What Electric Circus does

Electric Circus Digital Ltd is a Manchester-based creative digital agency that designs and builds bespoke digital experiences for HR and learning & development (L&D) leaders at large enterprises. Founded in 2015 and operating with a small team of 1–10 employees, the firm targets ambitious organisations seeking to transform employee lifecycle touchpoints—candidate attraction, onboarding, learning, and internal mobility—into engaging, consumer-grade digital experiences. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed external investment, and counts Amazon, DHL, Tesco, Lego, Mars, Hiscox, Gatwick, NNL, Cygnet, and Electrolux among its named enterprise clients.

Its portfolio spans custom-built learning management systems (LMS) with multi-language support (up to 26 languages), bespoke interfaces layered over enterprise LMS platforms such as Cornerstone OnDemand, Docebo, Oracle, Workday, and Skillsoft, and purpose-built platforms including NuStart (a digital onboarding solution for NNL), Vorbi (a communication and referral app), gamified learning platforms with leaderboards and avatar personalisation, and interactive career pathway tools. The technology stack includes custom gamification engines, personalisation frameworks, bespoke CMS development, and API integrations—most of which is built on top of incumbent LMS vendors rather than in competition with them.

Electric Circus generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements, with pricing determined per project scope and complexity and multi-year contracts common. Its go-to-market is consultative enterprise sales, anchored by "Discovery Sessions" used both as a sales tool and a paid service offering. The firm markets primarily through content (case studies, blog), industry events, direct outreach, and partnerships with bodies such as CIPD and BIMA, and claims a global distribution capability.

Name

Electric Circus

Legal name

Electric Circus Digital Ltd

Website

https://electriccircus.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Electric Circus is a Manchester-based creative digital agency that designs bespoke digital experiences for HR and L&D leaders at large enterprises, spanning candidate attraction, onboarding, learning, and internal mobility via custom LMS interfaces, gamification, and career pathway platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Learning Experience Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Learning experience design
• Employee onboarding platforms
• Employer branding services
• Internal mobility solutions
• LMS customisation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Digital Experience Projects: Bespoke digital projects including careers sites, LMS customisation, onboarding platforms, learning experiences, internal mobility tools, and employee engagement apps. Projects are scoped to meet specific client needs with pricing based on scope and complexity.
2. Discovery Sessions: Facilitated consultation sessions designed for HR and employee engagement leaders to interrogate challenges, generate ideas, and identify potential solutions. These serve as an entry point for larger engagements.
3. Employer Brand & EVP Development: Services to develop employer value propositions and employer branding, connecting all the dots across the employee lifecycle to create powerful employer brands showcased with inspiring digital experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Electric Circus designs, builds and customises immersive digital experiences that span the employee lifecycle — bespoke LMS environments built on Cornerstone, Docebo, Oracle, Workday and Skillsoft; gamified learning platforms with avatars, points and leaderboards; NuStart digital onboarding; the Vorbi employee communication and referral app; career pathway and internal mobility portals; plus employer brand, video, and candidate-attraction assets. Services are sold project-by-project via consultative discovery sessions to HR and L&D leaders at large enterprises.

Product overview

Electric Circus is a creative digital agency that creates immersive, personalised digital experiences across the entire employee lifecycle. Their portfolio consists of bespoke LMS solutions (including custom-built systems and Cornerstone LMS overlays), the NuStart onboarding platform, the Vorbi communication app, gamified learning platforms with leaderboards, and interactive career mapping tools. These products work together to serve the Attract-Inspire-Grow-Move framework: attracting candidates through careers sites, inspiring new hires through onboarding, growing skills through learning experiences, and enabling internal mobility through career pathways. Services include Discovery Sessions, HR Tech Audits, Employer Branding, and Video & Animation production, all supported by API integration capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bespoke Learning Management System (LMS) Custom-built LMS solutions that transform learning experiences for global networks of colleagues and partners, featuring visual explorative navigation, multi-language support (up to 26 languages), and custom content management systems built for enterprise workforces.
• NuStart Digital Onboarding Platform A bespoke digital onboarding solution that completely overhauls the induction process for new hires with interactive progress tracking, digital checklists, 12 curated modules, and self-paced progression with mandatory completion gates.
• Vorbi Communication & Referral App A communication and referral app that engages dispersed teams by prompting and rewarding positive connections between employees to foster involvement and value, enabling communication with remote staff and creating community across locations.
• Gamified Learning Platform A gamified learning solution integrated with enterprise LMS platforms, featuring avatar personalisation, points and badges, global leaderboards, scenarios and quizzes designed for high engagement and completion rates.
• Mars Career Pathway Platform An internal careers portal and career planning toolkit that maps available career opportunities, provides resources for career conversations, self-reflection tools, and testimonials from senior leaders for talent development.
• Interactive Career Maps Detailed visual representations of employee career trajectories within organisations, offering insights into key milestones, training opportunities and potential roles based on different skills and specialisms to support internal mobility and retention.
• Discovery Sessions Facilitated expert creative-thinking sessions for HR, L&D and employee-engagement leaders covering exploring challenges, purpose and objectives, audience profiling, journey and behaviour mapping, stakeholder mapping, and messaging and engagements.
• HR Tech Audit A complete audit service examining careers sites, including user journeys, conversion rates, traffic analysis, keyword optimisation and content effectiveness to improve candidate attraction ROI.
• Employer Brand Service Service to help develop employer value propositions, create powerful employer brands, and showcase them with inspiring digital experiences across the employee lifecycle.
• Video & Animation Production Multimedia content production to bring employee communications to life, delivering complex messages through engaging video and animation assets for HR and L&D teams.
• Candidate Attraction Service Solutions to generate more, higher-quality candidates that turn into long-term employees while reducing recruitment costs, including engaging careers websites and recruitment campaign assets.
• Onboarding Experiences Service Inspiring and effective onboarding experiences for new hires that create positive first impressions and set people up for success from day one.
• Learning Experiences Service Learning and development experiences that engage employees, using interactive digital solutions that inspire participation and grow skills with measurable results.
• Internal Mobility Service Innovative internal mobility platforms and systems to reduce turnover by offering staff clear career progression pathways and opportunities within the organisation.

Quantifiable outcome

• DHL gamified learning achieved over 10,000+ course completions in 2024, 5+ minutes engagement per module, and 21% return-to-play rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CornerstonecoreTechnology or IntegrationElectric Circus integrates with and customises Cornerstone LMS platforms for clients. They create bespoke interfaces that sit over Cornerstone, building custom page designs, personalised learner experiences, and custom CMS functionality. Their work for Hiscox, Electrolux, and DHL involves Cornerstone integration.
• JamPancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJamPan partnered with Electric Circus to develop DHL's gamified learning solution. The Head of L&D at DHL is quoted praising the collaboration: 'The engagement in the solution truly stands out due to its originality and the way it infuses fun into the courses.'

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kineo: Global learning experience design agency providing bespoke e-learning, content, and platform builds for HR/L&D functions — same bespoke digital learning agency category and buyer as Electric Circus.
• Webcredible: UK digital UX consultancy designing customer and employee-facing digital experiences for enterprises — comparable bespoke UX and digital product delivery targeting similar B2B buyers.
• Bray Leino: UK full-service creative and digital agency with a dedicated learning and engagement practice — comparable end-to-end creative digital agency serving enterprise marketing and HR use cases.
• Filter Creative: Independent UK digital creative agency delivering UX, design, and digital platform work for B2B and enterprise clients — overlaps directly with Electric Circus's bespoke web/app and experience design specialism.
• Sponge: UK-headquartered digital learning solutions agency that designs blended and immersive learning programmes, content and platforms for global enterprises — directly comparable to Electric Circus as a creative digital learning agency serving enterprise HR/L&D.

Broad incumbents

• AKQA: Global creative and innovation agency with experience design and digital product practices — competes for enterprise digital experience mandates with broader geographic reach and a wider service portfolio than Electric Circus.
• EPAM: Global digital platform engineering and design services firm building custom employee experiences and learning platforms for enterprises — larger incumbent with overlapping custom development and design capabilities.
• Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy that designs and builds custom digital platforms and experiences for large enterprises — broader and much larger player with overlapping custom software and experience design capabilities.
• Deloitte Digital: Global consultancy's digital arm delivering HR transformation, employee experience and learning platform implementations for the largest enterprises — addresses the same CHRO/L&D buyer with a much wider service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Electr1cCircus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Electric Circus