Following a decade of rapid growth, we are excited to announce the opening of our newest office in Liverpool. Located at the vibrant Baltic Creative CIC, our new space marks Hippo’s continued investment in the North West and strengthens our mission to design and deliver digital services that enrich and improve people’s lives.
Celebrating our 10th anniversary this year, Hippo has grown from a Leeds start-up into a 900-person consultancy operating across the UK, with hubs in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Glasgow. Adding a Liverpool base reinforces our deep Northern roots alongside our Leeds HQ and Manchester office, directly aligning with government devolution priorities and the rise of Combined Regional Authorities.
Paying it forward: Supporting the local SME ecosystem
We believe that true regional transformation happens when you build genuine capacity within local communities. Through our Northern SME Alliance, we collaborate with specialist regional partners (including Parallax, Fuzzy Labs, and Citrus Suite) to share expertise and drive regional growth. Having grown out of SME status ourselves, we are committed to bringing smaller firms into our delivery ecosystems, coaching them on public sector tenders and helping them access larger government opportunities.
“We are excited to be opening our new Hippo office in Liverpool, alongside our other offices in Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, London and Bristol. Following significant demand for our services we have chosen to expand into Liverpool thereby creating new digital job opportunities in the region and capitalising on all the great things that Liverpool can offer digital businesses. We will therefore also be expanding our Social Value and Impact initiatives to Liverpool and look forward to engaging with local communities and businesses as we continue towards our Social Value aspirations of £100m value by 2030.“
— Lara Longhurst, Chief Operating Officer
Our new space also builds on strong local momentum, following recent work secured with a North West-based NHS Foundation Trust. By combining our experience delivering large-scale, data-driven and AI-enabled transformations for national bodies, such as the NHS, Department for Education, DWP and Home Office, we look forward to working alongside Liverpool City Region authorities and health trusts to drive digital innovation at a local level.
Growing the Hippo herd and developing local talent
Liverpool City Region is a thriving hub for creative and digital innovation, employing over 51,000 professionals across 6,500 tech and creative SMEs. Paired with an impressive graduate retention rate of 76.25%, the city boasts a lively and forward-thinking tech community.
To support this growth, we are expanding our specialised Digital Academies to the region. These academies offer hands-on training and structured career pathways in User Research, Business Analysis, Software Engineering, and Data Engineering.
“I was born in Liverpool, I live in Liverpool, but I’ve never actually worked in Liverpool – so this one means a lot to me. I’m really excited that Hippo is putting down roots here and creating digital jobs for local people. Liverpool has brilliant talent; we want to give it even more of a reason to stay.”
— Elisse Jones, Government Sector Director
Hippo was recently named in the 2026 High Growth 50 list celebrating the North’s most ambitious scaling businesses, alongside shortlist nominations at the 2026 Leeds Digital Festival Awards for Growth Company of the Year and Best Tech Place to Work. With this recognition, we hope prospective candidates across the region see the potential of a career at Hippo; a place where local talent can thrive, build digital skills, and shape meaningful public and private sector services.
Joining the conversation at the Liverpool City Region AI Summit
To celebrate our launch, Hippo will be attending and participating in the Liverpool City Region AI Summit on 27th October at the Liverpool Experience Campus (LEX).
Our team will lead a dedicated session on adopting AI in public services, drawing on real-world delivery experience across education and government. The workshop is designed for senior stakeholders navigating the practical challenges and opportunities of embedding AI within complex, regulated environments.
At Hippo, we embed intelligence into service delivery from the start, grounded in solid data foundations, responsible design and measurable user outcomes. Our goal is always practical: helping clients apply AI where it creates genuine value for people, rather than treating it as a headline or an afterthought.
Want to be part of our next chapter in Liverpool?
Explore all our open roles on our Careers Page.
