The Purposeful Company

What The Purposeful Company does

The Purposeful Company is a London-based non-profit research and policy organization, founded in 2015, that works to embed a human and moral purpose at the heart of UK corporate behavior. It produces evidence-based research, consultation responses, and thought leadership on corporate governance, executive pay, stewardship, and — more recently — private equity and the UK startup and scaleup ecosystem, and channels these outputs directly into UK regulatory processes at the FRC, FCA, and BEIS. The organization is guided by a Steering Group of senior UK academics and practitioners co-chaired by Clare Chapman and Will Hutton, and including Alex Edmans (London Business School), Colin Mayer (Oxford Saïd), and Tom Gosling (London Business School). It is financially supported by a Task Force of approximately 14 enterprise members spanning Financial Services, Utilities, Consumer/Retail, Media, Professional Services, Legal, and Technology — including Aviva, Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Fidelity, National Grid, Severn Trent, Kingfisher, Unilever, Guardian Media Group, EY, PwC, Hogan Lovells, and Infosys. Its work has been cited in the UK Corporate Governance Code (July 2018) and FRC/BEIS regulatory outputs, and FTSE 350 purpose-reporting rates rose from roughly 40% in 2015 to 86% by 2019. The organization runs with a small team of 5 employees, holds regular convening dinners at the Bank of England, and distributes output via downloadable PDFs, LinkedIn, press coverage in outlets such as the Guardian, FT, and Harvard Business Review, plus video and podcast content.

Name

The Purposeful Company

Legal name

The Purposeful Company

Website

https://thepurposefulcompany.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Purposeful Company is a London-based non-profit research and policy organization that publishes evidence-based reports and consultation responses to embed purpose-driven practices in UK corporate governance, supported by a Task Force of enterprise members including Unilever, Barclays, and HSBC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Governance Research & Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN)

Keywords

• Corporate governance research
• Policy advocacy services
• Purposeful business research
• Executive pay reform
• Stewardship code consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Task Force Membership: Member companies support the organization financially and contribute expertise, knowledge, and perspective to research pieces that support policy change. Companies like Aviva, Barclays, EY, HSBC, Infosys, Kingfisher, PwC, Severn Trent, Unilever participate as Task Force members.
2. Consultation Responses: The organization produces consultation responses and policy submissions to government bodies (BEIS Committee, FRC) on corporate governance, executive pay, and stewardship matters.
3. Research Publications: Publishes market studies, thought leadership papers, and academic research supporting evidence-based policy change for purposeful companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Purposeful Company is a UK-based non-profit research and policy advocacy organization that publishes evidence-based reports, consultation responses, and thought leadership on corporate purpose, governance, and executive pay. It mobilises a Steering Group of leading academics and a Task Force of FTSE-grade companies (Aviva, Barclays, EY, HSBC, Infosys, Kingfisher, PwC, Severn Trent, Unilever, NatWest, Fidelity, National Grid, Hogan Lovells, Guardian Media Group) to shape UK regulatory policy through the FRC, FCA and BEIS.

Product overview

The Purposeful Company is a research and policy organization focused on placing purpose at the heart of British business. Rather than a technology product company, it offers a portfolio of knowledge products including published research reports (Market Studies, Consultation Responses, Thought Leadership), the Growth Trilogy paper series on startup/scaleup ecosystems, academic research papers from Steering Group members, video content, and press coverage documenting its influence on UK corporate governance policy. The organization is supported by a Steering Group of academics and business leaders and a Task Force of participating companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Reports (Market Studies, Consultation Responses, Thought Leadership) Downloadable PDF research deliverables covering Market Studies (e.g., Private Equity and Purpose, Deferred Shares studies), Consultation Responses (to FRC, BEIS Committee) and Thought Leadership pieces. Targeted at corporate leaders, institutional investors, and UK regulators seeking evidence on corporate purpose, executive remuneration, and stewardship.
• The Growth Trilogy Paper Series A three-part thought leadership series evaluating how purposeful startups and scaleups can drive UK growth and productivity, written for policymakers, regulators, and corporate leaders.
• Academic Research Papers Academic papers from Steering Group members on stakeholder capitalism, executive pay, ESG metrics and corporate governance, hosted on the Academic Research page of the website for policymakers and corporate audiences.
• Video Content Video presentations and panel discussions on topics such as the National Wealth Fund, public benefit companies, and purpose-led business performance, hosted on the organisation's videos page.
• Task Force Membership Programme Membership offering for major UK companies and investment houses that fund the organisation and participate in shaping its research, policy submissions, and convening events, including dinners at the Bank of England.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of FTSE 350 companies now report on their purpose (up from ~40% in 2015)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AvivacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member supporting The Purposeful Company's research on purpose in business and corporate governance reform. Participates in exclusive dinners and provides input into policy debates.
• BarclayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member contributing to research on corporate purpose and governance. One of 14 major firms that committed to purpose-led business practices.
• HSBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member supporting research into purpose-driven business practices and long-term value creation in financial services.
• NatWestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member; has implemented practical examples of executive pay reform influenced by TPC's research on deferred shares and long-term incentive alternatives.
• Severn TrentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member with CEO Liv Garfield praising TPC as providing evidence-based policy, useful sense-check to companies, and constructive encouragement.
• KingfishercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member and early supporter; cited in Guardian article as company pursuing purpose of making home improvement accessible to everyone.
• UnilevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member; pioneer of purpose-driven strategy with 'making sustainable living commonplace' purpose. Reinforced purpose through LTIP measures linked to Sustainable Living Plan.
• Ernst & Young (EY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member contributing corporate governance expertise and research support to policy development.
• PwCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member; collaborated with London Business School on executive pay research including 'Paying well by paying for good' study on ESG targets in pay.
• InfosyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member with President Mohit Joshi stating TPC helps understand and refine thinking on purpose and allows contribution to growth of like-minded organizations.
• Guardian Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member supporting stakeholder-focused business research and purpose agenda.
• Hogan LovellscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member contributing legal expertise on corporate governance and regulatory matters.
• FidelitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member contributing asset management perspective on stewardship and long-term value creation.
• National GridcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTask Force member contributing perspective on purpose in utility regulation and infrastructure sector.
• London Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteering Group member Alex Edmans is Professor of Finance; Tom Gosling is Executive Fellow at LBS. LBS collaborated on executive pay research including 'CEO Compensation: Evidence From the Field' and stakeholder capitalism reports.
• Saïd Business School, University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteering Group member Colin Mayer is Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies at Oxford. Contributes academic research to The Purposeful Company's evidence base.
• Bank of EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as supporting organization; TPC holds exclusive regular dinners at the Bank of England to discuss progress on policy objectives.
• Innovate UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment innovation agency listed as supporting organization for The Purposeful Company initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• RSA (Royal Society of Arts):

Direct peers

• B Lab UK: UK arm of the global B Corp movement, certifying and advocating for purpose-driven businesses. Operates a similar corporate-purpose agenda to TPC but through certification standards rather than policy research.
• Tomorrow's Company: UK-based long-running think tank advocating for purpose-driven, stakeholder-focused business. Operates a very similar model to TPC: corporate membership, research publications, regulator engagement, and a 'business purpose' agenda that overlaps substantially with The Purposeful Company's remit.
• Institute of Business Ethics (IBE): UK-based membership organisation that promotes ethical business conduct through research, benchmarking and corporate membership. Comparable to TPC in mission (business ethics/governance reform), membership funding model and FTSE engagement.
• British Academy 'Future of the Corporation' programme: UK Academy-led inquiry into the purpose of the corporation, led by Colin Mayer (who is also a TPC Steering Group member). Directly addresses the same 'purpose of business' question that TPC does, and represents the highest-profile peer programme in the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-purposeful-company

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 The Purposeful Company