Barker Mohandas

What Barker Mohandas does

Barker Mohandas, LLC is a private, founder-owned vertical transportation (VT) consulting firm headquartered in New York, founded in 2000 by Rick Barker and Paliath Mohandas (Mohan). The firm specializes in elevator and escalator system design, traffic analysis, and construction administration services for tall, super-tall, and complex buildings. It serves architects (Fender Katsalidis, Pei Cobb Freed, Woods Bagot, Grimshaw, SHoP, Foster + Partners), developers (Emaar), governments (King Abdulaziz International Airport), and universities (KAUST), with a project portfolio spanning six continents and notable credentials including the world's second tallest building (Merdeka 118 at 678.9 m) and post-completion review of Burj Khalifa.

The firm's core technology is a proprietary optimization software stack: a Multi-Group Optimizer (handling complex combinatoric options across multiple elevator groups with traffic calculations described as more sophisticated than ISO 8100-32 and CIBSE Guide D), a Traffic Calculator, AutoCAD plan generation utilities, a Master Engineering Tool for power and sway analyses, and dispatching simulations. Its signature methodology is 'Harmonized Dispatching,' a proprietary approach that improves on standard destination dispatching for office buildings while supporting Occupant Evacuation Operation. The IP portfolio includes patents on destination dispatching, concrete rails and guidance, anti-sway compensation, and rope tension monitoring, with co-founder Rick Barker named on approximately 24 patents.

Barker Mohandas operates a pure professional-services revenue model, with fees quoted project-by-project on services spanning concept design, schematic design, design development, bidding/tendering, shop drawing review, and construction administration. Delivery occurs through three offices — New York (US East HQ), Denver (US West), and Dubai (BMME regional office for Middle East and India) — supplemented by a Singapore subsidiary (Barker Mohandas Consulting Pte Ltd). The firm is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investment and a stated headcount of 1-10 employees, positioning it as a boutique specialist competing on engineering depth rather than scale.

Name

Barker Mohandas

Legal name

Barker Mohandas, LLC

Website

https://barkermohandas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barker Mohandas is a private, founder-owned vertical transportation consulting firm providing elevator and escalator system design, traffic analysis, and construction administration services for tall and super-tall buildings, serving global architects, developers, and building owners from offices in New York, Denver, and Dubai.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vertical Transportation Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for VT system design services for tall and large building projects, including concept design, schematic design, design development, bidding/tendering support, shop drawing review, and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Barker Mohandas is a vertical transportation (VT) consulting firm that designs elevator and escalator systems for tall and large buildings. Core services include new-system design from concept through construction administration, analysis of existing elevator systems, and special engineering services such as second opinions, dispatching simulations, and harmonized dispatching design. The firm also develops proprietary VT traffic optimization software used internally to support its consulting deliverables.

Product overview

Barker Mohandas is a vertical transportation consulting firm offering a portfolio of specialized services organized around three core offerings: New Systems Design Services, Existing Systems Services, and Special Designs & Engineering Services. The firm has developed proprietary software tools including a Multi-Elevator Group Optimizer (for solving complex high-rise combinatoric options), Traffic Calculator Tool, AutoCAD Plan Generation capabilities, and a Master Engineering Tool with extensions for power and sway analyses. Their signature innovation is 'Harmonized Dispatching,' a dispatching methodology designed to improve traffic performance and passenger interfaces. Services are delivered across offices in New York, Denver, and Dubai, serving tall building and major project clients globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Systems Design Services Vertical transportation system design for new buildings, covering the full lifecycle from Concept Design through bidding, tendering, submittal review, and construction observation. Targeted at architects, developers, and building owners of tall and large building projects.
• Existing Systems Services Analysis of existing elevator and lift equipment, traffic performance evaluation, and master engineering tools for analyzing equipment issues and improvements. Excludes routine maintenance or safety inspections. Targeted at building owners and developers of existing tall buildings needing performance reviews and improvement studies.
• Special Designs and Engineering Services Special engineering and design services examining issues in built tall buildings, providing second opinions on designs, and assisting elevator manufacturers with as-built issues. Includes dispatching simulations and harmonized dispatching design. Targeted at elevator manufacturers, developers, and owners needing independent technical validation.
• Harmonized Dispatching Design Proprietary elevator dispatching methodology designed to improve waiting times and passenger interfaces for office buildings over standard destination dispatching while retaining main lobby techniques, and to facilitate Occupant Evacuation Operation (OEO). Targeted at office buildings requiring advanced traffic performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed VT design for world's 2nd tallest building (Merdeka 118, 678.9m)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WS Atkins & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnand Sivan joined Barker Mohandas from WS Atkins where he led VT consulting for the Middle East and India. The firm has collaborated with Atkins on projects including King Abdulaziz International Airport and the Icon Hotel 'Wheel' Building in Dubai.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: WSP is a global engineering professional services firm with building services and VT capability, often engaged on large mixed-use and high-rise developments as a broader-services alternative to specialist firms like Barker Mohandas.
• Arup: Arup is a global engineering consultancy with a significant vertical transportation and people-flow practice that advises on tall-building elevator strategy, overlapping with Barker Mohandas on mega-projects while serving a much broader portfolio of structural and MEP work.
• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with building services that include vertical transportation support on tall buildings, typically bundled into larger multidisciplinary engagements competing with Barker Mohandas' specialist approach.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consultancy whose building engineering practice includes elevator and vertical circulation consulting on landmark towers, positioning it as a broad incumbent competitor for integrated design commissions where Barker Mohandas might otherwise lead VT scope.
• Otis Worldwide: Otis is the world's largest elevator OEM and historically the source of Barker Mohandas' founders; its in-house pre-construction and technical services teams compete directly with independent VT consultants on tall-building projects by bundling advisory work with equipment sales.
• Jacobs: Jacobs is a global professional services firm with building and infrastructure consulting capabilities, including elevator/lift advisory on major projects, serving as a broad incumbent alternative to specialist VT consultancies like Barker Mohandas.
• Schindler: Schindler is a global elevator and escalator OEM with significant pre-construction engineering capabilities (including PORT destination dispatch), often competing with independent VT consultancies by offering design support alongside its equipment proposals on tall buildings.

Direct peers

• Lerch Bates: Lerch Bates is the largest independent vertical transportation consulting firm in North America, offering building VT design, modernization consulting, and maintenance oversight to architects, developers, and owners — directly competing with Barker Mohandas for the same project-based VT consulting engagements on tall buildings.
• Jaros Baum & Bolles: JB&B is a New York-based MEP engineering consultancy with a long-standing vertical transportation practice (where co-founder Rick Barker previously worked), competing with Barker Mohandas for VT design commissions on landmark New York and international projects.
• Syska Hennessy Group: Syska Hennessy is a global MEP and vertical transportation engineering consultancy that provides elevator/escalator consulting as part of broader building services design, frequently engaged alongside architects on complex tall-building projects in direct competition with Barker Mohandas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Barker Mohandas