The Firelight Group
Indigenous-owned Canadian consultancy providing research, GIS mapping, environmental assessment, Indigenous health, negotiations, and stewardship services to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations across Canada, employing over 100 professionals across six offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Firelight Group does
The Firelight Group (now operating as Firelight) is an Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led Canadian consultancy founded in 2010 by eight partners and headquartered on the Squamish Capilano 5 Reserve in West Vancouver, British Columbia. The firm delivers research, technical support, mapping, advisory, negotiation, planning, and capacity-building services to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations across Canada (Turtle Island), with secondary engagement of industry and government stakeholders involved in resource development. Service revenue is generated through custom, multi-year consulting engagements rather than standardized pricing.
Firelight operates six core service lines: Mapping & GIS (geospatial data collection, web GIS portals, drone/lidar processing, and digital story-mapping), Indigenous Health (holistic wellness research across mental health, maternal health, and cultural safety), Indigenous-Led Assessment (environmental and regulatory assessment for mining, hydroelectric, oil and gas, and infrastructure projects), Livelihoods (traditional land use studies and rights impact assessments), Indigenous Negotiations (Impact Benefit Agreement support), and Stewardship (environmental monitoring, Guardian programs, species protection, and land use planning). Underlying technology rests on industry-standard geospatial platforms (QGIS, ESRI, Google), augmented by proprietary resources such as the Mineral Assessment Tool (developed with the Keewatin Tribal Council) and the IBA Community Toolkit (co-authored with Ciarán O'Faircheallaigh), plus the Indigenous Maps platform that hosts the Indigenous Mapping Collective and its annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop, which has trained more than 2,500 Indigenous mappers since 2014.
The business is majority-owned by three First Nations co-owners from Ebb & Flow First Nation (Manitoba), Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in (Yukon), and Garden River First Nation (Ontario), with a co-leadership CEO/President structure and no disclosed private equity or venture capital ownership. The company operates from six Canadian offices spanning West Vancouver, Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Kahnawà:ke. Over 15 years, Firelight has delivered more than 2,000 projects to over 500 clients. Strategic partnerships include Apple (Indigenous representation on Apple Maps and Siri), the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (co-published primer on Indigenous-led assessment), the Keewatin Tribal Council (Mineral Assessment Tool), the Nunatsiavut Government (data governance framework), and the First Nations Technology Council (GIS training course). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and pricing is delivered through bespoke consulting engagements rather than published tiers.
The Firelight Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Firelight Group
- Legal name
- Firelight Research Inc.
- Website
- https://firelight.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Indigenous-owned Canadian consultancy providing research, GIS mapping, environmental assessment, Indigenous health, negotiations, and stewardship services to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations across Canada, employing over 100 professionals across six offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Firelight Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indigenous Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Forestry (115310)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG), Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK), Post-Fire Assessment & Rehabilitation (Erosion Control, Reseeding) (AFAMAEAH)
Keywords
Where The Firelight Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
The Firelight Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Consulting Services: Research and technical support services provided to Indigenous Nations and organizations. Includes environmental assessments, traditional land use studies, policy development, negotiations support, and community planning.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The Firelight Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Firelight is an Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led consultancy providing research and technical support services to Indigenous Nations and organizations across Turtle Island (Canada). Its core offerings span six service areas: Mapping & GIS, Indigenous Health, Indigenous-Led Assessment, Livelihoods (traditional knowledge and land use research), Indigenous Negotiations (Impact Benefit Agreement support), and Stewardship (environmental monitoring and land use planning). The firm also delivers training through the annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop and develops free resources such as the IBA Community Toolkit and the Mineral Assessment Tool.
Product overview
The Firelight Group is an Indigenous-owned consultancy providing research and technical support services to Indigenous Nations and organizations across Canada. Rather than a single software product, the company offers a portfolio of interconnected service lines: Mapping & GIS (geospatial data collection and visualization), Indigenous Health (holistic wellness research), Indigenous-Led Assessment (environmental impact assessment support), Livelihoods (traditional land use and socio-economic research), Indigenous Negotiations (Impact Benefit Agreement support), Stewardship (environmental monitoring and planning), and Training programs including the annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop. The company also provides downloadable resource tools including the IBA Community Toolkit and Mineral Assessment Tool (MAT). All services are delivered through a community-centred, values-driven approach with a team of over 100 professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mapping & GIS Geospatial data collection, analysis, and visualization services including traditional land use mapping, community mapping, web GIS portals, and mapping training for Indigenous communities. Delivered for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nations across Canada.
- Indigenous Health Holistic health and wellness research services covering mental wellness, substance use, birth and maternal health, child welfare, cultural safety, and organizational governance for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
- Indigenous-Led Assessment Environmental and regulatory assessment services supporting Indigenous Nations to lead their own impact assessments or participate in regulatory processes for major projects including mining, road building, hydroelectricity, and oil and gas development.
- Livelihoods Technical research support for Indigenous Nations to document ways of life, traditional land use and occupancy studies, socio-economic impact assessments, and rights impact assessments.
- Indigenous Negotiations Support for Indigenous Nations to negotiate and implement Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs) with companies, including technical support, research services, and negotiation training.
- Stewardship Technical, strategic, and process expertise for rights-centred stewardship and planning, including environmental monitoring, Guardian programs, species protection, and land use planning.
- Indigenous Mapping Workshop Annual large-scale technical training workshop on mapping tools (Google, QGIS, ESRI) for Indigenous mappers, co-hosted by Firelight as part of the Indigenous Mapping Collective. Delivered annually since 2014.
- Mineral Assessment Tool (MAT) Decision-support tool co-developed with Keewatin Tribal Council that assesses which mineral projects are more likely to become operating mines and generate positive or negative impacts, helping Indigenous communities direct planning and negotiation effort.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ clients served over 15 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Firelight Group
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Firelight Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Firelight Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC)coreCo-published primer 'An Introduction to Indigenous Led Assessment: Key Considerations and Principles' supporting Indigenous Nations in exercising authority to lead their own assessment processes. Partnership supports FNMPC's 'Don't Tickety Box Me' campaign for Indigenous self-determination and responsible project development.
- AppleflagshipFirelight worked with Apple to represent Indigenous lands, treaties, land claims, and place names on Apple Maps across Canada. Now working with Apple to incorporate communities' place names into Siri.
- Nunatsiavut GovernmentcoreDeveloped organizational strategy and framework on governance of their data, including data lifecycles, ecosystems, and protocols for data generation, collection, organization, storage, archiving, access, sharing, and analysis.
- First Nations Technology CouncilcoreLeading GIS course for the First Nations Technology Council's Foundations program, a 12-week exploratory program offered online. Introduces students to foundational knowledge for mapping traditional territories and pursuing GIS/GPS mapping careers.
- Keewatin Tribal Council (KTC)coreCollaborated with KTC to develop the Mineral Assessment Tool (MAT) in response to growing number of mineral projects affecting KTC Territory. MAT assesses which projects are likely to turn into mines and generate impacts.
- Indigenous Mapping CollectiveflagshipFirelight hosts the Indigenous Mapping Collective and its annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop which has trained more than 2500 Indigenous mappers since 2014.
- Ciarán O'FaircheallaighcoreCo-authored the IBA Community Toolkit with Ginger Gibson (Firelight). Professor at Griffith Business School specializing in negotiation of Impact and Benefit Agreements.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Firelight Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure - delivers environmental impact assessments and Indigenous engagement support for major Canadian resource and infrastructure projects comparable to Firelight's offerings.
- GHD: Employee-owned engineering, environmental, and advisory consultancy with substantial Canadian practice delivering environmental assessment, Indigenous engagement, and approvals services to resource projects - comparable scope and mid-market positioning to Firelight.
- SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory consultancy (which absorbed Canada's Hemmera Envirochem) delivering environmental assessment, permitting, and Indigenous engagement support to resource and infrastructure clients - a direct mid-market analogue to Firelight's Indigenous-led assessment service.
- Wood Environment & Infrastructure (Wood Group): Global consulting and engineering firm providing environmental impact assessment, permitting, and community engagement services across energy, mining, and infrastructure - directly comparable service lines and Canadian project presence to Firelight.
- Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with substantial environmental practice delivering impact assessment, sustainability advisory, and stakeholder engagement services for major projects - competing for the same type of work as Firelight across Canada.
- AECOM: Global engineering and environmental consulting firm delivering environmental impact assessments, permitting, and Indigenous consultation services for major projects across Canada, including hydro, mining, and transportation - competing head-to-head for the same resource-project engagements as Firelight.
- WSP Global: Major Canadian-headquartered engineering and environmental consultancy with a dedicated Indigenous engagement practice delivering environmental assessments, land-use planning, and impact-benefit agreement support for resource and infrastructure projects - the closest large-cap analogue to Firelight's service portfolio.
- Stantec: Global Canadian-headquartered engineering and environmental consultancy providing environmental assessment, Indigenous engagement support, mapping, and regulatory services across mining, oil & gas, hydro, and infrastructure - directly comparable practice areas to Firelight, though much larger and not Indigenous-owned.
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global pure-play environmental consultancy delivering impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, and ESG advisory to mining, oil & gas, and infrastructure clients - offers the same Indigenous and community engagement services as Firelight's Indigenous-Led Assessment practice at larger scale.
Direct peers
- Hemmera (SLR Consulting Canada): Canadian environmental consultancy (now part of SLR) historically known for environmental assessment, Indigenous engagement, and natural resource management work for BC and Canadian resource projects - the closest Canadian-headquartered mid-market direct competitor to Firelight in scope and client mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Firelight Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Firelight Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Firelight Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Firelight Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Firelight Group 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 Firelight Group
What does The Firelight Group do?
Firelight is an Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led consultancy providing research and technical support services to Indigenous Nations and organizations across Turtle Island (Canada). Its core offerings span six service areas: Mapping & GIS, Indigenous Health, Indigenous-Led Assessment, Livelihoods (traditional knowledge and land use research), Indigenous Negotiations (Impact Benefit Agreement support), and Stewardship (environmental monitoring and land use planning). The firm also delivers training through the annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop and develops free resources such as the IBA Community Toolkit and the Mineral Assessment Tool.
Is The Firelight Group a public or private company?
The Firelight Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Firelight Group founded?
The Firelight Group was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Firelight Group based?
The Firelight Group is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Firelight Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Consulting Services.
Who are The Firelight Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tetra Tech, GHD, SLR Consulting, Wood Environment & Infrastructure (Wood Group), Arcadis, AECOM, WSP Global, Stantec and ERM (Environmental Resources Management). Hemmera (SLR Consulting Canada) is listed as a direct peer.
Does The Firelight Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Firelight Group.
What industry is The Firelight Group in?
The Firelight Group's product category is Indigenous Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAJAM, Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services, with a secondary code of IMAMAJAG, Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services. Its NAICS code is 115310 and its SIC code is 800.