Frontier Economics (Asia-Pacific)

What Frontier Economics (Asia-Pacific) does

Frontier Economics (Asia-Pacific) is an independent economic consulting firm founded in Australia in 1999 by Danny Price and Dr Philip Williams AM. The firm provides independent economic advisory for complex commercial, litigation, regulatory, and public-policy decision-making, serving local and multinational corporates, local/state/federal governments, industry regulators, advocacy groups, and non-profit organisations across the Asia-Pacific region. Service lines span competition economics, economic regulation, environmental economics, ESG, behavioural economics, cost-benefit analysis, dispute and litigation support, transaction advice and due diligence, and sector-specific advisory across energy, climate change, telecommunications, transport, water, natural resources, financial services, and urban development.

The firm's primary proprietary asset is energy42, an integrated electricity, natural gas, and hydrogen investment-and-dispatch optimization model that co-optimizes production, storage, and transmission across sectors, supported by more than 20 years of accumulated energy-sector data. A second proprietary tool, the ACCU/Safeguard Mechanism market model, forecasts Australian Carbon Credit Unit prices through 2050 under multiple abatement scenarios. The Asia-Pacific practice is staffed by 35+ economists with 30+ years of sector expertise on average, anchored in offices in Melbourne (headquarters), Sydney, Brisbane, and Singapore (Asia-Pacific regional hub).

The business operates on a sales-led professional services model, generating revenue through tenders, RFQs, and direct client engagement on a project basis. The firm is part of a wider Frontier Economics network that includes independently owned entities in Europe (Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Dublin, London, Madrid, Paris); the companies do not share legal liability, but can collaborate on cross-jurisdictional mandates. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Ownership appears to rest with founding partners and long-tenured management, with no evidence of institutional investor, private equity, or venture capital involvement.

Name

Frontier Economics (Asia-Pacific)

Legal name

Frontier Economics Pty Ltd

Website

https://frontier-economics.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Frontier Economics (Asia-Pacific) is an independent economic consulting firm founded in 1999, employing 35+ economists across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Singapore to advise corporates, governments, regulators, and NGOs on competition, regulation, climate, and energy policy. Its proprietary energy42 model underpins integrated electricity, gas, and hydrogen market analysis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Management & Performance Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAF), Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

Keywords

• Economic consulting
• Regulatory economics
• Competition policy
• Energy market modelling
• Public policy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Economic Consulting Services: Revenue is generated through providing economic advisory services to government agencies, corporations, regulators, and non-profit organisations. Services include regulatory advice, competition economics, policy advisory, litigation support, transaction advice, and due diligence. Projects are typically secured through tenders, RFQs, and direct client engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Independent economic consulting firm providing advisory services for complex commercial, litigation, regulatory, and public policy decision-making. The firm employs 35+ economists across Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) and Singapore, delivering rigorous economic analysis and quantitative modelling across sectors including energy, climate, telecoms, transport, water, natural resources, and financial services. It also produces proprietary investment and market models used in client engagements.

Product overview

Frontier Economics is an economic consulting firm offering advisory services rather than a traditional software product company. The primary proprietary tool is energy42, an integrated energy market optimization model covering electricity, natural gas, and hydrogen markets. The firm provides consulting services across sectors including energy, climate change, telecoms, transport, water, natural resources, and financial services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• energy42: An integrated electricity, natural gas and hydrogen investment model which simultaneously optimises investment and dispatch in production, storage and transmission across each sector. The model leverages 20+ years of energy sector modelling experience.

Products and services

• Economic Advisory and Expert Witness Services
• energy42
• ACCU/Safeguard Mechanism Market Model
• ESG and Climate Transition Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,800+ public and private projects completed over 25+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SEC NewgateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEC Newgate conducted qualitative analysis supporting Frontier Economics' quantitative evaluation for the Byron Bay short-term rental accommodation cap assessment for Airbnb. SEC Newgate conducted interviews with business owners in Byron Shire to provide context and sense check empirical results.
• AirDNAminorOthersAirDNA provided data on short-term rental accommodation activity used in the Byron Bay STRA cap evaluation for Airbnb. Data was used alongside NSW Fair Trading public data on rental activity.
• Australian National University (Prof. Andrew Macintosh)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrontier Economics collaborated with Professor Andrew Macintosh of the Australian National University to prepare the report 'Comparing the value of alternative uses of native forests in Southern NSW', analysing climate and economic outcomes of stopping native forestry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oxera: Europe-based economic consultancy with strong APAC reach in regulation, competition, and energy — directly comparable to Frontier on economic regulation, market design and policy mandates.
• Competition Economics: Australian economic consultancy focused on competition policy, regulation and litigation — competes with Frontier on ACCC-style competition and regulatory mandates in Australia.
• NERA Economic Consulting: Global economic consultancy with deep expertise in competition economics, regulation, energy markets, and litigation support — directly comparable to Frontier across antitrust, energy and transfer-pricing engagements.
• Charles River Associates: Global consulting firm focused on economics, finance, and strategy, with strong energy and competition practices; competes head-to-head with Frontier on regulatory, antitrust, and energy market mandates in APAC.
• Bates White Economic Consulting: US-headquartered economic consultancy specialising in competition, energy, and financial economics with growing APAC engagements — comparable peer to Frontier on antitrust and energy economics work.
• HoustonKemp: Australian-headquartered economic consultancy specialising in competition, regulation, and litigation support across energy and infrastructure — the closest direct peer in APAC for Frontier's regulatory and competition economics practice.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Economics (Australia): Economics practice within Big 4 firm KPMG, providing policy advisory, regulatory economics and infrastructure advice; overlaps with Frontier on government and corporate mandates but is a much broader multidisciplinary firm.
• PwC Economics & Policy: Economics and policy practice within PwC Australia, covering competition, regulation, climate and infrastructure economics; competes with Frontier on selected mandates as part of a broader advisory portfolio.
• Deloitte Access Economics: The economics arm of Deloitte Australia providing macroeconomic forecasting, policy advice, and regulatory economics; broader incumbent that overlaps with Frontier on public policy and regulation mandates but as part of a much wider portfolio.

Regional players

• ACIL Allen: Australian economic and policy consultancy with strong public sector and resources/energy practice; comparable regional peer to Frontier on APAC-focused policy and regulatory economics mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FrontierEconomicsAsiaPacific
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frontier-economics-asia-pacific

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Frontier Economics (Asia-Pacific)