easy-to-use presentation decks and playbooks to help lead design sprints like a pro, regardless of experience level.
- The Problem Framing Playbook
- Design Sprint Method Cards
- The Design Sprint Brief
- Remote Sprint Facilitation KIT
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ custom AI applications built by employees at Turner Construction
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Sprint Academy
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Design Sprint Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature8 records
Design Sprint Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Creative Glue LabminorCreative Glue Lab designed and built the Design Sprint Academy website. This is a vendor/contractor relationship for website development services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design Sprint Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IDEO: Pioneering global design and innovation consultancy offering design thinking workshops, innovation training, and facilitation for large enterprises. Overlaps with DSA's enterprise facilitation work and competes for the same corporate innovation budgets at a larger scale.
- BCG (Boston Consulting Group): Global management consulting firm with BCG X, BCG Platinion, and innovation practices offering AI strategy, venture building, and innovation facilitation. Already a DSA customer/adjacent contact (BCG logo listed) and a competitor for enterprise innovation mandates.
- Innosight: Innovation and growth strategy consultancy founded by Clayton Christensen, serving Fortune 500 clients with structured innovation frameworks. Comparable to DSA in offering methodology-driven enterprise transformation engagements at a much larger scale.
- Doblin (Deloitte): Deloitte's innovation consultancy practice offering structured innovation frameworks and enterprise transformation services. Overlaps with DSA in the enterprise innovation methodology space at much larger scale and brand reach.
- McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting firm whose QuantumBlack and McKinsey Design practices offer AI strategy, innovation facilitation, and digital transformation workshops. Competes with DSA for enterprise AI decision-making budgets.
- Frog Design: Global design and innovation consultancy (now part of Capgemini Engineering) offering design research, prototyping, and innovation facilitation to large enterprises. Competes with DSA for enterprise product and innovation mandates.
- Google Ventures (GV): The originator of the Design Sprint methodology that DSA explicitly adapts. While GV does not sell design sprint facilitation as a service, it shapes the methodology, trains practitioners, and runs SprintCon events, making it both a source of IP and a thought-leadership benchmark.
Direct peers
- AJ&Smart: Berlin-based design sprint facilitation and training consultancy co-founded by ex-Google Ventures Sprint Masters. AJ&Smart offers Design Sprint facilitation, training, and tooling to enterprise clients in the same geographies and verticals as DSA, making it the most direct head-to-head competitor.
- Strategyzer: Business model innovation training and tooling company offering workshops, certification, and playbooks (Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Canvas). Strategyzer competes for the same enterprise training budgets on innovation and decision-making methodologies.
Emerging players
- The Ready: Transformation and innovation consultancy offering facilitated workshops, organizational design, and change programs to mid-market and enterprise clients. Competes with DSA on the organizational transformation and facilitation side.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Design Sprint Academy social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Sprint Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Sprint Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Design Sprint Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Sprint Academy 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 Design Sprint Academy
What does Design Sprint Academy do?
Design Sprint Academy helps enterprise teams make better decisions on AI, strategy, and product through facilitated workshops (AI Problem Framing, AI Workflow Sprint, AI Design Sprint, Problem Framing, Design Sprint) and corporate training programs that build internal client capability. The company also sells a portfolio of downloadable facilitator toolkits (4U Workshop Kit, Method Cards, Remote Sprint Facilitation Kit, etc.) and installs its AI Lab operating model inside client organisations for ongoing AI decision-making.
Is Design Sprint Academy a public or private company?
Design Sprint Academy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Design Sprint Academy founded?
Design Sprint Academy was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Design Sprint Academy based?
Design Sprint Academy is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Design Sprint Academy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Facilitator Toolkits and Digital Products are the primary driver. The others are corporate Training Programs, expert Facilitation Services and AI Lab Installation.
Who are Design Sprint Academy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IDEO, BCG (Boston Consulting Group), Innosight, Doblin (Deloitte), McKinsey & Company, Frog Design and Google Ventures (GV). Direct peers are AJ&Smart and Strategyzer. The Ready is listed as an emerging player.
Does Design Sprint Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Sprint Academy.
What industry is Design Sprint Academy in?
Design Sprint Academy's product category is Management Consulting and Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAFAE, Data Science, Machine Learning & AI (Modeling, MLOps, GenAI). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8742.