EY
EY is a Big Four global professional services firm providing audit, tax, consulting, strategy (EY-Parthenon), and transactions services to enterprises, governments, and institutions across 150+ countries through a federated network of approximately 400,000 professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EY does
EY is one of the four global "Big Four" professional services firms, providing assurance (audit), tax, consulting, strategy, and transactions services to enterprises, governments, and other institutions across more than 150 countries. The firm operates through a federated structure: separate member firms in each jurisdiction are coordinated by Ernst & Young Global Limited (UK), with a global workforce of approximately 400,000 professionals, including 121,000 consulting professionals and more than 10,000 US tax practitioners. Service lines span external audit of publicly listed and private entities, corporate and international tax, EY-Parthenon strategy advisory, transaction diligence and integration, and technology consulting.
EY's core technology investments revolve around the EY.ai platform, a managed AI services offering that combines the firm's industry expertise with AI capabilities, and the EYQ AI product, which received a Gold Stevie Award in 2025. The firm has also invested in neurosymbolic AI research, established a quantum computing lab, and built the BlockOps blockchain platform for enterprise distributed-ledger implementations. A strategic alliance with SymphonyAI extends these capabilities into industrial AI applications. EY does not appear to train frontier foundation models; its AI work is primarily about embedding AI into enterprise service delivery and productizing AI-enabled advisory offerings.
EY's business model is professional services-based, generating revenue through hourly billing, project-based fees, and managed services contracts. The largest and most stable revenue stream is audit, governed by auditor independence rules and multi-year tender cycles. Advisory and consulting (including EY-Parthenon and technology transformation) is the higher-growth vector and is the primary channel for AI and cloud-related service monetization. The customer base is highly diversified across large multinational corporations, mid-market companies, government entities, and nonprofits, with no single client representing a material share of revenue.
EY firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EY
- Legal name
- Ernst & Young Global Limited
- Website
- https://ey.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- EY is a Big Four global professional services firm providing audit, tax, consulting, strategy (EY-Parthenon), and transactions services to enterprises, governments, and institutions across 150+ countries through a federated network of approximately 400,000 professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where EY is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices45 records
Markets served
EY business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Services Fees: EY generates revenue primarily through fees for professional services including consulting, assurance/audit, tax, strategy, and transactions. Revenue is earned through project-based engagements, retainer arrangements, and time-and-materials or fixed-fee billing structures with enterprise clients. Services are delivered across 150+ countries through member firms.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
EY product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EY provides audit/assurance, consulting, tax, strategy, transactions and corporate finance, technology, and sustainability advisory services to enterprise clients and governments worldwide. The firm delivers engagements through EY-Parthenon strategy consulting, EY.ai AI-native platforms, EY wavespace innovation centers, and managed services such as EY Comply for Financial Insights. Services span all major industry verticals and are delivered by 400,000+ professionals across 150+ countries via a federated network of member firms coordinated by Ernst & Young Global Limited.
Product overview
EY is a global professional services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around core practice areas. The main product/service offerings include: EY.ai (enterprise AI platform and ecosystem), EY-Parthenon (strategy consulting), EY wavespace (innovation centers), EY Blockchain Platforms, EY Quantum Lab, Mobility Lens Suite, managed services, and specialized consulting practices covering analytics, customer experience, cybersecurity, finance, risk, supply chain, and technology transformation. The EY.ai platform serves as the core AI platform unifying generative AI breakthroughs across the organization, supported by EY-Parthenon for strategic consulting and EY wavespace for collaborative innovation. EY also offers industry-specific solutions through its Assurance, Tax, Consulting, and Risk service lines, complemented by sustainability education programs like the EY Masters in Sustainability by Hult.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EY Ripples: Global corporate responsibility program bringing together combined skills, knowledge and experience of the global EY network to positively impact one billion lives.
- EY Women in Technology
- EY Open Science AI & Data Challenge
- EY Masters in Sustainability by Hult
- EY.ai
- EY.ai EYQ
- EY wavespace
Products and services
- EY.ai EY.ai is EY's enterprise-scale AI platform and ecosystem that unifies GenAI breakthroughs into a global agentic AI operating system, enabling clients to accelerate AI at scale across business functions. It is sold as EY's core AI platform and is used across audit, consulting, tax, and transactions engagements.
- EY-Parthenon EY-Parthenon is EY's strategy consulting division providing transformative strategy, transactions, and corporate finance services to help CEOs, boards, and business leaders improve profitability, unlock growth, and create real-world value. Sold as a unified strategy consulting brand across corporate growth strategy, M&A advisory, due diligence, divestitures, valuation, and corporate finance.
- EY wavespace EY wavespace is a network of collaborative centers that helps clients address strategic challenges through technology-driven innovation and prototyping. Sold as a service offering supporting enterprise transformation workshops and emerging technology exploration.
- EY Blockchain Platforms EY Blockchain Platforms provide solutions to help transform the business lifecycle for digital ecosystems using blockchain technology. Sold as blockchain advisory and platform solutions for enterprises building digital ecosystems.
- EY Quantum Lab EY Quantum Lab explores quantum computing applications in the financial sector, examining fundamentals, real-world use cases, hardware/software advancements, and adoption strategies. Sold as a quantum computing advisory and prototyping capability for financial services clients.
- Mobility Lens Suite The EY Mobility Lens Suite is a proprietary automotive and transportation research toolset that enables exploration of future mobility trends and scenarios. Sold as a research and scenarios tool to automotive, transportation, and mobility clients.
- EY Comply for Financial Insights EY Comply for Financial Insights is a managed compliance service that helps organizations manage regulatory requirements and financial reporting compliance. Sold as a managed service to enterprises seeking continuous regulatory compliance support.
- EY Center for Tax Policy The EY Center for Tax Policy helps businesses assess tax policy impacts, manage risks, and prioritize changes to prepare for the future. Sold as a tax policy advisory offering to enterprise tax and finance leaders.
- EY Center for Board Matters EY Center for Board Matters provides insights and guidance specifically for board members on governance, risk oversight, and strategic matters. Sold as board-level advisory and insights for corporate directors.
- Assurance and Audit Services EY Assurance Services include audit services, financial accounting advisory, forensic and integrity services, climate change and sustainability assurance, technology risk, and private client audit. Sold as audit and assurance engagements to public and private enterprises.
- Tax Services EY Tax Services encompass international tax planning, tax compliance, tax controversy, transaction tax, indirect taxes and global trade, tax accounting, tax technology transformation, and private client tax services. Sold as end-to-end tax advisory and compliance to enterprise and government clients.
- Consulting Services EY Consulting Services span analytics consulting, customer experience (EY Studio+), cybersecurity, finance consulting, risk consulting, supply chain and operations, technology transformation, and the Transformation Platform. Sold as modular consulting engagements to enterprise clients across all major verticals.
- Managed Services EY Managed Services include cybersecurity managed services, EY Comply for Financial Insights, financial crime operations, forensic and integrity managed services, legal managed services, mobility managed services, Payroll Operate, Tax and Finance Operate, and technology managed services. Sold as ongoing managed service arrangements to enterprise clients.
- EY Sustainability Services EY Sustainability Services include climate change and sustainability services, sustainable finance, sustainability and ESG strategy, supply chain transformation for sustainability, sustainability tax, renewable energy transition, and environment, health and safety services. Sold as sustainability and ESG advisory to enterprises.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supply chain transformation enabled personalized care for over 78 million patients (Medtronic)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use EY
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
EY technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature10 records
EY partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SymphonyAIcoreEY US expanded its strategic alliance with SymphonyAI to bring manufacturing intelligence to enterprise operations. The alliance extends into manufacturing and supply chain intelligence, building on existing retail and financial services collaboration. SymphonyAI is embedded in the EY.ai Order-to-Cash Value Blueprint, connecting operational data to smarter manufacturing outcomes. The expansion adds to the EY AI-native ecosystem.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EY competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- McKinsey & Company: McKinsey is the leading global management consulting firm, directly competing with EY-Parthenon on strategy and corporate finance engagements for CEOs and boards. While broader and strategy-focused rather than audit/tax, it competes for the same enterprise transformation wallet.
- IBM Consulting: IBM Consulting is a global enterprise consulting arm that competes with EY's Technology Transformation and Consulting practices, particularly on AI, cloud, and enterprise modernization engagements. Overlaps on enterprise digital transformation but lacks EY's audit, tax, and strategy capabilities.
- Bain & Company: Bain is a leading global management consulting firm competing with EY-Parthenon on strategy, private equity advisory, and performance improvement. Overlaps with EY on private equity value creation services and CEO/board-level strategic engagements.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG): BCG is a top-tier global management consulting firm that competes with EY-Parthenon on enterprise strategy, transformation, and M&A advisory. Comparable in serving C-suite buyers and large enterprise transformation mandates, though narrower than EY's full service portfolio.
Emerging players
- BDO USA: BDO is a top global accounting and advisory network that competes with EY primarily in mid-market audit, tax, and advisory. Comparable professional services model and federation structure, though smaller in scale and focused on mid-market rather than Fortune 500.
- Grant Thornton: Grant Thornton is a global accounting and advisory firm competing with EY in audit, tax, and advisory for mid-market and large enterprise clients. Similar professional services model but smaller scale and primarily mid-market focus.
Direct peers
- KPMG: KPMG is the fourth Big Four accounting and professional services firm, competing with EY across audit, tax, and advisory services for enterprise clients. Comparable in member-firm federated governance structure and enterprise/government client base.
- Accenture: Accenture is a global professional services company that competes with EY's Consulting and Technology Transformation practices. Overlapping in enterprise digital transformation, technology consulting, and managed services, particularly in AI and cloud delivery.
- Deloitte: Deloitte is one of the Big Four professional services firms, directly competing with EY across audit, tax, consulting, and advisory services for enterprise and government clients worldwide. Overlap in service lines, client segments, and global delivery model makes it the closest comparable peer.
- PwC: PwC is another Big Four professional services firm directly competing with EY across assurance, tax, consulting, and technology services for large enterprises and governments globally. Highly comparable in scale, service portfolio, and enterprise/government client focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
EY social profiles
Digital presenceEY financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EY leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
EY funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EY M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EY
What does EY do?
EY provides audit/assurance, consulting, tax, strategy, transactions and corporate finance, technology, and sustainability advisory services to enterprise clients and governments worldwide. The firm delivers engagements through EY-Parthenon strategy consulting, EY.ai AI-native platforms, EY wavespace innovation centers, and managed services such as EY Comply for Financial Insights. Services span all major industry verticals and are delivered by 400,000+ professionals across 150+ countries via a federated network of member firms coordinated by Ernst & Young Global Limited.
Is EY a public or private company?
EY is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was EY founded?
EY was founded in 1989. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is EY based?
EY is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does EY make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services Fees.
Who are EY's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are McKinsey & Company, IBM Consulting, Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Emerging players are BDO USA and Grant Thornton. Direct peers are KPMG, Accenture, Deloitte and PwC.
Does EY have an API?
No public API is recorded for EY.