SocietyInside

What SocietyInside does

SocietyInside is a UK-based not-for-profit company limited by guarantee operating as a think tank and communications organization. It was founded by Hilary Sutcliffe (previously known as MATTER) and works with approximately two core team members plus project collaborators. The organization produces research and communications tools on three core themes: public health (focused on what it terms the 'Addiction Economy' across nine industries, including a dedicated Campaign Against Recreational Vaping), technology governance and trust (the TIGTech six-year research initiative yielding the 7 Drivers of Trust framework, a free training course, and the TrustBites video series), and the role of citizens in policy and regulation (the Framework for Meaningful Engagement of Stakeholders co-developed with the European Centre for Not-For-Profit Law and 145+ stakeholders, and the B.A.R.F. Bullshit Prevention work with Professor Ian McCarthy).

The organization has no proprietary software or technology platform; outputs are delivered as research publications, frameworks, white papers, podcasts (notably 'From Another Angle' with Carnegie Council), short films, training courses, and live workshops. Its go-to-market is community-led and thought-leadership-driven, reaching policy makers, regulators, civil society groups, citizens (with an emphasis on young people), and selected enterprises through international speaking engagements (WEF Davos, UN, OECD, European Commission, Royal Society), earned media (17+ Financial Times letters), digital channels (website, YouTube, LinkedIn), and partnerships with platforms such as Apolitical and Mural.

Revenue is generated through three streams: foundation and grant funding (Esmée Fairbairn Foundation provided initial startup capital, with subsequent funding from Mozilla Foundation, Fraunhofer Group, Irish HSE, Arizona State University, ECNL, UK ScienceWise, and H2020 projects), honoraria and fees for speaking engagements, workshops, seminars, and conference facilitation, and research tenders and partnerships with academic and governmental institutions including the European Commission, University of Michigan, University of Sheffield, and Forum for the Future. No pricing is publicly disclosed, and the organization does not sell products or services with set prices.

Name

SocietyInside

Legal name

SocietyInside

Website

https://societyinside.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SocietyInside is a UK-based not-for-profit think tank delivering research and communications tools on public health (the Addiction Economy), technology governance and trust (TIGTech), and meaningful stakeholder engagement, serving policy makers, regulators, civil society, and selected enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research & Think Tank Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Responsible innovation research
• Addiction economy research
• Stakeholder engagement frameworks
• Trust governance consulting
• Public health policy think tank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Grant Funding: SocietyInside receives funding from foundations and grant-making organizations for research projects. Initial startup funding came from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Other project funding has come from Mozilla Foundation, Fraunhofer Group, Irish Health Service Executive (HSE), Arizona State University, European Centre for Not-For-Profit Law (ECNL), UK government's ScienceWise, and various H2020 projects.
2. Speaking and Workshop Fees: The organization receives honoraria and fees for speaking engagements, workshops, seminars, and conference facilitation and design.
3. Research Partnerships: Revenue from research tenders and partnerships with various academic institutions, government bodies, and international organizations including the European Commission, University of Michigan, University of Sheffield, and Forum for the Future.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SocietyInside is a not-for-profit think tank and communications organization that produces research, frameworks, campaigns, and advisory services on three core themes: the Addiction Economy (analysing 9 industries that deliberately addict consumers), Trust in Tech Governance (TIGTech project with 7 Drivers of Trust framework), and Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement (framework co-developed with ECNL). Deliverables include research reports, white papers, frameworks (B.A.R.F., C.R.A.P.), video series (TrustBites), podcasts (From Another Angle), workshops, and bespoke advisory engagements for governments, regulators, businesses and civil society.

Product overview

SocietyInside is a think tank and communications not-for-profit that delivers research and communications tools rather than a unified software product. The organization's core offerings include: The Addiction Economy research initiative exploring 9 addictive industries; the Framework for Meaningful Engagement of Stakeholders (co-developed with ECNL) providing practical guidance for involving citizens in AI development and regulation; the TIGTech (Trust in Tech Governance) research project with its 7 Drivers of Trust framework and free training resources; Bullshit Prevention using the B.A.R.F. framework for analyzing misleading organizational language; the Action on Recreational Vaping campaign; and the From Another Angle podcast series with Carnegie Council. These research-based products are delivered as publications, frameworks, workshops, videos, and advisory services rather than software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Addiction Economy: A dedicated website and project exploring industries that knowingly and unashamedly erode our ability to control our usage of products beyond the point at which it harms us
• Campaign Against Recreational Vaping

Products and services

• The Addiction Economy Research initiative exploring cross-sectoral themes across 9 industries that knowingly and deliberately addict consumers beyond the point of harm. Delivered as research publications, white papers, and a dedicated microsite (theaddictioneconomy.com). Aimed at policy makers, regulators, public health bodies, and civil society groups.
• Framework for Meaningful Engagement of Stakeholders Practical framework co-developed with the European Centre for Not-For-Profit Law (ECNL) and 145+ stakeholders to help governments, regulators, businesses and civil society meaningfully involve stakeholders in AI development and regulation design. Three core elements: Shared Purpose, Trustworthy Process, Visible Impact.
• Trust in Business and Regulation (TIGTech) Six-year research project developing tools and communications on the 7 Drivers of Trust and competencies needed to earn trust and avoid distrust in technology design and regulation. Outputs include the trust report, free training course, TrustBites video series, and A-Z of Trust compendium.
• Bullshit Prevention (B.A.R.F.) Research and workshop offering exploring how misleading language (bullshit) obscures truth, saps morale and erodes trust. Includes the B.A.R.F. (Bullshit Analysis Reflection Framework) and the C.R.A.P. framework (Comprehend, Recognise, Act, Prevent) developed with Professor Ian McCarthy. Delivered via workshops, articles, and how-to guides.
• Action on Recreational Vaping Campaign Campaign dedicated to detaching vaping from smoking and stimulating debate to prevent the deliberate creation of a new nicotine product sector packaged as lifestyle products for recreational use, with a dedicated microsite at recreationalvaping.org.
• Responsible Innovation Advisory Consulting and advisory services exploring 25 years of putting people and planet at the heart of innovation, technology, politics and regulation. Focus on responsible innovation applied to nanotechnology, synthetic biology, neurotechnologies, robotics and AI.
• Trust Training Course & Toolkit Free online micro-course 'An Introduction to Trustworthiness and Trust in Practice' hosted on the Mural platform with four 20-minute lessons covering trust effects, 5 key trust concepts, 7 Signals of Trustworthiness, and trust recovery.
• TrustBites Video Series Series of 90-second videos covering trust topics including the 7 Signals of Trustworthiness, the trust spectrum, and the trust iceberg concept. Published on the SocietyInside YouTube channel.
• Nano&me Citizen-facing website providing comprehensive information about nanotechnologies and emerging technologies, responding to public desire for more knowledge about these topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Framework for Meaningful Stakeholder Involvement co-created with 140+ Civil Society Groups, policy makers, regulators and business ethicists
• +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

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carnegie Council for Ethics in International AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Hilary Sutcliffe's podcast residency and 'From Another Angle' podcast series exploring perspectives on AI and equality. Partnership ended December 2023. Includes co-chairs Wendell Wallach and Anja Kaspersen on Council for AI and Equality.
• Fraunhofer Group of Applied Science Research InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the Trust and Tech Governance (TIGTech) project on trust and governance research.
• World Economic ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on TIGTech initiative, presented at Davos Annual Meeting, involved in Global Future Council on Values, Ethics & Innovation, Agile Governance Council, Human Rights Council, and Nanotechnology Global Agenda Council.
• European Centre for Not-For-Profit Law (ECNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create Framework for Meaningful Stakeholder Involvement. Co-developed framework for AI development and regulation design with 145+ stakeholders.
• Irish Health Service Executive (HSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignificant project on trust and healthcare, adapting TIGTech trust frameworks to put earning public trust at the heart of healthcare strategy.
• Arizona State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on Trust, Soft Law and AI. Presented at Governance of Emerging Technology Conference.
• Dana FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on patient centricity research and framework for Meaningful Patient Involvement in neurological disease treatment.
• European Federation of Neurological AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on patient centricity and meaningful patient involvement in neurotechnology research.
• AI Asia Pacific InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterview and discussion on Trust, Ethics, Values & Governance of Technologies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs: US-based ethics think tank that hosted SocietyInside's 'From Another Angle' podcast. Operates in the same ethics, governance, and technology-policy space with global reach, publishing original research, convening expert councils, and producing multimedia content. Direct peer in mission, audience, and delivery model.
• Ada Lovelace Institute: UK-based independent research institute focused on the societal implications of AI and data-driven technologies. Closely comparable in size, funding model, and remit to SocietyInside's AI governance and trust work, with overlapping funder networks (e.g., Nuffield Foundation) and similar policy-maker audience.
• Mozilla Foundation: Foundation funder and grantmaker of SocietyInside's Stakeholder Engagement Framework project. Operates adjacent programmes on trustworthy AI, internet health, and public-interest technology — sharing a public-interest funding and advocacy model with strong overlaps in stakeholder engagement and AI ethics.
• Data & Society: US nonprofit research institute that studies the social implications of data-centric technologies and automation. Directly comparable as a peer-sized, public-interest research organisation producing original frameworks and convening stakeholders on AI/trust/ethics — the same niche SocietyInside occupies in the UK/EU.
• European Centre for Not-For-Profit Law (ECNL): Amsterdam-based nonprofit that co-developed SocietyInside's Framework for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement with 145+ stakeholders. Operates in the same civic-space, stakeholder-engagement, and AI-regulation space with overlapping EU-focused funder networks and a similar nonprofit think-tank model.

Broad incumbents

• Demos: UK cross-party think tank producing research on public health, technology, and democratic participation. Larger and broader than SocietyInside, but covers overlapping themes (public interest, regulation, citizen voice) and serves a comparable UK policy-maker and civil society audience.
• Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR): UK's leading progressive think tank, working on health, technology, and regulation policy. Much larger than SocietyInside and more institutional, but overlapping topics (trust in tech, public health, responsible innovation) and audience (policy-makers, civil society) make it a clear comparable.
• New Economics Foundation (NEF): UK think tank focused on economic, social, and environmental justice. Comparable mission posture (public-interest economics, challenging business-as-usual) and outputs (research, communications, campaigns), though a broader economic framing than SocietyInside's technology and behavioural-addiction focus.
• World Economic Forum (Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution): Multistakeholder platform where Hilary Sutcliffe co-chairs the Global Future Council on Values, Ethics & Innovation. WEF convenes the same global policy and corporate audience that SocietyInside targets with its trust and governance work, and is a long-standing partner and presentation venue.
• RAND Corporation: Large global policy research organisation that produces research on public health, technology governance, and societal resilience. Much larger and broader than SocietyInside, but comparable in mission (evidence-based policy influence) and adjacent on addiction-economy, health-trust, and emerging-technology governance topics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBfzGdJlK_ztZl1sM25xUjg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/societyinside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 SocietyInside