Re:Imagine Group

What Re:Imagine Group does

Re:Imagine Group is a San Francisco–based civic technology and urban innovation consultancy founded in 2010. The firm partners with government agencies, international organizations, and large corporations to develop digital transformation strategies, urban informatics schemes, and citizen engagement programs that link big data to actionable insight. Its service portfolio is organized around three pillars: 'Strategies for a Connected World' (Big Data narrative and strategy advisory for clients such as the UN Global Pulse, Best Buy, Hertz, and Nokia), 'Urban Informatics Schemes' (place-based sensing and data design for real estate developers, brands, architecture firms and cities, exemplified by the São Paulo mixed-use engagement with Arup), and 'Urban Prototyping Programs' (rapid prototyping festivals such as Summer of Smart in San Francisco and UP Singapore that engage developers, designers and citizens around open data).

The underlying technology stack combines urban informatics, big data analytics, civic technology platforms, open data frameworks and human-centered design. Notable proprietary components include the Urban Prototyping Methodology (a co-creation framework for civic innovation), the Copenhagen Wheel (an electric hybrid bicycle with real-time environmental sensing, developed with MIT's SENSEable City Lab and unveiled at COP15) and the Urban Informatics Strategy Framework (embedded building sensing for occupancy, energy, traffic and noise). The firm has launched global initiatives including The Human Face of Big Data (a media-and-data program with 10 million Human Sensor Day participants) and operates the City Innovation Group, a global expert network spanning more than 80 cities.

Re:Imagine Group monetizes exclusively through professional services: custom consulting engagements with corporations, governments and international organizations, billed via multi-year contracts on quote-based terms (no public pricing). Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on the principals' executive relationships (Peter Hirshberg's prior enterprise work at Apple, chairman role at Technorati, and client roster including Sony, Unilever, IBM, Verizon, GE and Telefónica) and thought leadership at venues such as TED, the World Economic Forum, DLD, Smart City Expo and the UN General Assembly. The firm is privately held, founder-controlled, and shows no disclosed external funding.

Name

Re:Imagine Group

Legal name

Re:imagine Group

Website

https://reimaginegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Re:Imagine Group is a San Francisco-based civic technology consultancy that advises governments, international organizations and large enterprises on digital transformation, big data strategy and urban innovation through strategic advisory, urban informatics design and citizen prototyping programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital & Technology Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Strategic management consulting
• Urban informatics consulting
• Civic technology advisory
• Digital transformation strategy
• Open data strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Services: Provides innovation, communication and strategy advisory services to government agencies, international organizations, and corporations seeking to leverage digital technologies and data for transformation.
2. Urban Informatics Design Consulting: Creates urban informatics schemes for real estate developers, brands, architecture and design firms, and cities through research and design engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Re:Imagine Group is a strategic consulting firm that helps public and private sector organizations harness digital technologies, big data, and urban informatics for transformation. Its core offerings are three service areas: Strategies for a Connected World (digital and big data strategy consulting for clients like Best Buy, Hertz, Nokia, and the United Nations), Urban Informatics Schemes (place-based sensing and data design for real estate developers, architecture firms, and cities), and Urban Prototyping Programs (civic innovation festivals and rapid prototyping workshops such as Summer of Smart and UP Singapore). The firm also runs flagship initiatives including The Human Face of Big Data and the City Innovation Group global expert network.

Product overview

Re:Imagine Group is a strategic consulting firm focused on urban innovation and digital transformation. Their offering consists of three core service areas: Strategies for a Connected World (consulting for Big Data and digital strategies with clients like Best Buy, Hertz, Nokia, and UN), Urban Informatics Schemes (design services for embedding data into physical spaces for real estate developers and cities), and Urban Prototyping Programs (rapid prototyping festivals and civic engagement events). The company also manages The Human Face of Big Data initiative, the City Innovation Group global expert network, and has produced publications including 'The Citizen, The Cloud & The Smart City' book. Their work spans from consulting engagements like the Rental Genome Project and Best Buy social strategy to flagship events like UP Singapore and Summer of Smart.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• City Innovation Group: A global network of experts exploring smart cities and the transformation of city design and development in the digital age, founded by Re:Imagine's Creative Director Christine Outram in 2010.
• Urban Prototyping (UP)

Products and services

• Strategies for a Connected World Digital strategy and consulting services that help enterprises and government clients create strategies for a connected world. Working with clients like Best Buy, Hertz, Nokia, and the United Nations, the firm develops narratives and proofs of concept that link Big Data to insight, action, and sustainable change.
• Urban Informatics Schemes Design and implementation of urban informatics schemes for real estate developers, brands, architecture and design firms, and cities. Focuses on place-based data and creating human experiences that bridge the digital and physical realm through embedded sensing technologies.
• Urban Prototyping Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ participants and 10,000 hours engaged in urban prototyping activities annually in San Francisco alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• United Nations Global PulsecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Re:Imagine Group serves as innovation, communication and strategy advisers to UN Global Pulse, an initiative of the Secretary-General's office using big data techniques to help vulnerable populations in real-time. Peter Hirshberg and Andreas Weigend presented at the UN General Assembly in November 2011.
• Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (GAFFTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Peter Hirshberg in San Francisco. Collaboration on Summer of Smart (2011), Urban Prototyping festivals, and Digital Arts District initiatives. Partnership focuses on civic innovation and digital arts in public spaces.
• Newton CircusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency partner for Urban Prototyping Singapore initiative. Newton Circus provided data sets and co-organized the 6-month collaboration leading to the UP Singapore festival with 150 participants and 30 projects.
• SENSEable City Lab MITmajorTechnology or IntegrationChristine Outram was Research Associate at MIT and led Copenhagen Wheel project with this research group. Ongoing collaboration on urban technology and smart city initiatives including Copenhagen Wheel development.
• City of SingaporemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Urban Prototyping Singapore festival. City opened data sets and hosted the culminating event at World Cities Summit with 400 mayors attending.
• Against All Odds ProductionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rick Smolan's production company for The Human Face of Big Data initiative - a large-scale project including illustrated book, Human Sensor Day, education programs, TV special, and public exhibits.
• SingTelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for Urban Prototyping Festival in Singapore with Singapore Economic Development Board.
• Singapore Economic Development BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Urban Prototyping Festival in Singapore alongside SingTel and GAFFTA.
• City of CopenhagenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Copenhagen Wheel project - an innovative bicycle with electric hybrid and environmental sensing capabilities developed with SENSEable City Lab MIT.
• ArupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Arup's information and communications technologies team on urban informatics strategy for São Paulo mixed-use development project.
• MITmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing relationship with MIT through SENSEable City Lab and Smart Cities Group at MIT Media Lab. Andres Sevtsuk is a Lecturer at MIT. Christine Outram was Research Associate at SENSEable City Lab.
• Code for AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on civic technology and urban innovation initiatives in San Francisco through Summer of Smart and other civic programs.
• Knight FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Great Urban Hackathon and civic innovation initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy that uses human-centered design and prototyping to help corporations and governments navigate digital and structural transformation - directly comparable to Re:Imagine's design-driven, prototyping-based model for civic and enterprise clients.
• Arup: Global engineering and urban consulting firm with a dedicated information and communications technologies team for urban informatics and smart buildings. Re:Imagine already partners with Arup, indicating functional overlap in urban informatics strategy for real estate and cities.
• Livework Studio: Service design consultancy that designs digital and physical services for public- and private-sector clients, often around citizen- and customer-experience challenges - comparable boutique-scale services firm in the same design-driven transformation niche.
• Code for America: Nonprofit civic technology organization that partners with governments on digital service delivery, open data, and citizen engagement - already an existing Re:Imagine partner and serves the same civic-innovation buyer with a delivery-heavy model.
• frog (Capgemini Engineering): Design and innovation consultancy known for blending design thinking, technology, and strategy for clients in consumer products, mobility, and connected experiences - a closely analogous services model for digital and experiential transformation work.
• Sidewalk Labs (Alphabet): Urban technology and innovation company focused on applying data, sensing, and platform thinking to cities - operates in the same smart-city / urban-informatics space with consulting and product-building services for municipal clients.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Cities Special Initiative): Global management consulting firm with a dedicated Cities Special Initiative that advises mayors and city agencies on economic and digital transformation - a much larger competitor targeting the same government and urban-strategy buyer.
• Deloitte (Government & Public Services): Big Four consulting firm with dedicated smart-city, citizen-experience, and digital transformation practices serving municipal and enterprise clients - addresses the same transformation mandate but from inside a much broader portfolio.
• IBM Global Services (Smarter Cities): Large incumbent with a long-running Smarter Cities program offering consulting, analytics, and IoT platforms to municipalities - overlaps with Re:Imagine's urban informatics and big data consulting work but at vastly greater scale and broader scope.

Others

• Smart Cities Council: Industry consortium that advises cities, partners, and solution providers on smart-city strategy and procurement - acts as an ecosystem/thought-leadership intermediary adjacent to Re:Imagine's market and operates from a similar advisory standpoint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/reimaginegroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Re:Imagine Group