What Hidden Disability Sunflower does

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme Limited, founded in 2016 at Gatwick Airport and headquartered in London, operates a global membership-based program built around a proprietary physical identification symbol — a yellow sunflower on a green background — that allows individuals with non-visible disabilities to discreetly signal that they may need additional support, time, or assistance in shops, workplaces, transport, and public spaces. The company sells Sunflower lanyards, wristbands, badges, and personalized ID cards (e.g., for autism, endometriosis) alongside a Supporter/ally product line for trained staff, and distributes these primarily through organizational members rather than retail. Revenue derives from three streams: hardware product sales to businesses and individuals, tiered Business Membership subscriptions (Professional, Corporate, Global) billed annually, and franchise fees paid by regional operators running the program in their territories.

The underlying platform combines the physical symbol with a digital support stack: an interactive Sunflower Locator Map listing up to 500 friendly locations worldwide with multi-modal route planning, and Sunflower Connect — a structured learning management system launched in 2025 that adds role-based training modules, engagement tracking, and NFC-enabled "trained" badges that staff tap with their phones to surface role-specific guidance during live customer interactions. The go-to-market is enterprise-led: Regional Directors run onboarding for Corporate and Global members, members must train at least 80% of their workforce, and global expansion is accelerated through a franchise network (currently recruiting in the EU and India). Distribution also includes a direct e-commerce storefront and a Global Partners Portal.

The program is recognized in over 95 countries and has trained more than 13 million staff across thousands of organizations spanning transport (250+ airports including Heathrow, Aberdeen, Adelaide, Thiruvananthapuram), financial services (Bank of England, Santander UK, AIB Group, Danske Bank), retail (LEGO, Walgreens Boots Alliance), hospitality (Hilton Japan, Grand Cayman Marriott), healthcare, education, sport (Wolves FC), and public services. The brand is protected by an extensive trademark portfolio across the UK, EU, US, WIPO, and Canada. The company is privately held, registered in England and Wales (company number 12285749), CEO-led by Paul White, and bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Hidden Disability Sunflower

Legal name

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme Limited

Website

https://hdsunflower.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme Limited operates a global membership program built around a proprietary sunflower symbol that helps individuals with non-visible disabilities discreetly signal they may need additional support, serving thousands of organizations and 13 million trained staff across 95+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Sunflower Product Sales: Sale of physical products including lanyards, wristbands, badges, and ID cards. Products are sold to organizations (business members) who provide them free of charge to colleagues and customers. Individual purchase is also available.
2. Business Membership Subscriptions: Organizations pay for membership tiers (Professional, Corporate, Global) that provide access to training materials, webinars, marketing resources, exclusive content, and member discounts on products.
3. Franchise Fees: Regional franchise partners pay to operate Sunflower programs in their territories, receiving brand rights, operational support, training materials, and marketing resources in exchange.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower provides a globally recognized visual identification symbol (green lanyard/wristband with sunflower design) that allows individuals with non-visible disabilities to discreetly signal they may need additional support. The company sells physical Sunflower products and offers tiered business membership programs (Professional, Corporate, Global) that include staff training videos, webinars, marketing materials, and access to the Sunflower Connect learning platform.

Product overview

Hidden Disability Sunflower is a global membership-based program built around physical identification products (lanyards, wristbands, stickers, ID cards) combined with training services and a digital learning platform. The core offering consists of Sunflower wearable products (lanyards, wristbands, stickers) that allow individuals with non-visible disabilities to signal they may need support. Supporting products include Personalized ID Cards for specific conditions (autistic, endometriosis) and Supporter/Ally products (pin badges, staff lanyards) for trained employees. The service includes Sunflower Training Videos and the Sunflower Connect learning management platform for ongoing staff education, all accessed through tiered membership programs (Professional, Corporate, Global). The company also provides franchise opportunities for regional expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunflower Lanyards & ID Cards Physical lanyard with sunflower design and optional ID card allowing individuals with non-visible disabilities to signal they may need additional support, time, or assistance in shops, workplaces, transport, or public spaces. Sold to organizations who provide free to wearers, and to individuals directly.
• Sunflower Wristbands & Stickers Alternative wearable identifiers to the lanyard, allowing individuals to choose their preferred method of signaling they have a non-visible disability.
• Personalized Sunflower ID Cards Customizable cards allowing individuals to quietly communicate specific information about their disability or needs (e.g., autism, endometriosis) without verbally explaining their condition.
• Supporter/Ally Products Pin badges, staff lanyards, and ID cards for trained employees to identify themselves as Sunflower allies who have completed training and are ready to assist individuals wearing the Sunflower.
• Sunflower Membership Programs Tiered membership levels (Professional, Corporate, Global) providing businesses access to training resources, webinars, marketing materials, product discounts, and dedicated onboarding support from Regional Directors for Corporate and Global members.
• Sunflower Connect Platform Structured learning management platform that extends basic Sunflower awareness training with role-based modules, knowledge checks, engagement tracking, and practical guidance for frontline staff in customer-facing roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95+ countries recognizing the Sunflower symbol
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• AenamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Aena, Spain's airport operator, has partnered with the Sunflower program introducing an Invisible Disability Badge alongside the Sunflower symbol at Spanish airports.
• MND AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026The MND Association provides expertise for Sunflower webinars on Motor Neuron Disease. Anthony Hanratty, MND advanced nurse specialist and clinical lead, hosted a webinar session explaining MND symptoms and living well with the condition.
• Mental Health Matters (MHM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental Health Matters, a national charity with over 40 years of experience in delivering mental health services across England, reviewed the schizophrenia content on the Sunflower website in April 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Scope: UK disability charity offering employer training, workplace adjustments guidance, and inclusion resources. Adjacent peer serving overlapping segments through a charity model rather than a subscription membership.
• Mencap: UK's largest disability charity, providing advocacy, training, and resources to businesses and individuals. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — Sunflower focuses on awareness/training while Mencap spans direct services and policy advocacy.

Emerging players

• Be My Eyes: Global accessibility app connecting blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers. Tangentially comparable as an emerging global accessibility/disability-awareness platform, though product (live video assistance) is different in form.
• Open Inclusion: UK-based disability inclusion consultancy offering training, research, and advisory to enterprises and governments — a smaller, advisory-led peer competing for the same corporate D&I training budgets.
• Neurodiversity in Business (NiB): UK industry-led forum supporting neurodiversity inclusion in the workplace. Partial overlap with Sunflower's training content, with a narrower focus that makes the two competitors only in specific verticals.

Direct peers

• Valuable 500: Global corporate disability-inclusion collective of 500+ major companies. Comparable as a brand-led, B2B-focused initiative that recruits large enterprises into a common disability inclusion commitment.
• Disability:IN: Global nonprofit driving corporate disability inclusion through membership, training, and benchmarking tools (Disability Equality Index). Comparable to Hidden Disability Sunflower in mission, B2B membership model, and multinational reach.
• Business Disability Forum: UK-based membership organization that supports businesses on disability inclusion through training, advisory, and resources — the closest direct analogue to the Sunflower's Corporate/Global membership model and D&I training content.
• PurpleSpace: UK membership organization supporting disability employee resource groups and inclusion leads. Overlaps with the Sunflower's workplace/customer training and Corporate membership tier.

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Large enterprise learning and training platform with diversity, equity, and inclusion content. Competes for the same corporate training budget that Sunflower Connect is targeting, albeit from a broad catalog angle rather than a disability-focused niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hiddendisabilitiessunflower
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hidden-disabilities
• Instagraminstagram.com/sunflowerlanyardscheme
• Xx.com/HiddenNederland

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hidden Disability Sunflower