Studio Monnik

What Studio Monnik does

Studio Monnik is a two-person Dutch futures-research consultancy, founded in 2012 in Amsterdam by Edwin Gardner (architect, TU Delft) and Christiaan Fruneaux (historian, University of Amsterdam) and operating as the partnership Monnik V.O.F. The firm researches long-term cultural and technological trends and translates them into future scenarios, trend briefings, scenario workshops, and keynote presentations for Dutch government agencies and enterprises. Its core intellectual asset is the proprietary World Tree Model — a historical-futuristic framework developed over five years of research that looks roughly 1,000 years into the past and 100 years into the future to anchor credible scenario work. The firm has productized this framework into named vertical scenarios (Bloom for education, Token for finance, Gaia for urban lighting and nature) and operates a weekly newsletter ('De Atlas van het Lange Nu' / De Chrononauten) and public creative projects, including the 2023 book 'Alles Komt Goed'.

Commercially, Studio Monnik runs a custom professional-services model: each engagement (scenario development, facilitated workshop, trend briefing, keynote) is scoped per client, with no disclosed pricing or recurring subscription product. Customers disclosed in the input are predominantly Dutch — sectoral councils (PO-Raad, VO-Raad), public-interest bodies (Utrechts Landschap), and enterprises across finance (The Up Company), real estate (Ditt Office Makers, NSI Vastgoed, Schipper Bosch), energy (Foreland Studios, Industriepark Kleefse Waard), and funeral services (DELA). Distribution is direct, supported by content-led thought leadership (newsletter, publications, keynote circuit), and the firm shows no external funding, no headcount expansion beyond the founders, and no disclosed revenue.

Operationally the business is constrained by its two-person structure: capacity is limited to a handful of custom engagements and speaking appearances per year, making the model highly dependent on founder time. The World Tree Model and the founders' combined architectural-historical expertise constitute the firm's primary defensible assets, supplemented by brand recognition in Dutch futures studies and a content ecosystem (newsletter, book, public installations) that supports inbound demand.

Name

Studio Monnik

Legal name

Monnik V.O.F.

Website

https://monnik.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Monnik is a two-person Amsterdam-based futures-research consultancy that helps Dutch governments and companies develop long-term scenarios, trend briefings, and workshops, using its proprietary World Tree Model framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Foresight Consulting

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Scenario Planning, Forecasting Platforms & Planning Intelligence (HDAAAHAL)

Keywords

• Strategic foresight consulting
• Future scenario workshops
• Long-term trend briefings
• Historical futures research
• Creative scenario development

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Impact Scenario Development & Workshops: Custom future scenario development projects for government and corporate clients, including facilitated workshop experiences that take clients through immersive future journeys.
2. Keynote Presentations: Speaking engagements where founders share their historical-futuristic perspectives and future visualizations to inspire and inform client organizations.
3. Trend Briefings & Strategic Explorations: Long-term decision-making insights and cultural trend analysis delivered to client organizations to help with strategic positioning.
4. Public Projects & Publications: Public-facing research and creative projects (such as 'Alles Komt Goed' book) that disseminate their thinking to broader audiences and reinforce thought leadership.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Studio Monnik researches long-term cultural trends and develops bespoke future scenarios for governments and companies. Its core deliverables are impact scenario workshops (such as Bloom, Token, and Gaia), trend briefings and strategic explorations, and keynote presentations — all built on the proprietary World Tree Model framework that analyses 1,000 years of history to project credible futures 100 years forward.

Product overview

Studio Monnik is both a strategic think tank and creative studio that develops future scenarios for governments and businesses. The core offering consists of Impact Scenario Workshops (Bloom, Token, Gaia), Trend Briefings and Strategic Explorations, and Keynote Presentations—all underpinned by the proprietary World Tree Model framework. These products work together as an integrated methodology: workshops transport clients to relevant futures, trend briefings provide sector insights for long-term decision-making, and keynotes inspire broader audiences. The company also publishes the De Atlas van het Lange Nu newsletter and produces public-facing research projects including books and installations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Impact Scenario Workshops Interactive workshop experiences that take government and corporate clients on a journey to a relevant future, combining imaginative scenarios with futuristic user journeys to inform, confront, and inspire strategic decision-making and develop a new vision with a resilient roadmap.
• Trend Briefings and Strategic Explorations In-depth trend analyses and strategic explorations providing insights into cultural trends and technological developments shaping a client's sector or market, supporting long-term decision-making and innovative direction-setting.
• Keynote Presentations Speaking engagements offering historical-futurist frameworks and future visualizations to add inspiration, depth, and urgency to corporate events and conferences.
• Bloom (Impact Scenario) An impact scenario exploring the impact of the digital revolution on the education system, designed to help school administrators and education professionals investigate how education will be delivered in a digital society.
• Token (Impact Scenario) An impact scenario exploring the impact of digitalization on the financial sector, examining the historical relationship between societal trust, financial architecture, and emerging information technology.
• Gaia (Impact Scenario) An impact scenario exploring how large-city lighting and safety can be nature-inclusive in the future — without harmful light pollution — and how the starry sky can be restored above the city.

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Up CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership in developing the Token impact scenario, which explores the impact of digitalization on the accountancy and tax administration sectors. The scenario examines the historical relationship between societal trust, financial architecture, and emerging information technology.
• PO-Raad (Primary Education Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and development partner for the Bloom impact scenario, which explores the impact of the digital revolution on the primary education system. School administrators and education professionals are guided through a future that is both confronting and inspiring.
• VO-Raad (Secondary Education Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and development partner for the Bloom impact scenario alongside the PO-Raad, examining how secondary education will be delivered in a digital society.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Volans: A London-based futures and sustainability consultancy that advises business and government on long-term systemic challenges — directly comparable in combining scenario work, strategic foresight, and a mission-oriented stance.
• Institute for the Future (IFTF): A long-established futures research organization that develops 10-year forecasts, scenario maps, and strategic foresight for governments and enterprises — a direct peer in delivering long-horizon scenario planning grounded in rigorous research.
• TrendWatching: A global trend intelligence firm producing trend briefings, consumer foresight, and applied strategy content for enterprise clients — directly comparable in monetizing trend research and thought leadership into corporate engagements.
• ReD Associates: A Nordic-rooted strategy and innovation consultancy that combines social science and anthropology with business strategy — directly comparable to Studio Monnik's cross-disciplinary approach to understanding long-term societal shifts for corporate and government clients.
• The Future Laboratory: A UK-based consumer trend forecasting and futures consultancy that produces trend briefings, scenario work, and strategic foresight for brands — directly comparable in offering, target audience (corporate strategy teams), and productized methodology.
• Forum for the Future: An international sustainability-focused non-profit that helps organizations develop long-term strategies and futures capabilities — comparable to Studio Monnik's blend of creative scenario work, trend briefings, and partnership with both private and public-sector clients.
• Toffler Associates: A strategic foresight and future-readiness advisory firm serving governments and Fortune 500 companies — directly comparable in offering long-term scenario consulting, strategic advisory, and custom futures workshops.

Regional players

• Bureau Europa: A Maastricht-based platform for design, culture, and futures-related exhibitions and programming — a comparable Dutch cultural/futures organization with which Studio Monnik has previously partnered on the 'Werkplaats voor de Nieuwe Wereld' project.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey (Strategic Foresight Practice): Global strategy consultancy with embedded foresight capabilities serving governments and large enterprises — a broad incumbent that increasingly competes in long-term scenario planning, though as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Kantar (Insights Division): A global market research and insights giant that publishes annual trend forecasts (e.g., '100 Trends') and offers consumer foresight to enterprise clients — a broad incumbent whose futures work overlaps with Studio Monnik's trend-briefing offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=8ca1rX9yKws
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/monnik

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 Studio Monnik