City Innovation Exchange Lab

What City Innovation Exchange Lab does

City Innovation Exchange Lab (CITIXL) is a private/public initiative founded in 2017 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that operates Living Labs to enable cities to test, prototype, and deploy urban technologies through inclusive citizen engagement. The organization is structured as a collaborative project led by IoT Living Lab BV and co-founded by Paul Manwaring (IoT Living Lab) and Tom van Arman (Tapp), with the City of Amsterdam CTO Office as founding partner. CITIXL's core product is the Responsible Sensing Toolkit (RST) — a 6-step framework co-developed with the City of Amsterdam and Responsible Sensing Lab for ethical deployment of public-space sensors — alongside a portfolio of Living Lab experiments (Recreational Crowd Study using anonymous smart-camera counting at Marineterrein, Smart Water Meter Lab at De Ceuvel, Smart Camera Lab with Umbo Camera and Smart Taipei) and codified workshops on experiment design, social-impact creation, and Living Lab tours.

The business model is professional-services driven: CITIXL sells hourly workshops (€750/hour for Experiment Design, €500/hour for Talks/Presentations and Living Lab Tours), delivers international exchange programs (e.g., Reclaiming Space with Boston City Council, Polish Urban Labs with IRMiR), generates academic thought leadership through co-authored book chapters (Edward Elgar 2024, Springer Nature 2025), and conducts speaking engagements at global smart-city forums. Customers are predominantly public-sector and academic — municipal CTO offices, the Netherlands Police, city councils, research institutes, and universities — across at least 12 international cities including Amsterdam, Boston, Seoul, Daegu, Taipei, Gdynia, Rzeszów, Berlin, Katowice, Kyiv, Ankara, and Grenoble. No external venture funding or standalone revenue figures are disclosed; operations appear subsidized or housed within the parent IoT Living Lab BV entity.

Revenue mechanics are constrained by the workshop-based delivery model and small project sizes, while growth signals include ongoing international expansion, EU institutional engagement (EC REGIO Peer2Peer Communities, May 2025), and continued academic publishing in 2024–2025. The underlying technology stack combines IoT sensors, smart cameras with edge-based computer vision for anonymous counting, and structured data visualization — used as instruments of experimentation rather than as productized software offerings. CITIXL's competitive position rests on its dense ecosystem inside Marineterrein Amsterdam (60+ innovation pioneers, 40+ Living Labs), its codified methodology (RST, Data + Dialogue, Tada manifesto values), and the co-founders' pre-existing municipal networks rather than on proprietary AI/ML or scalable software assets.

Name

City Innovation Exchange Lab

Legal name

City Innovation Exchange Lab

Website

https://citixl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CITIXL is an Amsterdam-based private/public initiative that operates Living Labs and sells workshops, experiments, and the Responsible Sensing Toolkit to help municipalities and city innovators prototype and ethically deploy smart-city and IoT technologies through citizen engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart City Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Smart city consulting
• Urban innovation services
• Living lab experiments
• Responsible sensing
• City workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workshop and Training Services: CITIXL provides paid workshops including Experiment Design Workshop (€750/hour), Talks/Presentations (€500/hour), and Living Lab Tours (€500/hour). These are customized to help organizations achieve their goals.
2. Experimentation as a Service: Exchange of innovation through speaking at events, providing workshops and inspirational living lab tours. Learning from each other and exploring possibilities through collaborative engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

City Innovation Exchange Lab (CITIXL) operates as an urban innovation lab based at Marineterrein Amsterdam, delivering paid workshops, living lab tours, and applied experimentation services to municipalities and city innovators. Its flagship offering, the Responsible Sensing Toolkit (RST), provides an ethical framework for sensor deployment in public spaces, while its experiments (Recreational Crowd Study, Smart Water Meter Lab, Smart Camera Lab) test new IoT and urban data approaches in real-world settings.

Product overview

City Innovation Exchange Lab (CITIXL) is a private/public initiative that operates as a service-based organization rather than a traditional software product company. Its primary offerings include the Responsible Sensing Toolkit—a step-by-step ethical framework for municipalities deploying sensors in public spaces—and various Living Lab experiments conducted at locations like Marineterrein Amsterdam. The company delivers workshops (Experiment Design, Social Impact, Living Lab Tours), international exchange programs (Reclaiming Space with Boston, Polish Urban Labs), and research publications. CITIXL also conducts sensor-based experiments including smart cameras for anonymous crowd counting, smart water meters for conservation, and camera vision studies. The approach follows a 6-step process: Sign-up, Assessment, Design Sprint, Prototype, Measure, and Market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Responsible Sensing Toolkit (RST): A step-by-step guide created in collaboration with the City of Amsterdam and Responsible Sensing Lab that helps municipalities implement public sensors responsibly. Includes decision canvas and workshops for ethical sensing projects.

Products and services

• Responsible Sensing Toolkit (RST)

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• City of Amsterdam CTO OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and primary collaborator. CITIXL is a private/public initiative founded by the City of Amsterdam to facilitate urban innovation and citizen engagement across the city and internationally.
• IoT Living Lab BVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by co-founder Paul Manwaring, IoT Living Lab BV is the organization behind CITIXL and a key partner in smart city initiatives.
• Tapp (Tom van Arman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Tom van Arman, Tapp is a smart city architecture firm that rapid prototypes urban solutions using agile and lean methodologies.
• Marineterrein AmsterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor living lab location and innovation district in the heart of Amsterdam. Home to CITIXL headquarters and over 60 innovation pioneers. Site of multiple experiments including recreational crowd studies and smart camera testing.
• Responsible Sensing LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the Responsible Sensing Toolkit with CITIXL and the City of Amsterdam. Provides ethical framework and decision canvas for responsible sensing projects in public spaces.
• Netherlands PoliceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsed the Responsible Sensing Toolkit to design ethical solutions for weapons control in public spaces. Collaborated on workshops and prototype development for 'Targeted Weapons Control' program including random selection poles.
• Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Boston collaboration. Hosted the Reclaiming Space event and provides ongoing support including $20k civic innovation fund, capstone classes, and faculty/student mentors.
• Boston City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 'Reclaiming Space' exchange lab to address vacant properties in Boston's District 4 (Dorchester and Mattapan). Council President Andrea Campbell led the collaboration.
• Metabolic AmsterdamminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSustainability consulting partner providing circular economy tools such as 'Urban Metabolism Scans' and 'Urban Mining Programs' for urban regeneration projects.
• Holland Innovation Network BostonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Dutch-American innovation collaboration and knowledge exchange on urban sustainability and social equality.
• IRMiR (Institute of Urban and Regional Development, Poland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish research institute leading 'Building Polish Urban Labs' pilot in Gdynia and Rzeszów. Received three-part online workshop series from CITIXL on living lab methodology.
• Consulate of the Kingdom of the NetherlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Dutch-American innovation exchange and Boston collaboration initiatives.
• AMS InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions. Partner for Urban Living Lab Summits and collaborative workshops on living lab methodology and impact measurement.
• MakerversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-working space and maker community at Marineterrein Amsterdam. Home to CITIXL founders IoT Living Lab and Tapp. Provides tools, training, and inspiration to over 60 innovation pioneers.
• Amsterdam Economic BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on AMdEX data exchange demonstration. Partnership for digital sovereignty, security, and governance of future public space.
• TadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdopted Tada manifesto values framework for responsible urban technology. Six values (Inclusivity, Control, Tailored for People, Open/Transparent, Legitimate/Monitored, By Everybody For Everybody) guide all sensing projects.
• Amsterdam Smart CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner network for smart city initiatives in Amsterdam. Collaborates on innovation challenges, hackathons, living labs, and open data initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nesta: UK innovation foundation running mission-driven programs on government innovation, citizen participation, and responsible tech. Operates at much larger scale and budget, with overlapping municipal innovation themes.
• Sidewalk Labs: Alphabet-affiliated urban innovation company (now wound down as a standalone). Comparable focus on smart city platforms, urban data, and responsible deployment of sensing technology at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• AMS Institute: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, a core CITIXL partner. Both operate living labs in Amsterdam, run urban experimentation, and collaborate on Urban Living Lab Summits, making AMS the closest methodological peer.
• Amsterdam Smart City: City of Amsterdam's smart city platform and partner network that runs hackathons, living labs, and open data programs. Overlaps directly with CITIXL on smart city experimentation and citizen engagement in the same Amsterdam ecosystem.
• European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL): International federation of recognized living labs. CITIXL operates within the same living lab methodology ecosystem and competes for the same municipal living lab engagements across Europe.
• The GovLab: NYU-based research group that designs and tests new methods of governing using technology and data. Highly comparable in mission: helping cities adopt responsible, evidence-based innovation and citizen engagement practices.
• Responsible Sensing Lab: Co-developer of CITIXL's Responsible Sensing Toolkit and a near-clone mission: creating ethical frameworks for sensor deployment in public spaces. Operates as a peer in the same niche.
• Connected Places Catapult: UK innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and place-making (formerly Future Cities Catapult). Directly comparable mission: helping municipalities deploy and test urban innovation and smart city solutions.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies — What Works Cities: U.S. initiative that partners with mayors to use data and evidence for better city decisions. Comparable in serving municipal government clients with responsible innovation and data-driven engagement frameworks.

Regional players

• Metabolic: Amsterdam-based sustainability consultancy offering tools like Urban Metabolism Scans. A current CITIXL partner and a regional peer operating on adjacent urban sustainability and circular economy themes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 City Innovation Exchange Lab