Hippo Digital Explained: The UK Consultancy Behind Major Public Services

Last Updated on October 8, 2026 by Business Blog Media Editorial Team

Introduction

Hippo Digital is a UK digital consultancy based in Leeds. It works with government departments, healthcare organisations, private companies and charities on software, data, artificial intelligence, digital identity, research and user-centred services.

The business has grown fast.

Hippo says it now has more than 700 specialists working across six UK locations. Its client history includes the NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, Ministry of Justice, BBC, Virgin and Scope.

The company is still led by co-founder Adam Lewis. Private equity firm Exponent invested in Hippo in 2025, backing the existing management team and its plans for further growth.

Quick Facts

Fact	Details
Company	Hippo Digital Limited
Trading name	Hippo / Hippo Digital
Company number	09877239
Company status	Active
Incorporated	18 November 2015
Business launch	2016
Headquarters	Leeds, England
CEO	Adam Lewis
Original founders	Adam Lewis and Rob Coop
Business type	Digital services and IT consultancy
Main focus	Digital services, UCD, engineering, data, AI and digital identity
Current team	700+ specialists, according to Hippo
Average employees in FY2026 accounts	481
UK locations	Leeds, London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow
Latest accounts	Year ended 31 March 2026
FY2026 turnover	About £74.77 million
Strategic investor	Exponent
Website	hippodigital.co.uk

Hippo Digital Limited is an active private company registered in England. Companies House records its registered office at Aireside House on Aire Street in Leeds and classifies its business under information technology consultancy activities.

What Is Hippo Digital?

Hippo Digital helps organisations build and improve digital services.

That sounds broad. It is.

The company can work on the early research behind a service, check what users actually need, design how the service should work, build the software, handle the data and keep supporting the finished product.

A large part of its reputation comes from public-sector work.

Government and NHS systems can be tough projects. They may need to serve millions of people, protect sensitive information, meet accessibility rules and connect with older systems that cannot simply be switched off.

Hippo has built much of its business around this type of work.

Its current company message also puts more attention on artificial intelligence. Hippo describes its work as building AI-enabled services using human research, data and engineering together.

How the Company Started

Hippo’s roots go back to work inside the NHS.

Adam Lewis had experience working on public-sector digital projects. During that period, he saw a common problem: some design businesses could research users and create ideas, but the delivery work would then move to another technical supplier.

That handover could cause problems.

The idea behind Hippo was simpler. Put researchers, designers, engineers and delivery people together, then keep real user needs visible while the service is being built.

Adam Lewis and Rob Coop started the business around that idea.

There are two dates readers may see online. Companies House records Hippo Digital Limited as incorporated on 18 November 2015, while Hippo itself describes the business as founded in Leeds in April 2016.

Both can be correct.

One is the legal company-registration date. The other marks the start of the operating business as Hippo describes it.

Who Founded the Business?

Adam Lewis and Rob Coop are the original co-founders named by Hippo and its investor.

Both had NHS experience before starting the consultancy.

Adam Lewis remains Chief Executive Officer. He has stayed at the centre of the business through its growth, acquisitions and investment deals.

Rob Coop later stepped away from the company’s board. Companies House records his resignation as a director on 28 November 2022.

Hippo’s current leadership page also describes Liz Whitefield as a co-founder and director. She has been part of the business since its early period and remains in the company’s senior leadership structure, though Companies House records that she ceased being a statutory director in March 2025.

Current Leadership

Hippo’s published leadership team includes several senior figures.

Adam Lewis serves as co-founder and CEO.

Liz Whitefield is listed by Hippo as co-founder and Director.

Mike Tattersall is Chief Delivery Officer.

Lara Longhurst is Chief Operations Officer.

Andy Kemp is Chief Commercial Officer.

Darren Hutton is Chief Digital Officer.

Mike Watts is Chief Financial Officer.

Andy Kemp joined Hippo in June 2026 after holding senior public-sector roles at Kainos. Hippo said he brought more than 25 years of experience covering digital and data work across public and private organisations.

The legal board is smaller than the operating leadership team. Companies House currently lists Adam Lewis and Dr Michael Robert Watts as active directors of Hippo Digital Limited.

What Services Does Hippo Provide?

Hippo is no longer mainly a design consultancy.

Its work now covers a much wider part of a digital project.

User Research and Design

User-centred design remains a major part of the business.

Hippo researches how people use services, where they get stuck and what they actually need. The team can then use that evidence when planning interfaces, content, service journeys and business processes.

Its published UCD work includes user research, business analysis, co-design, data analysis and inclusive design.

Software Engineering

Hippo also builds software.

Engineering teams work alongside researchers, designers, architects and delivery staff rather than receiving a finished design at the end.

That model goes back to the reason the company was started.

Data Services

Data is now a large part of the company.

The work can include data engineering, data platforms, data science, analysis, governance, migration and helping organisations make better use of information they already hold.

Hippo’s data capability grew heavily after its acquisition of The Data Shed.

Artificial Intelligence

AI has become a larger business area.

Hippo works on AI assessment, implementation, governance and responsible use. Public-sector work can carry extra risks around privacy, accountability and sensitive information, so the company talks heavily about keeping humans involved in the process.

In June 2026, Hippo announced that it had secured a place on the UK Government Commercial Agency’s RM6200 Artificial Intelligence procurement framework.

Digital Identity

Identity systems are another established area.

This covers the systems people use to prove who they are and gain safe access to online services.

Hippo’s work on NHS login is a strong example.

Digital Strategy

Some organisations do not need code first.

They need to figure out what needs fixing.

Hippo can work with teams on service planning, product direction, delivery models, technical choices and internal digital skills before a full build starts.

NHS Login and Hippo’s Healthcare Work

NHS login is one of Hippo’s best-known projects.

The service gives people one way to prove their identity and gain access to digital healthcare services.

Hippo worked with NHS Digital on the programme, using research, design and technical delivery to help build the service at national scale.

According to Hippo’s published case study, NHS login has handled around 2 million daily authentications at peak. Hippo also reports a 40% reduction in verification journey time and an 80% reduction in hosting costs connected with the work.

Healthcare work has stayed important for the company.

Its published projects also cover NHS England, NHS Notify, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and other health organisations.

Government Work

Government contracts form a major part of Hippo’s history.

The company has worked with departments dealing with welfare, education, justice, health and other public services.

One example is its work with the Department for Work and Pensions on identifying fraud and payment errors in Universal Credit.

Hippo says its work supported DWP in preventing more than £1 billion in incorrect Universal Credit payments.

Another long-running relationship is with the Department for Education.

Hippo has worked on services used by schools and education teams, including eligibility checking systems.

The Ministry of Justice also appears in Hippo’s public case studies, including work concerning services for people leaving prison.

Major Clients

Hippo works across public, private and third-sector organisations.

Named organisations on its own website include the NHS, BBC, Virgin, Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry of Justice.

Its case-study library also shows work involving the Department for Education, Financial Ombudsman Service, University of York, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Scope and NHS England.

This mix matters.

Hippo started with strong public-sector roots, but it has been trying to grow its work outside government as well.

Acquisition of Converging Data

Hippo used acquisitions to widen its technical skills.

One of its earlier deals involved Converging Data, a company working in data analytics and cyber-related services.

That purchase helped Hippo build more technical and engineering capability alongside its existing design background.

The company later made a much larger move into data.

The Data Shed Acquisition

In 2023, Hippo bought Leeds-based data consultancy The Data Shed.

This was a major step.

The Data Shed had specialist knowledge in areas such as data integration, data matching, platforms and analytics.

Bringing the two businesses together gave Hippo a larger data team and expanded the type of projects it could handle.

Hippo later brought the operations under the wider Hippo brand.

Its own current company story still points to the 2023 Data Shed deal as an important part of the growth of its data and engineering work.

Who Owns Hippo Digital?

The ownership story needs a little care.

Hippo was founder-led from the start.

Growth Capital Partners later invested in the company during its earlier growth period.

Then came another major deal.

In March 2025, Exponent, a European private equity firm, announced an agreement to invest in Hippo.

Exponent said it would back Adam Lewis and the existing management team while helping the business grow its engineering, data and AI work.

The deal value was not publicly disclosed.

So there is no reliable public figure for the price paid or Hippo’s exact valuation from that transaction. Any article giving a precise valuation without a named source should be treated carefully.

Companies House currently records Project Cake Bidco Limited as the active person with significant control over Hippo Digital Limited, with control of at least 75% of shares and voting rights.

Hippo Digital Revenue and Company Size

Hippo has moved a long way from its early Leeds startup years.

The latest full accounts were made up to 31 March 2026 and filed with Companies House on 9 September 2026.

Figures extracted from those filed accounts put FY2026 turnover at about £74.77 million.

The accounts report an average of 481 employees for the year, up from 418 in the prior reporting period. Public company-data services extracting the filed figures also report net assets of roughly £40.05 million.

Yet Hippo currently says it has more than 700 specialists.

Those numbers should not be treated as contradictory.

The 481 figure is an average statutory employee count for the financial year. The 700+ figure is Hippo’s current description of its wider team in 2026. They come from different measurements and dates.

That difference is worth explaining rather than hiding.

Where Does Hippo Have Offices?

Hippo now lists six UK locations.

They are Leeds, London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Leeds remains the company’s home base.

The business started there and still has its registered office in the city.

Its expansion into other UK cities followed the growth of its client base and workforce. Hippo marked its tenth anniversary in 2026 by saying it had grown to more than 700 specialists across those six offices.

Why User-Centred Design Matters to Hippo

User-centred design, often shortened to UCD, is a basic part of Hippo’s identity.

The idea is pretty simple.

Check what people need first.

Then build.

A service can be technically impressive and still fail if users cannot understand it, trust it or finish a task.

Hippo uses research to find these problems early. Teams can test ideas with users, change weak parts and keep checking how the service performs once people start using it.

This approach is especially useful in public services because users may have very different levels of confidence, accessibility needs and personal circumstances.

How AI Fits Into the Business

AI is now showing up across Hippo’s service mix.

But the company does not present AI as a stand-alone answer for every problem.

Its published approach talks about first checking whether AI is actually useful, whether the organisation has suitable data and how risks will be handled.

This matters for public services.

Government and healthcare projects may involve personal data, eligibility decisions or information people depend on.

So AI work can involve policy, governance, testing and human review as well as technical development.

Hippo’s place on the RM6200 AI procurement framework gives public-sector buyers another route to purchase this type of support.

Social Value and Community Work

Hippo also publishes figures around jobs, communities and environmental work.

The company has set a target of producing £100 million in measured social impact by 2030.

Its September 2026 update said another £18.2 million of measured impact had been recorded during FY26, taking its cumulative figure to £67.7 million since launching the strategy.

Hippo says it uses Thrive and the Impact Evaluation Standard to measure this work.

These are company-reported impact figures based on that measurement system, rather than company revenue or profit.

That distinction matters.

Diversity and Employment

Hippo has also published gender-pay data and workplace inclusion plans.

Its February 2026 update said its median gender pay gap had fallen again compared with the previous year.

The business has also reached the Disability Confident Leader level of the UK Disability Confident scheme.

These programmes sit alongside recruitment, training and community partnerships run by the company.

Is Hippo Digital a Public Company?

No.

Hippo Digital Limited is a privately held UK company.

Its shares do not trade on a public stock exchange.

Because it is private, information such as its exact market valuation is not available in the same way that it would be for a listed business.

Exponent’s investment price was also undisclosed.

Is Hippo Digital the Same as Hippo Insurance?

No.

This can cause confusion in search results.

Hippo Digital is the UK digital services consultancy headquartered in Leeds.

Hippo Holdings Inc., commonly associated with Hippo Insurance, is a separate US insurance technology business.

They are unrelated companies.

How Big Is Hippo Today?

Hippo has become a sizeable UK consultancy.

The company says it has more than 700 specialists and six UK offices, while its latest filed accounts cover turnover of about £74.77 million.

Its work stretches from service research and software engineering to data platforms, identity systems and AI.

Public-sector work remains a major part of the story.

But Hippo also works with private companies and nonprofit organisations.

That mix gives the company more room to grow outside its original government and NHS client base.

What Is Hippo Digital Known For?

The clearest answer is user-focused digital services.

Its history with NHS login is a big part of that reputation.

Government work matters too.

The company has built teams capable of handling projects where lots of users, sensitive information, older technology and strict service requirements all meet.

Data and AI are now becoming bigger pieces of the business.

Still, the original idea remains visible: start with the people using the service and then build the technology around the job they need to get done.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hippo Digital do?

Hippo is a UK digital services consultancy. It works across user research, design, software engineering, data, artificial intelligence, digital identity and digital strategy.

Who founded Hippo Digital?

Hippo was originally founded by Adam Lewis and Rob Coop. The company describes its operating launch as taking place in Leeds in 2016.

Who is the CEO?

Adam Lewis is Hippo’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Where is Hippo Digital based?

Its headquarters and registered office are in Leeds, England. Hippo also has locations in London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow.

How many employees does Hippo have?

Hippo currently describes its organisation as having more than 700 specialists. Its FY2026 statutory accounts reported an average employee count of 481 for that financial year.

How much revenue does Hippo Digital make?

Figures extracted from its accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026 put turnover at about £74.77 million.

Who owns Hippo Digital?

Exponent invested in Hippo in 2025 and lists it as a current portfolio investment. Companies House records Project Cake Bidco Limited as the active person with significant control of Hippo Digital Limited.

What companies has Hippo Digital acquired?

Its expansion has included Converging Data and The Data Shed. The Data Shed joined Hippo in 2023 and helped grow its data and engineering capability.

Does Hippo work with the UK government?

Yes. Its published work includes projects involving DWP, Department for Education, Ministry of Justice, NHS bodies and other public organisations.

What is Hippo Digital worth?

A verified current valuation has not been publicly disclosed. Exponent did not publish the value of its 2025 investment deal, so giving a precise valuation would be speculation.

Final Thought

Hippo started with a simple problem.

Digital services often failed people.

The Leeds company built its business around fixing that gap by putting research, design and technical delivery in the same team.

Ten years later, the scale is very different.

Hippo now reports more than 700 specialists, six UK locations and a client list that includes some of Britain’s largest public services. Data, engineering and AI have grown beside its original design work, while Exponent’s investment gives the company financial backing for its next stage.

Still, the strongest part of the story is fairly basic.

Build something people can actually use.

That idea took Hippo from a small consultancy to a business generating roughly £75 million in annual turnover.

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