What ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND EDUCONSULT CIC does

Atmospheric Research and Educonsult (AREC) is a UK-registered Community Interest Company (CIC) specialising in environmental research, air-quality monitoring, scientific consultancy, and capacity-building programmes. The organisation deploys sensor networks and reference-grade equipment for real-time air quality data collection, conducts field-based and laboratory research on atmospheric pollution, emissions, and environmental impacts, and delivers postgraduate-level training, laboratory manuals, and professional development courses. Its core technology stack combines EarthSense Zephyr sensors and the MappAir mapping platform with comprehensive QA/QC procedures, supplemented by satellite-based atmospheric data analysis through NASRDA and analytical chemistry expertise via the University of Benin partnership. AREC operates dual headquarters in Leicester (UK) and Kano (Nigeria) and serves federal, state, and local government agencies, universities, research institutions, NGOs, and industrial clients primarily in the UK and Nigeria, with stated intent to expand across West Africa.

AREC pursues a project-based, professional services revenue model with five intertwined streams: competitive research grants and donor-funded projects, environmental monitoring and consultancy contracts, paid training and capacity-building programmes, commissioned research studies and policy-support technical reports, and joint co-funded programmes with university and technology partners. The Future Scholars STEM & Success Skills Programme operates as a separate freemium model (free introductory modules with optional paid advanced pathway) functioning both as community engagement and as a recruitment pipeline for environmental science careers. The CIC legal structure means surpluses are reinvested into community and environmental impact rather than distributed to shareholders, and the company is not venture capital or private equity backed. Customer acquisition is driven by technical reputation, partnership referrals (EarthSense, University of Leicester, Nigerian government agencies), and direct outreach via website contact forms, with relationship-driven sales rather than mass-market marketing.

The leadership team is led by Dr Anthony Isiwele (Director) and Dr Emmanuel Bernard (Director / Lead Research Consultant / Atmospheric Scientist), supported by a multidisciplinary network of international consultants including Professor Paul S. Monks (University of Leicester), Professor Akeem Babatunde Rabiu (NASRDA), and Professor Emmanuel Ehiabhi Ukpebor (University of Benin). Key partnerships include EarthSense Systems Limited (2025, air-quality monitoring technology), University of Leicester Forensic Science Department (UK-Nigeria Research Bridge), Federal Ministry of Environment Nigeria, Nigeria Police Force, NASRDA, and University of Benin. Disclosed outcomes include a 35% environmental footprint reduction for an industrial sustainability client through emissions compliance consultancy.

Name

ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND EDUCONSULT CIC

Legal name

Atmospheric Research and Educonsult

Website

https://a-research.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND EDUCONSULT CIC is a UK-registered Community Interest Company delivering air-quality monitoring, environmental research, scientific consultancy, and capacity-building programmes to government agencies, universities, NGOs, and industrial clients across the UK and Nigeria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research & Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Leak Detection, Emissions & LDAR Testing (OGI, methane, fugitive emissions) (EUAEAHAL)

Keywords

• Air quality monitoring
• Environmental research consulting
• Atmospheric pollution studies
• Capacity building programmes
• Emissions advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wigston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants & Donor-Funded Projects: Competitive research grants, international development funding, and capacity-building grants from government and NGOs. As a CIC, surpluses are reinvested into community and environmental impact.
2. Consultancy & Technical Services: Environmental monitoring contracts, research consultancy for government and academia, and technical advisory for environmental projects. Project-based engagements with agreed deliverables and fees.
3. Training & Capacity-Building: Postgraduate-level training programmes, workshops for government, universities, and NGOs, and professional development courses. Free introductory STEM programme with optional paid advanced pathway.
4. Commissions & Project Fees: Commissioned research studies, environmental assessments, and policy-support technical-reporting assignments.
5. Partnerships & Collaborative Projects: Joint programmes with universities and technical partners, co-funded environmental monitoring initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AREC is an environmental research and consulting firm that deploys sensor networks and reference-grade air quality equipment for real-time pollution monitoring, conducts field and laboratory research on atmospheric pollution, climate, and emissions, and delivers postgraduate-level training and capacity-building programmes. Its outputs are defensible datasets, scientific reports, policy and procurement advisory, and training materials used by government agencies, universities, NGOs, and industrial clients in the UK and Nigeria.

Product overview

AREC offers a unified suite of environmental research and consultancy services spanning air-quality monitoring, environmental research, capacity-building, climate and emissions studies, and advisory services. The portfolio includes service offerings (Air-Quality Monitoring & Data Analysis, Environmental Research & Reporting, Capacity-Building Programmes, Climate & Emissions Studies, Consultancy & Advisory, Scientific & Legal Communication, Technical Procurement Support, Environmental Risk Assessment, and International Partnership Development), a youth education programme (Future Scholars STEM & Success Skills Programme), and project offerings (Urban Air Monitoring Network). The services are delivered through a multidisciplinary team combining world-class scientific rigour with deep local knowledge across UK and Nigeria operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Future Scholars STEM & Success Skills Programme: A free, hybrid STEM summer community programme for secondary-school students (ages 13 to 18), delivered in Leicester and online worldwide, covering Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, study skills, career guidance, and life skills.

Products and services

• Air-Quality Monitoring & Data Analysis

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% environmental footprint reduction achieved for industrial client through emissions compliance consultancy

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• EarthSense Systems LimitedcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership for air-quality monitoring, technical integration, and capacity-building initiatives in Nigeria and other regions. Combines EarthSense's advanced Zephyr air quality sensors and MappAir mapping platform with AREC's regional expertise. Partnership signing took place at National Space Centre, Leicester, UK. Focus on Nigeria's industrial sector with enhanced local partnerships and regulatory alignment.
• University of LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced collaboration with University of Leicester Forensic Science Department for joint research, training, and scientific development. Includes collaboration on environmental forensics and scientific capacity building. Part of the UK-Nigeria Research Bridge initiative.
• Federal Ministry of Environment (Nigeria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive projects supporting environmental governance, monitoring frameworks, and capacity development. AREC works with the Ministry on national-level environmental monitoring initiatives and policy-support programmes.
• Nigeria Police ForcesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration to strengthen forensic environmental analysis and scientific capacity within the Nigeria Police Force under AREC's supervision.
• NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partnership with Nigeria's space agency for satellite-based air quality assessment and atmospheric data analysis. Professor Akeem Babatunde Rabiu serves as technical team member representing this expertise area.
• University of BeninsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with University of Benin for environmental monitoring, VOC analysis, and policy guidance aligned with WHO standards. Professor Emmanuel Ehiabhi Ukpebor serves as Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Advisor.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP Global: Global professional services firm with an Environment & Sustainability practice covering air quality, climate, and environmental impact assessment for public and private sector clients. Competes with AREC for the same end customers at much larger scale.
• SGS SA: Swiss-based global testing, inspection, and certification company with extensive environmental testing services including air quality and emissions monitoring for industrial and regulatory clients. Functions as a broad incumbent comparable to AREC's testing and certification-adjacent work.
• Wood plc: Global consulting and engineering firm with environmental services spanning air quality monitoring, emissions management, and environmental compliance for energy and industrial clients. Overlaps with AREC's industrial emissions compliance and air-quality monitoring offerings.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with an environmental and sustainability commodity line covering air quality, emissions, and ESG compliance testing. Serves overlapping industrial and government clients at vastly greater scale.
• SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory consultancy with strong air quality, emissions, and environmental impact assessment practices. Comparable in service mix to AREC but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Ricardo plc: Global engineering and environmental consultancy with a dedicated Energy & Environment practice covering air quality, emissions, and climate policy. Operates at much larger scale across the same end markets as AREC, serving as a broad incumbent reference point.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consultancy serving industrial and government clients on air quality, emissions compliance, and impact assessment. Provides a broad incumbent benchmark for AREC's industrial and regulatory advisory services.

Direct peers

• Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC): UK-based research consultancy focused on air quality modelling, emissions analysis, and atmospheric science for government and academic clients. Highly comparable technical profile and customer mix to AREC's environmental research and reporting service line.
• Aether Limited: UK-based consultancy specialising in air quality, emissions inventories, and climate policy advice for governments and international bodies. Closely comparable in size, scope, and customer base to AREC's air-quality and emissions advisory work.
• EarthSense Systems Limited: UK-based air quality sensor and data platform provider whose Zephyr sensors and MappAir mapping tool AREC explicitly partners with. EarthSense operates in the same atmospheric-monitoring category and serves overlapping UK and international clients, making it the closest functional peer despite also being a strategic partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND EDUCONSULT CIC