Deep Transitions Lab

What Deep Transitions Lab does

Deep Transitions Lab is a non-profit academic research initiative founded in 2018 with initial support from Baillie Gifford and James Anderson, coordinated by Utrecht University's Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe) and the University of Sussex's Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU). The lab's core intellectual offering is the Transformative Investment Philosophy — a framework of 12 principles organized into four categories (Goal Setting, Investment Strategy, Investment Process, Sharing & Learning) — that guides long-term investments aimed at remaking the rules of socio-technical systems such as energy, mobility, and food. Its technical deliverables include systematic rule maps for energy, mobility, and food systems (developed by Laur Kanger, Phil Johnstone et al.), three future world scenarios (Earth Shot, After the Frugal Turn, Do No Harm), the Transformative Theory of Change (TToC) co-constructed with investors, the Climate Scenarios Expansion Project with Baillie Gifford, and the Niche from the Future card game.

The lab serves institutional investors, asset managers, pension funds, public sector organizations, and academic researchers through three operational pillars: experimentation (testing transformative investment with named partners), research (publishing academic work and developing tools/metrics), and learning (the DT Learning Programme with an online learning hub, Open Learning Series, student engagement, and partner-specific learning exchange). The annual Engagement Week conference co-hosted with the TIPC sister project is the primary convening event, supplemented by participation in the International Sustainability Transitions Conference and EU SPRI conferences. A Global Investors Panel of 16 public and private investors provides the primary real-world validation network.

The business model is non-commercial: revenue comes from research grants and institutional/partner contributions rather than product sales, and resources including the Quick Guide and Investment Philosophy document are freely available for download. Distribution is community-led through direct partnership with investment organizations (Baillie Gifford, holistiQ, The Good Investors, Mirova Sunfunder, TransCap), open-access academic publishing, the online learning hub, and social/email channels. The lab does not publicly disclose revenue, has no parent company, and operates as an independent academic collaboration rather than a formal corporate entity.

Name

Deep Transitions Lab

Legal name

Deep Transitions

Website

https://transformativeinvestment.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deep Transitions Lab is a non-profit academic research initiative that develops the Transformative Investment Philosophy — a 12-principle framework — and supporting tools (rule maps, climate scenarios, learning programmes) to help institutional investors redirect capital toward deep socio-technical system change.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Transitions Research and Transformative Investment Advisory

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Sustainability transitions research
• Transformative investment frameworks
• Socio-technical systems analysis
• Climate scenario planning
• System change methodologies

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Project Funding: Deep Transitions Lab operates as an academic research initiative coordinated by Utrecht University and University of Sussex, with funding from Baillie Gifford and James Anderson. Revenue comes from research grants, institutional funding, and partner contributions rather than commercial product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Deep Transitions Lab is a non-profit academic research initiative that develops frameworks, tools, metrics, and research to support transformative investment practices targeting multi-dimensional system change in socio-technical systems such as energy, mobility, and food. Its core offering centres on the Transformative Investment Philosophy — a 12-principle framework co-constructed with a global panel of 16 investors — delivered through three pillars: partnered experimentation, academic research, and a learning programme.

Product overview

Deep Transitions Lab is a research organisation offering the Transformative Investment Philosophy as its core product - a framework of 12 principles for financing long-term system change in socio-technical systems. The lab operates through three pillars: experimentation (testing transformative investment with partners), research (developing tools, metrics, and academic publications), and learning (the DT Learning Programme with online learning hub and Open Learning Series). Supporting products include the Quick Guide for initial understanding, the Climate Scenarios Expansion Project for scenario-based planning, the Niche from the Future game for creative engagement, and the Rule Mapping Tool for system analysis. The offering functions as a platform combining academic research with practical investment guidance rather than a traditional software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transformative Investment Philosophy A comprehensive framework of 12 principles, organised into four categories (Goal Setting, Investment Strategy, Investment Process, Sharing & Learning), that guides long-term investments aimed at triggering multi-dimensional system change in socio-technical systems such as energy, mobility, and food. It targets institutional investors and asset managers seeking to move beyond ESG and impact investing.
• Deep Transitions Lab A collaborative research and experimentation platform that brings together investors, academics, and sustainability experts to test, develop, and disseminate Transformative Investment practices through partnered experiments, research, and learning programmes.
• DT Learning Programme A four-pillar learning programme (online learning hub, Open Learning Series, student engagement, and partner-specific learning exchange) that builds capabilities in transformative investment among investment professionals, students, and partner organisations.
• Online Learning Hub A dynamic, scalable online platform that hosts resources, tools, case studies, frameworks, and training materials on Deep Transitions thinking and Transformative Investment implementation, serving as an entry point for newcomers.
• Niche from the Future Game A card-based game that helps investors imagine and invest in desirable futures using the three future world scenarios (Earth Shot, After the Frugal Turn, Do No Harm), enabling participants to identify and develop transformative investment niches.
• Quick Guide A freely downloadable introductory guide that explains the Deep Transitions framework and the 12 transformative investment principles for newcomers to the field.
• Climate Scenarios Expansion Project A collaboration between Deep Transitions Lab and Baillie Gifford that develops theory-consistent qualitative climate scenarios expanding the NGFS quantitative scenarios with system-wide sustainability transitions narratives.
• Rule Mapping Tool A rule-based methodology that maps the beliefs, incentives, norms, policy paradigms, and business practices that shape socio-technical systems, providing rule maps for energy, mobility, and food systems and meta-regime maps covering mass production/consumption, digitalisation, and sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Transformative Investment Philosophy published November 16, 2022 with 12 principles for financing long-term system change and deep transition toward sustainability.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Utrecht - Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Deep Transitions Lab is based at the Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe) at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Utrecht University serves as the primary coordinating institution for the Deep Transitions project. Johan Schot is professor of sustainability transitions at Utrecht University.
• University of Sussex - Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Deep Transitions Lab operates at SPRU at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. SPRU provides the academic research infrastructure and expertise in science, technology and innovation policy that underpins the Deep Transitions framework.
• Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIPC is the sister project of Deep Transitions, focusing on the public sector while Deep Transitions focuses on private sector/investment. TIPC is a global network of researchers, policymakers and funding agencies in eight countries addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals. Both projects co-host the annual Engagement Week conference.
• HolistiQ Investment Partners (Lombard Odier / Systemiq)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLombard Odier Group is a leading sustainable wealth and asset manager with over 225 years experience. holistiQ Investment Partners was created in June 2023 in partnership with systems change firm Systemiq, focused on sustainable large-scale investments helping navigate investors through transition to net-zero sustainable economy.
• The Good InvestorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment collective of family offices and fund operating internationally, focused on investing in and managing investments that catalyse systems change. By focusing strategically on tomorrow's business models and supporting inevitable societal changes, they hope to generate superior financial returns and catalyze others to follow.
• TransCap InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit multi-stakeholder collaboration building field of systemic investing through strategic partnerships. Works in open innovation spirit to develop conceptual/theoretical underpinnings of systemic investing, run prototypes in different systemic contexts, and build global community of practice.
• TransCap Initiative (TCI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Deep Transitions Lab and TransCap Initiative to learn from each other, identify commonalities and differences, build bridges between conceptual foundations, and share lessons from bringing theory into practice. Joint report published exploring connections between DT and TCI approaches.
• University of Pretoria's Future Africa CampusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Shaping Transformative Systems in South Africa programme, focusing on accelerating just transitions in sub-Saharan Africa. Partnership among Deep Transitions Lab, Utrecht University, TIPC, and South African partners.
• South Africa's Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Shaping Transformative Systems in South Africa programme, focusing on accelerating just transitions in sub-Saharan Africa.
• inFront Project (Utrecht University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on green hydrogen transitions in the Global South with focus on Brazil and South Africa. Project mapped state of knowledge and conducted case studies on technological, economic, and socio-environmental implications of GH2 policies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization producing sustainability research, data, and practical tools for governments and businesses. Adjacent in providing sustainability transitions research and investor-relevant frameworks, but with significantly greater scale and a broader portfolio of issue areas.
• Systemiq: Systems-change advisory firm partnering with the lab via HolistiQ Investment Partners. Comparable in targeting socio-technical systems transformation and serving institutional investors, but operates as a commercial consultancy rather than a non-profit research organization.
• EIT Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation community and knowledge hub orchestrating systems innovation across Europe. Comparable in building a community of practice around climate transitions and supporting investment into transformative ventures, though operating at much larger scale with public-sector backing.
• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): Established energy transitions think-and-do tank with a much larger footprint than Deep Transitions Lab. Comparable in applying systems analysis to energy-transition investment and producing practitioner tools, but with a broader mandate covering climate, energy, mobility, and finance.

Direct peers

• Capital Institute: Non-profit research and advisory organization working on regenerative capitalism and systems-level capital allocation. Shares the systems-change framing of investment, operates a community-of-practice model, and produces practitioner frameworks with similar downstream investor audiences.
• Forum for the Future: International sustainability non-profit working on systems change through practical programmes with businesses, governments, and investors. Operates a comparable practitioner-facing model combining academic rigour with tools and case studies for transformative change.
• Stockholm Resilience Centre: Leading academic research centre on resilience and sustainability science. Comparable in producing foundational transitions and socio-ecological systems research that underpins investor-facing sustainability frameworks, with similar academic-practitioner bridge ambitions.
• The Good Investors: Investment collective of family offices and funds focused on investing in and managing capital that catalyses systems change. A named Deep Transitions Lab partner with directly aligned theory of change and similar target investor audience.
• Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC): Sister project to Deep Transitions, co-hosting the annual Engagement Week. TIPC focuses on the public-sector counterpart of the lab's private-investment mission, applying socio-technical systems theory to innovation policy across eight countries with the same intellectual DNA.
• TransCap Initiative: Non-profit multi-stakeholder collaboration building the field of systemic investing through partnerships and conceptual development. A named Deep Transitions Lab partner with overlapping theories of change and a joint published report, working in the same niche of transformative/systemic investment frameworks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deep-transitions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Deep Transitions Lab