Supporting game-changing tech for good to succeed
You want to make a real difference with technology: to create a better future for people and our planet.
As specialists in innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy, we’ve got the toolkit you need.
Don’t settle for conventional business support
Traditional business and management approaches were not designed for technological innovation, systemic challenges, or a purpose-driven economy.
Embrace a different approach to solve big problems and make a lasting impact
Unlock value
Technology designed to make a difference holds value for its users, your organisation, stakeholders and the environment. But truly unlocking that value can be complex. We take a systems-led approach to realising value for all. Together, we make your complex journey possible.
Navigate uncertainty
Technology innovation inevitably involves uncertainty. Market uncertainty, technological uncertainty, organisational uncertainty, and more. With a powerful toolkit designed to handle just this, we give you the confidence and courage to navigate uncertainty and reduce risk.
Embrace complexity
Ground-breaking technology, science and engineering are complex. So are emerging markets and disruptive change. Intractable challenges demand a systemic approach. Responsible innovation requires careful stewardship. We embrace complexity and systemic design to deliver real-world impact.
Redefine success
Historically, measures of success have focused solely on growth and shareholder returns—sometimes at the expense of both people and the planet. Achieving technology’s full potential for net positive benefit necessitates a shift. We champion a holistic approach that redefines success and harnesses business as a force for good.
Hypermotive
Making waves with hydrogen fuel cell technology for marine power
Systems engineering firm, Hypermotive, wanted to ensure the market launch of their innovative hydrogen fuel cell system not only made a splash but it demonstrated a deep understanding of customer needs. We empowered the engineering team to develop deep market insights, adopt a human-centric approach to design, and elevate the proposition to truly convey its value. Less than one year later, X-M1 was voted Hydrogen Technology Breakthrough of the Year at the Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards.
What’s your challenge?
Discover ◆ Commercialise ◆ Reimagine ◆ Accelerate ◆ Align
Royal Society of Chemistry
Creating the first entrepreneurial ecosystem for deep tech chemistry
After delivering a decade of support for chemistry SMEs, the Royal Society of Chemistry was ready to reinvigorate their proposition. Working collaboratively with the Enterprise Impact Team, we together created, tested and launched Change Makers: a first-of-its-kind ecosystem that brings together startups, scaleups, investors, advisors, mentors and partners united in their commitment to bring about positive change through deep tech chemistry entrepreneurship.
Partnering with you to make a difference
Founders & Teams
Established Businesses
Non-Profit Organisations
Accelerators & Incubators
Investors
Higher Education
Widgit Software
From family business to next generation strategy and tech for good at scale
A pioneering software company, Widgit has a passion for enabling everyday moments of communication and connection through a trusted language of Widgit Symbols. With a desire to make the transition from small family business to professional company creating impact at scale, we supported Widgit as long-term partners in strategy. Highlights over more than a decade of work included facilitating the definition of Widgit’s core values; creation and evolution of a formal company strategy; transition from boxed software to SaaS; organisational and role design; formalisation of company governance; creation of a product function; and envisioning the future strategy for Widgit’s products.
Your specialists in
Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Whether you’re a scrappy startup, an organisation steeped in history, or a key part of the innovation ecosystem, you’re solving tough, meaningful challenges every day.
You deserve a partner who understands complex technology, cares about your success, and will empower your team to deliver.
Hi! We’re Stocker Partnership, and we love to help firms unlock the true value and impact of their tech.
Advanced Propulsion Centre & Zenzic
Facilitating the acceleration of net zero automotive and self-driving technologies
As delivery partners for the award-winning Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP), Zenzic CAM Scale-Up programme, and now Mobilise, we have provided training, facilitation, expertise and guidance to more than ten cohorts of start-ups, spinouts and SMEs. Focusing particularly on customer discovery, product strategy and commercialisation, we work alongside the core team and other partners to upskill and enable ambitious businesses developing zero-emission technologies or Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) solutions.
Ways we can work together
Sprint & Learn® Jump Start
Designed to give your organisation, team and technology a focused boost on its road to success, our Sprint & Learn® Jump Start programme is ideal for startups and scaleups, or established businesses looking to launch a new proposition. Combining interactive training with agile co-creation and facilitation, Sprint & Learn® Jump Start rapidly cuts to the heart of your key challenges and enables you to make real progress.
The programme is modular in nature, and topics will be tailored to suit your needs, budget and timeline.
Example modules
Customers
- Segmenting your customers to figure out which ones really matter.
- Identifying make-or-break B2B stakeholders and their jobs to be done.
- Understanding customers’ workflow and technology adoption.
- Customer journey mapping.
- Introduction to customer discovery and research.
Market
- ‘Just enough’ market research.
- Competitor benchmarking.
- Mapping your market opportunity space.
- Understanding the supply chain and ecosystem.
- Defining and prioritising your opportunity sets.
Technology and company strategy
- Matching your proposition with customer jobs to be done.
- Aligning the features of your solution with value.
- Designing your ‘whole product’ and its revenue streams.
- Architecting your technical value proposition.
- Determining the right business model (including software and digital service models).
- Growth strategies and international markets.
- Pricing and commercial proposition design.
- Developing first principles financial models.
- Your make-or-break assumptions and testable hypotheses.
- Learning from lightning demos.
- Sketching out proposition prototypes to support validation.
- Responsible innovation, positive impact and managing risk.
- Aligning your company, portfolio and brand.
Sprint & Learn® Intensive
Achieve breakthroughs in days that, with usual business practices, typically take months—and sometimes even years. Our Sprint & Learn® Intensives bring together your multi-disciplinary team to achieve the outcomes you want at a fast pace. Underpinned by our Sprint & Learn® approach, bespoke to you, and built on a foundation of research insights, Intensives supercharge strategy, product development, and more.
A Sprint & Learn® Intensive includes:
- Team formation, stakeholder engagement and Sprint onboarding.
- Development of an evidence-based foundation for the Sprint, including market, customer and/or technology research as needed.
- Design and preparation of your bespoke Sprint, including strategic frameworks; facilitated exercises; detailed workshop slides; a custom Miro board; and all other resources as required.
- A 2- to 5-day workshop that combines agile co-creation, facilitation and training to both upskill your team and achieve your objectives.
- Expert facilitation, notation and visual communication with documentation directly in Miro for future reference.
- Concept development and prototyping (when relevant).
- Event management throughout.
- Handover to your Sprint team following the Intensive.
Format
Sprint & Learn® Intensives are best held in a hybrid format that combines in-person facilitation with online collaboration, but may be adapted for wholly virtual delivery.
Designed to your objectives
Designed entirely to your objectives, we can deliver Intensives across a wide range of areas. Examples include new product development; customer discovery; market launch; business model innovation; values and purpose; impact intentions; responsible innovation; and strategic planning. Just tell us what you’re looking to address, and we’ll tell you if it’s possible!
Research Insights
Whether you’re looking to make informed strategic decisions with market insight, deeply understand your customers, or discover new opportunities, our research insights equip you with the knowledge you need. Across a range of methodologies (from primary research with users, customers and industry experts to comprehensive desk-based analysis), we answer not only your key questions but the ones you haven’t yet thought to ask.
Types of research and methods
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
- Card sorting
- Field studies
- Participatory design
- Workflow mapping
- Customer journey mapping
- Concept and prototype testing
- Usability testing
- Market analysis
- Competitor benchmarking
- Trendspotting and foresight
- Opportunity identification and evaluation
- Case-based insights
- Analysis of your own data
Strategic Playbook
Every strategic playbook is unique, highly confidential, and co-created with your team. It serves as a blueprint for your strategy and execution, creating clarity of direction and consistency in implementation. Your playbook brings together customer and market insights with your unique value architecture, competitive advantage, targeted strategies, and coherent actions. It equips your team with a shared vision for the future and a clear roadmap.
Example contents of a strategic playbook
- Organisational objectives and long-term goals.
- Core values and impact intentions.
- Customer segmentation and characteristics.
- Market dynamics and opportunities.
- The competitive landscape.
- Your competitive advantage and key differentiatiors.
- Your portfolio strategy and architecture.
- The underlying principles of your product, service and/or proposition design.
- Possible strategic scenarios.
- Expert recommendations.
Please note, our Strategic Playbook is not a standalone service, but is offered in conjunction with Research Insights, Sprint & Learn® Jump Start, Sprint & Learn® Intensive and/or Partners in Strategy & Innovation.
Partners in Strategy & Innovation
For complex transformations, periods of significant change, or longer-term renewal, sometimes you need more than a project-based intervention. You need a partner who will accompany you on the journey. Engaging us as partners in strategy and innovation amplifies your team with both expert guidance and targeted resource. Together, we connect your current state to your desired future, and navigate any challenges on the way.
Whether you are seeking long-term innovation, reimagining your portfolio, introducing a new leadership team, or navigating disruption, we bring a distinctive blend of executive level know-how and practical implementation.
- We don’t just consult. We collaborate closely with your team.
- We dig deep under the skin of your organisation and invest deeply in your success.
- Recognising that growth and transformation is rarely linear, we provide flexible support that adapts to your evolving needs.
- We maintain a careful balance of integration and objectivity, ensuring we’re always able to offer a fresh perspective and enable progress over and above the day-to-day.
- Our ultimate goal is to build capability and empower your team, providing you with the skills, insights, and confidence to continue venturing independently.
Open Innovation Challenges
If you are looking to introduce open innovation practices or launch an open innovation challenge, we can help you to make the most of diverse participation to accelerate problem-solving and discover new solutions. The challenges faced by today’s organisations, society and the environment necessitate collaboration and cooperation across disciplines and industry boundaries. Open innovation ensures you don’t go it alone.
Open innovation thrives with diverse perspectives: from academia to industry; individuals to corporations; staff to end users; professionals to people with lived experience; practitioners to the public. It enables a network of diverse but interconnected actors (including both organisations and individuals) to co-create, share and exchange value.
How we can help
- Design and development of an open innovation challenge to meet your specific objectives.
- Definition of the challenge and its boundaries.
- Development of foundational knowledge and a toolkit that sets participants up for success.
- Design of activities and resources that encourage multidisciplinary collaboration and mutual understanding across boundaries.
- Exploration of the role of experiential knowledge, participatory design and co-production.
- Advice on formats and platforms for collaboration, from virtual contributions only to in-person gatherings.
- Event design.
- Design and development of criteria for participation and achievement of successful solutions.
- Identification and recruitment of participants.
- Evaluation of contributions.
Interactive Training & Programmes
Whether you want to train one team or many, for just a few hours or via a longer-term programme, we offer customised and bespoke solutions tailored to your needs. Across a wide range of topics, our training is interactive and applied. From introductions that cover the basics to advanced content. By putting theory into practice we ensure participants leave ready and able to make real progress.
Example topics
Below is just a sample list of possible topics. If you have a topic in mind, please just ask.
- Rethinking leadership to drive technological innovation.
- Navigating tech push versus demand pull.
- What exactly is impact tech and the impact economy?
- Responsible innovation, unintended consequences and managing risk.
- Introduction to B2B customer research and development.
- Understanding customer jobs to be done.
- Introduction to human-centric design for tech firms.
- Identifying make-or-break assumptions and testable hypotheses.
- Minimum viable product (MVP) versus minimum viable replacement (MVR).
- Customer experience is not just about the technology.
- Using proposition prototypes to test the design of your tech.
- Understanding innovation and technology adoption.
- Competitors are not always the ones you think.
- The new era of philanthropy and tech for good.
Suitable for:
- Leadership teams.
- Innovation and R&D teams.
- Engineering teams.
- Product teams.
- Accelerators, incubators, venture studios and investors that want to fast-track the growth and commercialisation of early-stage firms.
- Investors who want to learn more about the nuances of impact technology and the impact economy.
- Higher education institutions that want to provide a practitioner perspective to their students.
- Universities wanting to enable technology transfer and commercialisation.
- Non-profits that are directly harnessing technology or supporting others to develop meaningful technological solutions to important societal and environmental challenges.
Your Bespoke Project
Although we’ve outlined here the most common ways we work with our clients, we understand that no two projects or clients are the same. Your situation and team is unique. All of our work is tailored. It often incorporates a blend of approaches, and occasionally something entirely new. Where you have bespoke requirements or unique objectives, we can design a delivery format to suit your specific needs. Just ask!
Start by scheduling a free 30-90 minute virtual meeting with us. We’d love to hear all about your opportunities and challenges, and the headlines of what you’re looking to achieve. Even if this feels vague to start with, that’s ok—we can facilitate the conversation to create clarity.
Warwick Business School
Addressing wicked challenges in healthcare with open innovation
The WBS Healthcare Case Competition brought together teams from business schools across the world to advance innovative solutions to pressing healthcare problems. Working with WBS staff, students and industry sponsors (including GE Healthcare and Pfizer Healthcare Hub, amongst others), we researched, designed and delivered the challenges at the heart of the competition. Over the course of seven years, topics ranged from patient adherence and digital adoption to the emergency department of the future, dementia, sepsis, atrial fibrillation, and clinical neuroscience.
So, what’s next?
1
Book a discovery session with us
Schedule a free 30-90 minute virtual meeting to share your ideas, opportunities and challenges. Tell us where you’re stuck, what you might like help with, and how you feel we could add value. Even if you really have no idea yet, but want to find out more, that’s ok. Ask us any burning questions you might have. No strings attached.
2
Together we’ll scope your challenge and create a solution
If we’ve sparked your interest, it’s important that anyone with a vital stake in the work is involved in scoping. Together, we’ll dig into the detail of your current situation and what you’d really like to achieve. This enables everyone to get on the same page and us to really understand how we can help. Once your objectives are clear, we’ll carefully design a solution tailored to your needs.
3
Let’s partner for outstanding outcomes
When you’re ready, we’ll get cracking. Our approach is collaborative, so we’ll almost always work closely with you and your team, combining our expertise with yours to help you succeed. You choose us because you feel there’s a good fit and an exciting opportunity. Together we can do amazing things!
Get started today!
Ask us anything
Frequently asked questions
Tech for good refers to technology that is designed, in some way, to create a better future for people and our planet. Other related terms with which you might be familiar include ‘impact tech’ and ‘tech with purpose’.
As a consultancy, we care about the impact of our work. We love to work with organisations that want to do some good in the world too.
The technology, organisation and impact intentions go hand in hand
Some of the firms we work with are intentionally designing technologies that solve big societal or environmental problems (like climate change or equal access to communication).
Others are passionate about technology, high quality solutions and making a positive contribution with what they do. Their product may not be exclusively designed to create a better future for people and our planet but they want to make a difference and care about behaving responsibly.
Often, tech for good is aligned with one or more of the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs). These include ending poverty; ending hunger and food insecurity; good health and wellbeing; quality education; gender equality; availability of clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; sustainable industry; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; combatting climate change; conservation of life below water; conservation of life on land; and peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
Not always digital nor high tech
Tech for good encompasses not only digital technologies and computing, but engineering, electronics, bioscience, environmental science, deep tech chemistry, and much more.
Likewise, while complex technologies can bring some incredible advancements, sometimes the low tech or slow tech solution is the best.
Exactly what constitutes ‘good’ can be complex
Sometimes it’s obvious when technology causes harm or is used in destructive ways. For example, deliberate use of interface designs that manipulate users for profit (deceptive patterns), careless data leaks, or coverups of safety concerns.
Most of the time though the ethics and outcomes are nuanced. Positive impact can vary in its scale (the size of the positive benefit), depth (the degree of change), and duration (the length of time for which the change lasts). Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, it can be really hard to foresee unintended consequences, particularly from low probability events.
We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we do our best to take a thoughtful approach. We champion a holistic perspective that redefines success and harnesses business as a force for good.
We work across a wide range of technologies and sectors, from software to hardware and deep tech.
Technologies
To date, we have experience working with:
- Digital technologies, including software as a service (SaaS), enterprise software, cloud technologies, big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), digital media, and cybersecurity.
- Advanced science and engineering, including electronics, advanced materials, advanced engineering, advanced science, photonics, semiconductors, and platform and ecosystem technologies.
- Connected systems and devices, including sensors, communications and networks, Internet of Things (IoT), smart buildings, wearables and digital health.
- Intelligent machines and mobility, including autonomous vehicles, robotics, and UAVs.
- Alternative energy and sustainability, including battery technologies, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies, alternative fuels, and recycling technologies.
Sectors
Sectors include education, mobility and transportation, marine, clean energy, HVAC, computing, manufacturing, industrial technology, agriculture, veterinary and life sciences, healthcare and wellbeing, sustainability, net zero, the circular economy, and smart buildings and cities.
What if I don’t see my tech or sector listed here?
If you don’t see your tech or sector listed here, but want to know if we can help, just ask! We have a proven track record in getting up to speed on new and complex areas fast, from polymers to hydrogen, pharmaceuticals to augmentative and alternative communication.
We’ve been told by several clients that they wouldn’t normally hire consultants but they’re glad they hired us. They tell us that we’re different.
We deeply care about doing business the right way
We’re a boutique consultancy that truly cares about the impact of our work. We not only support technologies that create a better future for people and our planet, but we care about your organisation, the people we work with, your customers and end users, and other stakeholders. We believe in stakeholder governance, equity and inclusion, and doing business the right way.
We punch above our weight and are agile by nature
Despite being a boutique firm, we punch above our weight, and have been told we deliver to a standard that rivals some of the largest professional services consultancies. In contrast to such firms however, you will always have director-level access, and our team will be fully versed in all aspects of your project. We’re agile by nature, and we do it with oomph!
We collaborate, co-create and develop long-term trusted relationships
We always work in collaboration with our clients, combining our expertise with yours to enhance your insights and co-create solutions. You know your organisation and technology better than anyone. Likewise, it’s important that we empower you to develop confidence in the next steps that only you and your team can take. We’re proud of the fact that we develop long-term trusted relationships with our clients, many of which are 10+ years strong.
We take a best practice, systemic approach to unlocking value
We embrace best practice, and are versed in the latest innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy approaches, as well as continually developing our own. In particular, we find systemic design (which integrates systems thinking and design practices) invaluable. It can be easy with any technology to focus on the core technical solution, its features and the ‘sell’. In reality, value (both positive and negative) is formed, delivered and realised in systems—whether that is the market ecosystem, the interaction of a single product with others in your portfolio, or the way in which your technology integrates with your customers’ workflow. Paying attention to all elements helps us to unlock the full potential of your technology.
Yes, absolutely! We’re experienced in working fully remote, hybrid and in-person. We work not only locally, but nationally and internationally with distributed teams. Our facilitation approaches are informed by best practice, so we’ll use the latest methods to achieve the best with your team no matter whether we are in the same room or a continent apart. Together, we can decide what will be the best format for you.
We work with a wide range of organisations, both for-profit and non-profit.
As well as commercial businesses (startups, scaleups and established firms), we work with the organisations and innovation ecosystems that support them, including accelerators, incubators and investors.
We work with universities that are upskilling the innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders of the present and future. We are experienced in working with spinouts, and understand the role of Technology Transfer Offices.
Over the years, we’ve been proud to count both national and local charities as clients. If you are part of a non-profit that is either directly harnessing technology in your work or supporting others to develop meaningful technological solutions to important societal and environmental challenges, we’d love to support you!
We’d love to be able to give you a typical project cost, but because all our work is tailored to the needs of each client, there is no set fee. Project cost varies based on exactly what is required, the complexity of the challenge, the speed at which you need it delivered, and of course, your budget.
Once we learn what you need and have crafted a solution, we’ll be clear and honest about what we’ll deliver and our fee. We also offer fixed pricing, rather than day rates (more below). If you work with us, we’re invested in your success. At the end of the day, we all want to deliver a great outcome and it’s our joint responsibility to ensure this is achieved. We don’t stint our time, and you’re not buying a solution that is delivered by the hour—rather we provide access to our expertise, insights, experience, and know-how to help you succeed.
For a bespoke proposal and a tailored quote, please do get in touch.
Yes, we do. We believe you should not have to make an investment decision every time you engage with us, nor should anyone in your team have to debate whether or not to contact us because it might incur a fee. Therefore, while it is necessary for us to estimate the time involved in delivering a project, our work is typically charged at a fixed price that is determined by the objectives, deliverables, and the value it will deliver.
Start with a conversation
Initially, all you need to do is tell us about your technology, organisation, opportunities and challenges, and the headlines of what you’re looking to achieve. Even if this feels vague to start with, that’s ok—we can facilitate the conversation to create clarity. Simply schedule a free 30-90 minute virtual meeting with us to get the ball rolling. We’re also happy to have an informal telephone conversation beforehand if you’d just like to know more.
Involve wider stakeholders, share background information and context
Following this, we’ll meet again with you and anyone else in the team who has a vital stake in the work. We may also ask you to share background documents and data at this point, and are happy to provide an NDA to ensure confidentiality. This helps us to dig into the detail and makes sure that we’re designing a solution matched to your needs.
Receive your proposal and quote
Depending on the complexity of the project and assuming your objectives are clear, we may then be able to provide a proposal and quote.
For complex projects: a scoping workshop
For complex projects and/or situations in which multiple stakeholders have competing views, we sometimes suggest an initial challenge scoping workshop, which is charged at a standard fee. This provides you with a clear set of desired outcomes, ensures everyone is on the same page, and enables us to scope the work appropriately. Even if you decide not to proceed further at this point, we aim to provide value by documenting your agreed priorities, challenges and objectives, thereby providing clarity in next steps for you and your team.
Still have questions…
We’re always here to help, whether you just want to find our more or have project-specific queries.
Free Resource Download
Reduce uncertainty today with experimentation and prototyping
Game-changing tech for good frequently addresses challenges for which there is no prior roadmap. Innovation inevitably involves high levels of uncertainty. Experimentation is vital when designing any new technology. Just to make progress in a world of complexity, you often have to make core assumptions.
Despite being familiar with prototyping the tech itself, clients are often surprised by how early in the process it’s actually possible to reduce uncertainty and validate your assumptions — well before your solution is ready.
Don’t wait until launch day to find out whether your proposition will work!
Download our short guide to experimentation and prototyping to discover 47 different ways you can prototype and learn today.
Download
A Short Guide to Experimentation & Prototyping
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