Smith Innovation
Smith Innovation is a Copenhagen-based consultancy, founded in 2009, that provides innovation management, program management, and secretariat services to philanthropic foundations, public sector bodies, and European coalitions driving sustainability transitions in the built environment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smith Innovation does
Smith Innovation is a Copenhagen-based innovation management consultancy founded in 2009 that serves philanthropic foundations, public sector bodies, and European coalitions working to transform the built environment within planetary boundaries. The firm operates across the full innovation lifecycle - from ideation to scaled implementation - delivering program management, stakeholder facilitation, strategic advisory, research, evaluation, and secretariat/backbone services. Its service portfolio spans thematic areas including circular construction, biobased materials, climate adaptation, and urban development.
The company is organized into three branded departments: Smith Consulting (advisory engagements), Smith Academy (learning programs), and Smith Commons (a not-for-profit division established in 2024 that acts as philanthropy backbone/distribution agent). Core service products include the Innovation til marked support scheme (running 2018-2027 for Realdania), the pan-European Circular Buildings Coalition program-managed for Laudes Foundation across 19 countries, the INDICATE/INDICATE LIFE building-LCA accelerator funded by EU LIFE, the EUR 6M EU CCRI-funded CirCoFin reuse hubs project, and the multi-phase Veje til biobaseret byggeri biobased construction pathways program.
Revenue is generated through professional consultancy fees, foundation-funded program management, and EU grant consortium work; pricing is negotiated per-project and is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is via competitive tendering, foundation appointments, and direct enterprise relationships rather than product-led sales, with go-to-market further supported by an event- and community-led model (Building Green, Smart City Expo, knowledge excursions, the curated 'Smithsomme tanker' content platform, podcast series, and LinkedIn/Instagram presence). Smith serves marquee clients including Realdania (5,500 projects / EUR 3.3B deployed since 2000), Laudes Foundation, VILLUM FONDEN, Danish municipalities (e.g., Stevns), and European Commission funding programs.
Smith Innovation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smith Innovation
- Legal name
- Smith Innovation
- Website
- https://smithinnovation.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Smith Innovation is a Copenhagen-based consultancy, founded in 2009, that provides innovation management, program management, and secretariat services to philanthropic foundations, public sector bodies, and European coalitions driving sustainability transitions in the built environment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smith Innovation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Innovation Consulting
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD), Change Management for Operations Transformations (EDABAKAM), Value Chain Development & Supplier Upgrading (BPADAMAI), Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth (EDABAAAO)
Keywords
Where Smith Innovation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Smith Innovation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Consultancy and Innovation Management: Smith Innovation generates revenue by providing specialized consultancy services to foundations, organizations, and public sector clients. Engagements include program management, innovation facilitation, stakeholder engagement, research, evaluation, and strategy services for the built environment and sustainability sector.
- EU and Foundation-Funded Project Management: Smith serves as program manager and secretariat for major EU-funded projects (e.g., CirCoFin with €6M EU funding) and foundation-backed initiatives (e.g., Realdania's Innovation til marked running to 2027), generating revenue through grant management and disbursement of project funding.
- Secretariat and Backbone Services for Philanthropic Organizations: Smith acts as professional secretariat for philanthropic initiatives (e.g., Innovation til marked, Circular Buildings Coalition), providing front-desk, backbone, and administrative distribution of funds services on behalf of foundations and organizations.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Smith Innovation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smith Innovation is a professional consultancy that provides innovation management, program management, research, evaluation, and advisory services for the built environment. The firm facilitates cross-disciplinary collaboration between foundations, public sector bodies, and construction industry actors to drive systemic sustainability transitions. It also serves as professional secretariat and backbone for philanthropic foundations, administering grants and managing large-scale multi-stakeholder initiatives across Denmark and Europe.
Product overview
Smith Innovation is a consulting company specializing in innovation management for the built environment, operating across the entire innovation process from early ideation to scaled implementation. The company offers consulting services organized around thematic areas including Partnerships, Markets, Dialogue, Learning/Evaluation, Imaginaries, Data-Driven Change, Strategy, and Celebrations. Key programs include the Innovation til marked support scheme for sustainable construction solutions, the Circular Buildings Coalition (CBC) for circular economy acceleration, the INDICATE climate requirements accelerator, and the Veje til biobaseret byggeri biobased construction initiative. Smith Commons, established in 2024, serves as the company's not-for-profit division supporting foundations and organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smith Commons: A not-for-profit organization established in 2024 that handles independent research, consultancy and development activities, focusing on achieving balance between the built environment and the planet. It represents one of three approaches at Smith Innovation alongside Smith Academy and Smith Consulting.
Products and services
- Smith Innovation Consulting Services Innovation management and consulting services for the built environment, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration and systemic change in the construction industry for foundations, organizations, and public sector clients.
- Innovation til marked (Innovation to Market) A Realdania-funded support scheme that helps new environmentally sustainable construction solutions reach market, providing financial support, mentoring, and professional secretariat services to companies. Smith serves as professional secretariat.
- Smith Commons Not-for-profit organization providing independent research, consultancy, and development activities, handling professional and administrative distribution of funds on behalf of philanthropic agents and translating objectives into concrete efforts and theories of change.
- Circular Buildings Coalition (CBC) Coalition uniting industry leaders across Europe (Circle Economy, World Green Building Council, Metabolic, Arup, etc.) to accelerate circular economy transition in the built environment, with market programs in UK, Germany, and Denmark. Smith provides overall program management.
- INDICATE Accelerator EU-funded accelerator program supporting national consortia to develop methodologies for calculating building climate footprints and collecting representative LCA data to support policy action on building climate requirements across European countries.
- Veje til biobaseret byggeri (Roads to Biobased Construction) Multi-phase project exploring pathways to increase the use of biobased materials in construction, investigating what can be grown in Denmark, how building products can be produced, and how they can be applied in construction.
Quantifiable outcome
- Circular Buildings Coalition aims to demonstrate how circular construction can operate within Planetary Boundaries while ensuring a just transition, working across 19 European countries.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Smith Innovation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smith Innovation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Smith Innovation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Metabolic, Arup, Circle Economy, World Green Building Council, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Ellen MacArthur FoundationcoreSmith serves as overall program manager for the Circular Buildings Coalition (CBC), facilitating the partnership between these leading global sustainability organizations and Laudes Foundation. The coalition drives systemic change in the built environment by supporting evolving circular solutions and growing the market for them. Smith is responsible for strategy, governance, communications, and growing membership.
- Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), World Green Building Council, KU LeuvencoreSmith facilitates the INDICATE accelerator partnership between BPIE, World Green Building Council, KU Leuven, and Laudes Foundation. The accelerator supports national consortia in Spain, Ireland, and Czech Republic to develop methodologies for calculating building climate footprints and collecting representative LCA data to support policy action on building climate requirements across Europe.
- Artelia, Københavns Universitet, Århus Universitet, JAJA Arkitekter, BUILD, Det Kongelige Akademi, CINARKcorePartners in the Veje til biobaseret byggeri (Roads to Biobased Construction) project, a cross-sectoral initiative investigating how to increase the use of biobased materials in construction. The project involves scenario development for what can be grown in Denmark, how building products can be produced, and how they can be applied in construction.
- Vad, NetSocietal, ContechLabminorPartners in the BoostReuse research project, focused on market development for reuse of construction materials. Smith provides specialized consultancy, building industry value chain knowledge, case analyses, expert follow group management, and project leadership. Vad, NetSocietal, and ContechLab bring complementary research and industry expertise.
- Tegnestuen LOKAL, Structural CollectiveminorSmith collaborates with Tegnestuen LOKAL and Structural Collective on the Vertical Extensions project, identifying knowledge gaps and business models for vertical densification and rooftop dwellings in existing multi-storey buildings as an alternative to demolition.
- Danish AM Hub, purpose@heartminorSmith was hired by Danish AM Hub (alongside purpose@heart) to conduct an analysis of the potentials of using additive manufacturing to scale biogenic materials within construction and to identify possible strategic directions. The project involved market mapping, producer interviews, and stakeholder workshops.
- Zero Waste Scotland, UnternehmerTUM, City of Munich, ICLEI Europe, Gebalis, Lisboa E-Nova, German Institute for Standardization (DIN), Gate21, Concular, Circue, Bankers without Boundaries (BwB), Bavarian Research AlliancecoreCirCoFin is a 13-partner European collaboration coordinated by the City of Munich, funded by the EU CCRI. Partners span Scotland, Germany, Portugal, and Denmark (Gate21), working to demonstrate the viability of bankable reuse hubs across four European showcase regions.
- Stevns Municipality, Schjødt, COWIminorSmith provided project management and citizen participation facilitation for coastal protection of Strøby Egede and Strøby Ladeplads, collaborating with civil engineering firm COWI and law firm Schjødt to develop a protection proposal for submission to the Danish Coastal Authority.
- DTU, DHI, Kystdirektoratet, DMI, Environment Solutions, HZG, Stormflodssikring, Styrelsen for Dataforsyning og EffektiviseringminorPartners in the COHERENT research project (Innovationsfonden, DKK 10M) developing a new model and data system for integrated coastal hazard risk management. Smith contributed user-driven platform development, stakeholder facilitation, and communication activities.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Smith Innovation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Buro Happold: International engineering and sustainability consultancy with a built-environment focus and active work in circular construction, climate adaptation and EU program participation. Comparable at the intersection of engineering consulting and sustainability advisory but with much broader disciplinary reach.
- Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with a dedicated sustainability and circular built-environment practice. Comparable in serving as a senior program partner on EU circular construction coalitions and offering strategy-grade advisory to foundations and municipalities.
- Ramboll: Large Danish-headquartered engineering and sustainability consultancy with extensive built-environment, circular economy, and EU program management capabilities. Same Danish roots and EU policy access as Smith but operates at vastly greater scale across a much broader portfolio.
- Carbon Trust: International climate consultancy advising corporates, governments, and foundations on decarbonization strategy and program delivery. Overlaps with Smith on advisory to built-environment clients on carbon reduction pathways and stakeholder facilitation.
- Anthesis: Global sustainability consultancy offering strategy, program management, and innovation services to corporates and foundations across circular economy and climate. Comparable service mix (program management plus transformation advisory) but operates across many sectors and geographies rather than Smith’s built-environment focus.
Direct peers
- Metabolic: Amsterdam-based consultancy advising governments, foundations, and industry on systemic sustainability and circular economy transitions. Highly comparable to Smith on mission (planetary boundaries), methods (systems thinking, multi-stakeholder facilitation), and client base (Laudes Foundation partner of both firms on the Circular Buildings Coalition).
- Forum for the Future: UK-based sustainability non-profit that runs innovation programs and multi-stakeholder change initiatives with foundations and corporates. Comparable in being a niche systems-change consultancy combining thought leadership, programmatic facilitation, and foundation-style funding partnerships.
- Circle Economy: Amsterdam-headquartered impact organization providing circular economy consulting, data, and program management to governments and foundations across Europe. Direct overlap with Smith's Circular Buildings Coalition role and its value chain / market development work on reuse of construction materials.
- Systemiq: London-based systems-change consultancy focused on climate, circular economy, and nature with deep foundation and corporate funder relationships. Similar DNA in transformation consulting for planetary-boundary aligned industry transitions, particularly built environment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smith Innovation social profiles
Digital presenceSmith Innovation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smith Innovation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Smith Innovation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smith Innovation 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 Smith Innovation
What does Smith Innovation do?
Smith Innovation is a professional consultancy that provides innovation management, program management, research, evaluation, and advisory services for the built environment. The firm facilitates cross-disciplinary collaboration between foundations, public sector bodies, and construction industry actors to drive systemic sustainability transitions. It also serves as professional secretariat and backbone for philanthropic foundations, administering grants and managing large-scale multi-stakeholder initiatives across Denmark and Europe.
Is Smith Innovation a public or private company?
Smith Innovation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smith Innovation founded?
Smith Innovation was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Smith Innovation based?
Smith Innovation is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Smith Innovation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Professional Consultancy and Innovation Management is the primary driver. The others are EU and Foundation-Funded Project Management and secretariat and Backbone Services for Philanthropic Organizations.
Who are Smith Innovation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Buro Happold, Arup, Ramboll, Carbon Trust and Anthesis. Direct peers are Metabolic, Forum for the Future, Circle Economy and Systemiq.
Does Smith Innovation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smith Innovation.
What industry is Smith Innovation in?
Smith Innovation's product category is Construction Innovation Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAGAC, Change Management & Transformation Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHACAD, Organization Design & Change Management Consulting. Its SIC code is 8742.