What Purpose Disruptors does

Purpose Disruptors is a UK-registered non-profit organization (Purpose Disruptors Limited, company number 12509665, founded 2018) operating at the intersection of the advertising industry and the climate transition. It serves advertising agencies, media owners, and broader professional services firms (law, consulting, finance) with two proprietary measurement frameworks: Advertised Emissions, which quantifies greenhouse gas emissions from advertising-driven consumption (calculated at 208 million tonnes CO2e for the UK in 2022, adding 32% to every UK resident's carbon footprint), and Serviced Emissions, developed with Oxford Net Zero and the UN's Race to Zero campaign, which extends the concept to emissions influenced by professional services. The organization also operates the #ChangeTheBrief Alliance—a learning and community program for agencies—and produces high-profile creative campaigns including the Good Life 2030 documentary (premiered at COP26), Good Life 2030 Ireland, and Agency for Nature (including 'The Talking Tree' AI-powered sensory experience with Droga5, recognized by Columbia University's 2026 Digital Dozen award).

The core technology stack combines econometric methodology for emissions calculation (developed with Magic Numbers), a learning platform (ChangeTheBrief.org), and AI-driven experiential products (a locally hosted LLM powering The Talking Tree). Co-founders Lisa Merrick-Lawless, Rob McFaul, and Jonathan Wise lead a 1-10 person team based in London (66 Paul Street, EC2A 4NA), with operations now spanning the UK and Ireland and institutional reach via UN Race to Zero (~50% of global GDP).

Revenue mechanics depart from a typical commercial model: as a non-profit, the organization is funded through government grants (Creative Ireland's Creative Climate Action Fund, UKRI Innovate UK), partnership contributions, in-kind media donations (over €450,000 for a single campaign), and alliance membership programs. Customer-facing relationships are structured as coalition partnerships rather than transactional sales—named participating organizations include Amplify, Ebiquity, OLIVER, M&C Saatchi, IRIS, MSQ, dentsu, The Guardian, and Elvis, with co-creative agency partners including Iris, McCann Manchester, Gravity Road, Droga5, AMV BBDO, VCCP, and House 337.

Name

Purpose Disruptors

Legal name

Purpose Disruptors Limited

Website

https://purposedisruptors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Purpose Disruptors is a UK non-profit that helps the advertising and professional services industries measure and reduce their climate impact via proprietary Advertised Emissions and Serviced Emissions frameworks, while building a 5,000+ member community of climate-concerned industry professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: Purpose Disruptors operates as a non-profit organization receiving funding from government programs. Good Life 2030 Ireland was funded by the Irish Government through Creative Ireland's Creative Climate Action Fund. The organization is exploring academic partnerships with UKRI Innovate UK funding for methodology development.
2. Membership and Alliance Programs: The #ChangeTheBrief Alliance provides learning programs and community access to member agencies. While the core mission appears non-commercial, membership and partnership programs support the organization's operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Purpose Disruptors is a non-profit organization that helps the advertising, marketing and media industry measure and reduce its climate impact through proprietary frameworks (Advertised Emissions and Serviced Emissions), builds a 5,000+ professional community around climate transition, and runs creative campaigns (Agency for Nature, Good Life 2030) and learning programs (ChangeTheBrief Alliance) to reshape industry briefs toward sustainable consumption. Activities are funded through grants, government programs and partner alliances rather than direct product sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advertised Emissions Methodology A measurement methodology that calculates the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the uplift in sales influenced by advertising, based on 'financed emissions' principles from the finance industry. Enables advertising agencies and brand owners to quantify the carbon footprint of consumption driven by their advertising work.
• Serviced Emissions Framework A framework developed with Oxford Net Zero and Race to Zero that helps professional service sectors (law, advertising, PR, consulting) identify climate-related opportunities and mitigate risks by understanding the emissions their services and advice influence.
• #ChangeTheBrief Alliance A learning program and community for agencies, media, creative, design and PR firms and their clients, providing on-demand and face-to-face insights and expert advice on adapting briefs to promote sustainable choices and behaviors.
• Agency for Nature A creative campaign initiative bridging nature and youth culture through advertising campaigns (including Season One and the AI-powered Talking Tree in Season Two), developed with partner agencies and distributed across TV, cinema, billboards, radio, social and digital channels.
• Good Life 2030 Project An eight-year project to transform the advertising industry to promote attitudes, lifestyles, behaviors and brands aligned with a net zero world by 2030, anchored on citizen vision research of what people want from a 'good life'.

Quantifiable outcome

• UK advertising industry's advertised emissions reached 208 million tonnes CO2e in 2022, adding 32% to every UK resident's carbon footprint
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Good Life 2030 Ireland Partner AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 202410 competing Irish agencies (THINKHOUSE, Folk VML, TBWA Dublin, Bolt TBWA Ireland, Havas Dublin, Droga5 Dublin, Bonfire Dublin, Publicis Dublin, Public House, Core CRM, Verve Showrunner) united behind Good Life 2030 Ireland campaign.
• University of PortsmouthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Government-backed academic partnership funded by UKRI Innovate UK to refine and evolve the Advertised Emissions methodology into something robust enough to become a global standard.
• Irish Wildlife Sounds (Séan Ronayne)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ornithologist and wildlife sounds recordist collaborated on Good Life 2030 Ireland radio ads, producing original audio clips captured in various locations across Ireland.
• THINKHOUSEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dublin-based marketing company THINKHOUSE partnered with Purpose Disruptors for Good Life 2030 Ireland. THINKHOUSE led head of sustainability and planet services, conducting citizen vision research with 1,030 poll participants and 25 in-depth qualitative participants.
• Oxford Net ZerocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Oxford Net Zero collaborated with Purpose Disruptors to develop the Serviced Emissions framework, providing professional service sectors with tools to identify climate-related opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Agency for Nature PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Campaign partners for Agency for Nature include Droga5, AMV BBDO, VCCP, House 337. Media partners include Locate Productions, JCDecaux, Pearl & Dean, ITV, Meta, and Snapchat. Reached over 17 million people.
• PRCA and PRIIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Purpose Disruptors Ireland partnered with PRCA and PRII for industry workshops and research, including the PRII x PR Working Group Research 2022 benchmarking sentiment on sustainability in PR and communications.
• Insight Climate CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Collaborated on Good Life 2030 citizen research to understand what UK citizens want from a 'good life' in 2030, conducting deep qualitative primary research with the 42% of UK public who don't see themselves in typical climate narratives.
• COP26 Green Zone PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021One of only two official advertising-related events at COP26. Hosted global premiere of Good Life 2030 documentary at the IMAX Cinema in the Green Zone with over 300 in-person attendees and 3000+ livestreams.
• Race to ZerocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021UN-backed campaign to halve global emissions by 2030. Adopted Advertised Emissions as a Leadership Practice for member organizations in June 2022. Represents 50% of global GDP including WPP, Dentsu, IPG, Havas, and Publicis.
• Magic NumberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Econometrics agency collaborated with Purpose Disruptors to develop the Advertised Emissions methodology, calculating greenhouse gas emissions driven by advertising-generated consumption.
• The Big SkycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with Purpose Disruptors to produce the 'Good Life 2030' documentary, the first-ever documentary about the advertising industry and its relationship with the climate crisis.
• MindsharecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Originated the #ChangeTheBrief concept and partnered with Purpose Disruptors to expand it from a single agency initiative to the collective power of the entire industry via the #ChangeTheBrief Alliance.
• Ad Net ZerocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Purpose Disruptors supports Ad Net Zero's mission for the advertising industry to respond to the climate crisis. #ChangeTheBrief Alliance provides knowledge to enable agencies to deliver on Action 5: using advertising's positive influence to promote sustainable choices.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• Futerra: Sustainability-focused creative agency and consultancy that co-hosts UNFCCC-backed narrative work with Purpose Disruptors. Operates as a commercial purpose-driven creative agency addressing climate communications for brands and policy makers.

Emerging players

• Droga5: Major creative agency that co-developed The Talking Tree with Purpose Disruptors and participates in Agency for Nature. While a commercial agency, Droga5's investment in climate-focused creative work makes it a peer in purpose-driven advertising.
• Mindshare: Originated the #ChangeTheBrief concept and partnered with Purpose Disruptors to scale it via the Alliance. Mindshare operates as a media agency while Purpose Disruptors operates as the industry's climate measurement and community backbone—they share audience and mission.

Direct peers

• Good-Loop: Ad-tech platform that turns advertising spend into positive social and environmental impact. Both companies work at the intersection of advertising and sustainability, offering advertisers tools to measure and improve the climate and social impact of their media spend.
• Ad Net Zero: Industry-wide initiative to help the advertising industry respond to the climate crisis. Purpose Disruptors explicitly supports Ad Net Zero's mission and ChangeTheBrief Alliance delivers knowledge for Action 5 of its framework, making them direct collaborators addressing the same advertisers.
• Carbon Literacy Project: UK-based charity providing carbon literacy training to organizations, including advertising and media professionals. Provides similar climate education and training programs that Purpose Disruptors offers through ChangeTheBrief and masterclasses.
• Creatives for Climate: Global community of creative professionals using their craft to drive climate action. Co-hosts events with Purpose Disruptors (London Climate Cocktail Club, Narratives for Climate Action) and addresses the same advertising professional audience with sustainability education.

Others

• Oxford Net Zero: Academic research initiative at the University of Oxford that co-developed the Serviced Emissions framework with Purpose Disruptors. Functions as the research backbone for Purpose Disruptors' measurement methodology.
• Race to Zero: UN-backed campaign with member organizations representing 50% of global GDP, including the major advertising holding companies. Adopted Advertised Emissions as a Leadership Practice—functions as a key distribution and validation channel for Purpose Disruptors' methodology.

Regional players

• THINKHOUSE: Dublin-based marketing company that partnered with Purpose Disruptors on Good Life 2030 Ireland, leading citizen research and sustainability services. Functions as a regional implementation partner for Purpose Disruptors' methodology in the Irish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/purpose-disruptors
• Xx.com/PurposeDisrupt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Purpose Disruptors