Includovate

What Includovate does

Includovate Pty Ltd is an Australian-certified social enterprise founded in 2019 by Dr. Kristie Drucza that operates as a research incubator for feminist, inclusive, and participatory research. The firm delivers Research & Evaluation, Localization and Talent Development, DEI Consulting & Strategy, and Policy Influence & Systems Change services to international development organizations, with a 2,000+ consultant network spanning 23+ countries and a 70% female workforce. It serves anchor clients including UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, ILO, Mercy Corps, ILRI, CGIAR/Alliance, and CEHURD, and has reached 100,000+ participants across 100+ projects.

The core delivery stack combines bespoke consulting engagements with a growing set of standardized products: an Institutional Review Board (IRB) review service priced at US$750 per application, a fixed-price gender and inclusion training course at US$180 per enrollment, the Includovate PRO advanced tier, and the Learning Hex learning platform, all surfaced through an e-commerce storefront. Delivery is anchored by offices in Manly, Queensland, and a subsidiary in Addis Ababa (Includovate Research Centre plc), which together enable cross-border program execution and access to regional donor procurement.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based consulting contracts with UN agencies, bilateral donors, and international NGOs, supplemented by transactional revenue from IRB reviews, training enrollments, and learning platform subscriptions. The business model is a hybrid of high-touch professional services and low-ticket productized offerings, with the productized layer intended to broaden the addressable market beyond enterprise anchor clients.

Name

Includovate

Legal name

Includovate Pty Ltd

Website

https://includovate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Includovate is an Australian-certified social enterprise founded in 2019 that conducts feminist, inclusive, and participatory research for the international development sector, serving UN agencies, NGOs, and research institutions across 23+ countries via a 2,000+ consultant network with delivery offices in Australia and Ethiopia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Research and DEI Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPACAJAJ

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/HR Consulting & Advisory (HR Strategy, Org Design, Change)

SECONDARYEDAFAKAJ

Special Needs Skill-Building & Therapy Learning Apps (Autism, OT/PT, Life Skills)

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Accessibility, Assistive Technology & Special Needs EdTech

SECONDARYEDAJAKAE

Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Education Services

Keywords

• Social research consulting
• DEI advisory services
• Gender inclusion research
• Ethical research review
• Capacity building training

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DEI Consulting & Strategy Services: Revenue generated from consulting engagements providing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion services including tools, training, technical support, and strategy development for organizations.
2. Research & Evaluation Services: Fees for designing and conducting qualitative, participatory, and intersectional research and evaluation focused on gender, disability, youth, social norms, and empowerment.
3. Institutional Review Board Services: IRB review and guidance services for research ethics approval, sold at $750 per application.
4. Training & Learning Programs: Cohort-based training programs such as the Gender & Inclusion in Humanitarian And Development Programmes course sold at $180 per enrollment.
5. Capacity Building & Knowledge Exchange: Training programmes, mentorship, and collaborative projects developing researcher talent, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Includovate is a social enterprise and research incubator that designs and conducts qualitative, participatory, and intersectional research and evaluation on gender, disability, youth, social norms, and empowerment. It delivers DEI consulting and strategy, localisation and talent development, and policy influence work for development organisations. It also operates a paid Institutional Review Board (IRB) service for research ethics review and sells cohort-based training programmes on inclusion topics.

Product overview

Includovate is a social enterprise and research incubator offering a portfolio of research and consulting services focused on inclusion, equity, and social justice. The core offerings include Research & Evaluation, Localisation and Talent Development, DEI Consulting & Strategy, and Policy Influence & Systems Change. Paid products include an Institutional Review Board (IRB) service ($750) for ethical research review and an 8-week training cohort on Gender & Inclusion in Humanitarian Programmes ($180). Additional offerings include Includovate PRO (advanced professional tier), Learning Hex (learning platform), and Research Incubation services. The company operates across multiple research focus areas including Inclusive Justice, Disability Inclusion, Social/Gender Norms, Inclusive Ecosystems/Agriculture/Markets, Inclusive Evaluation, Inclusive Migration, and Inclusive Childhood & Adolescence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Evaluation Designs and conducts qualitative, participatory, and intersectional research and evaluation for development organisations, UN agencies, NGOs, and governments. Covers feasibility studies, situational analyses, baseline assessments, programme and policy reviews, and theory of change workshops.
• Localisation and Talent Development Runs participatory co-creation workshops, training programmes, and technical support initiatives that engage stakeholders and marginalised groups to empower local actors and organisations, with focus on developing researcher talent in low- and middle-income countries.
• DEI Consulting & Strategy Provides DEI tools, training, technical support, institutional assessments, action plans, and solutions to help organisations create a culture of inclusivity and drive impactful change.
• Policy Influence & Systems Change Collaborates with clients and partners to shift the policies, processes, systems, and attitudes that perpetuate exclusion, producing evidence-based recommendations, policy briefs, and knowledge products to inform advocacy and drive systemic change.
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) IRB service ensuring that research adheres to the highest ethical standards, reviewing and guiding research processes with focus on protecting participants, ensuring informed consent, and promoting ethical integrity. Specialised in Research for Development (R4D). Priced at $750 per application.
• Gender & Inclusion in Humanitarian and Development Programmes Training An 8-week cohort-based training programme that unpacks key terms used in gender and inclusion and explores how to deliver meaningful, transformational programmes in humanitarian and development contexts. Priced at $180 per enrollment.
• Learning Hex A learning platform offering training programmes and educational resources on inclusion, gender, and development topics for practitioners and organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 major projects managed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Canopy NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Buneka Katha Storybook project, a DFAT-funded initiative as part of the Australian Water Partnership. Young Nepali storytellers created narratives about environmental issues.
• Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on legal advocacy work in Uganda, including the landmark court case CEHURD and Ors vs Buyende District Local Government on autism rights.
• UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF EAPRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject to strengthen capacity of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to support children with disabilities to claim their rights.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• INTRAC: International NGO providing training, research, and consulting on civil society and development effectiveness — directly comparable in capacity-building, training cohorts, and applied research.
• MannionDaniels: Specialist development consultancy providing research, evaluation, and capacity-building services with strong gender and inclusion focus — directly comparable niche positioning and customer base.
• Gender at Work: International gender equality and organizational change consulting organization using participatory methodologies — closely comparable to Includovate's feminist, inclusive research approach and UN/multilateral client base.
• Social Development Direct: UK-based specialist consultancy providing research, evaluation, and advisory services to development sector clients focused on gender, inclusion, and social justice — directly comparable mission and methodology stack to Includovate.
• Itad: Specialist monitoring and evaluation consultancy serving international development clients with qualitative and participatory research methods — overlapping service offering, customer base, and methodology focus.
• CDA Collaborative Learning Projects: Nonprofit focused on conflict, development, and inclusive practice using participatory methodologies — comparable niche research positioning and donor-funded consulting model.

Emerging players

• Laterite: African-focused data and research firm delivering quantitative and qualitative research across East Africa — comparable LMIC-focused research delivery, with growing overlap in social-sector studies.
• AidData: Research lab at William & Mary producing evidence on development finance and policy effectiveness — adjacent thematic overlap on inclusion research with institutional credibility.

Broad incumbents

• Social Impact (SI): Large international development management consulting firm offering M&E and inclusion advisory services — broader portfolio but overlapping GESI/inclusion work and donor-client overlap.
• Tetra Tech ARD: International development consultancy within Tetra Tech providing evaluation and inclusion services — much larger scale with overlap in UN/donor-funded research and DEI programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/includovate
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/Includovate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/includovate
• Instagraminstagram.com/includovatedotcom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Includovate