Comparison · 20 material differences
Hampton vs Helm
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Peer advisory
Verified September 2026 Hampton
Founders and CEOs of high-growth technology or tech-enabled companies who live in one of Hampton's chapter cities.
Invitation-only community
Helm
Founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses past about £3 million in revenue
What the records say
- Role or title: Hampton: No published role or title; Helm: Founder or CEO of the business.
- Minimum employees: Hampton: No published minimum employees; Helm: Team size around 20 full-time equivalents.
- Minimum capital raised: Hampton: More than US$3,000,000 raised in venture capital; Helm: No published minimum capital raised.
- Minimum exit value: Hampton: A previous successful exit above US$10,000,000; Helm: No published minimum exit value.
- Annual dues: Hampton: $15,000 a year; Helm: £1,450 a year.
Side by side
| Hampton | Helm | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Invitation-only community |
| Founded | Not documented | 2003 (Founded as The Supper Club in 2003 by Duncan Cheatle; rebranded to Helm. Helm's own site states the 2003 founding on every page footer line and in its FAQ.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | 18 cities across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom | United Kingdom: events across London and regional UK hubs, plus a digital community; Helm does not publish a full list of hubs |
| Members | 1,000as of September 2026 | 400as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 18 | Helm has no chapters. It runs Forum groups and events in London and regional UK hubs but does not publish a hub list or a Forum count. |
| Primary audience | Founders and CEOs of high-growth technology or tech-enabled companies who live in one of Hampton's chapter cities. | Founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses past about £3 million in revenue |
| Typical member | Members are founders and CEOs of internet, technology or tech-enabled businesses. Hampton states the average member company has about US$23 million in annual revenue on its FAQ and around US$20 million on its about page, well above the US$3 million entry threshold. | Members are founders and CEOs of UK scale-ups, with average member turnover of about £21 million according to Helm's own comparison page. Businesses span SaaS, deep tech, biotech, property, manufacturing and retail. Non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are explicitly not admitted. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | Founder or CEO of the business"non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are not admitted as members".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | More than US$3,000,000 in revenueOne of three alternative tests. Hampton raised the revenue minimum from US$1 million to US$3 million; the founder announced the change publicly in 2024.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | £3m+ revenue, or more than £3m raisedHelm's published qualification panel: "Revenue £3m+ (or, raised >£3m)".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum employees | No published minimum employees | Team size around 20 full-time equivalentsHelm's qualification panel gives "Team size 20 FTEs"; its FAQ says "a team of around 20 or more".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum capital raised | More than US$3,000,000 raised in venture capitalAlternative to the revenue test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum capital raised |
| Minimum exit value | A previous successful exit above US$10,000,000Alternative to the revenue and funding tests.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum exit value |
| Geographic restriction | Must reside in one of Hampton's chapter citiesHampton places members only into in-person Core groups, so residence in a chapter city is a condition of membership.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | United Kingdom scale-up businessesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Founder or CEO of a fast-growing digital, internet, technology or tech-enabled companyverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Candidates apply through Hampton's site and are vetted against the revenue, funding or exit tests, the industry test and residence in a chapter city. Accepted members hold a commitment call and are then placed into a Core group in their city. | A short application form (Helm says two to five minutes), then a 30-minute qualifying call with the membership team to check fit and identify a suitable Forum. Helm describes committee approval within about 48 hours, followed by a 45-minute onboarding call. Forum placement follows an introductory conversation with the prospective Forum Chair and happens within one to three months of joining. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed by Hampton. A secondary account reports an 8 per cent acceptance rate, which Hampton does not confirm. | No acceptance rate is published. Helm states that every application is reviewed for fit and that non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are not admitted. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $15,000 a yearStated by Hampton (2026): Hampton membership (core group + community), all chapters. “Annual dues are $15,000/year, with a 45-day money-back guarantee.”verified October 2026 · source ↗ | £1,450 a yearClub membership: "£1,450 /per annum" on Helm's Get Started page. In-person experiences are pay-as-you-go at this tier.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | Hampton does not publish its price on its own site, and secondary reports disagree. | £495 a monthA Helm comparison landing page quotes "£495 Joining Fee + £495 per month" (about £5,940 a year), which conflicts with the annual figures on the Get Started page. Both are Helm's own pages; the discrepancy is unresolved.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed. One secondary account states there is no separate initiation fee.verified September 2026 | £495 one-time"£495 Joining Fee" per Helm's comparison landing page. No joining fee appears on the Get Started page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual, billed yearly, with a 45-day money-back guarantee for new members who attend their initial commitment call | Annual, cancellable at any time under the published membership agreement |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Core meets monthly in person, excluding August and December, for about three hours | Forum meets ten times a year (about three hours a month) plus an annual retreat; Helm runs two to three events a week, roughly 160 a year |
| Peer forums | Core groups of about eight founders plus a paid professional facilitator, composed on a mirror, mentor and mentee model; Core is never virtual. | Chaired Forum groups of six to eight founders, capped at eight, matched on business size, experience level, personality mix and Chair expertise; Chairs are experienced or exited founders |
| Confidentiality | Core is described as a confidential peer group; Hampton does not publish the text of its confidentiality rules. | Events run under the Chatham House Rule; Forum is described as absolutely confidential ("What's discussed at Helm stays at Helm") |
| Time commitment | About three hours a month for Core, ten months a year, plus optional events | About three hours a month for Forum; Helm states there is no fixed overall commitment and that members typically attend an event every one to two months |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Forum-based, Event-focused | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Partial |
| Virtual membership | No | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Yes |
| Retreats | Yes | Yes |
| Travel | Partial | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | No | Partial |
| Philanthropic component | No | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | High |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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