What CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati does

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati is a privately held architecture and design firm headquartered in Turin, Italy, with offices in London and New York, founded and directed by Carlo Ratti. The firm operates at the intersection of architectural practice, academic research, and technology entrepreneurship, and is closely associated with the MIT Senseable City Lab, which Carlo Ratti directs and which maintains five global research labs in Cambridge, Amsterdam, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, and Seoul. CRA delivers project-based design services spanning skyscrapers, masterplans, pavilions, interiors, and experimental installations for government, real estate, cultural, and hospitality clients; flagship projects include the CapitaSpring skyscraper in Singapore and the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The firm's core technology stack is data-driven urban design and AI-enhanced architecture, supported by proprietary systems such as AI Timber (generative AI for cross-laminated timber optimization), Data Clouds (LiDAR-based informal settlement mapping), Re-Leaf (urban greenery analysis), Feeling Nature (visual AI for biophilia measurement), Roboat (autonomous surface vessels), and Scribit (robotic wall-drawing). These capabilities are developed in collaboration with MIT Senseable City Lab and MIT CSAIL and have produced over 600 academic publications.

CRA's revenue model is diversified across four streams: (1) project-based fees for architecture and design services, (2) research and consulting tied to MIT Senseable City Lab partnerships, (3) licensing of proprietary technologies including AI Timber and Scribit, and (4) value creation through affiliated startups (Makr Shakr, Superpedestrian, Biobot Analytics, Scribit, Maestro Technologies) that have collectively raised over $500M. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct commissions, architecture competitions, and government tenders, with reputation-driven acquisition reinforced by 25+ industry awards since 2017 and the 2025 Venice Biennale architecture exhibition curatorship.

Name

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Legal name

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Website

https://carloratti.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati is a private architecture and design firm founded by Carlo Ratti, delivering data-driven urban design, AI-enhanced architecture, and technology licensing for government, real estate, cultural, and hospitality clients globally, anchored by the MIT Senseable City Lab.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban planning consulting
• Data-driven architecture
• Smart city design
• Sustainable building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Turin

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based fees for architectural design, urban planning, interior design, and master planning services for commercial, residential, and public sector clients.
2. Research and Consulting: Academic research collaborations and consulting services through MIT Senseable City Lab and related partnerships.
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary technologies developed through the firm such as AI Timber, Scribit, and sensing systems.
4. Startup Ecosystem: Investment returns and value creation through affiliated startups including Makr Shakr, Superpedestrian, Biobot Analytics, and Maestro Technologies, which have collectively received over $500 million in funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati is an international architecture and design firm delivering architectural design, urban planning, interior design, and master planning services for commercial, residential, and public-sector clients. The firm combines data-driven urban design backed by MIT Senseable City Lab research with proprietary technologies such as AI Timber, Scribit, and Water Batteries. It also generates revenue through technology licensing and a startup ecosystem spanning micro-mobility, robotics, and urban analytics.

Product overview

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati operates as a full-service architecture and design firm offering innovative design services across multiple typologies. The portfolio includes flagship projects like the CapitaSpring skyscraper in Singapore, experimental pavilions (Italy Pavilion at Dubai Expo, France Pavilion Osaka 2025), sustainable infrastructure (Water Batteries, AI Timber), and technology-driven installations (Scribit, CURA). The firm combines academic research insights from MIT Senseable City Lab with practical design implementation, serving as the innovative design arm of Carlo Ratti's ecosystem that includes academic research and startup entrepreneurship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MIT Senseable City Lab: Research laboratory at MIT focused on urban informatics and smart city technologies
• Senseable City Global Labs
• Makr Shakr
• Superpedestrian
• Biobot Analytics
• Scribit
• Maestro Technologies

Products and services

• AI Timber AI-powered sustainable construction technology that optimizes cross-laminated timber usage by analyzing wood grain and structure to minimize waste while maximizing structural integrity, intended for construction and architectural applications.
• Architecture & Design Services Full-service architectural and design offering spanning skyscrapers, pavilions, interiors, masterplans, and experimental installations that merge natural and artificial environments, delivered for commercial, residential, and public-sector clients globally.
• Urban Technology Consulting Advisory services applying data-driven approaches and smart city technologies to urban planning and design challenges, drawing on research outputs from MIT Senseable City Lab.
• Water Batteries Renewable energy storage system where thermal batteries double as functional spaces (such as saunas), developed to explore sustainable energy solutions for buildings and urban environments.
• Scribit Robotic drawing and erasing system that writes on vertical surfaces, transforming walls into dynamic digital content canvases for residential, commercial, and educational use.
• CURA Modular intensive care unit pods designed for rapid deployment during health emergencies, providing rapidly deployable healthcare infrastructure.
• Makr Shakr Robotic Bartending Systems Robotic bartending systems deployed in hospitality venues including Royal Caribbean cruise ships (Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas), Changi Airport Singapore Terminals 2 and 3, and the Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 million USD raised through startup ecosystem
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, specifically for Senseable's Data Clouds and Re-Leaf exhibitions.
• JourneymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for Data Clouds project at Venice Biennale, bringing expertise in urban data visualization for informal settlements.
• Dubai Future FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Senseable City Dubai Lab focused on urban AI, digital infrastructure, and climate resilience. The collaboration brings cutting-edge scientific methods directly to urban challenges in Dubai.
• Seoul AI FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Senseable City Seoul Lab focused on urban AI, mobility, and digital infrastructure challenges in Seoul.
• Rio de Janeiro Secretary of Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Senseable City Rio - the first Senseable City Lab in South America. Focuses on using advanced technology to better understand and support informal communities, including projects like Data Clouds mapping Rio's Vidigal favela.
• ArupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Arup provided guidance for developing the Circular Economy Manifesto for Biennale Architettura 2025, working with curator Carlo Ratti.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Home institution for Senseable City Lab and primary research platform. MIT provides the academic infrastructure and talent pipeline for CRA's research activities.
• MIT CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Research collaboration for Re-Leaf project at Venice Biennale, combining AI and urban forestry research.
• Makr ShakrcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Startup company founded by CRA for robotic bartending systems. Deployed across Royal Caribbean cruise ships, Changi Airport, Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and multiple other venues globally. Makr Shakr began as a CRA project and became an independent startup.
• AMS Institute (Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Long-term research partnership for Senseable City Amsterdam Lab, established in 2014. The collaboration includes joint research projects, the iconic Roboat project (now a standalone startup), and continued collaboration heading into the next five years. AMS Institute brings local expertise in urban innovation while CRA provides research capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zaha Hadid Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects is a founder-branded, technology-forward practice with deep expertise in parametric and computational design. It competes with CRA in the same competition and award circuits (CTBUH, ArchDaily) and serves similar cultural and developer clients.
• Snøhetta: Snøhetta is a multi-disciplinary design practice spanning architecture, landscape, and urbanism with a strong research and sustainability orientation. It is comparable to CRA on data- and sustainability-driven design for public and cultural clients.
• OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture): OMA is a global architecture firm combining research, urbanism, and innovative design under a strong founding identity. It is a direct peer in urban-scale masterplanning and cultural/architectural competitions that CRA also targets.
• Heatherwick Studio: Heatherwick Studio is a London-based, founder-led design studio known for experimental architecture, pavilions, and installations. It is highly comparable to CRA's pavilion and experimental-installation work (e.g., Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020, France Pavilion Osaka 2025).
• Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): BIG is a globally recognized, founder-led architecture and design practice known for data-driven and experimental projects. Like CRA, BIG builds its identity around an individual designer-founder and pursues high-profile, technology-inflected commissions worldwide.
• MAD Architects: MAD Architects is a globally active, founder-led practice known for sculptural skyscrapers and experimental urban projects. It competes with CRA in the same tall-building, mixed-use skyscraper category where CapitaSpring won multiple awards.

Broad incumbents

• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): SOM is one of the largest and most established architecture and engineering practices, with a long track record in supertall buildings and urban masterplans. It serves many of the same developer and government clients as CRA and competes in the tall-building and urban-design categories.
• Foster + Partners: Foster + Partners is one of the world's largest and most established architecture practices, competing with CRA for major skyscraper, urban, and cultural commissions globally. It overlaps with CRA in high-rise, mixed-use, and sustainability-focused work such as CapitaSpring's category.
• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): KPF is a large global architecture firm specializing in supertall towers and large-scale commercial and mixed-use developments. It is a broad incumbent competing with CRA for skyscraper commissions such as CapitaSpring.

Emerging players

• Sidewalk Labs / Google Urbanism: Sidewalk Labs represented a tech-company-led effort to apply data, AI, and urban technology to city planning — conceptually adjacent to MIT Senseable City Lab. While now wound down, it is a thematic peer in applying computational urbanism to real estate and city projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crassociati
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carlo-ratti-associati
• Instagraminstagram.com/crassociati
• Facebookfacebook.com/carlorattiassociati

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 CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati