What 3di Consulting Limited does

3di Consulting Limited is a UK-based product design and development consultancy founded in 2001 and headquartered at Northampton Science Park. The firm delivers end-to-end product development services — research and strategy, concept design, CAD engineering, prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing project management — to clients ranging from individual inventors and start-ups to multinational enterprises. It segments its work across five verticals: Medical & Healthcare, Consumer Products, Construction & Engineering, Industrial, and Defence, with the Defence practice emphasising confidentiality and full traceability.

The firm's underlying technology stack is conventional mechanical-engineering tooling rather than a software platform: CAD via Creo and SolidWorks, photorealistic rendering via Keyshot, Adobe Creative Suite and Rhinoceros, simulation via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Mouldflow, and physical prototyping through 3D printing (SLS/SLA), CNC machining, and vacuum casting. A distinguishing structural asset is the in-house injection moulding facility, which enables rapid prototyping and short-run production internally rather than via third-party vendors. The work is organised around a proprietary four-stage methodology — Discover, Define, Develop, Integrate — and has generated protectable IP for clients, including patents for the Permashutter headwall and the Bowman Medical speculum device (developed with De Montfort University).

Commercially, 3di operates as a direct, sales-led consultancy with bespoke project-based pricing (no public price list; tooling costs referenced at approximately £15,000 for an injection moulded product), supported by free initial consultations. Revenue is generated through professional services fees for design work plus a hardware stream from in-house moulding output. Marketing is content-driven (case studies, blog, newsletter) combined with organic social presence across LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Pinterest. Customer concentration is visibly diversified across at least 14 named accounts (including OPRO, Avidity, Peri-dent, Blackstar, SpaceVac, TRAD Safety Systems, Topdental), with multi-year engagements demonstrating retention rather than single-account dependency. The firm is privately held, founder-influenced, with no documented funding, M&A, or parent-company activity.

Name

3di Consulting Limited

Legal name

3di Consulting Ltd

Website

https://3di.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

3di Consulting Limited is a Northampton-based product design and development consultancy, founded in 2001, delivering end-to-end design, prototyping, and manufacturing support across medical, consumer, construction, industrial, and defence sectors for clients from inventors to multinationals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Product Design Consulting

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rapid Tooling & Prototype Molds (Additive) (IMAAAFAD)

Keywords

• Product design consulting
• Industrial design services
• Engineering design
• Prototype development
• Design for manufacture

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Design and Development Consulting: 3di provides comprehensive design and engineering services throughout the product lifecycle, from concept design through to manufacturing-ready documentation. Services include research and strategy, concept development, CAD design, prototyping, and manufacturing support. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees tailored to the scope and stage of each engagement.
2. Product Manufacturing: 3di operates their own injection moulding facility, producing prototypes and short-run production parts. This includes manufacturing support services such as project management through tooling and production, providing an additional revenue stream from physical product output.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

3di Consulting Limited provides end-to-end product design and development consultancy services, taking client concepts through research, CAD engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing support. They operate their own injection moulding facility for rapid prototyping and short-run production, serving clients from individual inventors to large multinationals across medical, consumer, industrial, construction, and defence sectors. All work is bespoke, project-based, and follows a structured four-stage Discover, Define, Develop, Integrate methodology.

Product overview

3di Consulting Limited is a product design and development consultancy founded in 2001, offering a comprehensive suite of services spanning the entire product development lifecycle. Their core offering is the four-stage Discover, Define, Develop, Integrate methodology, supported by specialized service modules including Research & Strategy, Concepts & Renders, Patents & IP, Industrial Product Design, Design for Manufacture, Engineering Design, Prototyping (3D printing, CNC, vacuum casting), Injection Moulding Product Tooling, and Product Manufacturing. The company operates its own injection moulding facility for in-house prototyping and short-run production. They serve diverse sectors including Medical, Consumer, Industrial, Construction & Engineering, and Defence. Their engineering design capabilities are powered by CAD software including Creo and SolidWorks, with rendering capabilities using Keyshot, Adobe Creative Suite, and Rhinoceros. 3di has developed numerous products for clients across various industries, including medical devices, sports equipment, consumer products, and industrial equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product Design & Development Consultancy End-to-end product design and development consultancy offering concept design, CAD engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing support across medical, consumer, industrial, construction, and defence sectors. Engagements range from individual inventors to large multinationals, with bespoke project-based delivery following a four-stage Discover, Define, Develop, Integrate methodology.
• In-House Injection Moulding Manufacturing Own injection moulding facility enabling rapid prototyping, sample production, and short-run manufacturing for client product testing and trade show presentations. Supports material trials and production-ready part output for clients across multiple sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced construction time from 15 days to under 3 hours for Permashutter headwall installation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• De Montfort UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3di worked closely with the Gynaecology department at De Montfort University to develop the Bowman Medical speculum device. The collaboration involved understanding medical requirements, developing protectable IP features, and resulted in a patent application.
• Far East ManufacturersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner3di manages projects with manufacturers in the Far East, including for Permashutter's rotational moulding requirements and Kilrock's tooling in the Far East.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kinneir Dufort: UK-based independent product design and development consultancy offering end-to-end design, engineering, and prototyping services. Highly comparable in service breadth (research, concept, engineering, prototyping) and target customer mix (consumer, medical, industrial), though typically larger in headcount.
• Tangerine (Accenture Song): UK product and brand design consultancy delivering industrial design, engineering, and innovation services for global brands. Comparable in design-led consultancy positioning and consumer/industrial client mix, though now embedded within Accenture Song for scale.
• 4D Design: UK independent product design consultancy offering industrial design, mechanical engineering, and prototyping services. Similar boutique structure with comparable project-based model for SME to enterprise clients in medical and consumer markets.
• Wideblue (Capgemini Engineering): Glasgow-based product design and engineering consultancy providing design, prototyping, and low-volume manufacturing for medical, consumer, and industrial clients. Comparable integrated offering including in-house prototyping/assembly capability; now part of Capgemini Engineering.
• Seymourpowell: Independent UK design studio providing product, brand, and experience design across consumer and industrial markets. Similar consultancy model with strong industrial design heritage and comparable project-based engagements for global brands.
• DCA Design International: Long-established UK product design consultancy providing design, engineering, and development services across medical, consumer, and industrial sectors. Directly comparable service mix and sector coverage, with deeper scale and a larger transport/rail focus.
• IDC (Industrial Design Consultancy): UK-based product design consultancy providing industrial design, engineering, and manufacturing support across consumer, medical, and industrial sectors. Closely mirrors 3di's sector mix and full-lifecycle service offering.
• PDD (Product Design + Development): UK-based product design and development consultancy delivering research, design, engineering, and prototyping services across medical, consumer, and industrial markets. Closely matches 3di's integrated design-to-manufacture model and SME-to-enterprise customer range.
• Team Consulting: Cambridge, UK-based medical device design and development consultancy delivering design, engineering, human factors, and prototyping for healthcare clients. Highly comparable in medical-focused design services, project-based delivery, and end-to-end product development model.
• PriestmanGoode: UK-based design consultancy specialising in transport, consumer, and hospitality product design. Similar boutique consultancy structure with comparable services spanning research, concept, and engineering design for enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/3di_design
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3di-consulting-ltd/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/3di_Product_Design
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/3di_Consulting/_saved

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 3di Consulting Limited