Research Retold
Research Retold is a Sheffield-based research communication consultancy founded in 2017 that translates complex academic and policy research into accessible visual formats for universities, NGOs, and government clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSheffield, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Research Retold does
Research Retold Ltd is a UK-based, founder-led research communication consultancy founded in 2017 by Mihaela Gruia and headquartered in Sheffield. The company provides editorial and design services that translate complex academic and policy research into accessible visual formats for non-specialist audiences. Its core offerings span visual summaries (2- and 4-page formats), infographics, comics, card games, zines, newspapers, postcards, interactive documents, animation videos, impact reports, and PowerPoint templates. It also delivers visual identity development (logos, brand guidelines, website design), bilingual materials (including English/Welsh leaflets), and bespoke educational offerings such as research communication workshops, identity-building workshops, policy brief series, and tailored courses.
The underlying technology is human-driven editorial and graphic design rather than a software platform; the company builds no proprietary product suite and exposes no API or SDK. Workflows are bespoke per client, supported by tools such as Mailchimp for newsletter distribution, Google Analytics for web traffic, and Zoom for virtual workshop delivery. The business model is project-based professional services: clients are acquired through direct outreach, university workshops, conference participation, content marketing, and the website contact form, then onboarded via discovery calls and quoted on a per-project basis. The team is small (1–10 employees, with five named individuals) and the company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding.
Research Retold's customer base is anchored in UK higher education (QMUL, SOAS, University of Sheffield, University of Leeds, Aston University, University of Warwick) and has expanded into research-oriented NGOs (Responsible Finance, In2ScienceUK), Canadian academia (McMaster University), and UK government engagement work. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on conference presence, university workshops, and thought-leadership content rather than paid acquisition. The company holds an ICO registration (ZB248269) for personal data processing and is registered as Research Retold Ltd at Companies House.
Research Retold firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research Retold
- Legal name
- Research Retold Ltd
- Website
- https://researchretold.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Research Retold is a Sheffield-based research communication consultancy founded in 2017 that translates complex academic and policy research into accessible visual formats for universities, NGOs, and government clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research Retold industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Research Communication Services
- NAICS
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Scholarly & Academic Multimedia (Research Videos, Interactive Figures) (EDAGALAJ)
Keywords
Where Research Retold is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheffield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Research Retold business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Research Communication Services: Project-based professional services including visual identity development, impact report design, infographic creation, visual summaries, and animation videos for research organizations
- Research Communication Workshops: Delivering workshops to universities and research organizations on topics such as creating engaging research posters, communicating research beyond academia, and planning research communication
- Bespoke Design Services: Custom visual communication solutions including PowerPoint templates, brand guidelines, and website wireframes tailored to client needs
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Research Retold product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Research Retold is a UK-based design and editorial consultancy, founded in 2017, that helps research organisations, universities, NGOs, and policy bodies turn complex research findings into clear, engaging visual communication formats. Its services span infographics, visual summaries, impact reports, animation videos, bilingual and interactive documents, website and wireframe design, visual identity development, policy briefs, and bespoke training workshops in research communication.
Product overview
Research Retold is a service-based company providing editorial and design expertise to create engaging communication formats based on research. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of visual communication services including visual summaries (2-page and 4-page formats), infographics, comics, card games, newspapers, postcards, zines, and interactive documents. Additional services include visual identity development (logos, brand guidelines), website design and wireframing, impact reports, PowerPoint templates, and animation videos. Educational offerings include research communication workshops, bespoke identity-building workshops, and tailored research communication courses. The company focuses on making academic research accessible to non-expert audiences through creative visual formats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visual Summaries
Companies that use Research Retold
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Research Retold technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Research Retold partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Responsible FinancecoreResearch Retold designed Responsible Finance's 2025 impact report and accompanying infographics showcasing CDFI sector data and impact stories. Team attended the report launch at NatWest Group headquarters.
- SOAS University of London (How Women Work)minorResearch Retold participated in A Creative Research Café event organized by How Women Work (student collective) at SOAS in collaboration with Women's Budget Group. They showcased their work and discussed creative research communication with attendees.
- QMUL School of Business and ManagementcoreResearch Retold collaborated with QMUL's School of Business and Management to develop visual identity for the Organisation Studies Research Group, including logo design, brand guidelines, website audit, and launch event support. This followed previous collaboration through the SBM Research Insights series.
- Aston University Centre for Personal Financial WellbeingcoreResearch Retold collaborated with CPFW to design a banner highlighting research projects aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. They also served as active collaborators in the Personal Financial Wellbeing Research Conference 2024.
- University of SheffieldcoreOngoing collaboration with University of Sheffield for research communication workshops with postgraduate researchers. Multiple workshops delivered on poster creation and research communication planning.
- University of LeedscoreCollaboration with Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira on bilingual (English and Welsh) leaflets for Parliament engagement. Also worked with Dr Floor Christie de Jong on visual summary and animation for prostate cancer research project.
- McMaster University (Canada)minorFirst international collaboration delivering research communication workshop virtually to McMaster University in Canada. Adapted workshop content for virtual delivery.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Research Retold competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Taylor & Francis Author Services: Taylor & Francis offers editing and research-communication support to authors, leveraging its position as a major academic publisher to deliver adjacent services that overlap with Research Retold's editorial scope.
- Springer Nature Author Services: Springer Nature provides editing, illustration, and translation services to researchers through Author Services, bundling research-communication capabilities with its portfolio of academic journals.
- Elsevier: Elsevier, the largest academic publisher, bundles author, research, and data services that intersect with Research Retold's research-communication and impact-reporting work via its broader portfolio.
- Wiley: Wiley operates Wiley Editing Services and broader author/research-communications support as part of its established academic publishing portfolio — an incumbent offering that overlaps with Research Retold's editorial and visual services.
- Cactus Communications: Cactus Communications is the scaled parent of Editage, offering full-service academic and research communications to publishers, universities, and life-sciences clients — a broader, established player overlapping with Research Retold's editing/illustration work.
Emerging players
- Knowable Magazine: Knowable Magazine (from Annual Reviews) is a research-communication publication that translates academic findings for general readers — an emerging player in the same research-to-public mission Research Retold serves.
Direct peers
- Research Consulting: Research Consulting is a UK consultancy supporting research organisations with strategy, evaluation, and communications — operating in the same UK research-services niche as Research Retold.
- Research Square: Research Square provides pre-print services, editorial support, and visual/figure services for academic researchers, directly overlapping with Research Retold's editorial and visual research-communication offering.
- Editage: Editage (a Cactus Communications brand) provides academic editing, translation, and research-communication support for researchers globally, closely mirroring the editorial plus design stack Research Retold delivers.
- Big Pink: Big Pink is a UK-based agency producing science and research communications for academic and government clients — directly comparable in its UK higher-education and research-communication focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Research Retold social profiles
Digital presenceResearch Retold compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Research Retold financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research Retold leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Research Retold funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Research Retold M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Research Retold
What does Research Retold do?
Research Retold is a UK-based design and editorial consultancy, founded in 2017, that helps research organisations, universities, NGOs, and policy bodies turn complex research findings into clear, engaging visual communication formats. Its services span infographics, visual summaries, impact reports, animation videos, bilingual and interactive documents, website and wireframe design, visual identity development, policy briefs, and bespoke training workshops in research communication.
Is Research Retold a public or private company?
Research Retold is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Research Retold founded?
Research Retold was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Research Retold based?
Research Retold is headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Research Retold make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Communication Services are the primary driver. The others are research Communication Workshops and bespoke Design Services.
Who are Research Retold's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Taylor & Francis Author Services, Springer Nature Author Services, Elsevier, Wiley and Cactus Communications. Knowable Magazine is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Research Consulting, Research Square, Editage and Big Pink.
Does Research Retold have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research Retold.
What industry is Research Retold in?
Research Retold's product category is Research Communication Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAFAL, Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGALAJ, Scholarly & Academic Multimedia (Research Videos, Interactive Figures). Its NAICS code is 541 and its SIC code is 2741.