The Upside
The Upside is a London-based strategy and innovation consultancy that co-creates brand, innovation, and transformation programmes with global enterprise clients including Google, adidas, and Heineken. In March 2025 it was acquired by Sia Partners, joining a 3,000-consultant global group operating across 19 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Upside does
The Upside is a London-based strategy and innovation consultancy founded around 2014 that helps large enterprises respond to fast-changing consumer, cultural, and technology dynamics. Its offering is structured around four interconnected practice areas: Insights Services (consumer and culture mapping, market and competitor analysis, ecosystem and user journey design), Strategy Services (brand, purpose and portfolio strategy, product innovation, content direction), Implementation Services (new organisation and team design, business model innovation, success planning), and Data and AI Services (data strategy, tech stack set-up, data analysis, and AI prompt/system building). The firm's signature methodology is "co-creation" — working alongside client teams rather than delivering traditional top-down consulting reports — supported by codified internal frameworks such as "Better Business Principles" and a proprietary consumer and culture mapping approach.
The Upside sells project-based professional services to enterprise clients through a sales-led go-to-market motion and maintains long-tenured engagements with global brands including Google, adidas, Heineken, Centrica, OVO Energy, Tommy Hilfiger, ASOS, Fjällräven, Kiehl's, and cultural institutions such as Somerset House Trust and VRT. Pricing is project-based and quote-driven with no public rate card. The firm has been B-Corp certified since July 2021 and is recognised by Consultancy.uk as a Top Consultancy in Innovation and Marketing (2023) and by Anthem Awards (2023) for its co-authored Google Accessibility Marketing Playbook.
In March 2025 The Upside was acquired by Sia Partners, a global management consulting group of approximately 3,000 consultants across 19 countries and 48 locations, expanding its geographic and capability footprint. Pre-acquisition headcount was approximately 20 team members; post-acquisition, standalone financials are no longer separately reported.
The Upside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Upside
- Legal name
- Upside Studio Ltd
- Website
- https://theupside.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Upside is a London-based strategy and innovation consultancy that co-creates brand, innovation, and transformation programmes with global enterprise clients including Google, adidas, and Heineken. In March 2025 it was acquired by Sia Partners, joining a 3,000-consultant global group operating across 19 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Upside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)
Keywords
Where The Upside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Upside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Strategy & Innovation Consulting: Project-based consulting engagements with enterprise clients for brand strategy, innovation, and business transformation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The Upside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Upside is a strategy and innovation consultancy that co-creates brand strategy, consumer and culture insights, and business transformation programs with enterprise clients. Services span four practice areas — Insights, Strategy, Implementation, and Data & AI — delivered through workshops, ongoing partnerships, and dedicated client engagements with global brands such as Google, adidas, and Heineken.
Product overview
The Upside is a strategy & innovation consulting firm that operates as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering is co-creating better business growth through collaborative partnerships with clients. The service portfolio encompasses four interconnected practice areas: Insights Services (consumer/culture mapping, market analysis, ecosystem design), Strategy Services (brand/portfolio strategy, product innovation, content direction), Implementation Services (organizational design, business model innovation, team engagement), and Data & AI Services (data strategy, tech stack setup, analysis, and AI systems). Additionally, they produce the Frontiers podcast featuring interviews with innovators. They joined Sia, a global management consulting group, in March 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategy and Innovation Consulting
Quantifiable outcome
- 8-year partnership with adidas contributing to membership program growth into the 100Ms
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use The Upside
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Upside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Upside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Sia PartnerscoreIn March 2025, The Upside joined Sia Partners, a next-generation global management consulting group. The acquisition expands Sia's UK presence and adds strategy and innovation capabilities. Sia operates with 3,000 talents in 19 countries across 48 locations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Upside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brand Union: Brand consulting firm (part of Omnicom) specializing in brand strategy, identity, and experience design. Comparable to The Upside in brand strategy and purpose consulting for global enterprise clients.
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm specializing in brand strategy, purpose, and experience. Comparable to The Upside in serving enterprise clients on brand strategy and cultural positioning mandates.
- Frog Design: Global design and innovation firm (part of Capgemini Invent) offering strategy, design, and product innovation. Comparable in combining consumer insight, brand strategy, and implementation services for enterprise clients.
- Mother Design: Creative strategy and design consultancy, part of the Mother group. Comparable to The Upside in combining brand strategy, creative insight, and innovation for enterprise clients.
- IDEO: Design and innovation consultancy combining human-centered research, strategy, and prototyping. Comparable to The Upside's Insights, Strategy, and Implementation service modules for enterprise clients.
- SYPartners: Strategy and innovation firm working with leaders on purpose, culture, and transformation. Comparable to The Upside's strategy and innovation consulting focus on purpose-led business transformation.
- Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy combining strategy, design, and innovation for major brands. Closely comparable to The Upside in offering brand strategy, purpose articulation, and innovation services to enterprise clients like adidas and Google.
- Superunion: Brand-led creative consultancy (part of WPP) working with global brands on brand strategy, identity, and innovation. Directly comparable to The Upside's brand, purpose, and innovation consulting offering.
- Pentagram: Independent design consultancy with partner-led brand strategy and design work. Comparable to The Upside in offering partner-led, boutique brand and strategy services to high-profile enterprise clients.
Broad incumbents
- Bain & Company: Global management consulting firm offering strategy, innovation, and transformation services. A broad incumbent occupying the higher end of the same strategy and innovation market The Upside serves.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Upside social profiles
Digital presenceThe Upside compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Upside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Upside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Upside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Upside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Upside
What does The Upside do?
The Upside is a strategy and innovation consultancy that co-creates brand strategy, consumer and culture insights, and business transformation programs with enterprise clients. Services span four practice areas — Insights, Strategy, Implementation, and Data & AI — delivered through workshops, ongoing partnerships, and dedicated client engagements with global brands such as Google, adidas, and Heineken.
Is The Upside a public or private company?
The Upside is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was The Upside founded?
The Upside was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Upside based?
The Upside is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Upside make money?
One revenue line is on record: strategy & Innovation Consulting.
Who are The Upside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brand Union, Landor & Fitch, Frog Design, Mother Design, IDEO, SYPartners, Wolff Olins, Superunion and Pentagram. Bain & Company is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Upside have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Upside.
What industry is The Upside in?
The Upside's product category is Management Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAM, Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAEAF, Data, Analytics & AI Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.