What Reach Network does

Reach Network is a global consortium of independent design research and innovation consultancies, co-founded in 2008 by Stby (the Amsterdam and London-based studio established in 2002 by Geke van Dijk and Bas Raijmakers). Operating across 20+ countries with a network of 200+ practitioners speaking 35+ languages, Reach Network delivers human-centered research, co-creation, prototyping, visual design, strategic foresight, and speculative design services to organizations navigating complex social, environmental, and systemic challenges. The network organizes its work around eight thematic focus areas including Thriving Planet, Social Innovation, Holistic Care, and Smart Ecosystems, and has completed more than 100 projects globally.

The firm's core technology is its methodological stack rather than software products: proprietary ethnographic approaches such as Design Documentaries and Street Labs (signature methods developed by Stby), co-creation workshops, iterative prototyping, and design fiction. Digital assets include an Interactive Learning Portal built for the ILO. The network's product portfolio spans both core services (Research & Insights, Co-creation, Prototyping, Knowledge Management, Speculative Design) and knowledge-sharing offerings (Publications, Reach School, Events).

Reach Network operates a project-based, quote-based professional services revenue model with multi-year contracts. Go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, with clients sourced through network relationships and partner referrals. Customer segments are split across five horizontal themes, with primary clients including large foundations (Gates Foundation, Wikimedia), international organizations (ILO, IRC, USAID), and government agencies (Bureau of Meteorology Australia, Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no venture capital or private equity funding has been raised — the network is collectively managed by independent partner agencies rather than a centralized holding entity.

Name

Reach Network

Legal name

Reach Network

Website

https://reach-network.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Reach Network is a global consortium of 20+ independent design research consultancies across 20+ countries, delivering human-centered research, co-creation, and strategic design services to foundations, NGOs, and governments tackling systemic social and environmental challenges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Research & Innovation Consultancy

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical & Scientific Expert Networks (BPAHALAH)

Keywords

• Design research services
• Innovation consulting
• Human-centered design
• Systemic transformation
• Co-creation facilitation

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Design Research & Consultancy Services: Professional services revenue generated through project-based engagements with clients including corporations, governments, NGOs, and foundations. Services include research, design, facilitation, and strategic consulting for systemic transformation initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Reach Network is a global consortium of 20+ independent design research and innovation consultancies spanning 20 countries, employing 200+ catalysts working across 35+ languages. The network delivers design research, co-creation, prototyping, innovation strategy, and systemic transformation services to governments, international organizations, NGOs, foundations, and businesses, applying signature methodologies such as Design Documentaries and Street Labs.

Product overview

Reach Network is a global network of design research and innovation consultancies offering a portfolio of services organized around eight thematic areas. The core service offerings include Research & Insights, Co-creation & Facilitation, Prototyping & Testing, Visual Design & Communication, Innovation Support & Strategy, Product & Service Design, Knowledge Management, and Speculative Design. These services are applied across thematic focuses including Thriving Planet, Social Innovation, Holistic Care, Smart Ecosystems, Catalysing Change, Transforming Knowledge, Shifting Paradigms, and Imagining Futures. The network also provides knowledge-sharing products including Publications, Reach School, Events, and maintains an Interactive Learning Portal developed for the ILO. The network operates through 20+ partner organizations across 20+ countries, combining global reach with local expertise to help organizations transform the way they work and deliver services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Insights
• Co-creation & Facilitation
• Prototyping & Testing
• Visual Design & Communication
• Innovation Support & Strategy
• Product & Service Design
• Knowledge Management
• Speculative Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ transformative projects completed across multiple continents
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• Big HumancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Toronto, Canada. Part of the Reach Network contributing to projects in North America including human-centered research for social services.
• Fit AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Pittsburgh, United States. Contributing expertise in design research and organizational transformation.
• Studio José de la OcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning creative agency based in México City, specializing in design-driven research. Created We Were Wolves critical design project and conducts design research for challenges in Mexico.
• ID-SLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Paris, France. Contributed to projects including development of card games for improving debate skills in France.
• YuxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Nairobi, Kenya with presence in Lagos, Nigeria and Dakar, Senegal. Conducted field activities for Wikimedia Foundation research across African countries.
• The Care LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Barcelona, Spain. Led Care Capsules COVID-19 global collaboration and projects on caregiving and hospice experiences in Singapore.
• QuicksandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Delhi & Bangalore, India. Major project partner conducting design research across health, sanitation, and social innovation themes. Led Project Sammaan for Gates Foundation.
• Summ( )ncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Contributed to innovation research and automotive industry projects within the network.
• Paper GiantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Melbourne & Canberra, Australia. Conducted Brain Bloom mental health toolkit project and aged care regulatory design work.
• Somia CXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Indonesia and Singapore. Contributes to customer experience innovation projects across Southeast Asia.
• CuriositycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Manila, Philippines. Contributed to Islamic financial services research for Asian Development Bank.
• Re:public InccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Tokyo, Japan. Conducted Yokohama City parent daily life research and Japanese arts crafts reinvention project.
• ApogeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Hong Kong, China. Contributed to smart devices ecosystem research and Sparkle Toolkit development for healthcare workers.
• MatchboxologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Major partner for health projects including HIV self-test kits, Coach Mpilo, and USAID programs in DRC.
• AntropologernecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Contributed to bone marrow cancer awareness research and Danish youth sexual consent research.
• Flutter InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization based in Berlin, Germany and São Paulo, Brazil. Contributed to Clean Energy Challenge and No Waste Challenge projects.
• StbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Reach Network with studios in Amsterdam and London. Pioneer in discovery and foundational research, founded in 2002 by Geke van Dijk and Bas Raijmakers. Developed signature methods including Design Documentaries and Street Labs. Research partner for What Design Can Do challenges.
• What Design Can DokeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with What Design Can Do for design challenges including Clean Energy Challenge (2018-2019), Climate Action Challenge (2017-2018), and No Waste Challenge (2021).
• Pathways ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership building on household segmentation work conducted by Pathways Project in Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal for women's digital empowerment research.
• DecodissupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Decodis for separate data collection effort across Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal for women's digital engagement project.
• Yale UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged with team from Yale University to document Project Sammaan for use as innovation case study at Yale Business School.
• Social Innovation ExchangesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Innovation Exchange included Care Capsule work as a resource in their global Wayfinder project focusing on shaping social innovation in urgent times.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IDEO: Independent design and innovation consultancy pioneering human-centered design research, co-creation, and prototyping. Direct peer to Reach Network, serving many of the same corporate, foundation, and social-sector clients globally.
• Stby: Amsterdam and London-based design research studio co-founded by Geke van Dijk and Bas Raijmakers and the originator of Reach Network; develops Design Documentaries and Street Labs. Effectively a parent/peer operating inside the network.
• Livework: International service design consultancy with studios in Europe, Latin America, and beyond, focused on service innovation and systemic transformation. Closely comparable to Reach Network in service design orientation and multi-country delivery model.
• Dalberg Design: Design and innovation consultancy within the Dalberg Group working on social impact, international development, and humanitarian challenges. Closely matched to Reach Network's foundation, NGO, and multilateral client base and Global South footprint.
• Paper Giant: Australia-based design research and strategy studio and a core Reach Network partner, working on social innovation, aged care, and climate. Directly comparable to Reach Network on stakeholder-driven, ethnographic research for public-interest clients.
• Quicksand: India-based design research and innovation studio operating in Delhi and Bangalore, and a core Reach Network partner. Comparable to Reach Network on social innovation, service design, and ethnographic research in emerging markets.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey Design: Design practice within McKinsey & Company delivering human-centered design and innovation at the C-suite. Comparable to Reach Network on systemic transformation and design research, but embedded in a much larger strategy platform.
• Frog Design (Capgemini Engineering): Global design and engineering consultancy inside Capgemini offering design research, strategy, and product design. Comparable to Reach Network on the design research and innovation services side, but at materially larger scale and with product/engineering delivery depth.
• Designit (Wipro): Global strategic design firm owned by Wipro, delivering strategy, service design, and innovation across multiple industries. Overlaps with Reach Network on systemic transformation and service design for large public and private clients.

Others

• Service Design Network: Global membership organization for service design practitioners, hosting conferences, publications, and education. Adjacent to Reach Network's service design focus and knowledge-sharing activities (Reach School, Publications, Events).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reachnetworkhcd

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 Reach Network