AtKisson Group

What AtKisson Group does

AtKisson Group was a privately-held sustainability consulting firm founded by Alan AtKisson in Seattle in 1992 and officially closed in 2021, after the founder's 2018 departure to Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency). The firm operated a 'small-but-global' model consisting of affiliated consulting firms, foundations, individual experts, and university-based centers of expertise in approximately a dozen countries, including a Stockholm office established in 2001 where AtKisson resided as a US-Sweden dual citizen. Over 26 years of operation, AtKisson Group served 285 organizational clients across 50 countries and completed 355 projects, with marquee engagements including Nike, Levi Strauss (seven-year program), Volvo Cars, WWF, the United Nations Secretariat, Toshiba, and Al-Sayer Group in Kuwait.

The firm's core intellectual property was the Accelerator Suite — a collection of systems-based sustainability training and planning tools built around the open-source VISIS method (Vision, Indicators, Systems, Innovation, Strategy). The suite comprised four proprietary methodologies: the Sustainability Compass (a Nature/Economy/Society/Wellbeing framework adopted in schools including International Baccalaureate curricula), the Pyramid Workshop (a collaborative VISIS-based planning method where participants construct a physical 3D pyramid), the Amoeba Model (a change-agent role framework dating to the early 1990s), and StrateSphere (a strategic planning toolkit). Products were delivered as workshop manuals, templates, and presentation slides rather than software, designed so that anyone who could read a manual and lead a group process could deploy them. The Accelerator was offered in Pro (professional licensing, pricing varied by region/organization) and Lite (freemium at $59 'Fair Price') versions.

Revenue was generated through professional consulting engagements with corporate, governmental, and intergovernmental clients; Master Class professional training programs (offered in Stockholm, Netherlands, Bangkok, and via ISSP); Accelerator Pro tool licensing to qualified organizations and practitioners; and Accelerator Lite retail sales. The firm pursued a thought-leadership-driven go-to-market anchored on Alan AtKisson's personal brand, the WaveFront newsletter (2003-2018), TEDx talks, keynote speeches, and books including 'Believing Cassandra' (1999) and 'Parachuting Cats into Borneo' (2016). Following the founder's 2018 departure, the consulting network continued as the Sustainability Accelerator Network under Systainability Asia, and in 2021 the Accelerator tools were donated to Compass Education, a spin-off non-profit that now owns and manages the methodology.

Name

AtKisson Group

Legal name

AtKisson Group

Website

https://atkisson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AtKisson Group (1992-2021) was a small global sustainability consultancy that developed the proprietary Accelerator tool suite (Compass, Pyramid, Amoeba, StrateSphere) and served 285 clients including Nike, Levi Strauss, Volvo, WWF, and the UN Secretariat across 50 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• Professional training services
• Strategic planning frameworks
• Change management advisory
• Corporate sustainability transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Sustainability consulting engagements at all levels — from vision and strategy to training and implementation. The firm provided advisory services to companies, governments, cities, and international organizations.
2. Accelerator Tool Licensing: The Accelerator Pro tools are available for licensing to qualified organizations and individual practitioners. Prices vary depending on location, organization type, and intended use.
3. Accelerator Lite Sales: Accelerator Lite available in both Free and Fair Price versions (US $59). Free version for educational and non-commercial use. Revenue supports non-profit ventures and free distribution.
4. Professional Training Programs: Master Classes in Change for Sustainability and other professional development programs taught by AtKisson and colleagues, offered in locations such as Stockholm, Netherlands, and Bangkok.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AtKisson Group was a sustainability consultancy that provided advisory services spanning vision, strategy, training, and implementation, alongside professional training programs and a proprietary suite of systems-based sustainability planning tools (the Accelerator suite). It served leading corporations, governments, cities, universities, and international organizations globally through a network of affiliates, with revenue derived from consulting fees, professional training programs, and licensing of its Accelerator tools (Accelerator Pro and Accelerator Lite).

Product overview

AtKisson Group (now closed, successor being Sustainability Accelerator Network) offered the Accelerator Suite, a comprehensive collection of sustainability tools and methodologies. The suite includes four main components: Sustainability Compass (for framing and assessing sustainability), Pyramid Workshop (for collaborative learning and planning), Amoeba (for understanding change agent roles and innovation adoption), and StrateSphere (for strategic planning). The tools use the VISIS Method (Vision, Indicators, Systems, Innovation, Strategy) as an underlying framework. A simplified version called Accelerator Lite was made available free for educational and non-commercial use. All tools were later donated to Compass Education non-profit organization. The tools consist of processes, frameworks, manuals, templates, and presentation slides rather than software applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Accelerator Pro: Professional version of sustainability tools including Compass, Pyramid, Amoeba, and StrateSphere for training and change management
• Accelerator Lite
• Sustainability Compass
• Pyramid Workshop
• Amoeba Model
• 17Goals Initiative
• Pyramid 2030

Products and services

• Accelerator Suite Comprehensive suite of tools for sustainability training and planning, including Compass, Pyramid, Amoeba, and StrateSphere, designed to support educators and change-makers advancing sustainability learning and action.
• Sustainability Compass Framework for introducing and framing sustainability with intuitive clustering categories (Nature, Economy, Society, Well-Being). Used in schools for organizing sustainability studies and by corporations as their principal sustainability framework; includes comprehensive assessment for companies.
• Pyramid Workshop Collaborative workshop for learning about sustainability or creating plans and initiatives using the VISIS method (Vision, Indicators, Systems, Innovation, Strategy), with participants building a physical pyramid as a 3-D model.
• Amoeba Model helping people understand different roles in innovation adoption processes, including a role-playing exercise and planning tools for change agents to develop strategies for introducing new ideas.
• StrateSphere Strategic planning toolkit containing introduction to the VISIS method, comprehensive strategic planning templates, and tools for evaluating strategic niche and team implementation capacity, providing a 360-degree understanding of theory of change.
• Accelerator Pro Professional licensed version of the Accelerator suite (Compass, Pyramid, Amoeba, StrateSphere) available to qualified organizations and individual practitioners, with pricing varying by location, organization type, and intended use.
• Accelerator Lite Simplified version of the Accelerator toolkit available in free and fair-price ($59) versions for educational and non-commercial settings; includes user-friendly versions of Sustainability Compass, Pyramid workshop, and Amoeba role-playing game with manuals and PowerPoint slides.
• Sustainability Consulting Services Sustainability advisory services at all levels, from vision and strategy to training and implementation; helps clients assess risks and options, create new comprehensive multi-year strategies, and identify next steps within existing programs.
• Master Classes in Change for Sustainability Professional training programs and workshops for change agents and sustainability professionals, renowned for being high-energy, high-engagement, and high-impact; offered at partner institutions and conferences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 285 organizational clients served over 26 years of operation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Compass EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtKisson Group gifted its Accelerator tools to Compass Education, a spin-off non-profit organization. Compass Education now owns and manages the tools (Compass, Pyramid, Amoeba) and focuses on youth development programs and training. Revenue from tool sales goes to Compass Education.
• Systainability AsiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSystainability Asia, based in Thailand, manages the Sustainability Accelerator Network following Alan AtKisson's departure. Robert Steele and Watkana 'Nong' Thongrueng lead the network's continued operations.
• Systainability Asia (Affiliate - SE Asia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partner covering Southeast Asia region within the AtKisson Group network.
• Center for Sustainability Transformation (C4ST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly ISIS Academy, C4ST is the professional development and training division spun out of AtKisson Group. Co-founded by Axel Klimek and Alan AtKisson. Continues Master Classes in Change for Sustainability.
• Centre for Systems Solutions (Poland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partner in Poland within the AtKisson Group network.
• Auburn University (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner covering Southeast USA within the AtKisson Group network, based at Auburn University.
• Cabinet Espere (France)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partner in France within the AtKisson Group network. Led by JF Fillaut, involved in Proplast Senegal circular economy project.
• Change Agent Inc. (Japan)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partner in Japan within the AtKisson Group network. Worked with Toshiba on green technology awards.
• Center for Sustainable Development / CEMUS - Uppsala University (Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Sweden, part of Uppsala University.
• Mendeleev University of Chemical Science (Russia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Russia within the AtKisson Group network.
• CREATE / Sasin Center for Sustainability Management (Thailand)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Thailand, associated with Sasin Graduate Institute of Business at Chulalongkorn University. Robert Steele serves as senior associate.
• Sendzimir FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner within the AtKisson Group network, supporting sustainability transformation initiatives.
• Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter leaving AtKisson Group, Alan AtKisson joined Sida's leadership team as Director for the Department of Partnership and Innovation. Sida supports sustainable development in countries most in need.
• NIRAS (Sweden)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSwedish government lead contractor administering SIDA International Training Programs in which Alan AtKisson participated as key lecturer-trainer.
• DOGA (Norwegian Center for Design and Architecture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the Oslo Manifesto with AtKisson Group, a design-focused initiative translating the UN SDGs into design language for designers, architects, and city planners.
• 17Goals PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder partnership with over 20 organizations in a dozen countries, formally listed with the UN's partnership registry. AtKisson Group is principal sponsor. Initiative raises awareness and inspires action on the 17 SDGs.
• Paris Pledge for ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtKisson Group signed the Paris Pledge for Action alongside over 1,000 non-state actors committing to support the Paris Agreement on climate change.
• Proplast (Senegal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenegal-based social enterprise for plastic recycling and livelihood, established by Cabinet Espere (France affiliate). AtKisson Group network supported the initiative. Proplast has over 250 employees.
• WWF SwedencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAtKisson Group provided strategic and research support to WWF Sweden on topics related to sustainability and economics, including the 'All Hands on Deck' Blue Economy report and ongoing Arctic Blue Economy work.
• Chelsea Green PublishingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of 'Parachuting Cats into Borneo' by Axel Klimek and Alan AtKisson, published in 2016.
• GreenBizminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlan AtKisson maintained a regular column 'North Star' on GreenBiz.com, contributing articles on sustainability and change.
• ISSP (International Society of Sustainability Professionals)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAtKisson Group promoted and participated in ISSP events and professional development programs, including teaching online classes on Accelerator tools.
• ISSP (International Society of Sustainability Professionals)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAlan AtKisson taught online classes about Accelerator tools starting April 2018 in partnership with ISSP.
• European Commission (President's Science and Technology Advisory Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlan AtKisson served on a volunteer basis as an advisor to President Barroso of the European Commission as a member of his Science and Technology Advisory Council, contributing to the 'Future of Europe is Science' report.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Futerra: Futerra is a sustainability communications and strategy agency working with global brands on purpose-driven sustainability programs — comparable in combining strategy consulting, training, and thought-leadership content marketing.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a global nonprofit sustainability consultancy advising large corporates on ESG strategy, supply chain sustainability, and inclusive business — a comparable peer in mission, client base (Nike, Levi Strauss-style brands), and consulting methodology.
• Anthesis Group: Anthesis is a sustainability-focused consultancy offering strategy, climate, and product sustainability services to global corporates — competing head-to-head in the same corporate sustainability transformation space AtKisson Group served.
• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is an advisory organization helping businesses and governments accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy — directly comparable in advising corporates, governments, and cities on sustainability strategy and transformation.
• South Pole Group: South Pole provides climate strategy consulting, carbon credit advisory, and sustainability services to corporates and governments — comparable to AtKisson's combination of climate advisory, government engagement, and tools-based enablement.
• SustainAbility: SustainAbility is a strategy and sustainability advisory firm that helps corporates, investors, and NGOs develop sustainability strategies — directly comparable to AtKisson's mix of corporate advisory, framework development, and stakeholder engagement work.

Emerging players

• Compass Education: Compass Education is the non-profit that received AtKisson Group's Accelerator tools in 2021 and now owns/operates Compass, Pyramid, and Amoeba — the direct successor entity carrying the methodology IP forward.
• Systainability Asia: Systainability Asia is the Thailand-based affiliate that now manages the Sustainability Accelerator Network — the direct operational successor to AtKisson Group, providing regional sustainability consulting and training services.

Broad incumbents

• WSP Environment & Energy: WSP provides environmental consulting, climate adaptation, and sustainability advisory as part of its broader engineering and professional services portfolio — a broad incumbent competing in sustainability advisory and government engagement.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a global consultancy providing environmental, health, safety, sustainability, and ESG advisory services to multinational corporates — a larger incumbent overlapping the corporate sustainability advisory niche AtKisson occupied.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/atkissongroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AlanAtKisson
• Facebookfacebook.com/AtKisson-Group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 AtKisson Group