Lowther Register

A practical journal for UK leaders choosing an AI consultancy, from the first brief to the handover.
Last updated:

Sources

Numbered references distinguish public sources from information supplied by a company. Follow the cited source and its check date when quoting a claim.

  1. Information supplied by Nexus; public-page verification unavailable. recorded 8 November 2026.
  2. A Nexus engineer builds the first procedure with the team and shows it running in its own tools. agent.nexus, checked 8 November 2026.
  3. Version 1 is live in weeks, then the team stays to improve it. agent.nexus, checked 8 November 2026.
  4. Comparison "best for": high-volume workflows crossing multiple systems with measurable financial outcomes. agent.nexus/compare/enterprise-ai-platforms/nexus-vs-glean, checked 8 November 2026.
  5. Describes itself as a UK and US AI consultancy for mid-market businesses. 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  6. Describes its delivery model as Embed Over Advise. 51d.co/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  7. FAQ: the deliverable of every engagement is a production system and not a strategy deck. 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  8. States its team learns as it builds, with code and documentation handed over. 51d.co/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  9. States the client owns everything built, with no lock-in. 51d.co/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  10. Custom GPT / LLM development service includes custom RAG pipeline construction. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  11. Proof of Concept Factory is described as a fixed-price 4-to-6 week validation. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  12. States it builds proprietary assets that transfer IP ownership to the client. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  13. States Cortex is deployed inside the client's own cloud architecture. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  14. Same comparison row: full audit trails, decision traceability, role-based access. agent.nexus/compare/enterprise-ai-platforms/nexus-vs-glean, checked 8 November 2026.
  15. Lifecycle runs from scoping through prototyping, implementation and continuous improvement. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  16. Brainpool Cortex is described as a proprietary AI automation middleware platform. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  17. Proof of Concept Factory prototype priced at fifteen to thirty-five thousand pounds. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  18. Custom enterprise MVP on Cortex priced at fifty to two hundred thousand pounds. brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  19. Cortex is said to align with ISO 27001, AWS Advanced Partner track and Cyber Essentials (stated only). brainpool.ai/llms-full.txt, checked 8 November 2026.
  20. Capabilities list: AI Development, AI Digital Advisory, Global Talent Recruitment. data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  21. AI Development covers end-to-end solutions or outstaffing. data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  22. AI Consulting includes client team trainings. data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  23. AI Consulting covers deep requirements analysis and detailed project scoping. data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  24. AI Consulting includes detailed project scoping and estimations (no price list). data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  25. Homepage lists flexible pricing models. data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  26. Not publicly stated: no ISO, SOC 2 or other certificate in the saved pages (search log). data-science-ua.com, checked 8 November 2026.
  27. A working proof of concept ships in 2 4 weeks. 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  28. Production deployment typically follows in 8 16 weeks. 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  29. A proof of concept typically costs under GBP 15,000 and ships in 2 4 weeks. 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  30. Claude implementation packages run from GBP 25,000 to GBP 50,000 70,000. 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  31. Not publicly stated: no ISO, SOC 2 or other certificate in the saved pages (search log). 51d.co, checked 8 November 2026.
  32. Designed, built and supported by the same senior team. mercurylabs.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  33. IfATE work: AI tools for standards development and quality assurance. mercurylabs.io/work/ifate, checked 8 November 2026.
  34. Handover includes documentation, handover and support within the agreed scope. mercurylabs.io/method, checked 8 November 2026.
  35. Splits responsibility: the firm owns the engineering. mercurylabs.io/method, checked 8 November 2026.
  36. Method begins by looking at the team's current work, the first of its steps. mercurylabs.io/method, checked 8 November 2026.
  37. Starts with a clear scope, delivery approach and cost before the build. mercurylabs.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  38. No price list found on the firm's pages (search log). mercurylabs.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  39. Holds Cyber Essentials, issued 24 September 2026, valid until 24 September 2027. mercurylabs.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  40. Holds Cyber Essentials Plus, issued 11 October 2026, valid until 11 October 2027. mercurylabs.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  41. Certificate scope is the whole organisation. mercurylabs.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  42. Describes itself as an end-to-end digital product innovation agency. supercharge.io/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  43. Services include agentic AI advisory and AI engineering. supercharge.io/services, checked 8 November 2026.
  44. Services list includes legacy modernisation and L1, L2, L3 support. supercharge.io/services, checked 8 November 2026.
  45. In-house team of over 200 strategists, designers, developers and engineers. supercharge.io/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  46. Team works as extensions of the client's team across European and North American offices. supercharge.io/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  47. Says its work does not stop at launch. supercharge.io/about, checked 8 November 2026.
  48. Services page states it is ISO-certified for strict security and compliance. supercharge.io/services, checked 8 November 2026.
  49. Services page shows an ISO 27001 logo (image alt text). supercharge.io/services, checked 8 November 2026.
  50. The Trust Center page has only its title in the saved copy (likely script-rendered), so its certificates could not be read. trust.supercharge.io, checked 8 November 2026.
  51. Shares success: pays most of its fees when it creates value. valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.
  52. Co-invests time with clients on shared success. valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.
  53. No billable hours and no consultant armies. valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.
  54. Builds small, sharp, AI-enabled teams. valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.
  55. Partners on the enterprise challenge and not on vendor deals. valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.
  56. Newcastle University: agentic data enrichment, 143% more alumni it can reach. valliance.ai/what-we-do/case-studies/university-alumni-data-enrichment, checked 8 November 2026.
  57. Newcastle case: runs inside the university's own Azure tenant. valliance.ai/what-we-do/case-studies/university-alumni-data-enrichment, checked 8 November 2026.
  58. Says it has no vendor bias and no tech lock-ins. valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.
  59. Trust Center link exists, but the saved page is a script shell with no readable content. trust.valliance.ai, checked 8 November 2026.
  60. No price list on the firm's pages; 'fees' appears only in narrative text (search log). valliance.ai/why-valliance, checked 8 November 2026.