What NorthernLight does

NorthernLight is a privately-held creative design agency headquartered in Amsterdam, founded in 1997, that designs immersive exhibitions, interactive installations, and experience environments for museums, science centres, public spaces, and brand clients. The firm operates with a lean team of 19 employees structured around a co-founder-led creative leadership (Peter Slavenburg, Maximilian Pecher) and a director (Steven Schaeken), delivering projects commissioned directly by institutional clients such as the Rijksmuseum, Royal Palace Amsterdam, Drents Museum, Experimenta Science Centre, Singapore Science Centre, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Philips Museum, Heineken Experience, and A'DAM Tower. The agency has completed projects across the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Norway, covering art exhibitions, history museums, children's museums, science centres, heritage centres, branded experiences, and public attractions.

The firm's core technology stack combines spatial design, audiovisual storytelling, projection mapping, motion tracking, interactive displays, communal/room-scale VR, and AI-assisted soundscape generation. NorthernLight designs and develops each project from concept through to fabrication, partnering with specialist firms (Bruns for fabrication, Kiss the Frog for multimedia, Shosho for projection mapping, SonicPicnic for sound design, Sauerbruch Hutton for architecture) to deliver installations such as the 700 sqm MUSIC! traveling exhibition, the 600 sqm E3 immersive environment at Singapore Science Centre, the Mission Masterpiece family science experience at the Rijksmuseum, the AI Pavilion at Experimenta, and the redesigned Moody Family Children's Museum at the Perot Museum. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees for commissioned exhibition and experience design, with pricing not publicly disclosed and each engagement procured through competitive tendering or direct commissioning by institutional or commercial clients.

Name

NorthernLight

Legal name

NorthernLight

Website

https://northernlight.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NorthernLight is an Amsterdam-based creative design agency (founded 1997, 19 employees) that designs immersive exhibitions, interactive installations, and experience environments for museums, science centres, public spaces, and brands across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experience Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Staging, Scenic & Set Fabrication (Stages, Backdrops, Scenic Builds) (THAHAEAC), Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ), Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG)

Keywords

• Immersive exhibition design
• Museum experience design
• Interactive installations
• Brand experience design
• Public space design

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Experience Design Projects: Project-based design fees for creating immersive exhibitions, museum experiences, public installations, and brand experiences for institutional and commercial clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NorthernLight designs, develops, and produces immersive exhibitions and experience environments for museums, science centers, public spaces, and brands. The studio combines spatial and scenographic design with audiovisual storytelling, projection mapping, interactive media, and motion-tracking systems to create custom narrative-driven installations. Each engagement is delivered as a bespoke project, typically covering concept, design, technical development, production, and on-site installation.

Product overview

NorthernLight is a creative design agency specializing in immersive exhibition experiences and interactive installations for museums, science centers, public spaces, and brands. The company's portfolio includes major traveling exhibitions (MUSIC!, Mission Masterpiece, Travelling with Vincent), AI-focused pavilions (AI: Insights and Visions), children's museum redesigns (Moody Family Children's Museum), heritage centers (Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre), and iconic attractions (OverTheEdge swing). Projects span across museums, science centers, public spaces, and branded experiences, typically delivered as custom exhibition design and production engagements rather than standardized products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immersive Exhibition Design Services End-to-end design, development, and production of immersive exhibitions for museums, science centers, and cultural institutions, covering concept, scenography, audiovisual and interactive systems, production, and installation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mission Masterpiece at Rijksmuseum achieved 9.1 visitor rating with 40,000 children and families
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LVR Landesmuseum BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthernLight designed and developed the MUSIC! Interactive Experience exhibition at LVR Landesmuseum Bonn. The exhibition explores music from Beethoven to Beyoncé across five themed zones with 35 interactive exhibits in 700 square meters. The project was developed in cooperation with Museon, Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum, and Limburgs Museum.
• MuseoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for the MUSIC! Interactive Experience exhibition. Museon contributed to content development and educational programming for the music exhibition.
• Braunschweigisches LandesmuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for the MUSIC! Interactive Experience exhibition, part of the traveling exhibition network across Europe.
• Limburgs MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for the MUSIC! Interactive Experience exhibition, part of the traveling exhibition network.
• YiPPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProduction partner for the MUSIC! Interactive Experience exhibition. YiPP handled multimedia production and interactive exhibit fabrication.
• BrunscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProduction partner for MUSIC! exhibition and other NorthernLight projects including Mission Masterpiece and the Moody Family Children's Museum. Bruns is described as one of the best exhibit fabrication firms in the world.
• Irma Boom OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition co-design partner for Mission Masterpiece at Rijksmuseum. Irma Boom Office worked with NorthernLight on the final design of the family science investigation exhibition.
• IRIS Vormgeving BVminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign partner for Travelling with Vincent exhibition at Drents Museum, contributing to visual and spatial design.
• Kiss the FrogcoreTechnology or IntegrationMultimedia experiences partner for Moody Family Children's Museum at Perot Museum, developing interactive digital content including the Imaginarium immersive space.
• Sauerbruch HuttoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm for GDA Artificial Intelligence Pavilion, designed the sustainable timber-frame pavilion structure that NorthernLight's exhibition inhabits.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BRC Imagination Arts: Global experience design firm designing immersive museum exhibitions, brand experiences and visitor attractions. Closest direct comparable to NorthernLight in scale, client type and delivery model across museums, science centers and corporate brand experiences.
• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Long-established museum exhibition and interpretive design studio working with major cultural institutions worldwide (Smithsonian, National Museum of African American History). Directly comparable in museum exhibition design specialization and institutional client roster.
• Local Projects: Experience design studio specializing in interactive, technology-driven museum and public space installations (e.g., 9/11 Memorial Museum, Cooper Hewitt). Comparable in combining spatial design with interactive technology for museums and cultural institutions.
• ESI Design: Experience design firm creating immersive, multimedia-driven exhibits and interactive environments for museums, brand experiences and public spaces. Strong overlap with NorthernLight's projection mapping and interactive display technology stack.
• Gallagher & Associates: Museum planning and exhibition design firm serving cultural institutions and science centers (e.g., National WWII Museum). Directly comparable in delivering commissioned, immersive museum experiences for institutional clients.
• Tinker Imagineers: Dutch-based experience studio that designs immersive attractions, museums and themed environments. Closest geographic and creative peer to NorthernLight with comparable use of projection mapping, interactive technology and storytelling.
• C&G Partners: Design studio specializing in exhibition, wayfinding and brand experience design for museums, cultural institutions and public spaces. Comparable institutional client focus and project-based engagement model.

Emerging players

• Think & Co: European-based experience and exhibition design firm working with cultural institutions and public spaces. Comparable offerings to NorthernLight but with a smaller portfolio footprint and more regional client base.

Broad incumbents

• Universal Design Studio: Large, multi-disciplinary design firm with experience designing museums, exhibitions and brand environments. Broader scope than NorthernLight but overlapping in spatial and exhibition design for institutional clients.

Others

• Ateliers Jean Nouvel: Internationally renowned architecture firm designing museums, cultural institutions and signature public spaces. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but often engaged alongside experience designers like NorthernLight on major cultural projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCv_5n5GwcbNeiSMOWdzUT6Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthernlightAmsterdam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northernlight
• Instagraminstagram.com/northernlightnl

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 NorthernLight