What The Science Project does

The Science Project is a New York-based strategic consultancy, founded in 2012, that operates at the intersection of physical retail, consumer properties, and emerging digital ecosystems. The firm partners with global luxury and premium brands, iconic department stores, mall operators, and retail-technology companies — including Nike, Pat McGrath, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks, Simon Malls, Lexus, Clinique, Swarovski, Uniqlo, Diebold Nixdorf, and Resonai — to deliver brand transformation, DTC strategy, experience design, AR/XR and Digital Twin use-case development, and store-of-the-future concepting. Unlike a product company, The Science Project does not develop proprietary software platforms; it orchestrates third-party and client technologies (AR/XR, AI, IoT, Digital Twin, Web3) through proprietary conceptual frameworks such as 'Metaverse of the Mall,' 'Digital Square Foot,' and 'Mall of the Future.'

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements, typically scoped as multi-year strategic partnerships with senior-level collaboration embedded in client teams. Engagements are quoted individually and span brand strategy, communications, experience design, technology strategy, and implementation oversight. Notable outputs include the Simon Malls AR scavenger hunt platform deployed across 79 US properties, the Nike Consumer Direct Acceleration brand transformation (2015–2018, during which Nike reportedly tripled its DTC revenues), the Diebold Nixdorf AI Navigator brand platform launched in 2023, the WeDream World multi-sensory AR platform for Cannabition, and the XR Climate Controller built on Resonai's Vera Digital Twin platform.

The firm is founder-led, privately held, and independent of any disclosed institutional capital, with a small team of 11–50 employees. Marketing and demand generation run primarily through thought leadership publishing (Medium, Commercial Observer), NRF conference participation, a website-based client quiz, and referral-driven enterprise relationships built on a decade-plus roster of luxury and retail brand clients.

Name

The Science Project

Legal name

The Science Project

Website

https://thescienceproject.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Science Project is a New York–based strategic consultancy founded in 2012 that helps global luxury, retail, mall, and retail-technology clients translate emerging technologies — AR/XR, AI, Digital Twin, Web3 — into brand strategy, store-of-the-future concepts, and digital-physical experience design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Emerging Tech (IoT, Blockchain, AR/VR, Edge) Consulting (BPAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Advanced Analytics & Data Science Services (BPAEAHAE)

Keywords

• Retail brand consulting
• Digital transformation advisory
• Experiential retail design
• Luxury brand strategy
• Commercial real estate consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Engagements: Project-based consulting engagements where The Science Project provides strategic advisory, brand transformation, experience design, technology strategy, and implementation support to enterprise clients across retail, luxury, malls, and commercial real estate. Engagements are multi-year partnerships (e.g., Nike 2015-2018, Resonai 2021-2022, Diebold Nixdorf 2023-ongoing). Revenue is derived from professional services fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Science Project is a strategic consultancy that creates unified experiences bridging the critical divide between physical, digital, and emerging technology ecosystems for luxury brands, retail chains, malls, and commercial real estate owners. The firm delivers project-based engagements covering brand strategy, direct-to-consumer (DTC) transformation, experience design, store-of-the-future concepting, and the practical application of AR/XR, Digital Twin, AI, IoT, and Web3 technologies to built-world environments. Services are sold as multi-year consulting partnerships, not packaged software products.

Product overview

The Science Project is a strategic consultancy offering professional services rather than a unified software product. Their portfolio consists of consulting engagements across brand strategy, digital transformation, retail innovation, experience design, and emerging technology implementation (AR/VR, Digital Twin, AI). Key offerings include the Scottsdale Fashion Square brand platform, Nike's Consumer Direct Acceleration strategy, Diebold Nixdorf AI Navigator brand platform, Uniqlo flagship mobile experiences, Clinique Store of The Future, Simon Malls AR revenue platforms, WeDream World AR platform, Kate Spade Barricades campaign system, and XR Climate Controller. These are client engagements and service offerings, not packaged software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Brand & DTC Transformation Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Nike reportedly tripled its DTC revenues during The Science Project's engagement (2015-2018)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ResonaicoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021The Science Project served as the commercial lead for Resonai, an AI-powered Digital Twin platform described as an 'Operating System for the Built World.' The partnership involved solution creation, brand positioning, go-to-market strategy, business development for top 10 industry leaders in Retail, Mall, and Mixed-Use Venues, and the design of the 'Metaverse of the Mall' revenue platform.
• Verbal + VisualminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018The Science Project partnered with Verbal + Visual to build the Pat McGrath e-commerce platform redesign — concept, UX, and visual design of a new luxury beauty e-commerce platform from top to bottom.
• Wonderwall (Katayama)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Science Project worked alongside Wonderwall (founded by Masayuki Katayama), one of the industry's greatest design firms, to create the Lexus Intersect NYC retail space. Wonderwall served as the lead architect and design partner for this luxury automotive showroom.
• GenslercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Science Project collaborated with Gensler alongside Wonderwall to deliver the next generation of the luxury automotive showroom with retail, food + beverage, and entertainment concept for Lexus Intersect NYC.
• MAPOS ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The Science Project worked with MAPOS Architects alongside the Estée Lauder team to design Clinique's first-ever standalone physical store. MAPOS served as the architect for the 'Store of the Future' concept.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lippincott: Brand strategy consultancy serving many of the same Fortune 500 and luxury/premium clients as TSP, with deep expertise in retail, DTC, and customer experience transformation. Comparable boutique positioning and engagement model, though Lippincott leans more on brand identity and naming work than TSP's tech-driven experience design.
• Mother New York: Independent creative agency with a strong track record in retail and consumer brand campaigns. Comparable boutique NYC positioning and similar client caliber, overlapping with TSP on integrated retail and brand experience work, though Mother leans more on advertising/creative production.
• Edens (formerly Eight Inc.): Retail experience and brand design firm credited with creating the Apple Store concept; works with mall operators, luxury brands, and developers on physical experience design. Highly comparable to TSP on the physical/digital retail experience design axis, particularly for mall and luxury environments.
• Anomaly: Boutique brand strategy and creative agency with strong track record on DTC and direct-to-consumer brand building, overlapping with TSP's DTC transformation work for Nike and similar clients. Comparable size and boutique positioning, though less focused on emerging tech / digital twin applications.
• Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR): Independent brand design and strategy consultancy with a strong retail and luxury book of business. Comparable boutique scale and engagement model, focused on brand identity, design systems, and retail experience — overlapping with TSP's brand platform work for Macerich and other property clients.

Broad incumbents

• R/GA: Global brand and experience consultancy with deep retail transformation and emerging technology practices. Direct overlap with TSP in bridging brand strategy, digital experience, and emerging tech for major consumer brands, though R/GA operates at significantly larger scale with proprietary IP and a global delivery network.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding and design consultancy with substantial retail and luxury practice. Operates in similar client categories (luxury, malls, consumer brands) and frequently competes for brand transformation mandates, with a broader portfolio that includes naming, identity, and environmental design.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Major independent creative agency with deep retail and luxury client relationships and a strong innovation/emerging-tech practice. Larger and broader than TSP, but competes for the same category of integrated brand and experience transformation mandates from global premium brands.
• Deloitte Digital (including Fake Love): Global digital transformation consultancy with significant emerging-tech retail capabilities, including via the acquisition of Fake Love (an XR/experiential design studio). Most direct large-scale competitor to TSP's emerging-tech-for-retail positioning, with vastly greater delivery capacity.

Emerging players

• Deeplocal: Creative innovation studio that builds physical and digital experiences using emerging technologies (AR, AI, sensors, robotics) for major brands. Comparable emerging-tech-meets-retail positioning to TSP, though typically more execution-focused on builds and installations than strategy-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Science Project