The CIO Circle

What The CIO Circle does

The CIO Circle (legal entity: Intercor Transformation Limited) is a UK-based, founder-led membership ecosystem for senior technology leaders. Founded in 2018 by Brad Dowden, an experienced CIO, the platform operates as a vetted peer community and curated marketplace targeting CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CISOs, and IT leaders at the director and C-suite level. The company lists 800+ technology-leader members drawn from organisations including AWS, HSBC, PayPal, Nokia, Infosys, UK Parliament, Delta, CBRE, Adecco, Amnesty International, and others across financial services, government, cloud, telecoms, retail, healthcare, and nonprofit verticals.

The platform is delivered via a digital membership portal (member.theciocircle.com) with three tiers: a free Starter tier for IT managers and aspiring leaders, a £1,200/year Leader tier for IT directors, CISOs, and senior leaders, and a £2,900/year Executive tier for C-suite technology leaders. Differentiated platform components include a curated masterclass and expert-insight library, a Solution Navigator directory of vetted technology vendors, quarterly peer networking events, and private monthly peer forums for Executive members. The company has productised proprietary intellectual property — the registered 3P Framework™ (CIO cost-savings methodology) and BusinessITScan® (business-IT alignment diagnostic) — and complements these with paid advisory engagements: Board Advisory & Fractional CIO, Tech Spend Optimisation for CFOs, and Cyber Resilience.

The commercial model combines recurring individual subscription fees with tiered vendor partner-program revenue (Listed & Vetted, Contributing Knowledge, Invited to Partner) and bespoke advisory engagements for business leaders. The go-to-market is community-led: members join via self-service with application vetting, growth is driven by peer referrals and educational content, and a separate consultative sales motion supports advisory services. Founder-led, with 1-10 employees and no disclosed external funding, the company is positioned as an organic, self-funding niche community rather than a venture-backed scale-up.

Name

The CIO Circle

Legal name

Intercor Transformation Limited

Website

https://theCIOcircle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The CIO Circle is a UK-based, founder-led membership ecosystem serving 800+ senior technology leaders via a tiered subscription (free / £1,200 / £2,900 per year) with peer networking, a masterclass library, and a vetted vendor marketplace, supplemented by proprietary frameworks and fractional CIO advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Leadership Community & Advisory

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAFAO

Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Risk, Compliance & Governance Advisory

SECONDARYBPAEAPAG

Third-Party Risk, Vendor Due Diligence & Supply Chain Compliance

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) & Legal Tech

Keywords

• Technology leadership community
• CIO peer network
• Executive membership platform
• Technology advisory services
• IT consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription fees from three-tier membership model (Starter free, Leader £1,200/year, Executive £2,900/year). Recurring revenue from paid tiers with annual billing cadence.
2. Vendor Partnerships: Technology vendors gain curated access to senior technology leaders through a tiered partner program (Listed & Vetted, Contributing Knowledge, Invited to Partner). Revenue from vendor access and introductions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The CIO Circle is a membership ecosystem for senior technology leaders, offering three subscription tiers (Starter free, Leader £1,200/year, Executive £2,900/year) that provide peer networking, a curated masterclass library, and access to a vetted technology vendor directory (Solution Navigator). The company also sells standalone advisory services for business leaders, including Board Advisory & Fractional CIO engagements, Tech Spend Optimisation for CFOs, and Cyber Resilience consulting, and licenses proprietary frameworks such as The 3P Framework™ and BusinessITScan®.

Product overview

The CIO Circle is a membership ecosystem for senior technology leaders offering a tiered membership structure (Starter free, Leader £1,200/year, Executive £2,900/year) combined with proprietary frameworks and advisory services. The core membership tiers provide peer networking, educational content through a masterclass library, and access to the Solution Navigator. These are complemented by proprietary offerings including The 3P Framework™ for cost savings delivery and BusinessITScan® for business-IT alignment, alongside advisory services for board advisory/fractional CIO support, tech spend optimization for CFOs, and cyber resilience. The ecosystem connects 800+ senior technology leaders from organizations including AWS, HSBC, and others with vetted technology partners in a trust-based environment without sales pressure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership — Starter
• Membership — Leader
• Membership — Executive
• The 3P Framework™
• BusinessITScan®
• Board Advisory & Fractional CIO
• Tech Spend Optimisation for CFOs Service helping CFOs and business leaders optimize technology spending and achieve IT cost efficiencies, typically using The 3P Framework™ methodology.
• Cyber Resilience Advisory service focused on building organizational resilience against cyber threats, targeted at business leaders, boards, and CFOs requiring senior cybersecurity guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ senior technology leaders connected in the community

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Technology Vendors (Vetted Partner Program)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology vendors participate in a tiered partner program (Listed & Vetted, Contributing Knowledge, Invited to Partner). Vendors are vetted before access is granted. Partners contribute knowledge through masterclasses and earn trust by providing value, not pitching. Access is curated by The CIO Circle.
• Board Advisory & Fractional CIO ClientscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness leaders engage The CIO Circle for Board Advisory and Fractional CIO services, providing technology strategy expertise to organizations.
• Tech Cost Optimisation Clients (CFOs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFOs and business leaders engage The CIO Circle for technology spend optimization services using The 3P Framework.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CIO.com (Foundry / IDG): Long-running CIO media property with newsletters, events, and research serving enterprise technology leaders. Comparable as a destination for CIO content and community, though monetised through advertising rather than membership.
• Constellation Research: Technology research and advisory firm that advises CIOs and boards on disruptive technology, with a research subscription model and a CXO event series. Comparable on the advisory and content side for senior technology buyers.
• Gartner for IT Executives: Dominant enterprise IT research and advisory subscription business serving CIOs with benchmark research, advisory calls, and conferences. Comparable as a high-trust destination for CIO decision support, and the parent of direct peer Evanta.

Emerging players

• CDO Club: The world's largest community of C-suite data and analytics leaders, with summits, publications, and a vetted membership model. Adjacent to The CIO Circle's Executive tier targeting CDOs and C-suite technology leaders.
• Tough Tides (previously 'The Digital CIO'): Independent advisory and content platform serving CIOs and senior technology leaders with research, advisory, and fractional services. Comparable in scope to The CIO Circle's advisory and content offerings for tech executives.

Direct peers

• Evanta (a Gartner Company): Operates a large portfolio of CIO, CISO, and CDO peer communities, executive summits, and member programs globally. Comparable in targeting the same CIO audience with membership, events, and curated content.
• HMG Strategy: Operates one of the largest independent CIO and technology executive peer communities, including executive summits, advisory services, and a CIO Hall of Fame. Direct overlap with The CIO Circle's CIO community and advisory positioning.
• CIONET: European CIO peer community with a similar model of curated membership, peer events, and vendor partnerships targeting senior technology leaders. The CIO Circle competes most directly with CIONET in the EMEA CIO networking space.

Others

• Egon Zehnder Technology & Tech Practice: Global executive search and advisory firm with a dedicated technology officers practice, advising boards and CEOs on CIO succession and leadership. Adjacent to The CIO Circle's Fractional CIO and Board Advisory offerings.
• The Board of Innovation: Global innovation strategy and advisory firm that works with enterprise leadership teams on innovation programs. Adjacent as a provider of fractional advisory services to senior technology and business leaders, similar to The CIO Circle's Board Advisory practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theCIOcircle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cio-circle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The CIO Circle