Didobi

What Didobi does

Didobi Limited is a UK-based independent consultancy founded in 2018 by Matthew Hopkinson and Matt Richardson, operating as a 'swarm consultancy' of 21+ senior practitioners averaging 28 years of experience across data, technology, research, and real estate. The firm provides specialist advisory services to three primary client segments: institutional investors and pension funds (e.g., Coal Pensions Trustees, IPF), retailers and consumer-facing enterprises (e.g., Amazon), and public sector bodies and local authorities (e.g., Greater London Authority, Sheffield City Council, Republic of Ireland's Town Centre First Office). Its three core service lines are Research (bespoke CRE and retail market research, due diligence, and sector analysis), Data (monetisation, interpretation, strategy, and management of data assets), and Placemaking (evidence-led town visions, regeneration strategies, and action plans), supplemented by proprietary frameworks including the Didobi Night Index, the Understanding Irish Places data model covering 493 Irish towns, and the #bettertowns Roadmap.

Revenue is generated through bespoke, quote-based professional services engagements delivered directly or as part of consortia with partners such as Publica Associates, UCL, Control Risks, and the Local Government Management Agency in Ireland. The go-to-market is sales-led, combining senior-level relationship management for enterprise and government clients with thought leadership content marketing through BBC News appearances, IPF/ULI-commissioned research, conference keynotes, and webinars. Services are also offered as a flexible in-house research capability, allowing clients to access senior expertise without recruiting full-time teams. Geographic reach spans the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong/Asia Pacific, and selected one-off engagements in markets such as Malaysia, supported by a distributed practitioner model rather than traditional branch offices. No external institutional investment, parent company, or disclosed revenue figures are present in the input data.

Name

Didobi

Legal name

Didobi Limited

Website

https://didobi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Didobi is an independent UK-based 'swarm consultancy' providing senior-level data, research, and placemaking advisory to real estate investors, retailers, and local authorities across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate M&A / Joint Venture Advisory (Platform Deals, Partnerships) (BPAJANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Real estate consulting
• Commercial real estate research
• Placemaking advisory
• Built environment analytics
• Town centre regeneration

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Professional consulting services providing practical and senior-level expertise in interpretation and monetization of data for investors, retailers, and public sector clients. Delivered directly and as consortium with partners.
2. Research and Analysis: Bespoke, comprehensive and independent research and analysis for Commercial Real Estate and retail investment markets. Also available as flexible in-house research service.
3. Training and Workshops: Training programs delivered to clients for building data knowledge and confidence, including workshops on economic growth, night-time economy, and placemaking.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Didobi is a 'swarm consultancy' providing specialist independent advisory and consultancy services to real estate professionals, investors, retailers and local authorities across the UK and internationally. Its core offerings are organised into three service areas: Research Services (independent market research, due diligence and sector analysis for commercial real estate and retail), Data Services (data monetisation, interpretation, strategy and analytics systems), and Placemaking Services (evidence-led town visions, strategies and action plans), delivered alongside proprietary tools such as the Didobi Night Index and the Understanding Irish Places model.

Product overview

Didobi is a 'swarm consultancy' providing specialist independent advisory and consultancy services to the built environment sector. The company offers three core service areas: Research Services (market research, due diligence, and sector analysis for CRE and retail), Data Services (data monetisation, interpretation, strategy, and analytics systems), and Placemaking Services (evidence-based town visions, strategies, and action plans). These core services are delivered alongside specialized sub-products including the Didobi Night Index (night-time economy assessment tool), the Understanding Irish Places data model (for 493 Irish towns), the #bettertowns Roadmap (town transformation framework), Data After Dark research (night worker studies), and commissioned research papers on global capital flows and life sciences real estate. The company operates as a collective of expert advisors rather than a software platform, with no API offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Services Bespoke, comprehensive and independent research and analysis for the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and retail investment markets, including macro-economic, macro-market and micro-location analysis, portfolio investment strategies, data capture, audit and analytics, market and sector reporting, due diligence and procurement projects. Intended for investors, retailers and public sector clients.
• Data Services Monetisation, interpretation, analysis, strategy and management of data assets. Includes identifying core data assets, multi-source data integration, data modelling and content architecture, effective use of data in investment strategies, and data interpretation and reporting. Intended for investors, retailers and public sector clients.
• Placemaking Services Evidence-led and community-driven visions, strategies and action plans for town economic regeneration. Includes creating town visions, data capture, insight generation from complex data, action planning and execution, and community engagement. Intended for local authorities and public sector regeneration clients.
• Didobi Night Index Assessment tool which measures a town's night-time economy (NTE) through the combination of responses from multiple questions linked to four aspects: economy, people, place, and the environment. It produces a compass diagram for visual interpretation of strengths and opportunities. Adopted by towns in Ireland and other local authorities.
• Understanding Irish Places (UIP) Model Data evaluation and modelling framework covering 493 towns and cities in the Republic of Ireland, based on the Understanding Scottish Places (USP) interdependency model. Supports evaluation and monitoring of Irish towns and the Town Centre First initiative. Intended for the Republic of Ireland's National Town Centre First Office and Local Government Management Agency.
• #bettertowns Roadmap Evidence-based online interactive roadmap, co-created with HLM Architects and realestateworks, that steers towns through strategies and actions with clear steps building incrementally toward short, medium and long-term goals. Intended for local authorities and town regeneration teams.
• Data After Dark Research Transdisciplinary research collaboration with UCL and the Greater London Authority establishing understanding of urban communities, culture, environment and opportunities after dark, using quantitative and qualitative methods to capture insights into diverse night workers. Includes the Night Time Workers Report covering 1.32 million London night workers.
• Global Capital Flows Research Research paper commissioned by the Investment Property Forum (IPF) examining threats and opportunities posed by growing nationalism and protectionism to global real estate investment, with risk commentary from Control Risks. Part of the IPF research programme tracking global capital flows in 2019 and 2025.
• Life Sciences Real Estate Research Research on understanding the life sciences sector for real estate investment, commissioned by Urban Land Institute Europe and Asia Pacific, and a White Paper on Data Security and Cyber Security in Life Sciences Real Estate (in partnership with Life Sciences Real Estate and Backbone Connect). Intended for institutional investors and real estate professionals.
• Town Audits Data and engagement-driven audits providing comprehensive analysis of towns and villages. Includes the Isle of Man Government Town Audit project supporting the 'Our Island, Our Future' economic plan. Intended for local authorities and government bodies.
• Economic Impact Assessments Assessment of economic impact of planned investments and projects. Includes work with Rise Associates and Thrive Economics on Southampton City Council's active travel plans in Portswood District Centre. Intended for local authorities and government bodies.
• Training and Workshops Training programs and workshops delivered to clients to build data knowledge and confidence, including workshops on economic growth, night-time economy, and placemaking. Includes delivery to 9 Night-Time Economy advisers across Ireland. Intended for local authorities and public sector clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered Economic Impact Assessment for Southampton City Council's active travel plans
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Publica AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Change Specialists Publica partners with Didobi to deliver bespoke programme of support to London Boroughs developing evening and night-time strategies. Collaboration for London-based placemaking and regeneration projects.
• Rise AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRise Associates worked with Didobi and Thrive Economics to deliver an Economic Impact Assessment of Southampton City Council's active travel plans.
• Thrive EconomicsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThrive Economics partnered with Didobi and Rise Associates on Southampton City Council's active travel economic impact assessment.
• Control RiskscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerControl Risks provided risk commentary for the Investment Property Forum research paper on Global Capital Flows in a World of Increasing Nationalism and Protectionism.
• Life Sciences Real EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDidobi partnered with Life Sciences Real Estate to support and develop life sciences real estate expertise, including co-hosting events and publishing white papers on data security and cyber security in life sciences buildings.
• University College London (UCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCL Social Data Institute and UCL Urban Laboratory partnered with Didobi on the Data After Dark research collaboration studying London's night workers. Didobi co-funded a PhD studentship on Real-Time Geodemographics and provides ongoing research support.
• Greater London Authority (GLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLA partnered with Didobi and UCL on night-time economy research including the Night Time Workers Report and support for London's 24-Hour City agenda. Didobi appointed as night-time consultant to 24-Hour London Team.
• Local Government Management Agency (Ireland)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDidobi worked with Ireland's National Town Centre First Office and Local Government Management Agency to develop the Understanding Irish Places model for 493 towns and support the Town Centre First initiative.
• Cagni WilliamsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDidobi partnered with Cagni Williams to deliver a Life Sciences feasibility study and masterplan for Universiti Putra Malaysia.
• Backbone ConnectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDidobi partnered with Life Sciences Real Estate and Backbone Connect on a White Paper regarding Data Security and Cyber Security in Life Sciences Real Estate.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Centre for Cities: UK urban-economics think tank producing research and policy advice on UK towns and cities. Comparable in producing evidence-based urban and regeneration research for public-sector audiences; overlaps directly with Didobi's placemaking and Town Audit work.
• Locality: UK membership body supporting community-led organisations including town-centre and high-street initiatives. Overlaps with Didobi's placemaking work for local authorities and offers an alternative route into regeneration advisory at scale.

Broad incumbents

• CACI: Large UK data and analytics group with a dedicated location planning and consumer insight division serving retailers and public sector. Directly comparable product lines to Didobi's placemaking and location analytics work, but at materially greater scale.
• CoStar Group: Global CRE data and analytics leader. Comparable as a source of data and market intelligence for commercial real estate investors and as an origin employer for Didobi's senior team; broader product suite and global scale.
• JLL: Global CRE services firm with research, capital markets, placemaking and location strategy practices. Competes with Didobi for investor and public-sector clients across real estate research, life sciences and urban regeneration.
• Knight Frank: Global CRE advisor with in-house research and capital-markets practice. Comparable in delivering investment research (e.g., global capital flows comparable to Didobi's IPF-commissioned paper) and built-environment advisory to investors.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global CRE services firm with research, valuation and advisory practices addressing investors, retailers and public sector. Directly competes with Didobi's investment research work and broader placemaking advisory.

Direct peers

• Publica Associates: UK urban change consultancy delivering bespoke placemaking and regeneration programmes to London boroughs. Direct partner (consortium) of Didobi with overlapping propositions for night-time economy and town-centre regeneration for local authorities.
• Local Data Company: UK provider of retail and high-street location intelligence. Closely comparable to Didobi: founding team members (Matthew Hopkinson) and former colleagues originated from Local Data Company, and both serve retailers and local authorities with vacancy, footfall and placemaking data.
• GMAP / GMAP Consulting: Retail location analytics consultancy. Several Didobi associates (Dr Chris Duley, Dr Julia Williams) previously headed up GMAP's consulting and analytics teams, and the firm offers a near-identical proposition of data-driven retail and location strategy to retailers and public-sector clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/didobi_com
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/didobi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Didobi