What Adelard does

Adelard LLP is a London-headquartered specialist consultancy and software firm that operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCC Group plc. Founded in 1987 and trading continuously for over 35 years, the company delivers safety, security, compliance, and risk management services for safety-critical digital systems, serving UK and international clients across nuclear, defence, housing, aviation, rail, medical devices, finance, and road ecosystems. Adelard works directly with government departments, regulators (notably the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Military Aviation Authority), and critical infrastructure operators, applying an evidence-based methodology that integrates safety, cybersecurity, and human factors across the system lifecycle.

The company's core technology asset is ASCE (Assurance and Safety Case Environment), described as the most widely adopted commercial software for developing and managing safety and assurance cases. ASCE is built on the Microsoft .NET framework and supports structured argumentation using the GSN (Goal Structuring Notation) community standard and Adelard's proprietary CAE (Claims, Arguments, Evidence) framework. The product line has evolved through ASCE 5 (April 2020, introducing cloud-based floating licensing), ASCE 5.1 (October 2022, adding GSN v3 support, ASCAD 2.0 schema, defeater management, and the Assurance 2.0 framework), and the ASCE 5 Extensibility API (August 2024, enabling custom plugins and schemas). ASCE integrates with IBM Rational DOORS for requirements management.

Adelard monetises through three streams: ASCE software licensing (node-locked and cloud-based floating licences with annual support and maintenance contracts), professional consulting engagements for safety, security, and resilience assessments, and a training course portfolio covering assurance methodologies, security-informed safety, medical device assurance, and AI assurance. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales complemented by conference participation (SafeComp, ESREL, NPIC&HMIT, SSS), hosted workshops, and webinars. The firm is BS EN ISO 9001:2015 certified and is led by co-founder Professor Robin Bloomfield (FREng, City University London) and Partner Dr Sofia Guerra, who heads nuclear sector work and liaises with the IAEA.

Name

Adelard

Legal name

Adelard LLP

Website

https://adelard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adelard LLP, a London-based subsidiary of NCC Group plc, provides safety and security assurance consulting, training, and the ASCE software platform for structured safety and assurance cases across nuclear, defence, housing, and other regulated industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Safety Case and Assurance Software

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Software Publishers (513210), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting (BPAHACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Security Strategy & Program Advisory (BPAKADAA), Enterprise Application Security, GRC & Compliance Services (BPAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Systems safety assurance
• Safety case software
• Critical infrastructure security
• Safety engineering consulting
• Risk management training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ASCE Software Licensing: ASCE is sold as commercial software with licensing options including node-locked (single user) licences and cloud-based floating licences. Customers with current support and maintenance contracts receive free upgrades.
2. Consulting Services: Adelard provides consulting services assessing safety, security, and resilience of complex systems across multiple domains including government, regulatory authorities, and critical infrastructure operators.
3. Training Courses: Portfolio of training courses covering assurance methodologies, safety culture, integration of safety and security principles. Courses include ASCE training, Assurance of AI in high-integrity systems, Assurance cases for medical devices, and Introduction to structured assurance cases.
4. DOORS Integration Add-on: DOORS integration plugin available as commercial offering for ASCE users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Adelard provides consulting, training, and proprietary software (ASCE) for systems safety, security, compliance, and risk management in safety-critical industries. Their flagship ASCE software enables organisations to create, manage, and communicate safety, security, assurance, and compliance cases through structured argumentation grounded in the CAE methodology. Consulting services assess the safety, security, and resilience of complex systems for government departments, regulators, and critical infrastructure operators across nuclear, defence, aviation, rail, housing, and medical device sectors.

Product overview

Adelard offers a unified product portfolio centered on ASCE (Assurance and Safety Case Environment), the most widely adopted commercial software for developing and managing safety and assurance cases. ASCE serves as the core platform, with supporting offerings including the ASCE 5 Extensibility API for custom plugin development, ASCE Training programs, and the CAE (Claims, Arguments, Evidence) Framework community website. Additional offerings include the ASCAD Manual for safety case development guidance and the TIGARS research project for autonomous vehicle assurance. The product ecosystem enables organizations to create, communicate, and maintain structured safety and assurance arguments backed by evidence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASCE: Assurance and Safety Case Environment - industry leading software tool for the creation, management and communication of safety, security, assurance, and compliance cases.
• ASCE 5
• ASCE 5.1
• ASCAD Manual

Products and services

• ASCE (Assurance and Safety Case Environment) Industry-leading software tool for the creation, management, and communication of safety, security, assurance, and compliance cases. ASCE streamlines organisation and presentation of assurance information and supporting evidence, enabling regulatory compliance and outcome-based assurance for safety-critical systems. Sold with node-locked and cloud-based floating licence options and annual support and maintenance contracts.
• Safety and Security Consulting Services Consulting services assessing safety, security, and resilience of complex systems across government departments, regulatory authorities, and critical infrastructure operators. Engagements include platform safety assessments, building safety cases, AI/ML assurance, hazard analysis, security assessments, and COTS device qualification.
• Training Courses Structured training programmes including ASCE training, Assurance of AI in high-integrity systems, Assurance cases for medical devices, Introduction to structured assurance cases, and Security-informed safety. Available as scheduled public courses and customised training tailored to individual organisations.
• IBM Rational DOORS Integration Add-on Integration plugin that permits traceable content managed in DOORS to be inserted into the safety or assurance case within ASCE. ASCE can detect and summarise how referenced information in DOORS has changed and show how the current assurance argument is impacted.

Quantifiable outcome

• ASCE is the most widely adopted commercial software for safety and assurance cases
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• EDF Nuclear ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborated on paper 'Adopting CAE: A Deployment Approach for a Performance-Based Nuclear Industry' presented at NPIC&HMIT 2025, exploring performance-based regulatory compliance in nuclear industry.
• MathWorkssupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025EDF and Adelard used MathWorks Polyspace Bug Finder and Polyspace Code Prover tools for static analysis of safety-critical software in nuclear applications.
• Euro 7 Automotive ManufacturersupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Client case study where Adelard is helping automotive manufacturer demonstrate compliance with Euro 7 emissions regulation using assurance cases within ASCE.
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2020Partner Dr Sofia Guerra co-authored IAEA report on challenges and approaches for selecting, assessing and qualifying commercial industrial digital instrumentation and control equipment for nuclear power plant applications.
• Osprey Consulting ServicessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Partnered with Osprey Consulting Services for QEC aircraft carriers ATM safety case project. Osprey provides safety advice services to Capital Ships Strategic Class Authority.
• City University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with City, University of London on the TIGARS project investigating assurance gaps and challenges for autonomous road vehicles. Professor Robin Bloomfield holds position at City, University of London and co-developed Assurance 2.0 framework.
• Kanagawa UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner in TIGARS project focused on assurance of autonomous road vehicles, along with Nagoya University and Witz Corporation.
• Nagoya UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner in TIGARS project, hosting project team meetings at National Innovation Complex in Japan.
• Witz CorporationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner in TIGARS project contributing to autonomous vehicle assurance research.
• Assuring Autonomy International Programme (AAIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint funder of TIGARS project along with CPNI, investigating assurance gaps for autonomous road vehicles.
• Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint funder of TIGARS project and publisher of security-informed safety guidance. CPNI published guidance on security-informed safety and CAE methodology.
• Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdelard supported ONR with development of two research reports examining use of AI/ML systems within UK civil nuclear industry, including characterisation of AI safety and route map for regulating AI deployment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BMT Group: UK-headquartered engineering consultancy with maritime, defence, nuclear, and transport safety practices. Overlaps with Adelard in naval/defence safety cases and systems assurance for critical infrastructure.
• Praxis Critical (formerly Praxis High Integrity Systems): UK consultancy specialising in safety-critical systems, software assurance, and safety case development. Historically one of the most direct competitors to Adelard in UK defence and nuclear safety case work.
• Frazer-Nash Consultancy: UK systems and safety engineering consultancy owned by KBR, with deep defence, nuclear, rail, and aerospace safety case capabilities. Directly competes with Adelard on MOD and ONR safety assurance work.
• Risktec (part of TÜV Rheinland): UK-based risk and safety consultancy serving rail, defence, nuclear, oil and gas, and process industries. Directly comparable niche safety/risk advisory with overlapping nuclear and rail client base and similar consulting-led GTM.

Broad incumbents

• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection, and certification body with industrial, nuclear, and rail safety assessment services. Competes with Adelard on third-party safety case assessment and certification work, though at much larger scale.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering consultancy with significant nuclear, rail, and defence safety practices that compete for similar safety case assignments. Broader portfolio than Adelard, but comparable on regulated infrastructure safety work.
• AtkinsRéalis (formerly Atkins / SNC-Lavalin): Large global engineering consultancy with nuclear and rail safety case capabilities competing for similar UK and international programmes. Broader scale than Adelard but competes on the same RFPs.
• DNV: Global assurance and risk management company with maritime, energy, and safety-critical systems practices. Overlaps with Adelard on independent safety assessment, particularly in offshore and energy sectors.
• Lloyd's Register: UK-headquartered assurance organisation with rail, nuclear, and process safety capabilities, including independent safety assessment services. Comparable on rail safety case certification in particular.

Others

• SRI International (SRI): US-based research institute collaborating with Adelard's Robin Bloomfield on AI/ML assurance and certification automation. Not a commercial competitor but a strategic research partner with overlapping AI safety and assurance research agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Adelard