Ingine

What Ingine does

Ingine (formerly Michael Popper Associates, founded 1990) is a UK-based consulting building services engineering firm headquartered in St Margarets near Twickenham, delivering mechanical, electrical, lighting, lift and public health engineering across new-build, refurbishment and operational phases of buildings. The firm runs projects from inception and feasibility through outline and detail design, tender, site monitoring, handover and post-occupancy support under the BSRIA Soft Landings framework. Technical capability centres on advanced simulation tooling — dynamic thermal modelling (TAS), CFD thermal and ventilation analysis, 3D lighting simulation, daylight/solar analysis, and Passivhaus-standard low-energy design — supplemented by bespoke product design for special light fittings and controls. Project contract values range from £50k to £60m, spanning higher education (Oxford colleges, Wellington College), arts and heritage (Cabinet Gallery, Gravetye Manor, Russian Orthodox Cathedral), residential and hospitality (Akelius, Blakes Hotels, Berry Bros & Rudd), commercial/coworking (Huckletree), and special needs education (Tram House School).

The firm generates revenue through project-based professional consulting fees on a B2B enterprise field sales model, with projects sourced primarily through a network of more than 100 architectural practices (including Charles Knowles Architects, Rick Mather, Studio RHE, Edward Cullinan, Hodder & Partners and Architype) and direct client engagements. Repeat engagement on major schemes (e.g., the £60m Keble College HB Allen Centre, £13m Torquay House) indicates an anchor-client relationship dynamic, but the breadth of named customers across five verticals argues against heavy single-customer dependency. The firm is privately held, partnership-led (Nick Walker as Managing Partner, Christopher Killops as Partner), with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or subsidiaries, and operates with a headcount of 11–50 staff. Brand is reinforced through RIBA, Civic Trust and Oxford Preservation Trust awards associated with completed schemes.

Name

Ingine

Legal name

Ingine

Website

https://ingine.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ingine is a UK-based consulting building services engineering firm (founded 1990) providing mechanical, electrical, lighting, lift and public health design for higher education, heritage, hospitality, commercial and residential projects ranging from £50k to £60m, delivered through partnerships with more than 100 architectural practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Services Engineering Consultancy

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133)

akta.pro primary industry

Performance Contracting & Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) for Buildings (BPABAGAN)

Keywords

• Building services engineering
• Mechanical and electrical design
• Lighting design consultancy
• Sustainable building design
• Public health engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Twickenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Project-based professional consulting fees for building services engineering consultancy. Services range from inception and feasibility through to site monitoring and handover, including post-occupancy assistance. Project contract values range from £50k to £60m.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Ingine is a consulting building services engineering firm delivering coordinated mechanical, electrical, lighting, lift, and public health design for new construction, refurbishment, and operational buildings. The firm provides full-range consultancy from inception and feasibility through outline and detail design, tender, site monitoring, and handover, including post-occupancy assistance under the BSRIA Soft Landings framework. Specialisations include low-energy sustainable design, Passivhaus standard, lighting design, and bespoke product design.

Product overview

Ingine is an award-winning consulting building services engineering firm offering a comprehensive suite of services. The core offering is Building Services Engineering Consultancy covering mechanical services (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), electrical services (lighting, power, security, fire alarm, access control, communications), and public health (water, drainage). The company also provides specialized modules including Lighting Design using advanced 3-D simulation software, Sustainability and Low Energy Design specializing in Passivhaus standards, Maintenance Services, Energy Management (including BREEAM assessments), and bespoke Product Design for special light fittings and controls. Post-Occupancy Assistance following BSRIA's Soft Landings framework is offered as a follow-on service. These service modules work together to deliver coordinated, cost-effective, energy-efficient building solutions from initial feasibility through to handover and ongoing operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Services Engineering Consultancy Full-range coordinated building services engineering consultancy for new construction, refurbishment, and operation, covering all mechanical, electrical, lighting, lift, and public health disciplines. For architects, developers, universities, schools, hotels, galleries, and listed-building clients across the UK.
• Lighting Design Specialty lighting design service using sophisticated computer lighting software and fully rendered 3D simulation, including design of special light fittings for museums, galleries, retail environments, and external light pollution control. Targeted at architectural projects requiring precision lighting outcomes.
• Sustainability and Low Energy Design Sustainable building design service specialising in low-energy design, informing the conceptual design process to create inherently sustainable buildings using passive and active methods. Includes Passivhaus standard design, natural ventilation strategies, thermal mass utilisation, and embodied carbon calculations. For new build and refurbishment clients with sustainability objectives.
• Maintenance Services Tailored post-construction services for building owners and operators covering asset registers, maintenance contract management, performance testing, and plant replacement programmes. Designed for ongoing operational needs after handover.
• Energy Management Environmental responsibility services for existing buildings, including energy audits, BREEAM In-Use Assessments, benchmarking, Energy Performance Certificates, and system upgrade design. Targets building owners pursuing operational energy efficiency and certification.
• Product Design Bespoke product design service producing special light fittings, controls, systems, electronics, and components designed from first principles and manufactured to Ingine's specifications. For architectural and lighting projects requiring unique fixtures or effects.
• Post-Occupancy Assistance Post-occupancy support service following BSRIA's Soft Landings framework, ensuring operation and performance of designed building services systems meet client satisfaction after handover. Targeted at owners and operators of newly completed buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buildings designed to Passivhaus standard limiting heating energy to a fraction of current good practice
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Architectural Firms NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of over 100 architectural firms including: Charles Knowles Architects, Edward Cullinan Architects, Rick Mather Architects (MICA Architects), Berman Guedes Stretton, Hodder & Partners, Architype, Studio RHE, Studio Sielern, BLDA, MAACK Architects, and many others. These partnerships are central to Ingine's business model as projects are commissioned through architect relationships.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Major global engineering consultancy with a substantial UK building services practice. Competes for institutional and commercial projects where Ingine bids, though at a much larger scale and with broader multi-disciplinary integration.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with deep building services engineering practice in the UK including a strong sustainability and low-carbon design reputation. Significantly broader scale than Ingine, but pursues many of the same cultural, education, and built-environment commissions.
• AECOM: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a UK building services team. Represents the full-service incumbent alternative to Ingine on commercial, healthcare, and public-sector work.
• BDP (Building Design Partnership): Large integrated architecture and engineering practice with a substantial MEP and building services consultancy. Ingine often acts as a specialist subconsultant to BDP-led schemes and competes for similar UK institutional projects in education and healthcare.
• Mott MacDonald: Large UK-headquartered engineering consultancy with a building services engineering capability, particularly active in transport, education, and public-sector built environment schemes. Indirectly competes for similar private and institutional MEP appointments.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Global architecture, engineering, and planning practice with a notable building services engineering team. Operates more upstream as a designer-of-record on large-scale commercial and civic projects, but competes for high-quality prestige commissions.

Direct peers

• Cundall: Multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with strong sustainable building services and structural engineering capability. Direct competitor to Ingine for UK consulting commissions, particularly on education, cultural, and commercial projects where low-energy design is a key differentiator.
• Pick Everard: UK building services engineering consultancy operating from multiple regional offices. Serves the same broad mix of public-sector, education, residential, and heritage clients as Ingine and competes for similar consultant appointments, making it a regionally focused direct peer.
• Max Fordham: UK-based building services engineering consultancy founded in 1965 and widely regarded as the leader in sustainable, low-energy MEP design. Direct comparable to Ingine in vertical mix (cultural, education, heritage) and their shared emphasis on Passivhaus, natural ventilation, and post-occupancy performance services.
• Hoare Lea: UK building services and sustainability engineering firm with one of the largest MEP practices in the country. Comparable to Ingine across MEP, lighting, vertical transport, and sustainability disciplines, with broader geographic reach and a heavier commercial/high-rise tilt.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michael-popper-associates-llp

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 Ingine