conceptinero

What conceptinero does

Conceptinero is a privately held, Toronto-based professional services firm founded in 2015 that helps Canadian businesses recover R&D expenditures through the federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit program administered by the Canada Revenue Agency. The firm serves clients across at least five verticals — Software & IT (primary), Healthcare & Medical Sciences, Manufacturing & Engineering, and Food & Life Sciences — and works with named customers ranging from startups such as Escarpment Laboratories to mid-market firms like Klick Inc. and enterprise clients like ClearPier. Its core offering is delivered as four integrated service modules: Eligibility Assessment, Claim Preparation, Audit Defense, and SR&ED Training & Documentation, executed by a team that includes former CRA auditors and industry specialists led by Managing Partner Kevin Kelner and Financial Controller Jenn Kelner.

The firm operates with no proprietary technology platform; the product is human-led consulting delivered through a dedicated-consultant model in which one expert manages the client relationship from initial assessment through CRA submission and, if required, audit defense. Marketing is conducted primarily through an educational blog covering SR&ED eligibility, industry-specific guidance, and filing tips, supplemented by a free 15-minute consultation offer and direct phone/email outreach. A referral partnership with Business Development Canada (BDC) provides a secondary lead channel for R&D financing.

Conceptinero's revenue model is professional services on a success-based, no-upfront-fee basis: the firm is compensated only when a client's claim is approved, with no hidden fees. The firm publishes a 94.25% success rate, over $100M in cumulative tax credits filed, 320+ claims Accepted As Filed by CRA, a $152K average claim size, and a $2.9M largest approved claim. Operating geographies are limited to Canada, and the firm shows no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed headcount, consistent with a founder-led boutique consultancy.

Name

conceptinero

Legal name

Conceptinero

Website

https://conceptinero.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Conceptinero is a Toronto-based, privately held SR&ED tax credit consulting firm founded in 2015 that helps Canadian businesses across software, healthcare, manufacturing, and life sciences prepare, submit, and defend R&D tax credit claims with the CRA on a success-based fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SR&ED Tax Credit Consulting

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211)

akta.pro primary industry

Tax Operations Support (Indirect Tax, Withholding, Compliance Admin) (BPAAAGAI)

Keywords

• SR&ED tax credit consulting
• R&D tax credit services
• Scientific Research and Experimental Development
• Canadian tax incentive consulting
• CRA audit defense services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SR&ED Consulting Services: Success-based fee structure where the firm only gets paid when clients receive their SR&ED tax credits. No upfront costs or hidden fees. Services include eligibility assessment, claim preparation, audit defense, and SR&ED training & documentation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Conceptinero is a full-service SR&ED tax credit consulting firm that helps Canadian businesses recover R&D costs through the federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentive program. Its core deliverable is end-to-end claim management — from eligibility assessment and technical narrative writing to CRA submission, audit defense, and ongoing SR&ED documentation training. The firm specializes in software & IT, healthcare & medical sciences, manufacturing, engineering, and food & life sciences industries, with a team that includes former CRA auditors.

Product overview

Conceptinero is a full-service SR&ED (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) tax credit consulting firm. The core offering consists of four integrated service modules: Eligibility Assessment (to determine SR&ED qualification), Claim Preparation (technical writing and CRA submission), Audit Defense (representation during CRA reviews), and SR&ED Training & Documentation (workshops and documentation system setup). Together, these services guide clients from initial assessment through claim submission and, if needed, audit defense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SR&ED Tax Credit Consulting Services Full-service SR&ED consulting for Canadian businesses, covering eligibility assessment, claim preparation, CRA submission, audit defense, and ongoing training — delivered by dedicated consultants and former CRA auditors for clients in software, healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, and food/life sciences.
• SR&ED Eligibility Assessment Review of a company's R&D activities to determine SR&ED qualification and provide an estimate of potential claim amounts before formal engagement.
• SR&ED Claim Preparation & Submission Technical narrative writing by industry experts, calculation of eligible expenditures, preparation of supporting documentation, and submission of the SR&ED claim through the CRA portal on the client's behalf.
• CRA SR&ED Audit Defense Preparation for CRA meetings, response to information requests, development of technical defense documents, and management of the appeals process when a claim is audited by the Canada Revenue Agency.
• SR&ED Training & Documentation Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.25% success rate on SR&ED claims
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Boast: Boast is a Canadian SR&ED tax credit consultancy that combines consulting services with proprietary AI/software tooling for claim preparation — a direct competitor with overlapping target customers (Canadian SMB/mid-market R&D performers).

Broad incumbents

• Ryan: Ryan is a large North American specialty tax services firm with a strong R&D tax credit practice serving mid-market and enterprise clients — a broader incumbent with significantly more scale and geographic reach than Conceptinero.
• KPMG Canada: KPMG Canada's tax practice includes a dedicated SR&ED advisory offering for Canadian businesses — a Big 4 incumbent competing for the same Canadian SR&ED engagements, particularly among enterprise and upper mid-market clients.
• Ernst & Young (EY) Canada: EY Canada's tax services include SR&ED credit advisory for Canadian R&D-performing companies — a Big 4 firm with overlapping services and significantly broader capabilities.
• Deloitte Canada: Deloitte Canada's tax practice offers SR&ED consulting as part of its broader tax incentives and R&D credits services — a Big 4 incumbent with overlap in target customer segments.
• BDO Canada: BDO Canada operates an SR&ED tax credit practice serving Canadian mid-market and SMB R&D performers — an established national accounting and tax advisory with comparable services and similar customer profile.
• MNP: MNP is one of Canada's largest accounting and tax advisory firms with an active SR&ED consulting practice serving SMB and mid-market clients — a comparable Canadian incumbent competing in the same market.
• PwC Canada: PwC Canada's tax incentives practice includes SR&ED advisory for Canadian R&D-performing companies — a Big 4 incumbent with overlapping offerings for enterprise and upper mid-market clients.

Emerging players

• R&D Tax Credit Specialists (Bureau Veritas / Adecco Tax Credit): Smaller specialized Canadian SR&ED consultancies compete with Conceptinero for SMB claims; while less established, they often compete aggressively on price in the entry-level segment.

Others

• BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada): BDC is a referenced financing partner for SR&ED-claim-backed loans — an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but adjacent because Conceptinero explicitly recommends BDC for SR&ED financing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conceptinero

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 conceptinero