Sia acquires brand and innovation consultancy The Upside
Sia has continued its strategic expansion with the acquisition of The Upside. The news boosts Sia’s brand, innovation and cultural strategy capabilities in the UK.
“This acquisition is a natural step in our growth, reinforcing our expertise in next-gen consulting and expanding our presence in the UK market,” said Matthieu Courtecuisse, CEO of Sia. “The Upside’s expertise further enhances our capabilities, allowing us to deliver even more innovative services to our clients.”
Founded in 2013, The Upside is a consulting agency specialising in branding, strategy, and innovation. Delivering a broad range of projects, from brand positioning, product and service innovation, sustainability and cultural impact, the firm specialises in the strategy behind leading consumer product launches. This led its team of 20 strategists to generate £6.2 million in revenues for the 2024 financial year.
Headquartered in France, Sia boasts more than 3,000 employees, working from 50 offices in around 20 countries. The management and technology consultancy serves over 1,000 clients in a range of sectors, providing expertise including strategy, organisation, finance, risk, compliance, marketing, innovation, cyber, data, and digital transformation. The move for The Upside reinforces its offering to clients in the tech sector, which now account for 12% of the firm’s global turnover.
"From the start, The Upside has been driven by a desire to challenge conventions and create meaningful impact. Joining Sia is an exciting next step, not just because of our shared ambition, but because of the depth of expertise they bring—particularly in AI, which is world-class. Their capabilities will enhance what we do and open new possibilities for our clients. This marks the beginning of an exciting journey and I look forward to what we can build together" explains Niku Banaie, CEO & Founder of The Upside.
The news comes months after Sia secured a €250 million minority investment from Blackstone. With this new backing in place, Sia is concentrating on a strategic expansion across Europe, with the acquisition of The Upside, reinforcing Sia’s brand, innovation and cultural strategy capabilities in the UK in particular.
Looking ahead, Banaie will move to become the head of Sia’s brand, innovation and culture team in the UK, as well as becoming a partner in Sia’s leadership team. Meanwhile, Nigel Morris, chair at The Upside and former executive director at Dentsu, will become senior advisor to Sia in the UK and globally.
Gary O’Sullivan, managing partner for Sia in the UK and Ireland, added via a LinkedIn post, “Delighted to welcome all of our new colleagues at The Upside team to Sia, combining creative, innovation and cultural strategy as a core part of our global next gen consulting model will help us deliver enormous impact on important business and societal challenges.”
As part of the transition, The Upside will take on the branding of Sia. Earlier in the year, Sia refreshed its own branding, dropping the long-standing ‘Partners’ from its name.
