Straightforward answers to the things people ask us most. If you don't find what you're looking for, just get in touch.
We help businesses understand, adopt, and build AI. That ranges from strategic advice and education through to custom-built AI systems using computer vision, large language models, and agentic AI. We focus on SMEs and industries that haven't traditionally been served by the AI sector - but we're open to working with businesses of all sizes.
Absolutely, and we currently do. While our focus is on making AI accessible to SMEs, we're delighted to work with all enterprises who want to get the most out of this transformational technology. The thread that runs through everything we do is ensuring our services stay flexible and affordable for organisations between 5 and 500 people. This means we have to keep a very low headcount and operating costs. So we're best suited for c-suite strategic work or tactical technical work within larger enterprises. The spotlight service is suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Yes. While we're based in Oxford and much of our work is in the UK, we're very happy to work internationally and currently have clients across Europe and the Middle East. Most of our services can be delivered remotely, and we travel for on-site work where it's useful.
We tend to charge for outcomes rather than days, which we think is a more honest way of doing things. If you'd like a like-for-like comparison, though, our day rates work out roughly 25% below those of a traditional boutique consultancy, and less than half what you'd pay one of the “big five” professional services groups. Just as importantly, we're glad to take on engagements as short as a few days. Our autonomy and small footprint mean we don't have to chase large retainers to keep the lights on, so we can be genuinely flexible about scope and pace.
A fair question, and one we'd rather answer honestly. We're able to offer premier work at a comparatively modest price because we keep our overheads very low and our team intentionally small. The catch, if you can call it that, is that our calendar tends to fill up quickly. We're not trying to grow into something larger, quite the opposite. If we have any broader ambition, it's to encourage other experienced “artisans” to build firms of their own along similar lines. This business is really about quality, for it's own sake - not growth.
Small and medium-sized businesses across all sectors, though we also work with larger organisations who don't feel they're getting value from their incumbent suppliers. Our clients tend to know AI could help them, but are struggling to start adoption or have only a fairly rudimentary implementation. Or else, they've been quoted prices that don't fit their budget.
In a few different ways, depending on what suits the work. Many clients prefer a retainer, where we sit alongside their team as a steady, dependable resource over months or years. Others come to us with a clearly defined goal and engage us on a fixed-price basis, with scope, timeline, and outcome agreed before any work begins. And occasionally, when we've built a bespoke piece of software for a client, we lease it back to them on a recurring basis, which keeps the upfront cost down and keeps us close at hand to maintain and improve it as their needs evolve. We're happy to talk through which arrangement makes most sense for you.