Knowinnovation

What Knowinnovation does

Knowinnovation (KI) is a private professional services firm founded in 2004 and headquartered in Seminole, Florida, that designs and delivers structured facilitation services to accelerate interdisciplinary scientific innovation. The company's core offering is a portfolio of workshop formats — including Ideas Labs (5-day residential events for 25-30 researchers), Micro Labs (60-90 minute virtual sessions), Scoping Sessions, Group Writing Workshops, Convergence Accelerator Workshops, Square-Table Workshops, Interactive Conferences, and Custom Events — built on the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) methodology originating in the 1950s and adapted for academic and research environments. KI also operates The Academy (academy.knowinnovation.com), an online learning platform offering courses such as Essentials of Creativity, Creative Process, and Designing Research Innovation Workshops, with published pricing ranging from $440 (Foursight Profile assessment) to $1,250 (federal cohort course).

KI serves government agencies, national funding bodies, universities, and research institutions globally, with a distributed facilitator network spanning the U.S., U.K., Ireland, and Spain and engagements documented across six continents. Named clients include the United Nations, National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, MIT, Cisco, and the U.K.'s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Revenue is generated primarily through professional services engagements (workshop facilitation, custom events, training programs) priced on a quote basis, supplemented by recurring course revenue through The Academy and self-serve virtual workshops delivered on the company's KI Storm and Hub.KI platforms. The company is privately held and bootstrapped, with no disclosed venture or private equity funding; it has spawned two affiliated organizations — Innovation Bound (corporate market extension) and Inclusive Innovation (developing-country extension) — that operate independently of the core KI brand.

Name

Knowinnovation

Legal name

Knowinnovation Inc

Website

https://knowinnovation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knowinnovation is a private consulting firm that designs and facilitates interdisciplinary science workshops and online courses for government agencies, funding bodies, universities, and research organizations globally, using the Creative Problem Solving methodology since 2004.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Innovation Facilitation Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK), Interactive Practice & Skill-Building (Drills, Games, Mastery Practice) (EDAFACAC)

Keywords

• Interdisciplinary research facilitation
• Scientific innovation consulting
• Creative problem solving
• Workshop facilitation services
• Research collaboration training

Headquarters

HQ city

Seminole

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workshop Facilitation Services: KI designs and implements various events including Ideas Labs, Virtual Events, Scoping Sessions, Group Writing Workshops, Micro Labs, Convergence Accelerator Workshops, Square-Table Workshops, Interactive Conferences, and Custom Events for clients in government, academia, and research organizations
2. Online Academy Courses: The Academy offers online courses including The Essentials of Creativity (9-week course), Creative Process (deep dive into CPS), and Designing Research Innovation Workshops. Products include Federal Essentials of Creativity at $1,250 and Understanding your Foursight Profile at $440
3. Training Programs: Training individual PIs and small groups to regularly use deliberate creative problem solving in their collaborative efforts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Knowinnovation designs and facilitates structured, in-person and virtual workshops (Ideas Labs, Scoping Sessions, Group Writing Workshops, Micro Labs, Convergence Accelerator Workshops, Square-Table Workshops, Interactive Conferences, and Custom Events) that bring together interdisciplinary groups of 25–30 researchers to form teams, develop grant proposals, and integrate knowledge. Complementing the facilitation services, The Academy delivers online cohort courses in the science of deliberate creativity and Creative Problem Solving for research and innovation professionals.

Product overview

Knowinnovation (KI) operates a portfolio of facilitation services and educational products focused on accelerating scientific innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration. The core offering consists of KI Workshops, which include Ideas Labs, Virtual Events, Scoping Sessions, Group Writing Workshops, Micro Labs, Convergence Accelerators, Square-Table Workshops, Interactive Conferences, and Custom Events. Complementing the workshop services is The Academy, an online learning platform offering courses such as The Essentials of Creativity, Creative Process, and Designing Research Innovation Workshops. Additional platforms include KI Storm (virtual events platform) and Hub.KI. The company also sells individual course products including the Essentials of Creativity cohort courses and Understanding your Foursight Profile.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Academy: An online learning platform that offers courses on research catalysis and creative problem solving methodologies

Products and services

• KI Workshops Structured facilitation services for interdisciplinary scientific teams, delivered as Ideas Labs, Virtual Events, Scoping Sessions, Group Writing Workshops, Micro Labs, Convergence Accelerators, Square-Table Workshops, Interactive Conferences, and Custom Events. Designed for government agencies, funders, universities, and research organizations needing to break down silos and produce innovative collaborative work.
• The Academy (Online Learning Platform) Online learning platform from Knowinnovation offering self-paced and cohort-based courses such as The Essentials of Creativity, Creative Process, and Designing Research Innovation Workshops for research and innovation professionals.
• Essentials of Creativity Spring 2026 Cohort A cohort-based Academy course scheduled for March 2026 that teaches fundamental concepts in the science of deliberate creativity to research professionals, with a pricing tier of $1,250 listed for federal government employees.
• Understanding your Foursight Profile A one-time Academy course product priced at $440 that helps individuals interpret their Foursight Profile assessment results.
• Essentials of Creativity NCI Monday (Federal Version) A federal-employee-exclusive version of The Essentials of Creativity course available through The Academy; listed as currently out of stock.
• KI Storm Virtual Events Platform Virtual events platform operated by Knowinnovation to host multi-day interactive online workshops (including Micro Labs and full virtual Ideas-Lab-style events) without requiring travel.
• Hub.KI Website platform operated by Knowinnovation that supports its workshop and event services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,000+ participants in MOOC on creativity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009In 2009, EPSRC approached the team about running a joint event with NSF. This collaboration led to the introduction of Ideas Labs (renamed from Sandpit for American audiences) in the U.S. The NSF's synthetic biology event was successful and led to more events stateside, eventually prompting the formal naming of Knowinnovation.
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK (EPSRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003EPSRC approached the founding team in 2003 to address the challenge of promoting interdisciplinary proposals. This collaboration led to the development of the Sandpit process at Royal Mail's Innovation Lab, which evolved into the current Ideas Lab format used worldwide. EPSRC was the initial client that catalyzed the formation of Knowinnovation.
• Royal Mail Innovation LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003The UK's mail delivery service's Innovation Lab provided the venue and creative environment where EPSRC retreats were held. The lab was a sleek, high-tech space where rules were broken in the name of creativity, with innovation as the goal. It was instrumental in inspiring scientists to break down silos and build teams.
• Innovation BoundminorOthersAn offspring organization of KI that takes the KI approach into the corporate world
• Inclusive InnovationminorOthersAn offspring organization of KI that takes the facilitation approach to developing countries

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy that facilitates human-centered innovation processes for major organizations. Closely comparable in facilitation-led innovation services and the creative-problem-solving tradition, though IDEO is larger and more design-led.
• Jump Associates: Innovation consulting firm that works with Fortune 500 leaders on breakthrough innovation, often using immersive, facilitated formats. Comparable in facilitation-led innovation engagements with research-adjacent and enterprise clients.
• Institute for the Future (IFTF): Nonprofit futures and innovation research institute that convenes researchers, funders, and practitioners around emerging challenges. Comparable to KI in serving research-oriented clients with facilitated foresight and interdisciplinary collaboration services.
• Forum for the Future: International sustainability nonprofit that convenes cross-sector collaborations and runs facilitated innovation programs. Comparable as a facilitation-heavy organization serving research, government, and corporate clients on thorny interdisciplinary issues.
• What If Innovation: Innovation facilitation firm that designs and runs collaborative workshops for organizations seeking breakthrough ideas. Closely comparable in event-driven facilitation services targeting interdisciplinary research and innovation outcomes.
• International Futures Forum (IFF): Scottish facilitation organization helping public and research-sector bodies navigate complex, contested challenges via structured dialogue and workshops. Comparable niche facilitation firm serving public-sector and research clients in Europe.
• The Presencing Institute: Innovation and transformation facilitation organization built on Otto Scharmer's Theory U. Directly comparable in running facilitated, multi-day interventions that bring together diverse stakeholders around complex systemic challenges.
• Creative Education Foundation (CEF): Nonprofit custodian of the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) methodology that underpins KI's facilitation approach. Direct methodological lineage to KI's work and operates adjacent training, certification, and conference programming.
• Innosight: Innovation strategy consulting firm (founded by Clayton Christensen) that helps organizations build innovation capabilities. Comparable in advising research-adjacent and enterprise clients on innovation programs, though focused more on strategy than facilitation.

Broad incumbents

• Doblin (Deloitte): Innovation consultancy inside Deloitte offering design, research, and innovation-program services at global enterprise scale. Comparable in offering facilitated innovation programs to large organizations, but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/knowinnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knowinnovation-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Knowinnovation