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2020 Top 50 U.S. Market Research and Data Analytics Companies

Diane Bowers

A full ranking of the top market research and data analytics companies in the U.S. for 2020

The “2020 Top 50 U.S. Report”—formerly known as “The Gold Report”—is developed by Diane Bowers and produced in partnership with the Insights Association and Michigan State University . The report is also sponsored by the AMA, ESOMAR and the Global Research Business Network . The report includes a ranking of the top 50 companies, a breakdown of trends by Bowers , and an analysis of the market research and analytics industry  by Michael Brereton, Melanie Courtright and Reg Baker.

50. RTi Research

Founded: 1979 2019 U.S. revenue: $12.9 million Percent change from 2018: -3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $12.9 million U.S. employees: 45

In a world awash in data, the challenge is to turn data into something meaningful, something that can be communicated simply and acted upon effectively. RTi Research meets that challenge head-on, turning data into meaning through smart research design, flawless execution and innovative storytelling. Everything the company does is aimed at helping its clients move their ideas and insights through their organizations to influence change. 

RTi has conducted research in just about every category in the U.S. and globally. Informed by 40 years of experience across categories and cultures, RTi knows what works and what doesn’t, when to leverage new technology and methods, and when traditional approaches are best.

49. Hypothesis

Founded: 2000 2019 U.S. revenue: $18.3 million Percent change from 2018: -4.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $18.3 million U.S. employees: 61

Hypothesis uses insights, strategy and design to help important brands do amazing things. The company specializes in tough questions that take creative, multidimensional approaches, thoughtful strategy and a broad business perspective. Hypothesis’ approach combines inventive consumer-centric qualitative research, advanced analytics, strategic thinking and data visualization. Its award-winning design team translates complex information into compelling, easy-to-understand deliverables to socialize learnings and engage teams. 

In 2018, Hypothesis added important new capabilities with the launch of Momentum, a strategy that turns insight into application with downstream marketing and implementation planning. The Momentum team has worked alongside Hypothesis consultants on strategic engagements with clients focused on brand strategy, product development, and led dozens of workshops with senior and C-level executives to socialize insights and ideate on next steps. 

In 2019, Hypothesis’ focus on growth continued with its expansion to the Midwest and establishment of its Chicago office. From this office, the company will be able to service new and current clients in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

48. Bellomy Research

Founded: 1976 2019 U.S. revenue: $21 million Percent change from 2018: 1.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $21 million U.S. employees: 116

Bellomy is a privately held, family-owned, full-service market intelligence company. Bellomy focuses on driving successful business outcomes through the design and delivery of solutions that yield deeper customer understanding. The company surrounds its clients’ business challenges with an unparalleled mix of knowledge and experience, marketing science and proprietary research technology. 

Bellomy’s work involves both B2C and B2B environments—with qualitative and quantitative insight solutions spanning market segmentation, customer experience and journeys (including digital user experiences), brand equity, product innovation, shopper insights, marketing optimization, social research platforms and research technology. Bellomy works with clients across a broad range of categories and industries including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, restaurant and hospitality, telecommunications and technology, apparel and textiles, utilities, healthcare, insurance and home improvement.

Bellomy serves as an extension of its clients’ marketing research and customer experience departments by integrating a broad set of capabilities and areas of expertise, including segmentation, customer (and digital experience), shopper insights, social research platforms, brand equity, product innovation and marketing optimization. In addition, Bellomy clients leverage SmartIDEAS, the firm’s enterprise consumer knowledge and insight platform. 

47. Edelman Intelligence

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $21 million Percent change from 2018: 12.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $11.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 35.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $32.5 million U.S. employees: 131

Edelman Intelligence (EI) is the global research and analytics consultancy of Edelman, the world’s largest global communications firm. Based in New York, with employees in 18 offices internationally, EI houses more than 200 consultants, strategists, researchers, data scientists, data visualization specialists and analysts worldwide. Its specialists are method-agnostic and leverage the best of primary and secondary research, advanced analytics and business science to solve business and communications issues for its clients. EI’s offering spans the full spectrum of client needs, from mapping the current environment and targeting key audiences, to optimizing content and measuring business impact. 

EI partners with early-stage start-ups and Fortune 100 companies alike, providing strategic research, analytics, and insights-based marketing and communications counsel for a broad range of stakeholders and scopes, including government and public affairs, corporate reputation and risk strategy, crisis and issues management, employee experience and talent advisory, executive positioning, strategic communications and public relations, marketing and branding strategy, customer experience and insights, mergers, acquisitions and market entry strategy and more.

Key accomplishments in 2019 included advancement of its Edelman Trust Management (ETM) capabilities, including an evolution of its offering focused specifically on providing guidance for measuring and building trust in brands. Developed building from its 20-plus years studying trust through the Edelman Trust Barometer and the initial iteration of ETM (which explores corporate trust), this proprietary model for brand trust measurement was created in partnership with renowned academics from Harvard Business School and INSEAD, Edelman Brand experts and external marketing thought leaders. In recent months, this model has been engineered to consider fundamental transformations to consumer/brand relationship dynamics that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated.

46. KS&R

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $21.7 million Percent change from 2018: -1.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $3.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 14.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $25.3 million U.S. employees: 100

KS&R is a privately held strategic consultancy and full-service marketing research company. For nine consecutive years, KS&R has received the highest Gold Index composite score of any provider in the Prevision/Inside Research survey of marketing research buyers. This is a testament to the company’s passion for excellence and client-first business philosophy—wherein KS&R empowers its clients with timely, fact-based insights so they can make smarter decisions and be confident in their actions.

KS&R creates and executes global custom market research solutions for some of the best-known corporations in the world in more than 100 countries and 50 languages. It has extensive and diverse industry experience with particular strength in healthcare (pharma and device), technology, entercom, transportation, professional services, and retail and e-commerce. Team members often include business strategists with client-side experience and deep industry knowledge.

In 2019, KS&R leveraged its expansive network of pharmacy panels to build world-class capabilities for pharma inventory measurement and healthcare insights. Its marketing scientists have driven marked advances in pricing decision support, which have now been validated by positive in-market results. KS&R expanded its portfolio to include insights fusion across multiple channels of content (primary research, social media, web-based information, etc.). And finally, it introduced its KS&R Win-Loss program that provides actionable insights for how organizations can improve their value proposition and sales performance to close more deals.

Founded: 1911 2019 U.S. revenue: $22.7 million Percent change from 2018: 12.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $22.7 million U.S. employees: 78

NAXION guides strategic business decisions globally in healthcare, information technology, financial services, energy, heavy equipment and other B2B markets, drawing on depth of marketing experience in key verticals and skilled application of sophisticated and inventive methodologies. The firm’s NAscence Group helps life science innovators develop commercialization strategy through clinical trials design and selection of target indications, forecasting, brand planning and other research-based consulting services.

Engagements routinely include market segmentation, opportunity assessment and innovation, demand forecasting and pricing, positioning, brand health, market monitoring and lifecycle management. The firm deploys multiple data streams including primary research (qualitative and quantitative), secondary data, customer databases and other complex datasets to develop an integrative perspective on business problems. The firm also builds custom panels for B2B markets.

Project leaders with sector experience and research proficiency are supported by in-house methodologists and a wide portfolio of advanced analytic tools, including proprietary modeling services and software, all of them highly customized. The firm continues to invest significant resources in intellectual capital to enhance enterprise decision support with cutting-edge methods, including specialized “small data” choice models, new predictive techniques using big data and brand-customized text analytics. Its Farsight suite supports the building of highly dynamic models capable of producing forecasts for complex market scenarios, including paradigm-shift technologies, and gives market monitoring programs a forward-looking perspective that guides timely market interventions. Other services include litigation and regulatory support, often involving expert testimony in cases involving trademark confusion, deceptive advertising and brand equity. NAXION’s strong commitment to operational excellence is reflected in ISO certification and in-house operations capabilities to deliver exceptional levels of quality control. 

Founded: 1991 2019 U.S. revenue: $24.2 million Percent change from 2018: -3.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1.2 million Percent from outside U.S.: 4.7% 2019 worldwide revenue: $25.4 million U.S. employees: 144

Gongos is a consultative agency that places customers at the heart of business strategy. Partnering with insights, analytics, marketing, strategy and customer experience groups, Gongos operationalizes customer centricity by helping companies both understand their customer needs and deliver on them better than anyone else.

From product innovation to portfolio management, customer experience to consumer journeys, pricing strategies to marketing optimization, and trend analysis to predictive modeling, Gongos provides both outside-in and inside-out approaches across organizations to drive greater customer attraction, retention and lifetime value.

Gongos further serves as a translator to help cross-functional teams fuel the competency to gain and apply consumer wisdom, transform decisions into action and navigate organizational change. Coalescing enterprise data with primary research and curating insights for multiple audiences further empowers stakeholders to achieve greater ROI by ensuring information is designed to influence actions and behaviors from executives to the frontline. 

Gongos’ consultative tools stem from change management principles that help organizations navigate the transformation often necessary to create a more outside-in perspective as they reorient around the customer. Gongos’ approaches to engage multiple audiences include communication strategies and tactics grounded in frameworks such as its adoption-to-advocacy model and human-centered design.

43. Maru/Matchbox **

Founded: 2016 2019 U.S. revenue: $28 million Percent change from 2018: 3.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $14 million Percent from outside U.S.: 33.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $42 million U.S. employees: 150

Maru/Matchbox began disrupting the market research industry in 2000. Powered by proprietary technology, its expert teams are deeply invested in key sectors of the economy, including consumer goods and services, financial services, retail, technology, healthcare, public services, and media and entertainment. Maru/Marchbox provides organizations with the tools and insights to connect with the people that matter most, so they can build and maintain a competitive advantage. 

In 2019, Maru/Matchbox released a series of innovative research solutions. 

• Digital Media Measurement is a campaign evaluation approach that enables clients to better understand how content, channels and brands interact to deliver effective communication. 
• Creative Insight measures people’s implicit and explicit responses to advertising, giving clients a complete picture of how their ad is working. It is designed to evaluate any type of ad or brand communication, across all channels, with best-in-class benchmarks.
• Lissted analyzes how members of communities relevant to clients react to content, tweets and even websites. 
• Brand Emotion utilizes visual semiotics to identify and leverage the emotional profile of a brand. 

Maru/Matchbox continues to demonstrate innovation and thought leadership through relentless publication of articles and whitepapers.

42. Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB)

Founded: 1984 2019 U.S. revenue: $28.7 million Percent change from 2018: 20.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $28.7 million U.S. employees: 90

CMB is a research and strategy firm, helping the world’s leading brands engage, innovate and grow amid deep disruption. The company leverages the best of advanced analytics, consumer psychology and market strategy to tackle critical business initiatives, including market identification, segmentation, brand health, loyalty and advocacy, and product and service development.

For more than 35 years, CMB has helped the most successful brands and their executives give voice to their market through a relentless business decision focus, creative problem-solving and storytelling, deeply consultative approach and flawless execution. With dedicated financial services, media and entertainment, tech and telecom, retail and healthcare practices, CMB’s expert teams understand the complex and evolving technological, social, cultural and economic forces that drive disruption and create opportunity.

In 2020, CMB continued its growth trajectory, including building expertise in gaming and digital platforms and expanding its qualitative and advanced analytics teams. A thought leader in the application of consumer psychology to real world business issues, CMB conducted self-funded research among tens of thousands of consumers to capture the four core benefits that motivate decision-making—identity, emotion, social and functional—providing an in-depth look at more than 80 global brands. Further self-funded research explored the accelerating journey and path to purchase of today’s gamers.

41. Screen Engine/ASI

Founded: 2010 2019 U.S. revenue: $33 million Percent change from 2018: 10% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1.9 million Percent from outside U.S.: 5.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $34.9 million U.S. employees: 132

Screen Engine/ASI is a research-based consumer insights firm that stands for delivering its entertainment and media clients actionable insights and recommendations, not simply data. SE/ASI strives to help clients mitigate risk and maximize the potential for success. Through its Motion Picture and TV Groups, SE/ASI works across all distribution platforms for both domestic and internationally produced content. 

The company is centered on assessing the “abilities” of content as it migrates from the earliest stages of development through multi-channel distribution. The Motion Picture Group is the leader in traditional and digital in theater and online recruited audience screenings. Offerings also include PostTrak, a syndicated domestic and international in-theater exit poll, and ScreenExperts, an early assessment of critical response, creative ad testing, positioning and brand studies, custom work, and location-based and online focus group research. A cross-platform team within this group works with home entertainment, over-the-top and gaming clients. 

The TV group is the leader in location-based ViewTrac dial testing of pilots, programs and ongoing series and conducts online dial testing as well. Other offerings include location-based and online focus groups, promo testing, positioning and brand studies, and a variety of custom studies including custom trackers. SE/ASI syndicates Tracktion trackers including a TV tracker, a theatrical movie tracker, a home entertainment tracker and a premium video-on-demand tracker. All groups work in the company’s media lab equipped for biometric and new technology research. When appropriate, SE/ASI engages in advanced analytics techniques including, but not limited to, segmentation, conjoint, maxdiff and TURF analysis. 

40. MarketVision Research

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $33.2 million Percent change from 2018: 2.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $33.2 million U.S. employees: 140

MarketVision Research is a full-service marketing research firm, providing clients with actionable insights about their markets, customers, brands and products. Research areas of focus include product and portfolio development, pricing, branding, segmentation and customer experience. The company offers a full suite of quantitative and qualitative research capabilities and works across industry groups. These include:

• Optimization and discrete choice modeling as it applies to product and service development, branding, packaging and pricing.
• Online communities that are managed and developed entirely in-house with a focus on improving participant engagement and with additional support for mobile participation.
• Hybrid research, which uses 20 in-house moderators, along with marketing science professionals and global project managers, to facilitate qualitative and quantitative research seamlessly.

39. The Link Group

Founded: 1994 2019 U.S. revenue: $34.2 million Percent change from 2018: 23.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $0.3 million Percent from outside U.S.: 0.9% 2019 worldwide revenue: $34.5 million U.S. employees: 85

The Link Group executes research for Fortune 500 firms in the healthcare, retail, CPG and finance industries across both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and around the globe. TLG attributes its success to its core business philosophy: smarter research and better service. Its commitment to smarter research has allowed the company to take a creative, custom approach to its clients’ business needs that results in actionable and insightful reports. TLG delivers better service by maintaining a consistent research team across projects, allowing the team to anticipate and respond to client needs. This business philosophy has resulted in 99% of revenue coming from repeat clients.

This past year, TLG has continued to hone its research approaches to help elevate traditional research methods. For its messaging and positioning work, TLG developed a framework that triangulates quantitative survey data to determine how well messaging concepts will activate, communicate and engage the customer. In its segmentation studies, TLG blends science and art to create models that align with the client’s brand strategic vision by creating differences that are meaningful and actionable from a marketing perspective. TLG has leveraged its knowledge of behavioral economics to develop a validated, proprietary quantitative methodology—LinkEQ—that allows the company to reveal latent emotional associations.

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $34.3 million Percent change from 2018: -1.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1.2 million Percent from outside U.S.: 3.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $35.5 million U.S. employees: 233

SSRS is a full-service market and survey research firm led by a core of dedicated professionals with advanced degrees in the social sciences. 

SSRS surveys support numerous media and academic partners looking to report on public attitudes and beliefs about a wide range of salient issues such as elections and public policy. SSRS is the polling partner for CNN, and conducts public opinion polling for ABC News, The Washington Post, Politico and CBS News. 

Beyond national polls, SSRS regularly conducts research at a state level, and among subpopulations such as Latinos and political partisans, and specializes in reaching hard-to-reach and low-incidence populations. SSRS has extensive experience in public policy, public affairs and health policy research. Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, SSRS has completed numerous studies surrounding its implementation and assessing Americans’ attitudes and experiences with the law. 

Since 2016, SSRS conducts the monthly Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll. SSRS is well-known for its weekly telephone Omnibus poll. The firm also offers the SSRS Opinion Panel, which allows clients to conduct probabilistic surveys quickly at low cost. The SSRS/Luker on Trends Sports Poll is the first and longest-running tracking study focusing on sports in the U.S. 

37. BVA Group **

Founded: 1970 2019 U.S. revenue: $36 million Percent change from 2018: 2.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $147 million Percent from outside U.S.: 80.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $183 million U.S. employees: 120

BVA Group is a fast-growing research and consulting firm, an expert in behavioral science, ranked in the top 20 worldwide agencies. BVA brings data to life and converts deep understanding of customers and citizens into behavior change strategies. BVA operates both for public and private clients with methodologies fueled by data science and behavioral science. 

Its FMCG specialist—PRS IN VIVO—is a global leader in packaging and shopper research. PRS IN VIVO helps consumer marketers to succeed through: 

• In-store and online studies to better understand shopper behavior, in both physical and e-commerce shopping contexts.
• Qualitative studies to develop, screen and refine new product, packaging and merchandising concepts.
• Quantitative studies to pre-test and quantify new packaging, merchandising and display systems (for physical stores and e-commerce).
• Volume forecasting and product testing for both innovations and brand restages.
• “Nudge” initiatives to facilitate behavioral change, create new consumer habits and drive category growth. 

BVA Group is a European leader in customer experience research. More than 100 leading brands use BVA’s behavioral insights to provide seamless shopper journeys and design successful new products and services, including solutions from its multi-awarded Global Nudge-Unit.

36. radius | illumination

Founded: 1960 2019 U.S. revenue: $42 million Percent change from 2018: — 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1 million Percent from outside U.S.: 2.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $43 million U.S. employees: 127

Radius│illumination is the product of a merger between Radius Global Market Research and Illumination Research in 2018. Together, it’s one of the largest independent custom insights providers in the world. Its focus is on guiding brands at critical points along their growth journey, tackling issues such as identifying compelling innovations, creating relevant customer segmentations and developing strategies for deeper loyalty and engagement.

Radius | illumination partners with Fortune 500 leaders as well as challenger, disruptor and emerging brands in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Its top sectors include financial services, personal care, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, technology, home improvement and durables, media and entertainment, packaged foods, beverage, retail and transportation.

Its 2020 initiatives to fuel brand growth for its clients include:

• Provide agile and robust solutions such as InnovationSprint to accelerate new product and service development.
• Increase its information design capabilities so clients can easily take action on the results.
• Focus on driving deeper insights by combining its advanced analytics strength with immersive customer understanding in its designs.
• Expand solutions through the integration of new technologies and behavioral approaches.

35. Market Force **

Founded: 2005 2019 U.S. revenue: $50 million Percent change from 2018: 2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $7 million Percent from outside U.S.: 12.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $57 million U.S. employees: 375

Market Force Information provides location-level customer experience management solutions to protect clients’ brand reputation, delight their customers and make them more money. 

Market Force operates at scale across the globe. Each month, the company:

• Completes more than 100,000 mystery shops.
• Collects, processes and analyzes millions of employee and customer experience surveys.
• Manages more than 100,000 inbound calls to its contact center.
• Hosts more than 1 million user logins on its KnowledgeForce reporting platform.

Market Force’s multi-location solutions provide a robust framework for measuring and improving operational excellence, customer experience and financial KPIs. Measurement channels include mystery shopping, customer experience surveys, contact center calls, social media and employee engagement surveys via the KnowledgeForce technology platform and Eyes:On mobile app. Market Force employs predictive analytics to determine what matters most and the ROI for investing in improvements. The firm takes a dual-headed approach to market research services (e.g., customer segmentation, attitude trial and usage studies and custom research projects) and strategic advisory services to design and implement effective measurement systems and improve performance.

Founded: 1991 2019 U.S. revenue: $52 million Percent change from 2018: 4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 10.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $58 million U.S. employees: 400

As a leading customer experience management firm, SMG helps clients get smarter about their customers and employees to drive changes that boost customer loyalty and improve business performance. SMG combines technology and services to collect, analyze and share feedback and behavioral data, so it’s easier for clients to deliver and activate customer insights across their enterprise.

SMG partners with more than 350 brands around the globe to create better customer and employee experiences, which drive loyalty and performance. SMG uniquely combines technology and insights to help clients listen better, act faster and outperform competitors. SMG is a technology-enabled research firm with a global footprint—evaluating more than 150 million surveys annually, in 50 languages across 125 countries. 

Strategic solutions include omniCXTM, Brand Research and Employee Engagement. SMG’s omniCX solution uses multiple research methodologies in capturing solicited and unsolicited consumer feedback across in-store, online, contact center and social channels. Results are aggregated and reported via smg360TM—a real-time, role-based reporting platform providing access to all customer and related data. 

SMG’s research professionals partner with clients to derive business-changing insights. Within Brand Research, SMG offers traditional brand tracking as well as access to dynamic customer and competitor data through market intelligence tool BrandGeek. Fueled by SurveyMini—SMG’s location-based mobile research app—BrandGeek contains consumer feedback and behavioral data relating to more than 4,500 brands across more than 500,000 locations.

33. Hanover Research

Founded: 2003 2019 U.S. revenue: $52.7 million Percent change from 2018: 14.1% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 4.7% 2019 worldwide revenue: $55.3 million U.S. employees: 358

Hanover Research is a brain trust designed to level the information playing field. Hanover is made up of hundreds of researchers who support thousands of organizational decisions every year. One of the industry’s fastest-growing companies, Hanover attributes this market success to its unique positioning as the only firm that provides tailored research through an annual, fixed-fee model. 

Hanover serves more than 1,000 organizations and companies worldwide from established global organizations, to emerging companies to educational institutions. Hanover’s research informs decisions at any level and across any department capitalizing on the exposure to myriad industries and challenges. 

Founded in 2003, Hanover operates on an annual fixed-fee model, and partnership provides its clients with access to a team of high-caliber researchers, survey experts, analysts and statisticians with diverse skills in market research, information services and analytics. There is no limit on the type of challenge that can be asked for on the quantitative and qualitative approaches Hanover uses to deliver solutions—most of which are very difficult to replicate internally.

Hanover’s custom research services include:

• Secondary research: market segmentation and evaluation; labor and demographic trends and forecasts; vendor and product reviews; best practices reports. 
• Survey: survey design, administration and analysis; open-ended response coding. 
• Qualitative primary research: focus group design and administration; in-depth interview design, outreach, administration and analysis. 
• Data analysis: data segmentation and mining; conjoint analysis; linear regression; descriptive and predictive analytics; data forecasting and modeling. 

32. Directions Research

Founded: 1988 2019 U.S. revenue: $54.2 million Percent change from 2018: 17.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $54.2 million U.S. employees: 181

Independently recognized as one of the leading business decision insight firms in the nation, Directions Research combines a highly experienced staff with a unique mix of innovative and proven approaches to answer pressing business issues. Directions and SEEK routinely combine primary and connected data from multiple sources to create holistic and actionable analytic stories for their clients. Through digital dashboards, infographics, written reports and other unique visualizations, the firm communicates its knowledge in a manner that is right for today’s leaders. 

Directions and SEEK excel in innovation, optimization, customer and brand experience, brand strategy, strategic business intelligence and visualization across a wide range of industries. The firm offers B2C and B2B services globally, surveying audiences using a broad selection of data collection techniques and combining those insights with existing client knowledge. Directions’ and SEEK’s staff have an excellent mix of client- and supplier-side experience. The organization allows senior researchers to work with clients on a day-to-day basis.

SEEK (acquired in 2018) is a qualitative insight and innovation consultancy, operating as an independent but connected division of Directions. SEEK empathically connects brands with the humans they serve, transforming the brand-to-consumer relationship into a human-to-human one. The SEEK approach builds brand advocacy for clients with the human-centric approach to innovation, activating empathy as an innate problem-solving capability.

31. Fors Marsh Group (FMG) *

Founded: 2002 2019 U.S. revenue: $57.5 million Percent change from 2018: 22.1% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: — Percent from outside U.S.: — 2019 worldwide revenue: $57.5 million U.S. employees: 263

FMG applies behavioral and data science to improve organizational processes, business solutions and customer experiences. This work is conducted within seven core U.S. markets: health, defense, technology, finance, homeland security, policy and consumer. 

FMG’s work for its clients wins industry and federal awards. FMG has been named as a top market research company by GreenBook and the American Advertising Federation and has been named to the American Marketing Association’s list of top market research companies in the U.S. for five consecutive years. FMG was also a finalist for the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council’s Igniting Innovation 2018 award for creating an innovative e-learning program that improved program awareness and usability for the General Services Administration’s Center for Acquisition Professional Excellence. 

For 2019 and beyond, FMG is focused on continuing this momentum and expanding in important areas. In its human capital practice, FMG is furthering its work in the cybersecurity industry to help the Department of Defense attract top cyber talent and to protect the nation’s infrastructure. FMG is also expanding its efforts in public service recruiting through new partnerships with the U.S. Army, U.S. National Guard and AmeriCorps. The company is proud that its partnership with these institutions will help shape the future of the U.S. For its health division, FMG is leveraging its deep experience in health communications to fight the opioid crisis by reducing stigma and removing barriers that victims face in receiving help—potentially one of the biggest challenges facing America today. 

30. National Research Group (NRG) **

Founded: 1978 2019 U.S. revenue: $59 million Percent change from 2018: 1.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $4 million Percent from outside U.S.: 6.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $63 million U.S. employees: 200

National Research Group, acquired by Stagwell Media from Nielsen in 2015, is a leading global insights and strategy firm at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Rooted in four decades of industry expertise, the world’s leading marketers turn to NRG for insights into growth and strategy for any content, anywhere, on any device. Working at the confluence of content, culture and technology, NRG offers bold insights for storytellers everywhere. 

Some agencies specialize in qual, others focus on quant—but NRG connects the two disciplines with hybrid teams expert in both modalities. The company is a one-stop, custom consultancy that tailors its approach to solve clients’ biggest challenges. 

The foundation of NRG’s qualitative work is a team of passionate, subject matter experts who connect deeply with consumers in any environment. NRG uses qual to discover the subconscious drivers that fuel our quantitative truths. Its quantitative work is anchored in sophisticated techniques with a focus on agility, creativity and rigor. NRG is method-agnostic and works collaboratively with its clients to solve complex problems in a simple way.

29. Cello Health * **

Founded: 2004 2019 U.S. revenue: $64.5 million Percent change from 2018: 23.3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $58.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 47.6% 2019 worldwide revenue: $123 million U.S. employees: 260

Cello Health consists of four global capabilities that enable the company to offer best-in-class services and an integrated partnership approach to its clients. This unique mix of capabilities, combined with its collaborative approach, results in a unique fusion of expertise, providing powerful advisory and implementation solutions.

• Cello Health Insight is a global marketing research company, providing business intelligence to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Cello Health Insight specializes in getting to the heart of its clients’ questions, using a large pool of creative and academic resources and providing design of materials and deliverables through a hand-picked project team—selected to best meet the needs of each individual project.
• Cello Health Consulting is the strategic consulting arm of Cello Health, focused on delivering business results by unlocking the potential within organizations, people, assets and brands. Cello Health Consulting works alongside clients to create practical solutions that ensure buy-in and build relationships. 
• Cello Health Communications combines science, strategy and creativity to unlock the potential of brands and assets. Its services underpin differentiated positioning and deliver brand optimization, focusing on multiple areas of development and launch, through commercial maturity.
• Cello Signal is a full-service digital capability bringing impactful messages alive in communications campaigns, content and film.

28. Macromill Group **

Founded: 2000 2019 U.S. revenue: $68.5 million Percent change from 2018: 2.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $260 million Percent from outside U.S.: 79.1% 2019 worldwide revenue: $328.5 million U.S. employees: 275

Macromill Group is a rapidly growing global market research and digital marketing solutions provider bringing together the collective power of its specialist companies to provide innovative data and insights that drive clients’ smarter decisions. Macromill’s industry-leading digital research solutions deliver rapid and cost-effective solutions to the challenges businesses face today. 

The group’s leading business units are Macromill and MetrixLab. Macromill stands at the forefront of innovation, delivering unique marketing solutions. It offers exclusive access to the highest-quality online panels with more than 2 million members. Using its self-developed platform AIRs, Macromill provides full-service online research including automated survey creation and completion, data tabulation and analysis. Today, its business portfolio includes services such as offline quantitative research, mobile research, point-of-service database research (QPR), digital marketing (Accessmill), a DIY survey platform (Questant) and more. 

Metrixlab turns data from online surveys, social media, mobile devices and enterprise systems into valuable business information and actionable consumer insights. This helps leading companies drive product innovation, brand engagement and customer value. Owned and group panels provide expansive access to global respondents in mature and emerging markets. Its teams deliver strategic and tactical decision support by pushing the boundaries of data analysis innovation, combining cutting-edge technology with data science and proven marketing research methodologies. Clients across the globe rely on the company’s hyper-efficient data and insights ecosystem to deliver fast and affordable results.

27. C Space **

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $70 million Percent change from 2018: 2.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $18 million Percent from outside U.S.: 20.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $88 million U.S. employees: 354

C Space, part of the Interbrand Group, is a global customer agency that marries art and science to create rapid customer insight and business change. 

C Space works with some of the world’s best-known brands—such as Walmart, Samsung, IKEA and more—to build customers into the ways companies work and deliver on customer-inspired growth. By building real, ongoing relationships with customers—online and in-person—brands can stay relevant, deliver superior experiences, launch successful products and build loyalty. Through its “customer as a service” approach of research, consulting and communications, C Space helps businesses minimize risk and maximize growth.

The company integrates customers into the ways its clients work. By bringing stakeholders together around the customer, C Space’s clients create greater clarity and alignment in the actions that will most effectively drive customer growth.

C Space’s customized programs are tailored based on specific business needs and include private online communities, immersive storytelling, data and analytics, activation events, innovation projects and business consulting. C Space continues to invest in its people, existing capabilities like data and analytics, as well as new initiatives.

26. Engine Insights**

Founded: 2004 2019 U.S. revenue: $71 million Percent change from 2018: 4.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $44 million Percent from outside U.S.: 38.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $115 million U.S. employees: 240

Engine is a new kind of data-driven marketing solutions company. Powered by data, driven by results and guided by people, Engine helps its clients make connections that count—leading to bottom-line growth, an inspired workplace and business transformation. 

Engine Insights (formerly ORC International) connects traditional market research with cutting-edge products to deliver clients a 360-degree view of their customers, employees and markets. Engine’s extended suite of solutions and products are designed to support business growth, from helping clients understand and outperform the competition to operationalizing both survey and behavioral data to identify, attract, engage and retain their audiences.

Engine Insights’ client services and products include custom research and omnibus surveys; customer experience, customer retention and brand engagement studies; and data management and data analytics. 

These services help clients:

• Think beyond products and services to drive business revenue.
• Use insights to inform more relevant messaging and creative.
• Get a complete 360-degree view of their customers.
• Segment audiences for better targeting.
• Develop the perfect product and take it to market.
• Create unique experiences that engage their customers and keep them loyal for a lifetime.
• Build an internal culture that attracts, retains and engages the best talent.

Founded: 1931 2019 U.S. revenue: $71.1 million Percent change from 2018: 9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $6.9 million Percent from outside U.S.: 8.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $78 million U.S. employees: 253

Since 1931, Burke has consistently redefined expectations in the marketing research industry. From segmentation to customer engagement programs, product innovation and brand tracking, Burke prides itself on designing and executing objectives-driven quantitative and qualitative research. Working across a variety of industries, Burke helps its clients gain actionable perspective on their most critical business challenges, providing a range of solutions from agile to integrated strategic decision support.

Today, Burke continues to push the boundaries of what marketing research can be, seamlessly uniting research, strategy and education. Backed by Seed Strategy—its strategic consulting subsidiary—Burke has the capabilities to support its clients throughout every phase of the product or service life cycle, with expertise in strategy, innovation, branding and marketing. In addition, Burke provides comprehensive training on research fundamentals and best practices through the Burke Institute—its dedicated education division and the industry’s leader in research and insights training. Wherever its clients find themselves on the path to success, Burke is uniquely equipped to help them move forward with clarity, confidence and purpose.

Continuing its long tradition of research innovation, Burke recently unveiled two new offerings: Geode|AI, an integrated insights system that analyzes multiple data sources to uncover patterns, relationships and critical insights that are often hidden; and Quantiment, a robust machine-learning solution that jointly extracts richer insights from structured and unstructured data.

24. YouGov *

Founded: 2000 2019 U.S. revenue: $76.8 million Percent change from 2018: 11.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $107.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 58.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $184.3 million U.S. employees: 212

YouGov is a global provider of analysis and data generated by consumer panels in 42 markets. Its core offering of opinion data is derived from the proprietary YouGov Global Panel of more than 9 million people. The YouGov Global Panel provides the company with thousands of data points on consumer attitudes, opinions and behavior. YouGov captures these streams of data in the YouGov Cube, its unique connected data library that holds more than 10 years of historic single-source data. In 2019, YouGov panelists completed more than 25 million surveys.

YouGov’s data-led offering supports and improves a wide spectrum of marketing activities of a customer base, including media owners, brands and media agencies. YouGov works with some of the world’s most recognized brands.

Its syndicated data products include the daily brand perception tracker, YouGov BrandIndex and the media planning and segmentation tool YouGov Profiles. Its market-leading YouGov RealTime service provides a fast and cost-effective solution for reaching nationally representative and specialist samples. YouGov’s Custom Research division offers a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research, tailored by sector specialist teams to meet users’ specific requirements. YouGov data is delivered through Crunch, the most advanced analytics tool for research data, combining fast processing with drag-and-drop simplicity. YouGov has a strong record for data accuracy and innovation. 

23. Phoenix Marketing International

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $77 million Percent change from 2018: -3.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $4.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 5.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $81.5 million U.S. employees: 343

Global advertising and brand specialist Phoenix Marketing International operates in all major industries, utilizing modern technology, innovative research techniques and customized approaches to help clients elevate their brand, refine their communications and optimize their customer experience. 

With the launch of Phoenix’s AdPi Brand Effect Platform, clients now have access to continuous advertising measurement and performance improvement insights through a single platform, providing the ability to analyze their campaigns at any stage in the advertising life cycle, and the flexibility to draw upon each piece as needed. Through more than 20 years of experience and testing thousands of ads per month, Phoenix developed 19 category-specific ad measurement models that uncover the drivers and creative attributes that explain the “whys” behind an ad’s creative performance, with forward-looking estimates for ad memorability and brand linkage.

Phoenix continues to evolve its CX solution, launching Competitive Customer Experience, a measurement of how consumers perceive their overall experience with a brand, including key touchpoints along the journey. Grounding recent experiences with a client’s brand, competitor brands and non-categorical benchmarking, Phoenix is able to evaluate brand opinion, understand what drives great CX outside of the category, focus on emotional drivers of brand CX, and provide an external view of culture, consistency and brand promises.

22. Concentrix **

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $95 million Percent change from 2018: 11.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $130 million Percent from outside U.S.: 57.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $225 million U.S. employees: 253

Concentrix is a wholly owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corp., specializing in technology-enabled customer engagement and improving business performance for clients around the world. With more than 225,000 staff in more than 40 countries, Concentrix provides services to clients in 10 industry verticals: automotive, banking and financial services, insurance, healthcare, technology, consumer electronics, media and communications, retail and e-commerce, travel and transportation, energy and the public sector. 

The Concentrix Voice of the Customer solution combines technology with experience management services provided by its in-house team of hundreds of CX professionals. 

Powered by analytic tools and artificial intelligence, its customer feedback platform ConcentrixCX helps companies listen, analyze and act on omnichannel customer feedback at any point in the customer journey, at scale. Features include data capture and integration, real-time reporting and analytics, and coaching and employee engagement tools. Concentrix continues to invest in enhanced platform functionality—for example, multi-source data expansion of its proprietary text analytics engine, including structured and unstructured customer feedback sources such as surveys, social, messaging, complaints and email. New digital data collection capabilities include a conversational feedback bot and embedded micro-journey surveys. 

Concentrix experience management services range from program management to strategic advisory services and are custom tailored to free clients’ internal teams to focus on transformational impact. Its CX experts specialize in quantitative and qualitative techniques, delivering data-driven insights through solutions such as survey design, relational loyalty research, CX journey analytics, digital channel optimization, customer segmentation, customer effort assessment and integrated CX analytics.

21. Escalent

Founded: 1975 2019 U.S. revenue: $97.1 million Percent change from 2018: -3.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $5.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 5.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $102.6 million U.S. employees: 352

Escalent is a human behavior and analytics firm specializing in industries facing disruption. The company transforms data and insights into an understanding of what drives human behavior, and it helps businesses turn those drivers into actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences and inspire product innovation. 

Escalent specializes in automotive and mobility, consumer and retail, energy, financial services, health, technology and telecommunications. Focusing on select industries allows Escalent to function as a trusted business partner who knows the challenges its clients face and understands how to engage their most valuable audiences. 

Escalent has three centers of excellence: Qualitative Research combines emerging technologies, anthropology and ethnography to tap into human insights that reveal real needs and potential; Marketing & Data Sciences combine survey, behavioral, transactional and third-party data to solve tough research challenges; and Insight Communities provides private, online platforms for brands to engage with groups of stakeholders to quickly and easily draw insights.

20. dunnhumby **

Founded: 2001 2019 U.S. revenue: $100 million Percent change from 2018: -3.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $335 million Percent from outside U.S.: 77% 2019 worldwide revenue: $435 million U.S. employees: 230

Dunnhumby is a customer science company that analyzes data and applies insights for almost 1 billion shoppers across the globe to create personalized customer experiences in digital, mobile and retail environments. Its strategic process, proprietary insights and multichannel media capabilities build loyalty with customers to drive competitive advantage and sustained growth for clients. Dunnhumby uses data and science to understand customers, then applies that insight to create personalized experiences that build lasting emotional connections with retailers and brands. It’s a strategy that demonstrates when companies know and treat their customers better than the competition, they earn more than their loyalty—they earn a competitive advantage.

Dunnhumby was established in the U.S. to help retailers and manufacturers put the customer at the heart of their business decisions. Analyzing data from millions of customers across the country, dunnhumby enables clients to use this insight to deliver a better shopping experiences and more relevant marketing to their customers.

By putting best customers at the center of every decision, dunnhumby’s approach delivers measurable value, competitive edge and even more customer data to fuel ongoing optimization, setting clients up for long-term success.

Dunnhumby serves a prestigious list of retailers and manufacturers in grocery, consumer goods, health, beauty, personal care, food service, apparel and advertising, among others. Clients include Tesco, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Macy’s and PepsiCo.

19. Informa Financial Intelligence**

Founded: 2016 2019 U.S. revenue: $107 million Percent change from 2018: 1.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $36 million Percent from outside U.S.: 25.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $143 million U.S. employees: 500

Informa Financial Intelligence is a leading provider of business intelligence, market research and expert analysis to the financial industry. The world’s top global financial institutions and banks look to Informa Financial Intelligence for its authority, precision and forward-focused analysis. 

Informa Financial Intelligence consists of key research, analysis and industry experts, such as Informa Research Services, EPFR Global, Informa Global Markets, iMoneyNet, Informa Investment Solutions, eBenchmarkers and Mapa Research.

Informa Financial Intelligence provides fund and wealth managers, traders, insurers, analysts, and investment and retail bankers with the intelligent advantage to make informed decisions, understand past trends, forecast future performance, drive profitability and increase returns.

Because of their strong background in the financial industry, the research teams of Informa Financial Intelligence are highly qualified to help financial institutions with their market research needs. Informa’s researchers are experts in benchmarking studies, competitive intelligence, new product development and usability testing, customer and member satisfaction and loyalty research, brand and advertising awareness research, and mystery shopping services for sales and service quality evaluation, legal and match pair testing, compliance, discrimination and misleading sales practices testing. Informa is considered a leader in the use of market research to limit the risk associated with allegations of discrimination, UDAAP (unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices), predatory lending and misleading sales practices.

18. NRC Health

Founded: 1991 2019 U.S. revenue: $113 million Percent change from 2018: 10.8% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $3.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 3.1% 2019 worldwide revenue: $128 million U.S. employees: 448

NRC Health (formerly National Research Corp.) has helped healthcare organizations illuminate and improve the moments that matter to patients, residents, physicians, nurses and staff for more than 38 years. The company offers performance measurement and improvement services to hospitals, healthcare systems, physicians, health plans, senior care organizations, home health agencies and other healthcare organizations. 

NRC Health solutions help organizations stay at the forefront of healthcare by understanding the totality of healthcare consumer and staff experiences. Primary solutions include: 

• Experience solutions capture personal experiences, while delivering insights to power a new benchmark: n=1. Developing a longitudinal profile of customers’ healthcare wants and needs allows for organizational improvement, increased provider and staff engagement, loyal relationships and personal well-being. 
• The Loyalty Index, composed of seven aspects that combine to provide a 360-degree view of healthcare consumer loyalty—a single, trackable metric to identify emerging trends in consumer behavior and benchmark against peers. 
• Market Insights is a large U.S. consumer database that gives partners access to the opinions of 310,000 healthcare consumers in 300 markets, and access to resources to better understand target audiences and gauge consumer response to communications.
• The Transparency solution calculates star ratings from existing patient, resident and family survey data, and publishes those ratings to organizations’ websites. 
• The Governance Institute supports the efforts of healthcare boards across the nation—to lead stronger organizations and build healthier communities. NRC Health partners with organizations to improve governance efficiency and effective decision-making by providing trusted, independent information, tools and resources to board members, executives and physician leaders. 

17. MaritzCX **

Founded: 1973 2019 U.S. revenue: $118 million Percent change from 2018: — 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $44 million Percent from outside U.S.: 27.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $162 million U.S. employees: 600

MaritzCX is a software and research company that focuses on customer experience management for big business. The company offers a unique combination of award-winning CX software, industry-leading data and research science, deep vertical market expertise and managed program services. MaritzCX provides a full-service professional CX approach designed to continuously improve the customer experience across an enterprise’s customers, employees, prospects and partners. 

MaritzCX’s research insights include its leading CXStandards competitive benchmarking research that delivers quarterly benchmarks for 55 CX categories across 16 industries. Its CXEvolution study of more than 10,000 practitioners’ feedback informed large enterprises of their CX gaps. 

The company’s focus is to leverage the MaritzCX platform, its industry-leading studies and research services to drive more meaningful experiences between its clients and their customers by adding product and research services and continued thought leadership in the CX market. In addition, MaritzCX has received CMS-certification for HCAHPS surveys, becoming the industry’s first CX platform company to offer an inclusive CX-based patient experience platform.

MaritzCX specializes in solutions for key industries, including automotive, financial services, retail, technology, B2B and more. Its global reach includes more than 900 full-time employees and 800-plus part-time or contract employees in 19 offices around the world. MaritzCX provides solutions to more than 500 clients and 1.6 million users who speak 72 languages in 100 countries. MaritzCX is committed to being its clients’ customer experience research partners.

In March 2020, InMoment acquired MaritzCX.

16. DRG (Decision Resources Group) **

Founded: 1990 2019 U.S. revenue: $140 million Percent change from 2018: 2.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $53 million Percent from outside U.S.: 27.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $193 million U.S. employees: 399

DRG, the Health Science & Analytics Division of Piramal Enterprises, is a global information and technology services company that provides proprietary data and solutions to the healthcare industry. DRG has brought together best-in-class companies to provide end-to-end solutions to complex challenges in healthcare. DRG reframes these challenges, enabling its customers to see the opportunities. Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical technology and managed care companies rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions critical to their success.

Framing the current status and future trends in target healthcare markets using data, primary research and secondary research is a core competency of DRG. Product offerings include high‐value analytics, syndicated research, proprietary databases, decision support tools and advisory services.

DRG has a number of key specialties, including syndicated research focused on new therapeutic opportunities; portfolio planning, changing industry dynamics and global treatment patterns; insights and data on physician and consumer healthcare e‐marketing; and proprietary databases and analytics covering more than 90% of the U.S. managed care markets. 

15. Wood Mackenzie **

Founded: 1973 2019 U.S. revenue: $150 million Percent change from 2018: 3.4% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $335 million Percent from outside U.S.: 69.1% 2019 worldwide revenue: $485 million U.S. employees: 337

Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk business, is a leading research and consultancy business for the global energy, chemicals, metals and mining industries. Wood Mackenzie launched in 1923 as a small, relatively unknown, Edinburgh, Scotland-based stockbroker. By the 1970s, it had become one of the top three stockbrokers in the UK, renowned for the quality of its equity research. 

Its success has always been underpinned by the clear and simple principle of providing trusted research and advice that would make a difference to clients. This was true when the first oil report was published by its equity analysts in 1973 and remains just as relevant to it today. So much so that, over the past four decades, Wood Mackenzie has drawn upon its heritage to create a global research and consultancy business that has grown alongside the needs of its clients. 

Having cultivated deep expertise in upstream oil and gas, Wood Mackenzie has carefully broadened its focus to deliver the same level of detailed insight for every interconnected sector of the energy, chemicals, metals and mining industries it now serves around the world. But heritage is more than just history. Its expert analysts and consultants have connected the company to some of the most significant events of our time—creating insight for governments, boards and CEOs who have helped shape the future direction of the world’s natural resources industries and their impact on society. 

14. Material *

Founded: 1973 2019 U.S. revenue: $166.7 million Percent change from 2018: 0.3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $57.9 million Percent from outside U.S.: 25.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $224.6 million U.S. employees: 1,038

In 2019, Material (under the name LRW Group) acquired five companies: Killer Visual Strategies, an award-winning visual communication agency based in Seattle; Greenberg Strategy, a Bay Area research and strategy consultancy with a strong presence in the tech community; Karma Agency, a strategic communications firm based in Philadelphia; Salt Branding, a Bay Area consultancy; and T3, an Austin, Texas-based digital marketing agency. This year, Material is taking steps to unify these companies under one brand, integrating their services and building a collaboration that will provide seamless, end-to-end marketing solutions for clients. This year, LRW Group rebranded as Material, formally integrating 10 companies into one modern, unified offering.

Material is a radical collaboration of the top research and analytics firms seamlessly paired with the most creative and strategic marketing agencies, all with the shared mission of igniting growth for the world’s top B2B and B2C brands, from Fortune 500 companies to disruptive start-ups. Material offers a full range of marketing services—from data analytics and insights, to consulting and strategy development, to customer experience programs and creative executions. Material employs a roster of 1,200 strategists, creators, technologists, designers, researchers and storytellers that work side-by-side with clients to solve modern-day problems, build customer loyalty and make an impact on the world around us.

Founded: 1969 2019 U.S. revenue: $173.7 million Percent change from 2018: 0.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $52.6 million Percent from outside U.S.: 23.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $226.3 million U.S. employees: 5,311

ICF is a global consulting services provider with more than 7,000 professionals focused on making big things possible for its commercial and government clients in the U.S., Europe and Asia. 

Clients work with ICF on issues that matter profoundly to their success, whether it’s a product or program that matters to the business or a social issue or policy that matters to the world. ICF offers comprehensive survey research services that empower clients to gain valuable and actionable insights on issues that matter. 

For more than 40 years, ICF has demonstrated design, methodological and statistical knowledge through the implementation of large and complex survey research projects. Its clients consist of U.S. federal, state and local agencies, universities, nonprofits and commercial organizations. 

Its survey research services include: 

• Analyzing, reporting and presenting findings.
• Conducting surveys through a variety of data collection methods. 
• Designing samples, data collection protocols and instruments.
• Protecting all processes and data through quality assurance and system security.

ICF recently completed the installation of a state-of-the-art, fully integrated and security-enhanced data collection system, allowing the company to securely and most efficiently collect survey research data across all modes. ICF continues to be dedicated to solving the world’s most complex challenges and tackle problems with ingenuity on issues that matter profoundly to its clients.

12. J.D. Power **

Founded: 1968 2019 U.S. revenue: $217 million Percent change from 2018: 3.3% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $113 million Percent from outside U.S.: 34.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $330 million U.S. employees: 744

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. Those capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. J.D. Power offers market research, forecasting, consulting, training and consumer surveys of product and service quality, customer satisfaction and buyer behavior. The company’s independent industry benchmark studies, innovative data and analytics products, and customized advisory services provide insights and help companies improve quality, engagement and business performance.

Annual syndicated studies are based on survey responses from millions of consumers and business customers worldwide. The firm does not review, judge or test products and services for its syndicated studies. It relies on the opinions and perspectives of consumers who have used the products and services being rated. 

J.D. Power is most often recognized for its work in the automotive industry, where its metrics have become the industry standard for measuring product quality and customer satisfaction. A team of associates worldwide conducts quality and customer satisfaction research across industries including automotive, financial services, insurance, telecommunications, travel, healthcare utilities and consumer electronics. 

11. Forrester Research Services **

Founded: 1983 2019 U.S. revenue: $233.7 million Percent change from 2018: 32.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $65 million Percent from outside U.S.: 21.8% 2019 worldwide revenue: $298.7 million U.S. employees: 525

Forrester Research Services is the research component of Forrester, one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. Forrester works with business and technology leaders to develop customer-obsessed strategies that drive growth. Its unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 675,000 consumers and business leaders worldwide, rigorous and objective methodologies, and the shared wisdom of its most innovative clients. 

Forrester’s research offerings consist of a library of cross-linked documents that interconnect its playbooks, reports, data, product rankings, best practices, evaluation tools and research archives. Research access is provided through role-based websites that facilitate client access to research and tools that are most relevant to their professional roles, including community tools that allow interaction between and among clients and analysts.

Forrester’s research and decision tools enable clients to better anticipate and capitalize on the disruptive forces affecting their businesses and organizations, providing insights and frameworks to drive growth in a complex and dynamic market. 

Founded: 1934 2019 U.S. revenue: $320 million Percent change from 2018: 3.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1,280 million Percent from outside U.S.: 80% 2019 worldwide revenue: $1,600 million U.S. employees: 860

GfK connects data and science. Innovative research solutions provide answers for key business questions around consumers, markets, brands and media—now and in the future. As a research and analytics partner, GfK promises its clients all over the world “Growth from knowledge.” 

The increasing speed of product innovation, the rise of new channels and emerging customer needs are all part of business today. GfK’s clients are businesses around the globe. To make the best possible business decisions every day, they need more than purely descriptive data—they require actionable recommendations based on advanced analytics and powered by leading-edge technology. GfK is in the unique position to leverage proprietary and third-party data to create indispensable predictive market and consumer insights and recommendations.

GfK’s industry focus provides its market researchers with a thorough understanding of business issues and questions specific to their concerns. Industries covered include automotive, consumer goods, fashion and lifestyle, media and entertainment, retail, technology, and travel and hospitality.

9. comScore * **

Founded: 1999 2019 U.S. revenue: $336.1 million Percent change from 2018: -6.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $52.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 13.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $388.6 million U.S. employees: 870

ComScore is a global information and analytics company that measures advertising, content and the consumer audiences of each across media platforms. ComScore creates its products using a global data platform that combines information on digital platforms (smartphones, tablets and computers), television and movie screens with demographics and other descriptive information. 

ComScore has developed proprietary data science that enables measurement of person-level and household-level audiences, removing duplicated viewing across devices and over time. This combination of data and methods enables a common standard for buyers and sellers to transact on advertising. This helps companies across the media ecosystem better understand and monetize their audiences and develop marketing plans and products to more efficiently and effectively reach those audiences. ComScore’s ability to unify behavioral and other descriptive data enables it to provide audience ratings, advertising verification and granular consumer segments that describe hundreds of millions of consumers. 

ComScore offers several solutions to help advertisers maximize cross-platform marketing effectiveness—be it measuring brand impact, viewability or ad and audience delivery validation—as well as power cross-platform advertising for better targeting and stronger advertising ROI. ComScore Advanced Audience segments go beyond age and gender to help advertisers better target consumers based on lifestyles, behaviors, demographics and interests. ComScore pioneered this concept in digital, local and national TV. 

8. The NPD Group

Founded: 1966 2019 U.S. revenue: $339.5 million Percent change from 2018: 8.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $104.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 23.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $444 million U.S. employees: 1,185

NPD’s global information and advisory services help the world’s leading brands achieve data-driven growth. NPD combines data, industry expertise and prescriptive analytics across more than 20 industries to help its clients measure markets, predict trends and improve performance.

NPD syndicated services include retail tracking, distributor tracking and consumer tracking. NPD offers weekly data, store-level enabled data for looking at geographies or custom store groupings and account-level information for participating retailers. Point-of-sale data is collected from more than 600,000 doors worldwide, plus e-commerce and mobile platforms. Consumer information is collected via online surveys and NPD’s Checkout service, which uses receipt harvesting to track and analyze purchasing and behavior. Prescriptive analytics include market forecasting, new product forecasting, pricing and promotion evaluation and segmentation. 

With deep expertise in more than 20 industries, NPD provides thought leadership to the C-suites of many of the world’s leading brands. Senior industry advisors are available for strategy sessions to guide long-range planning or address specific needs, such as preparing for earnings calls. Topics include industry and category performance, the state of retail and winning strategies of best-in-class companies.

7. Westat **

Founded: 1963 2019 U.S. revenue: $590 million Percent change from 2018: 3.5% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $7 million Percent from outside U.S.: 1.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $597 million U.S. employees: 1,900

Westat is a 100% employee-owned research and professional services company. Westat provides extensive survey design and operations capabilities in support of modern data collection from households, institutions, businesses and individuals. Westat applies multiple modes of data collection and survey management to achieve maximum response rates.

The company’s focus areas and capabilities include: 

• Statistical analysis and methodological research in survey design, experiments and testing, data science and analytics, statistical disclosure control and qualitative research.
• Program, process and outcome evaluation using diverse methodologies from design to implementation to guide each program to success.
• Health research, including behavioral and mental health, clinical studies and clinical trials, public and international health, healthcare delivery, patient safety and health communications campaigns.
• Social policy research and technical assistance for implementing innovative evaluation, quality improvement and service delivery systems.
• Education programs for supporting teachers, conducting evaluations and providing technical assistance.
• Transportation studies of travel behaviors, safety and human factors using advanced technologies such as instrumented vehicles and simulators, field observational studies, and online and mobile device-based surveys.

To support its research projects, Westat designs tailor-made approaches for clients as well as invests in many general and specialized IT technologies and products. Westat also provides licensing, training and support for Blaise, a major data collection software system produced by Statistics Netherlands and used internationally. 

Founded: 1975 2019 U.S. revenue: $682 million Percent change from 2018: 16.2% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1,685 million Percent from outside U.S.: 71.2% 2019 worldwide revenue: $2,367 million U.S. employees: 2,025

Ipsos, through its subsidiaries, engages in collecting, processing and delivering survey data for brands, companies and institutions primarily in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific. It explores market potential and market trends, tests products and advertising, helps clients build long-term relationships with customers, studies audiences and their perceptions of various media and measures public opinion trends. Ipsos offers advertising research services, including advertising tracking and brand equity evaluation services that help advertisers in the development, evaluation and improvement of their advertising efforts.

It also provides marketing research services that help clients to identify business opportunities and innovation platforms, develop strategies at point of sale, generate insights and ideas, develop and optimize their mix, and model and forecast sales volumes, as well as offers custom innovative products and solutions to address stakeholder experience and brand-building business goals.

In this unique year, Ipsos has remained strong and reaffirmed its ambition and sense of purpose to deliver reliable information for a true understanding of society, markets and people. Ipsos activates this vision for more than 5,000 customers through its presence in 90 markets both globally and locally. Ipsos covers the whole information production and analysis chain, from the collection of raw data to the activation of the insights. It has a solid tradition of innovation expressed by new methodological developments and continuously renewed product range.

5. Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) **

Founded: 1979 2019 U.S. revenue: $815 million Percent change from 2018: 1.9% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $510 million Percent from outside U.S.: 38.5% 2019 worldwide revenue: $1,325 million U.S. employees: 3,639

IRI is a leading provider of big data, predictive analytics and forward-looking insights that help consumer packaged goods, over-the-counter healthcare organizations, retailers, financial services and media companies grow their businesses. A confluence of major external events—a change in consumer buying habits, big data coming into its own, advanced analytics and personalized consumer activation—is leading to a seismic shift in drivers of success in all industries. With the largest repository of purchase, media, social, causal and loyalty data, all integrated on an on-demand, cloud-based technology platform, IRI is empowering the personalization revolution, helping to guide its more than 5,000 clients around the world in their quest to remain relentlessly relevant, capture market share, connect with consumers, collaborate with key constituents and deliver market-leading growth.

In 2019, IRI announced the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into its leading suite of analytics solutions, retained 100% of its major CPG clients and welcomed new strategic partnerships with top retailers in the U.S. IRI added several innovators to its leadership team while continuing to invest in its employees by providing ongoing training. 

4. Kantar **

Founded: 1993 2019 U.S. revenue: $950 million Percent change from 2018: 2.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2,900 million Percent from outside U.S.: 75.3% 2019 worldwide revenue: $3,850 million U.S. employees: 3,585

Kantar is one of the world’s largest data, insights and consulting companies, bringing together some of the world’s leading research, data and insights expertise. Kantar’s offer covers the breadth of techniques and technologies, from purchase and media data to predicting long-term trends; from neuroscience to exit polls; from large-scale quantitative studies to qualitative research, incorporating ethnography and semiotics. 

In April 2019, all services and offerings of the various Kantar companies were combined under the Kantar brand name. This operational change enables Kantar to build platforms and offers on a global scale and to remove barriers to collaboration and co-creation within the organization to better meet clients’ needs. 

As part of this branding strategy, Kantar launched several initiatives:

• Kantar Marketplace, a global on-demand research and insights store.
• Kantar’s new Brand Guidance System that intelligently integrates validated survey measures with social, search, sales media and behavioral data to provide actionable insights to optimize brand or campaign performance.
• Integration of big data, artificial intelligence and analytical capabilities from across the company into one resource that unlocks deeper insights to fuel growth.

3. Gartner Research **

Founded: 1972 2019 U.S. revenue: $1,800 million Percent change from 2018: 4.7% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $1,474.5 million Percent from outside U.S.: 45% 2019 worldwide revenue: $3,274.5 million U.S. employees: 4,500

Gartner Research delivers independent, objective advice to leaders across an enterprise through subscription services that include on-demand access to published research content, data and benchmarks, and direct access to a network of approximately 2,300 research experts located around the globe. Gartner Research is the fundamental building block for all Gartner products and services. It combines its proprietary research methodologies with extensive industry and academic relationships to create Gartner products and services that address each role across an enterprise. Gartner’s research agenda is defined by clients’ needs, focusing on the critical issues, opportunities and challenges they face every day. Its proprietary research content, presented in the form of reports, briefings, updates and related tools, is delivered directly to the client’s desktop via its website or product-specific portals.

Within the research segment, Global Technology Sales sells products and services to users and providers of technology, while Global Business Sales sells products and services to all other functional leaders, such as supply chain, marketing, human resources, finance, legal and sales. 

2. IQVIA * **

Founded: 2016 2019 U.S. revenue: $2,220 million Percent change from 2018: 8.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2,166 million Percent from outside U.S.: 49.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $4,386 million U.S. employees: 6,000

IQVIA is a global provider of information, innovative technology solutions and contract research services focused on helping healthcare clients find better solutions for patients. Formed through the 2016 merger of Quintiles and IMS Health, IQVIA applies human data science—leveraging the analytic rigor and clarity of data science to the ever-expanding scope of human science—to enable companies to reimagine and develop new approaches to clinical development and commercialization, speed innovation and accelerate improvements in healthcare outcomes. 

IQVIA has three operating segments: Technology & Analytics Solutions, Research & Development Solutions and Contract Sales & Medical Solutions. Powered by the IQVIA CORE, IQVIA delivers unique and actionable insights at the intersection of large-scale analytics, transformative technology and extensive domain expertise, as well as execution capabilities to help biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, medical researchers, government agencies, payers and other healthcare stakeholders tap into a deeper understanding of diseases, human behaviors and scientific advances, in an effort to advance their path toward cures.

IQVIA has one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of healthcare information in the world, which includes more than 800 million comprehensive, longitudinal, non-identified patient records spanning sales, prescription and promotional data, medical claims, electronic medical records, genomics and social media. Its scaled and growing information set contains more than 35 petabytes of proprietary data sourced from more than 150,000 data suppliers and covering more than 1 million data feeds globally. Based on this data, IQVIA delivers information and insights on more than 85% of the world’s pharmaceuticals, helping its clients run their organizations more efficiently and make better decisions to improve their clinical, commercial and financial performance. 

1. Nielsen **

Founded: 1923 2019 U.S. revenue: $3,875 million Percent change from 2018: 1.6% 2019 non-U.S. revenue: $2,623 million Percent from outside U.S.: 40.4% 2019 worldwide revenue: $6,498 million U.S. employees: 10,300

Nielsen is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides a complete and trusted view of consumers and markets worldwide. Nielsen is divided into two business units: Nielsen Global Media and Nielsen Global Connect. 

Nielsen Global Media provides media and advertising clients with unbiased and reliable metrics that create the shared understanding of the industry required for markets to function, enabling its clients to grow and succeed across the $600 billion global advertising market. Nielsen Global Media helps clients define exactly who they want to reach and optimize the outcomes they can achieve. The company’s cross-platform measurement strategy brings together the best of TV and digital measurement to ensure a more functional marketplace for the industry.

Nielsen Global Connect provides consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers with accurate, actionable information and a complete picture of the complex and changing marketplace that brands need to innovate and grow their businesses. Nielsen Global Connect provides data and builds tools that use predictive models to turn observations in the marketplace into business decisions and winning solutions. The business’ data and insights, combined with its open, cloud-native measurement and analytics platform that democratizes the power of data, continue to provide an essential foundation that makes markets possible in the rapidly evolving world of commerce. With Nielsen Global Connect’s set of guiding truths, businesses have the tools to create new opportunities.

* ‘% change’ calculation reflects adjustment of previously reported 2018 U.S. research revenue due to acquisition or divestiture activity or other business change during 2019.

** Some or all figures are not made available by this company so instead are based on research and estimation by the report author.

Diane Bowers is a consultant to research and data analytics businesses and industry associations in the U.S. and internationally. She previously served as the president of CASRO, board chair of the Global Research Business Network, a board member of the Americas Research Industry Alliance and a board member of The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University. She is also a past president of the Market Research Council and the Research Industry Coalition, and a long-time member of American Association for Public Opinion Research, AMA and ESOMAR.

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Top 17 market research companies in the United States (US) 

5. pollfish, 6. ascendant consulting firm, 8. ready to launch research, 9. antedote, 10. b2b international, 13. nielsen, 15.  forrester research services, 16. momentive, 17. veridata insights.

Your company can’t navigate the constantly changing marketplace without understanding business landscapes, consumer needs, or buying habits. Market analysis is key to how you find and capitalize on market trends before your competitors do. You can start by outlining research goals and needs. But let’s be real, making data-driven decisions is a whole lot easier with top market research firms by your side. 

The right market research agencies, platforms and companies do more than just surveys to offer actionable insights so you can make smarter decisions for business growth. They make consumer research easy with strategic zero-party data collection, comprehensive data analysis, and intelligent insights. 

If you’re tired of searching through market research companies in the United States, this article leads you straight to the best ones out there.

Here’s a quick rundown of the top US market research companies:

Looking to dive deep into the minds of your target audience? Sign up for a demo to see how Attest makes it effortless to gain consumer insights from 125 million consumers across the globe. 

Attest is one of the top market research companies in the US. This consumer research platform lets you collect data from 125 million diverse respondents in 59 countries. You can use Attest to do market research for branding , consumer profiling, market analysis, and much more! 

Every Attest customer has access to expert research advice from their in-house Customer Research Team. Whether you’re new to research and need some guidance, or a research pro looking for a second pair of eyes on your market research project, Attest’s Customer Research Team is here for you.

Besides speedy surveys and quick responses, this platform features an intuitive results dashboard that turns data into mesmerizing stories. You can also send surveys on a recurring basis to spot changes in responses or compare data from two groups. Plus, expert advice is only a click away when you aren’t sure about choosing market research tools or reaching market research goals.

Attest has been really instrumental in driving home the reality of the consumer need, and surfacing that it is much harder to get a younger demographic to engage with pensions. Georgie Burks , Head of Brand Marketing, Penfold

Trustpilot relied on the Attest market analysis solution to research consumer attitudes among marketers and engage them in eight key markets. Here’s what they think about the value Attest brings.

We were thinking about how businesses could look within their reviews and understand what was important to their consumers, but we didn’t actually know what the most important things consumers cared about were. So we decided the best way to find out was just to ask consumers themselves. Gillian Harris , Global Marketing Program Manager, Trustpilot

Location: London

Founded: 2015

Pricing: Pricing on request

Best for: 

• Market analysis: unlocks new market opportunities
• Brand tracking: measures brand health and performance
• Creative testing: validates the creative impact of ad campaigns
• Consumer profiling: dives deep into existing and future customers
• New product development: tests product ideas or marketing messages with your target market

Get reliable consumer insights fast with Attest

With Attest you get high-speed insights, so you can make informed decisions when they matter. And you get designated research advice from the experts in the Customer Research Team—they’re with you at every step of your research journey!

Bixa is a market research studio specializing in mobile youth research and custom UX research services. Their qualitative and qualitative research offerings are best for those trying to validate new markets, gather product feedback, or understand the target audience better. 

They make marketing research a breeze by completing the entire cycle of participant recruitment to report delivery in three to four weeks. Besides conducting customer surveys, user testing, and mobile ethnography, Bixa also offers market research consulting for companies looking to jumpstart their product and marketing research.

Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Founded: 2012

Pricing: Available on request

• In-depth interviews
• Product research
• Hyper-profitable targeting
• Customer surveys
• Usability testing
• Website and app review
• Team coaching

Suzy is a leading qualitative market research software with iterative research capabilities. Its end-to-end consumer insights platform offers qualitative insights into complex research questions. The best part is that you can get real-time data from Suzy’s proprietary audience of one million consumers. On the other hand, Attest offers a larger audience in more countries, making it ideal for those with market research campaigns spanning the globe. In addition, Attest provides designated advice from experienced researchers for all customers.

Suzy offers qualitative research solutions such as product development, advertising, shopper and behavioral insights, and tracking and measurement. Industries ranging from finance to media use Suzy to improve business performance through qualitative studies.

Location: New York

Founded: 2017

• Concept testing
• Competitive analysis
• Consumer profiling
• Positioning strategy
• Shopper and category insights
• Tracking research services
• UX design research

Remesh is one of the top market research firms in New York City. They offer artificial intelligence-driven research solutions to companies looking to streamline qualitative and quantitative insight discovery. This marketing research firm makes it easy for companies or governments to speak to thousands of customers or citizens at the same time. Then it analyzes interactions and opinions to offer key insights. 

Market researchers use Remesh to get actionable feedback on product ideas, messaging, and packaging from online focus groups. You can also use their online surveys to improve employee listening and boost corporate reputation. 

Founded: 2013

• Packaging testing
• Civic engagement
• Consumer insights
• Collective intelligence
• Employee engagement
• Shelf placement testing
• Product issue identification
• Employee experience and engagement

Pollfish is a modern survey research platform that uses artificial intelligence to help you create surveys in seconds. This DIY market research company helps you gain real-time insights from over 250 million consumers worldwide. The platform also comes loaded with cutting-edge technology capabilities for dynamic sampling and random device engagement.

Attest is a great alternative to Pollfish for conducting primary market research. Attest’s platform detects bad-quality responses that contain non-relevant, incomplete, and conflicting answers. Additionally, Attest is much easier to use and provides advice from experienced researchers.

Pricing: Starts at $95

• Brand awareness
• Brand perceptions
• Advertising testing
• Logo testing
• Brand diagnostics
• Product concept testing

Ascendant Consulting Firm is one of the best in the marketing research industry. They specialize in competitive intelligence, consumer insights, and market feasibility services. With 95+ years of collective experience in market research analysis, they help you make data-driven business decisions for business expansion, market entry, and assessments. 

The team at Ascendant is also adept at advanced quantitative analytics suitable for financial and strategic marketing analyses. Other key capabilities include full service market research, survey design, and secondary data research. 

Location: Miami

Founded: 2010

• White label research
• Product market research
• Market opportunity evaluation
• Survey reporting and analysis
• Employee experience and satisfaction research
• Consumer attitude, usage, and trends research

Isurus offers bespoke market research services to B2B and technology companies. This market research company leverages multiple statistical analysis tools to help you gain a 360° understanding of markets and decision-makers. Moreover, they also make it effortless for you to evaluate competitors for competitive advantage or validate market opportunities. 

Business software, manufacturing, and financial services companies rely on Isurus to keep a pulse on what customers want and find the right pricing strategies. The team at Isurus can also help you with brand tracking and creative performance testing. They specialize in quantitative, qualitative, international, and secondary research.

Location: Burlington

Founded: 2000

• Persona analysis
• Competitor profiling 
• Pricing strategy research
• Brand perception research
• Market segmentation research
• Customer satisfaction analysis
• Market assessment and planning
• Brand audit, tracking, and management

Ready to Launch Research is a California-based market research agency that serves a wide variety of industries with qualitative, quantitative, and digital research strategies. Whether you want to quantify consumer behavior or get qualitative consumer journey insights, they have the expertise to handle all your needs.

They leverage the following research methods to get you the insights you need.

• Creative testing
• Online discussions
• Home use test (HUT)
• Focus group moderation

Ready to Launch Research serves many dynamic industries ranging from pet to education to consumer electronics. Once you reach out to them with research requirements, they’ll get in touch to know more details and design the research process.  

Location: Los Angeles

Founded: 2014

• Ethnography
• Focus group discussions
• Advertising research
• Online communities research services

Antedote is an innovation consultancy that delivers strategic market research insights by combining data science, in-depth research, and next-generation digital tools. What makes them different is their ability to use different qualitative and quantitative research tools instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. 

The team at Antedote helps you uncover insights in various areas such as user research, cultural research, and scenario planning. You can also partner with them for creating innovation roadmaps or concept development and visualization. Antedote’s plug-and-play approach means you have an agile and collaborative team that makes problem-solving easy with guidelines and blueprints. 

Location: San Francisco

• Brand positioning
• Concept crafting
• Demand space segmentation
• Internal engagement programs
• Price and proposition optimization
• Product and portfolio development
• Workshop design and facilitation

B2B International by Merkle is one the largest market research agencies in London , with several locations in the United States. This market research company serves B2B companies looking to gather business insights and intelligence. They can help you with customer loyalty testing, pricing effectiveness, and market size analysis. 

B2B International also specializes in delivering research services for go-to-market strategy, customer journey mapping, and voice-of-customer surveys. Their experience of working across different industries ranging from chemicals to media to logistics makes them uniquely qualified for B2B market research. 

Location: London (with offices in Boston, Chicago and New York)

Founded: 1998

• Market sizing research
• Customer journey research
• Thought leadership research
• Product and proposition research
• Customer research and segmentation

Ipsos is one of the top market research companies trusted by top brands and companies across the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Besides market strategy and innovation services, Ipsos also offers marketing management analytics, brand health tracking, and advisory services. 

With tailored market research solutions for every need, Ipsos helps you optimize brand positioning, discover shopper journeys, and understand consumers. The team can also help you with product testing, package research, and creative idea assessment. Other services include brand health tracking, employee engagement research, and channel performance optimization. 

Location: Paris (with locations in New York)

Founded: 1975

• Mystery shopping
• Brand health research
• User experience study
• Innovation and forecasting
• Social intelligence analysis 
• Creative development and assessment

Dynata is a first-party data platform that helps you gather and analyze business intelligence for efficient decision-making. Their platform streamlines the entire research workflow so you can focus more on insights. Dynata lets you ask questions to their proprietary 67 million consumers and visualize those responses effortlessly. 

The Dynata insights platform lets you build surveys for concept testing, creative testing, and ad-hoc market research. Other research services include market segmentation, brand health monitoring, campaign measurement, and voice of the customer surveys. With real-time dashboards and research reports, Dynata makes it easy for you to gain useful data insights. 

Location: Plano, Texas

Founded: 1940

• Survey authoring
• Digital ethnography
• Online research panel
• Online qualitative research
• Data analytics and reporting
• Brand performance tracking

Nielsen is a global data, analytics, and audience measurement company that offers bespoke research solutions to help you discover audience intelligence across channels and platforms. This market research company divides its services into four core categories:

• Media planning
• Content metadata
• Marketing optimization
• Audience measurement

Audience measurement is all about using quantitative and qualitative research to discover shifting habits of audiences. Media planning, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive understanding of competitive intelligence, audience segmentation, and scenario planning. Marketing optimization research services help you analyze and boost campaign performance. Finally, content metadata improves customer experience with easy audio and video content discovery.

Founded: 1923

• Scenario planning
• Competitive intelligence
• Audience segmentation
• Cross-platform audience measurement
• Marketing campaign performance analysis

Westat is a 100% employee-owned market research company that delivers superior quantitative and qualitative research services in transportation, health, social policy, and education. They specialize in survey research, statistical sciences, and providing technical assistance. 

Westat’s expertise in integrated data collection strategies helps them create focus groups, run web surveys, and create questionnaires for finding the right data. Plus, they use a research-driven communications framework to engage audiences effortlessly. They also use machine learning and artificial intelligence-assisted interviewing systems to solve your research challenges. 

Location: Rockville

Founded: 1963

• Custom research
• Clinical trials
• Survey and analytical needs
• Biomedical science research
• Behavioral health and health policy research

Forrester Research Services is the market research wing of the global research and advisory firm Forrester. Their customer-obsessed approach helps companies turn their strategic research needs into reality. They currently offer market research services to companies in technology, sales, B2B marketing, product, B2C marketing, customer experience, and digital business space. 

Forrester offers research services in the following domains:

• Sales operations optimization
• Marketing strategy formulation
• Competitive market intelligence
• Product lifecycle process research
• Corporate communications strategy
• Integrated campaign strategy planning
• Business change management strategy
• Customer insights collection and analysis
• Customer acquisition and retention research
• Route-to-market configuration and optimization
• Account-based marketing and demand generation research 

Location: Cambridge

Founded: 1983

• Public sector research
• Sales and product management 
• Customer experience analysis
• Digital business transformation
• B2B and B2C marketing research

Momentive is an artificial intelligence-powered market research platform that helps you gather on-demand customer and market feedback for actionable insights. This market research company is known for its agile experience management solution that lets you better understand markets, competitors, or even internal teams.

Their purpose-built market insights solutions offer you actionable insights from consumer panels. You can also decode buyer attitudes, understand consumer segments, and monitor buyer preferences. Mometive’s AI solutions also make it easy for you to conduct customer experience research, track product experience, and transform employee engagement. 

Location: San Mateo

Founded: 1999

• Market sizing
• Idea screening
• Industry tracking
• Shopper insights
• Customer effort score
• Mobile app experience 
• Customer segmentation
• Post-purchase experience
• Product and price optimization
• Custom market research services
• Employee engagement and retention

Veridata Insights is another top-rated market research company with recruitment capabilities to serve 100+ countries. Whether you want to analyze complex data with quantitative methodologies or need qualitative insights, they can help you with it all. 

The team at Veridata Insights strives to deliver stress-free, budget-friendly, and timely research services that keep you ahead of the competition. Apart from their proprietary technology and global reach, they’re known for data quality and panel strength. They can also help you gather business intelligence with data processing and easy-to-understand dashboards. 

Location: Dallas

Founded: 2019

• Consumer research
• Online data collection
• Survey programming
• B2B audience research
• Dashboards and analytics

Break into your US target market with Attest

Choosing the right agency isn’t easy, especially with so many players in the market research industry. Businesses often struggle with finding one that delivers accurate and valuable insights while simplifying their findings. Plus, the biggest challenge is targeting the right audience that matters to your business. 

Attest solves all these problems by letting you handpick the target audience you want to reach. You can use filters and quotas to filter the most appropriate audience from 125 million people in 59 countries. Moreover, the platform empowers you to run surveys that bring in results in days instead of weeks. With hybrid research and a three-layer data quality check, you’ll never have any nonsense answers. And you also get to interact with the data, thanks to the interactive dashboard. 

Ready to transform your business with easy-to-access consumer insights? Sign up for a dem o to see how Attest can be your ally in conducting market research effortlessly.

Make decisions based on reliable consumer insighs

Insights with Attest are triple-checked for data quality, so you know that you’re making smart decisions based on data you can trust.

Nikos Nikolaidis

Senior Customer Research Manager 

Nikos joined Attest in 2019, with a strong background in psychology and market research. As part of Customer Research Team, Nikos focuses on helping brands uncover insights to achieve their objectives and open new opportunities for growth.

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20 Top Market Research Companies (2024)

Self-serve market research tools are helpful when you need answers fast. But a market research company can be a great asset when you want data on a more personalized or granular level.

The data collected by a top market research firm can help you optimize your product marketing, communications strategy, customer experience, online user experience, and more.

From completely bespoke services to expert reporting on the topics that matter most to your audience, these are 20 of the best consumer and business-to-business market research companies.

Ipsos is a market research company that connects businesses with online communities.

When you work with Ipsos, you'll be matched with a community of people that share traits with your ideal customers. These similarities help you figure out what your ideal customer or user may respond well to.

Ipsos’ wide range of services covers multiple industries, including retail, healthcare, transportation, politics, and automotive.

With Ipsos, you can do things such as:

• Assemble custom panels of consumers
• Record interviews and mystery shopper journeys that document retail experiences
• View reports about key consumer insights and demographics
• Run brand, packaging, and product testing
• Conduct message testing for public affairs projects
• Develop studies measuring the quality of healthcare and patient satisfaction
• Engage in public opinion polling

You can also work with an Ipsos strategist to get further insights about your market.

Ipsos recruits its panel and community members through a variety of advertising channels, and participants aren’t paid for their involvement. Instead, members receive points they can later redeem for prizes.

Because Ipsos services are so customizable, you’ll need to get in touch with the Ipsos team to discuss your needs and receive a price quote.

2. Edelman DXI

Edelman Data & Intelligence (DXI) provides its customers with insights related to their target markets, customer behaviors, and broader economic trends .

The company is part of the Edelman global communications firm. By working with their DXI unit, you can get help with:

• Social listening and analysis
• Competitive market analysis
• Content auditing
• Paid media planning
• Risk forecasting
• Workforce analytics

Edelman DXI has offices throughout the world, so they can provide insights across a wide variety of global markets and audiences.

Because Edelman DXI services will be unique to each client, you’ll need to get in touch with the company to learn more about how much it will cost to become a client.

3. Exploding Topics

Exploding Topics is an alternative to traditional market research firms.

Rather than relying on a small panel sample or audience group selected by a firm, you can glean insights from what might be the world’s largest repository of consumer wants, needs, and insights: the internet.

First, we use artificial intelligence (AI) to listen to conversations happening across:

• News outlets
• Social networks

Next, our data analysis experts use this information to help identify the top market trends, topics, brands, and technologies that interest consumers and businesses today.

We enter these findings into our searchable database—and use it as the basis for insightful, actionable reports that break down the top trends you need to know about right now.

Our data stretches back 15 years and covers over 40 industries. Plus, it’s updated every day—so you always have fresh insights to work with.

Whether you rely on our reports or prefer to search the database yourself, you can use Exploding Topics data to support your:

• Entry into new markets
• Product development
• New marketing strategies
• Startup investing
• Competitor acquisition
• New business formation

You can access some of our trend data and reports for free right now. For complete access to every Exploding Topics data point and report—including our Meta Trends feature that shows how trends intersect—you’ll need a paid Exploding Topics Pro plan.

It’s just $1 for the first two weeks of your Exploding Topics Pro membership, and as little as $39 per month (billed annually) after that.

Gartner ’s market research services overlap with those offered by Ipsos, but cover a few additional industries including education, energy, and finance.

As a Gartner customer, you can:

• Review prepared reports
• Engage in personalized consulting services
• Attend industry events

The data gleaned from these reports and activities can help your company enhance its internal business operations as well as improve consumer-facing products or campaigns. Gartner’s information can be useful for:

• Understanding how to best position your brand
• Improving project strategy development and decisions
• Estimating tech lifecycles and improving corporate purchasing
• Evaluating your top market competitors
• Developing a more sustainable business strategy
• Determining how AI may impact your business
• Preparing for economic changes
• Improving your company’s market share

Some of Gartner’s reports are available for free on their website, so you can get a taste of what the company offers. If it seems like the right fit for your needs, you’ll need to get in touch with the Gartner team to get a price quote.

5. IMS Marketing

IMS is a full-service marketing agency—but they offer a market research arm to help B2B clients better understand how to position their brand and products.

Their customized services can help with:

• Understanding customer feedback
• Testing the feasibility of a new product or market
• Analyzing the competitor landscape
• Creating market segments
• Researching new audience groups
• Identifying and improving brand perception
• Pinpointing gaps in existing or prior research attempts

IMS Marketing is like Edelman DXI in that its services are entirely bespoke—the company doesn’t offer prepared reports like Gartner or Exploding Topics.

You can only become an IMS client after meeting with the company and allowing them to get a full understanding of your business, market, and objectives. Prospective clients can take the first step by getting in touch with IMS to set up a consultation.

6. Forrester

Forrester is a market research firm that provides insights for business, government, and technology operations.

While B2C businesses can use Forrester, a lot of the firm's data is especially valuable for B2B markets.

You can use Forrester insights to:

• Explore what business customers need and want
• Develop your tech stack to keep pace with competitors
• Prepare for supply chain and development challenges
• Review prepared sales strategy templates
• Discover competitor weaknesses

Forrester offers advisory services and access to data-rich reports, so you can choose whether you’d like to take a more self-directed approach or have hands-on help.

A single Forrester report may cost $1,000 or more, and advisory services are custom quoted based on your needs. Anyone interested in working with Forrester directly will need to get in touch with their sales team to discuss options.

Kantar offers market research services for a range of B2C industries, including consumer packaged goods (CPG), fashion, hospitality, retail, and technology.

Kantar’s research solutions include:

• The collection of qualitative consumer data in over 80 global markets
• Customized research surveys with panels prepared from a network of over 150 million respondents
• The development of healthcare professional and patient panels
• Expert survey design

The company also offers Kantar Marketplace, a do-it-yourself market research platform that lets users guide their own data collection and analysis efforts.

Marketplace access is available on either a pay-per-use plan or with an annual commitment starting at $50,000.

You can’t sign up on the Kantar website, though—for access to Marketplace as well as bespoke Kantar research services, you’ll need to get in touch with their sales team.

8. Bellomy Market Intelligence

Bellomy Market Intelligence is a consulting firm that works with retail, healthcare, financial, technology, energy, and consumer goods businesses.

Like several of the other market research firms on this list, Bellomy offers its clients access to panels of consumers that meet relevant B2B or B2C audience criteria.

You can then use these panels to:

• Run quick polls with rapid response times
• Host open-ended discussions to collect feedback
• Create ongoing focus forums for asynchronous discussions
• Watch as a Bellomy moderator leads members of your panel in an online chat
• Conduct one-on-one, in-depth interviews
• Track consumer behaviors and motivations with repeated daily online surveys
• Host in-person focus groups and retail events to collect data

Bellomy then uses AI tools to help its clients glean insights from qualitative and quantitative research results.

As with many other market research groups, you’ll need to get in touch with Bellomy to learn more about its available services and prices.

Campos is a market research firm focused on branding, product development, and customer experience data.

Campos works with corporations and public institutions seeking a rebrand. Its services overlap with those provided by IMS and Bellomy, and include:

• Product pricing research
• Consumer segmentation and analysis
• Demand forecasting
• Focus group creation
• In-depth interviews for customer journey mapping
• In-store observations

Unlike many research firms that conduct most of their analysis online—such as through video interviews and web-based simulations—Campos specializes in face-to-face analysis.

The company maintains a research center in Pittsburgh, where they're able to:

• Assemble and interview large panels
• Host software usability testing sessions
• Create model stores and homes for interaction testing
• Run mock jury simulations

Campos clients may watch the studies in action through two-way mirrors or view a live stream of research activities. The firm can also arrange for similar in-person experiences at partner locations around the U.S.

Campos services are based on scope and need, so you'll need to get in touch with the firm if you're interested in working with them.

10. Matrix Sciences

Matrix Sciences is a research and testing firm for agriculture and food brands.

The company's research arm conducts studies to discover consumer opinions around food products. They deliver a mix of quantitative and qualitative data through processes like:

• In-home product usage analysis
• Whole-household evaluations and interviews
• Panel discussions and interviews about food products or ideas
• Studies around how product packaging stands out in stores

Matrix Sciences also maintains a panel of expert sensory researchers who provide research and feedback around how a food item may be perceived. This process considers a product's:

• Visual appearance

Like Campos, much of Matrix Science's research happens in-person. The firm maintains 14 testing locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Prospective customers must get in touch with the company to discuss tests, options, and pricing.

Knit is an AI-powered research platform that quickly delivers panel data and analysis to clients.

You can use the tool to conduct qualitative and quantitative research. Tell Knit what you need, and the platform will assemble a panel from their database of over five million consumers.

Knit panelists range from 13 to 65 years old and are verified as real through a process involving both video and AI-generated questions.

Panelists can answer questions via video or survey form, depending on how the Knit study is set up.

You won't have to watch hours and hours of video, though. Knit uses GPT-4 to analyze these recordings and create:

• Video summaries
• Quick takeaways
• Key theme summaries
• Highlight reels

The platform also includes an AI research assistant that can answer questions about the data you get from Knit.

YouGov is a public opinion polling service.

The company offers opinion polling data for free on its website. These free data sets cover public opinion on topics related to:

• Business and economy
• Digital technology and media
• Entertainment, arts, and culture
• Health and science
• International affairs
• Politics and current affairs
• Travel and transport

You can dig down into each area of interest to learn about people's thoughts on specific people, brands, events, and more.

YouGov also provides data about survey respondents' habits. For example, they provide data on Americans' typical hours of sleep per night:

The ability to sift through all of YouGov's collected polling data may be enough for some users. If not, the company offers self-serve surveys, prepared surveys, and even custom research solutions for paying customers.

By working with YouGov, you can survey 26 million panelists living in 55 markets.

Because the company offers several bespoke solutions in addition to its free data, you'll need to set up a call with YouGov to learn more about options and pricing.

13. Fieldwork

Fieldwork is a qualitative market research firm offering solutions for focus groups.

You can engage Fieldwork to run a consumer focus group at their facilities throughout the U.S., your office, or another location around the world. Online focus groups are also an option for Fieldwork customers.

Fieldwork's support for medical and legal testing sets them apart from some other market research firms on this list. The company maintains permanent and portable medical simulation labs, and can also support:

• Medical device testing for FDA approval
• Medical device usability testing
• Mock jury research
• Trial simulations

If you're interested in working with Fieldwork to run a focus group, you'll need to submit a request for proposal through the company's website.

14. Kadence

Kadence is an international marketing and scientific research firm.

The company offers research services that can help you:

• Better understand customer preferences
• Improve market segmentation
• Plan the best way to enter a key market
• Streamline retail shopping experiences
• Evaluate how well marketing assets resonate with customers
• Assess brand metrics
• Find new market opportunities

Kadence conducts their research in several ways, including through:

• In-person focus groups
• Phone interviews
• Online communities
• In-person testing

They even offer sensory research and testing that's guided by neuroscience. This includes measuring eye movements and brain states when evaluating the reaction to a marketing campaign.

Kadence maintains offices in 13 countries. If you're interested in working with the Kadence team, you'll need to get in touch to request a price quote.

15. Second to None

Second to None provides mystery shopping services and conducts customer experience research.

You can work with the firm to conduct primary market research campaigns. These include:

• Customer surveys
• Brand reputation research
• Online community feedback
• Online and in-person mystery shopping

Second to None offers solutions for both B2C and B2B brands in a variety of industries including:

• Foodservice
• Financial service
• Consumer products and services
• Retail sales

Like many of its competitors, Second to None doesn't publish its pricing online. If you think the company's services are the right fit for your brand, you'll need to request an initial consultation with the firm.

16. Civicom

Civicom is a market research services group offering online and offline options.

The company can facilitate a variety of market research projects, including:

• Online focus groups
• Recorded in-person panels
• Mock jury trials
• Usability testing
• Hybrid online and in-person focus groups

Civicom also offers its own AI-powered report generation tool called Quillit. Civicom's clients can use Quillit to create summaries, produce research reports, and format documents. The tool is GDPR and HIPAA compliant, too.

The company's ability to conduct hybrid focus group sessions is notable—if you aren't sure what kind of market research work you need, Civicom is a good place to start.

You'll need to call, email, or chat with Civicom team members online to learn more about options and pricing.

17. Cascade Insights

Cascade Insights is a custom market research firm for B2B technology companies.

Cascade Insights works with companies that produce a product or service related to:

• Generative AI
• Cybersecurity
• Internet of Things (IoT) devices
• Computer hardware
• IT infrastructure

You can work with Cascade Insights to learn more about your ideal B2B customer through several types of market research services including:

• Customer experience research
• Product research
• B2B marketing and sales enablement research

Unlike some of its competitors, Cascade Insights continues to support its customers beyond the handoff of research findings. Every report comes with a plan for implementing the firm's findings.

The company also provides additional optional consulting and support services including strategy mentorship, marketing audits, and done-for-you marketing content.

If you're interested in working with Cascade Insights, you'll need to get in touch with the company to request a consultation and price quote based on your market research goals.

18. C+R Research

C+R Research is a qualitative and quantitative market firm delivering customer insights.

The firm serves a variety of consumer companies, including those focused on:

• Food and beverage
• Consumer packaged goods (CPG)
• Consumer equipment
• Financial services
• Media and telecom

The company provides support for their clients through qualitative, quantitative, and agile research services including:

• Advertising tests
• Package tests
• Pricing analysis
• Customer satisfaction surveys
• Research panels and focus groups
• Online discussions
• In-depth interviews

C+R Research can also provide support for audience segmentation, customer journey mapping, and workshop facilitation.

If you're part of a consumer-focused brand and are interested in C+R Research services, you'll need to contact the firm to schedule a consultation.

Radius is a data science company focused on consumer research.

The company conducts more than one million quantitative surveys and 3,000 qualitative research sessions every year across 60+ countries. Radius conducts different types of research, including:

• Choice-based analysis
• Targetable segmentation
• Perceptual mind mapping
• Maximum difference scaling (MaxDiff)

The company applies these different techniques to research activities like:

• Retail shopping analysis
• Virtual and augmented reality experiences
• Ideation workshops
• Consumer chats
• Immersive insight sessions

Radius also says that it develops projects using a customized mix of non-traditional approaches—so if you've found it difficult to get the right research for your brand, Radius is worth a closer look.

To learn more about the company's techniques and methods, you'll need to contact the Radius team and schedule an initial meeting.

20. Corona Insights

Corona Insights is a bespoke market research services firm.

Like Cascade Insights, Corona works with its clients to develop a complete plan of action. This may entail:

• Identification of research needs
• Development of a research plan
• Execution of market research activities
• Review of findings
• Development of action plans

The company's primary and secondary data research services are broad, and include:

• Scientific surveys
• Online and in-person focus groups
• Statistical analysis
• Observational research
• Journey mapping
• Literature reviews
• User experience (UX) testing
• Econometrics

The company offers multilingual research, too. Coupled with the breadth of options, this makes Corona Insights a good fit for many companies across different industries and regions.

Potential clients must contact Corona Insights via their website to learn more about market research costs and services.

If you want a custom research solution, it's best to explore working with a market research consulting firm like Ipsos, Kantar, Corona Insights, or Radius.

For more self-directed or self-paced market analysis , tools like Exploding Topics and Knit might be a better fit.

Make sure that the tool you choose has the industry data, panelist profiles, or research approach you need to get the most accurate data for your company. With insights from the right market research agency, you'll be able to accurately and effectively improve strategy, product development, and more.

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These Are the World’s 10 Largest Market Research Companies

This article is included in these additional categories: brand-related | business of marketing | industries | market research | marketing budgets | top brands.

In fact, the US accounts for more than half of Nielsen’s global revenues. Research released earlier this year [pdf] by the AMA revealed that Nielsen’s US revenues totaled more than $3.6 billion, or around 57% of its global revenues.

Next on the list of the largest companies globally is Kantar, which generated roughly $3.85 billion in revenues last year. To put Nielsen’s size in context, Kantar’s global revenues were only slightly more than Nielsen’s US total.

Like Nielsen, Kantar’s home country is the UK, though it does the bulk of its business (80.8%) outside of the UK. Kantar is third on the list of US research companies, though, sitting behind QuintilesIMS, a healthcare-focused company.

QuintilesIMS – formed through a merger last year of Quintiles and IMS Health – is a US-based company. It ranks third globally ($3.3 billion), actually deriving the majority (59%) of its revenues outside the US.

Its followed in the global rankings by Ipsos (#4; $1.96 billion) and GfK (#5; $1.68 billion). Those companies sit 5th and 7th, respectively, on the list of top firms by US revenues.

Rounding out the top 10 globally are:

• IRI (US): $1.027 billion;
• Westat (US): $511.5 million;
• Wood MacKenzie (UK): $442.8 million;
• INTAGE Holdings Inc. (Japan): $441.6 million; and
• Dunnhumby (UK): $429 million.

It’s worth noting that the list does not include comScore (#10 on the list last year), for which financial statements were not available. It also excludes Rentrak, which merged with comScore early last year, and J.D. Power, which did not disclose its financial information. The AMA notes that these companies together represent upwards of $750 million in annual revenues.

Fastest-Growing Companies

There were few major moves within the top 25, with no company improving by more than 3 spots this year. New additions included BVA (#16), Mintel (#18), and NRC Health (#23).

Some companies enjoyed faster growth rates than others, though.

Among the top 10, #8 Wood MacKenzie sported the highest growth, of 21.4%, followed by #9 INTAGE, which grew by 17.5%.

QuintilesIMS – the third-largest company – experienced double-digit growth of 13%, while Nielsen and Kantar had more modest rises (2.2% and 3.7%, respectively).

Among the top 25, all but 7 grew revenues last year, with none declining by more than 3.1%. The aggregate growth rate for the top 25 global market research companies was 4.6% (3.3% when adjusted for inflation), to $22.5 billion.

US CMOs Put the Brakes on Marketing Research Spending?

Separately, the latest iteration of The CMO Survey indicates that US CMOs will increase their spending on marketing research and intelligence by 3.4% over the next year.

While that’s a solid level of planned growth, it’s down from the 5.3% forecast earlier this year by CMOs.

In this latest survey, expected growth in marketing research and intelligence investments were highest for:

• B2B Services companies (4.9%) and B2B Product companies (4.6%); as well as
• Companies in the CPG (6.8%) and Banking/Finance/Insurance (6.6%) sectors.

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18 US market research companies for leading consumer insights

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When it comes to understanding modern American consumers, guesswork just won’t cut it. With transformative changes affecting the way we shop, behave, and consume media, it’s no secret that in-depth consumer research should be at the heart of every strategic marketing, product, or business decision you make. 

There are a myriad of US market research companies out there armed with customer insight platforms, smart research tools, and AI-powered features that give you the answers you need. But which is best for reaching your US target audiences? Whose data can you trust? With so much choice, it can be tough to figure out which market research company is the right fit for your business needs. 

To help you make that decision (‘cause we’re nice like that), we’ve put together a no-nonsense rundown of the best market research companies for US consumer insights right now, outlining the specialist areas and key use cases you might consider them for. Grab a hot drink and settle in. 

Oh – and if you’re interested in the best market research companies in the UK , we’ve got a shortlist of those worth skimming through too. 

How to choose the right US market research company

It sounds obvious, but every US market research company is different. The type of consumer data they collect, and how they deliver it to you really varies. So before you commit to a research partner, think carefully about the kind of support you need – and crucially, how quickly you need it. Start by asking these six questions:

• Do they know about your audience? 
• Do they have expertise in your industry/category, with a proven track record of success?
• Do they conduct the right kind of research to answer your questions, with a sound and trusted methodology? 
• Are they transparent about how they collect and analyze data to ensure quality?
• Do they have the capacity to provide fast results, with regular client communication?
• Most importantly, will they understand your long-term goals and add value to your business?

If you can answer “yes” to each of these questions, you’re on the right track to finding the perfect partner. But if you want more guidance on how to drive research forward, here’s our list of the leading US market research companies worth considering, in no particular order. Well, except for us – obviously.

Top 18 US market research companies worth considering

It would be crazy if we put together a comparison piece on US market research companies and didn’t mention our very own AI-enhanced, on-demand consumer research platform . So let’s start there.

GWI is modernized consumer research, with an intuitive platform that instantly puts high-impact US consumer research at your fingertips.

Location: New York, USA (with additional offices in the UK, Greece, Czech Republic, and Singapore)

Specialisms: Every business has questions about its audiences; GWI has the answers. Get a window into your target audience’s world, on demand, with our easy-to-use consumer research platform. Our GWI USA data set covers an 80K+ annual sample, representing the views, behaviors, and interests of 250 million US consumers in all 50 States. Need to go beyond the US? Delve into our global flagship survey representing nearly 3 billion consumers in 50+ markets worldwide.

Understand today’s diverse Americans in seconds, with deep psychographic consumer insight spanning key topics like social media, mental health, DE&I, and attitudes toward brands. And if you need fast answers on something really specific? Ask your US audiences any question you like with our custom research solutions.

Use cases include: 

• Marketing strategy ( ad targeting , brand health tracking, content marketing, and media planning)
• Revenue growth (media ad sales, winning pitches and retaining key clients)
• Product development (product expansion, improvements, and partnership and collaboration opportunities)
• Competitive advantage (market differentiation, market sizing/expansion, and sponsorship opportunities)

If time’s of the essence, why not try our free interactive demo right now?

2. MRI-Simmons

A long-standing provider of US consumer insights, collected through address-based probabilistic sampling, and online and in-person interviews.

Location: New York, USA

Specialisms: MRI-Simmons offers a complete view of the American consumer – providing consumer research via a national study, print studies into magazine ad readership, and focus studies for deeper insight into emerging tech and cultural trends. Data is based on a representative sample of over 50K+ US consumers in 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), with surveys conducted twice a year. 

Use cases include:

• Audience profiling
• Market sizing
• Media planning

An integrated, AI-driven enterprise platform combining “quant, qual, and high quality audiences” into a connected research cloud.

Specialisms: Using AI to drive research, Suzy has three main product offerings – Suzy Insights, Suzy Live, and Suzy Audiences – and offers real-time customer insights delivered with “agency-quality rigor”. Pulling data from an active, engaged community (via surveys, interviews, and focus groups), its platform helps teams understand US consumers, explore purchase journeys, validate ideas, optimize marketing assets, and more.

Use cases include:  

• Concept testing
• Product development

AI-powered market intelligence that solves critical questions in the decision-making process, and helps drive sustainable growth.

Location: Nuremberg, Germany (with additional global offices)

Specialisms : GfK “drives growth from knowledge” by providing a holistic view of US consumers’ buying behavior and the dynamics impacting markets, brands, and media trends. With particular expertise in consumer and shopper intelligence, Gfk’s research methods include surveys, point-of-sale data analysis, and wider market monitoring. It also offers strategic consultancy to help businesses make great decisions.

• Competitive advantage
• Market segmentation

A global media leader specializing in TV, video, and radio audience and data analytics.

Location: New York, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms: Nielsen is a powerhouse of market intelligence, “connecting clients to audiences, growth and new opportunities”. It explores nuanced consumer behavior, preferences, and market dynamics to give media brands an edge. You may be familiar with Nielsen ratings – its renowned audience measurement system for TV viewership – which have been a deciding factor in many shows being renewed or canceled over the years.

And in case you didn’t know – GWI has an ongoing Fusion partnership with Nielsen that delivers advanced media insights and analytics to our customers. A pretty solid choice of market research partner, if you ask us.

• Ad targeting
• Media planning 

A business intelligence and market research company that helps clients “drive data-backed business decisions that enhance customers’ lives.”

Location: Virginia, USA

Specialisms: Bixa gives businesses a springboard to sustainable growth by helping them “build meaningful connections” with customers. It shares targeted business intelligence for a deeper understanding of US audiences, market dynamics, and emerging trends. Ultimately, it helps businesses with strategic decision-making. Data derives from diverse sources including surveys, consumer feedback, and in-depth industry analysis. 

• Brand health tracking
• Market expansion

7. Morning Consult

A real-time “decision intelligence” and custom research tool, powered by consumer opinion polling.

Location: Washington, D.C., USA

Specialisms: Morning Consult provides timely consumer opinions and market insights, alongside current economic data and political trends.  Daily surveys and insights give businesses the agility they need to pivot strategies quickly and effectively. Analyzing niche audiences and underserved buyers in 100+ countries (including the US), it’s also useful for identifying new market opportunities.

• Political risk analysis

Equipping clients with market intelligence tools to help them make “smarter decisions, faster and more consistently across markets”.

Specialisms: Ipsos is a global market research company that sources consumer data from surveys, behavioral analysis, and social listening. With specialist insight into the lifestyles, media habits, and purchase behavior of financially-successful Americans (via its Affluent Survey), it also pays particular attention to public opinion. This helps brands tune in to changing market trends and benchmark how well they’re received by consumers.

• Digital marketing strategy
• Sentiment tracking

An AI-driven “knowledge management” tool that helps enterprises keep pace and make fast decisions through predictive analytics.

Location: Minnesota, USA

Specialisms: Putting AI at the heart of market research, Lucy “exists to amaze, delight, and empower people with knowledge”. Generating US insights via machine learning algorithms, it rapidly analyzes a blend of large data sets, social media interactions, and consumer behaviors. Lucy is trusted by 18+ Fortune 1000 companies to deliver advanced analysis at speed – saving time while boosting organizational productivity. 

• Trend forecasting

10. Comscore

Leading digital audience insights and media performance analysis, that helps businesses generate more ROI from their advertising.

Location: Virginia, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms: Sharing real-time US consumer insights on media consumption, Comscore provides effective digital marketing and advertising solutions across several veins (including TV and advertising). Using its robust, reliable suite of tools, clients can explore demographics to understand American audiences, then optimize ad targeting and wider marketing strategies for better engagement and return on investment.

11. Kantar Marketplace

A market research company offering relevant, robust data about global and local audiences in an increasingly connected world.

Locations: New York, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms: Kantar serves industry-leading consumer insights across TV, radio, print, and digital – all unpacked in its Target Group Index (TGI) survey. Based on a representative 700K+ sample across 50 markets, data is collected online and through offline consumer panels. Analyzing attitudes, behaviors, media consumption, and brand/product use, Kantar promises “decision-quality insights in as little as a few hours.” 

12. 1+1 Research

A full-service fieldwork company supplying tailored market research solutions to companies across the globe.

Specialisms:   1+1 Research provides bespoke market research services for its clients, such as consumer opinion mining and sentiment analysis. Depending on a company’s needs, US consumer data can be collected through focus groups, online surveys, industry analysis, and CATI (computer-assisted phone interviews) among other methodologies – ideal for those with unique industry requirements who need a bit more flexibility.

• Brand strategy
• Custom research

13. Gartner

Expert market research company that delivers practical solutions for fast, informed decision-making and measurable impact.

Location: Connecticut, USA (with additional global offices)

Specialisms : Gartner is a global name in market research for good reason. Its on-demand diagnostics, insights, frameworks, rankings, and benchmarking tools help businesses work smarter, not harder to get ahead of modern Americans in the digital world. Valuable insights are sourced from a mix of market analysis, surveys, and expert consultations, and outline the impact of new technology on US businesses and consumers alike. 

Use cases: 

• Customer experience

A real-time consumer intelligence platform that helps clients figure out what matters to their online audiences, fast.

Specialisms: Subscription-based Toluna Start offers automated solutions that put market research into its clients’ hands. Collating US survey data from a global community of engaged consumers, its platform users get a dynamic view of digital preferences and behaviors to help them validate their strategies and implement feedback in a real-world environment.

• Marketing strategy

15. Statista

A global data and business intelligence platform aggregating statistics, market research reports, and key insights on over 80,000 topics.

Specialisms: Statista is a household name for timely US market and consumer insights, designed to “empower people with data” on key topics such as the economy, military, and population. Solutions include analysis of behavior and media usage (via Consumer Insights) and trend forecasting (via Market Insights). Data coverage also extends globally, with a representative 1.7M+ sample across 56 countries.

• Content marketing
• Winning pitches and retaining clients

16. SIS International Research

A full-service consulting firm supplying market intelligence and consumer research solutions to businesses worldwide.

Specialisms: SIS is a US market research company with specialist experience across various industries, including B2B, supply chain, and healthcare market research. It sources data and strategic insights from a global network of field researchers, alongside consumer surveys and interviews. SIS helps businesses benchmark against competitors and create tailored strategies for success – even as market dynamics change.

17.  Forrester Research

A US market research company that helps global organizations excel with technology and deliver on consumers’ changing demands.

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Specialisms: Combining traditional, in-house market research with a modern, tech-driven mindset, Forrester Research offers deep consumer insights along with recommendations for tech adoption strategies. It takes data from consumer surveys and expert market assessments, with findings analyzed by its team of experts. Clients benefit from clear results and a deeper understanding of nuanced consumer behavior in their industry.

• Market differentiation

18. Resonate

US market research and consumer intelligence experts, offering AI-powered consumer data and predictive insights. 

Specialisms: Resonate operates through “rAI”, its unique AI consumer intelligence model that gives clients a holistic view of their US audiences. Blending online behavioral data with surveys, psychographics, and real-time consumer interactions, it takes an in-depth look at what makes Americans unique, and the “why” behind what they do. Ideal for crafting highly targeted, effective marketing strategies backed by granular insight.

[H2] Those are our top market research recommendations, now it’s over to you

Nineteen US market research companies, with nineteen different ways to tackle US consumer research. Hopefully you’ve come away from this blog with a clearer idea of exactly what you need from a research partner, and who you can trust to get the job done. We’ll leave you to digest.

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Market Research Companies

Market research is crucial for any business. It helps start-ups create awareness for their product or service, and boosts profits of established brands. It’s no wonder then that there are so many market research companies out there, all claiming they can deliver valuable and accurate information. How to choose the right one? We got you covered. Read on to learn which are the best companies in the business, how we ranked them and don’t forget to check out our useful tips that will take you to the best market research partner for your venture.

Company Size

Undisclosed

Hourly Rate

Min. Project Size

10 Leading Market Research Firms

Usman Group

Market Research

Digital Strategy

United States, Colorado, Denver

Bastion db5

Marketing Strategy

BI & Big Data Consulting & SI

United States, California, Los Angeles

Fresh Squeezed Ideas

Business Consulting

Canada, Toronto

Brilliant Experience

Application Testing

United States, Maryland, Bethesda

United States, Virginia, Alexandria

Key Lime Interactive

UI/UX Design

United States, Florida, Doral

Conifer Research

United States, Illinois, Chicago

Namebase Brand Naming

United States, Connecticut, Fairfield County

United States, California, San Diego

Madison Taylor Marketing

Content Marketing

Advertising

United States, Colorado, Greenwood Village

How We Ranked Market Research Companies

To provide you with the most accurate and detailed selection of companies for market research, we knuckled down and performed some solid research of our own. These are the methodologies we used to narrow down and curate our list of top research partners.

Market Research Types, Services and Specialities

Before we delve into the different types of market research types and services, it’s important to make a distinction of market research vs. marketing research.

While market research is based on investigating markets, i.e. customers, consumers, distribution, etc., marketing research is concerned with investigating issues related to marketing, including consumer behavior, advertising, and everything contained within market research.

That said, market research agencies differ in many ways. Some focus on one type of research or industry, while others offer a broader range of services to a larger client base. Market research is an industry where versatility is key. While providing a specialized service can be beneficial, we looked out for companies that offer a more comprehensive selection of resources to tackle any type of market research.

While we did not discount companies that offer specialized services or cater to a niche market (pharmaceutical market research companies are one such example), we did use this information to classify the different types of market research and the categories they fall in.

Moving on to the types of market research, there are four main categories, depending on the purpose they ultimately serve.

Awareness – This is the process of letting the market know that the product or service exists. The top market research companies will do this through a variety of methods such as awareness, attitude and usage research, public relations research, and advertising research, among others. All these can ultimately help the client discover various market opportunities and tap into them effectively.

Targeting – The process of identifying the target segments with the highest profit potential. This is done through market segmentation, positioning/branding research, and industry & competitive analysis.

Retention – This is the process of optimizing the marketing messaging, offer, and/or price that will close the sale. The best market research companies accomplish this through customer satisfaction and loyalty research, customer communication testing, usability testing, and customer experience and insights.

Acquisition – The process of generating repeat purchases from current customers through concept testing, product optimization, pricing research, advertising research, and usability testing.

Case Studies & Portfolio

We take a look at the company’s previous work during our ranking process. We ask the firms under consideration how they have helped past clients achieve results and provide solutions to their marketing efforts. If the research company is reputable, they should have plenty of examples of their previous work and point you to clients whose goals align with what you are trying to achieve. We also look for past customers we can speak to directly and learn more about their first-hand experiences with the agency.

Company's Reputation

In addition to learning about the past work and experiences of research companies, we also want to know what their customers are saying. We check on reviews and testimonials online to see if there is any notable feedback. While positive feedback is considered a plus, we also look at any negative experiences customers may have had.

While no company can make everyone happy all the time, we want to see if they know how to handle negative feedback and if/how any issues and incidences were resolved. With this information, we can establish the company's level of customer satisfaction, their depth of expertise, and their experience. Only market intelligence companies with a proven track record made our list.

Data Collection Methods

We look for companies that use multiple methods to conduct research and achieve results. That said, data collection methods are typically categorized in two ways, as described below.

Primary Research

Primary research is original research conducted by a person or market research company. The aim is to collect data specifically for your current objective and comes in two forms.

Qualitative research

This research is exploratory in nature and typically includes data collection methods like surveys, questionnaires, uninterrupted observation, one-on-one interviews, ethnographic participation, alongside experiments, and field trials to gather data.

Quantitative research

This type of research looks to quantify a problem by collecting data. This usually happens through different market research methods which include focus groups, audits, in-depth interviews, points of purchase, and more.

Secondary Research

Secondary research involves searching for existing data that has already been collected by other parties. In some cases, this might also include other market research companies. This data can be available in the following ways:

Public domain data – This refers to material and information owned by the public, not an individual. These works are not protected by intellectual property laws and can be accessed and used by anyone without special permission. These are usually free, useful resources from organizations like government departments, public libraries, etc., and as such, are easily accessible for research agencies.

Commercial sources – These are highly valuable sources available to the public, but usually at a cost like subscription and association fees. This includes research made available by organizations like trade associations, banks, financial institutions, or publicly traded corporations.

Internal sources – Internal sources are market research sources that already exist and are collected in the business's database or file system. Internal sources include information that has already been collected and stored by the market research company for future use.

We believe that the more resources a firm has access to, the higher the guarantee on data integrity. We present ourselves as a prospective client to find out about the firm's on-site facilities and resources. Our purpose is to verify to what extent they outsource their services and whether they partner with reputable companies.

For instance, an on-site call center means that the agency can monitor all fieldwork and quality checks sufficiently. This means that the same firm that is handling your project is conducting the actual research activities. The top market research firms should feature all the required services to conduct research and manage projects.

Technology has changed the market research industry in various ways, not in the least in terms of advanced data collection and subsequent analysis. Any top market research firm worth its salt should make use of the latest suite of technology, including all digital methodologies like online panels, online focus groups, and mobile ethnography. These online methodologies have many advantages, including convenience and cost.

Custom Study Design Capabilities

We look for industry research companies that will offer expert advice on the best approach and methodologies for your unique project. We give better rankings to those that are willing to create a custom solution for your needs and objectives. The best in the business will take the time to build a custom research project for every client. Top companies also know that no one method is superior, but rather, will apply multiple tools and data sets to achieve repeatable results that their clients can act upon.

Data Quality

The findings are only as good as the methods, data, and processes used. We look for consumer research companies that make sure they use high-quality data. The agency should be adept at screening unwanted respondents and spot those likely to cheat surveys. They should also be skilled at devising concise, efficient, easy to follow surveys, and limit bias. Comprehensive and unbiased surveys translate into higher-quality findings. With this information, you can then find potential problems and alter your product or service to better suit your customers.

Communication

Whether verbal or written, communication is key for any sort of collaboration and the market research industry is no exception. In the most basic sense, market research firms must be able to communicate with the research subjects regardless of medium effectively. What's more, the company must be able to present the findings to its clients in a well-documented, informative, actionable, and visually appealing report.

Project Management & Reporting Process

We look to make sure that the top research companies we ranked have proven processes to source data, gather information, and create insights. The firm must look beyond the data by drawing conclusions and putting the results into the context of the client's situation. We speak to past clients and ask for sample reports to determine which companies deliver results that contain real value and insight for your business.

While we strive to include the best market research firms, that usually doesn’t mean the cheapest or the most expensive. We make sure that they fall within the industry standards in terms of pricing. In the case of higher fees, we look at the firm’s approach to market research and estimate whether it presents a good value for the larger investment.

Things to Consider When Hiring a Market Research Company

We’ve done the research for you and have provided you with our ranking criteria and methodology. Our work, however, doesn’t end here. We’ve also listed some useful tips to guide you through the final selection and hiring process of your future market research partner.

Define your Goals and Challenges

When on the lookout for a market research firm, defining your goals, objectives, and challenges from the start will help you understand your research needs and choose the best company to help you achieve this and eliminate any unsuitable ones.

Consider Agencies Specialized in Your Industry & Size

Looking at a company's experience and expertise in your industry is vital to understanding your product, your goals, as well as challenges. For example, if your business is in the healthcare sector, it would make sense to only consider medical market research companies, rather than hire a jack of all trades.

On that note, consider your organization’s size as well. Smaller businesses may want to approach small agencies that offer customized services on tighter budgets. If your business, however, needs a broader range of services, a small vendor might not be up to snuff. If that is the case, consider one of the largest market research companies, as these may be a better fit for your needs.

Consider if the Agency is a Cultural Fit

No two companies are the same, even if they offer similar services or target the same industry. Ultimately, when choosing a market research partner, you must find one that is a good cultural fit. Chances are you will be forming a long-term partnership with the research company, so its values, culture, and ethos need to be compatible with yours.

Define Your Budget

Ask each company to provide you with a proposal, highlighting the kind of research they would suggest, estimated timelines and costs, and examples of past projects. With this information, you can determine a more specific budget and eliminate the vendors that fall outside of it. That said, you shouldn't choose a partner based on cost alone as cutting corners might ultimately undermine the accuracy and usefulness of the results. Instead, you should focus on market research companies that understand your needs and objectives, and can meet them within your budget frame.

Nature’s 10

Ten people who helped shape science in 2021

15 DECEMBER 2021

Credit: Elena Galofaro Bansh

An Omicron investigator, a Mars explorer and an AI ethics pioneer are some of the people behind the year’s big research stories.

The Nature’s 10 list explores key developments in science this year and some of the people who played important parts in these milestones. Along with their colleagues, these individuals helped to make amazing discoveries and brought attention to crucial issues. Nature’s 10 is not an award or a ranking. The selection is compiled by Nature’s editors to highlight key events in science through the compelling stories of those involved.

Credit: Erich Bartlebaugh/BuzzFeed New​s/eyevine

Winnie Byanyima: Vaccine warrior

This UN leader knew that vaccine equity wouldn’t happen without a fight.

By Amy Maxmen

Before vaccines for COVID-19 even existed, Winnie Byanyima knew that distributing them equitably would be a challenge. In early 2020, she was one of the few voices warning that low- and middle-income countries could not rely on donations alone to vaccinate their people. The only way to get life-saving shots to everyone, she argued, would be by helping as many companies as possible to manufacture them and by setting up systems of distribution to get them where they’re needed.

That hasn’t happened. Companies that developed coronavirus vaccines, such as Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna, have held on tightly to the intellectual-property (IP) rights, and wealthy countries have snapped up most doses. Several nations are now distributing booster shots, whereas only about 6% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose. Byanyima expected this disparity because of her experience with the AIDS epidemic. In the early 2000s, life-saving drugs existed but were largely unavailable in her home country of Uganda.

She finds the profit models for some drugs and vaccines infuriating. “This idea that you can sell a life-saving health technology the way you sell a luxury handbag is not normal,” says Byanyima, who leads UNAIDS, the United Nations agency heading the effort to end AIDS around the world. “We shouldn’t normalize it, we shouldn’t respect it and we should call it what it is: immoral, greedy and wrong.” Byanyima co-founded the advocacy group the People’s Vaccine Alliance to change that way of thinking. Its strategy has been to enlist powerful leaders by presenting them with carefully tailored arguments that highlight how supporting vaccine equity will further their own goals. “Governments are not saints, but they respond to people’s demands.”

This May, Byanyima and her colleagues celebrated an unexpected victory when the United States — historically a strident patent defender — threw its weight behind a proposal from South Africa and India to waive the IP protections surrounding COVID-19 vaccines in the hope of bolstering manufacturing capacity.

There is still much work to be done. Several countries and the European Union remain opposed to such a waiver, and the companies that own the IP have rejected requests to license their vaccine technologies and share the knowledge needed to produce them. The corporations defend their actions by saying that waivers would not change the situation and would undermine innovation.

Byanyima disagrees, and her frank statements on this and other matters of inequity have won her many admirers. “Some people will say inequality is bad,” says John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “But when Winnie talks about it, you feel there is a fire in her that comes from within.”

Byanyima says it was this thirst for justice that caused her to leave her career in aeronautical engineering soon after the overthrow of Uganda’s former authoritarian president Idi Amin. In 1981, she joined a guerilla movement fighting to restore democracy and human rights to Uganda. They prevailed, and by 1994, she was elected to Uganda’s parliament. She was appointed head of UNAIDS in 2019, where she is putting equity at the centre of the programme’s work around the world. Global-health-policy researcher Matthew Kavanagh took leave from a position at Georgetown University in Washington DC, to work for Byanyima because of the way she targets underlying inequalities that foster the spread of HIV. The same goes for COVID-19: “Winnie drove the conversation on vaccine equity, starting way before vaccines existed, and others have raced to catch up,” Kavanagh says.

Byanyima is working to ensure that the fruits of science change lives. “Without political decisions to reduce inequality,” she says, “we can’t get anywhere.”

Credit: Joakim Stahl/SvD/TT/Alamy

Friederike Otto: Weather detective

As heatwaves, floods and droughts multiply, this researcher assesses whether humans bear some blame.

By Quirin Schiermeier

Friederike Otto has spent the past seven years studying extreme weather events, but even she was shocked when an extraordinary heatwave hit Canada and the US Pacific Northwest in July, shattering temperature records and killing hundreds of people.

Whenever extreme weather strikes these days, people immediately wonder whether climate change is to blame. This is exactly the kind of question that Otto and her collaborators in the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group try to answer quickly . Otto set up a video call with the WWA team and they planned a speedy research study. The team pored over meteorological data to gauge how big the heatwave was, studied climate records for the region and ran computer models to find out how much more likely this kind of heatwave has become, relative to a hypothetical world without climate change. The result: it would have been all but impossible for a heatwave of that magnitude to have happened in the region without human-induced climate change.

“Temperature records were broken by 5 °C in some places,” Otto says. “That’s immense.”

Otto, a climate researcher at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment in London, helped to set up the WWA in 2015 with the aim of rapidly analysing whether climate change plays a part in extreme heat, cold, downpours, drought and wildfire activity. She chairs the ad hoc group, which includes about a dozen climate modellers and statisticians.

Aside from the American Northwest heatwave this year, she and the group analysed the role of climate change in the devastating floods in July in Germany and Belgium, an April ‘cold wave’ in France, and the persistent drought in Madagascar.

Otto earnt her PhD in the philosophy of science before turning to physics, and eventually to climate science. Like many researchers, she is sincerely worried about the impacts of climate change. “I’m into justice,” she says. “And climate change is one of the biggest threats to justice.”

Until a few years ago, scientists would have been hard pressed to answer with certainty whether climate change is to blame for specific extremes, and how much more (or less) likely they have become. Many scientists viewed attribution studies critically when the WWA made its first attempts to analyse extreme events — using just one or two climate models without evaluating whether these were able to reliably simulate the extreme in question.

This has changed entirely. Otto and her team — including her former co-chair, the Dutch climate modeller Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, who died this year after a long illness — have developed a strategy that uses climate simulations from as many as 50 models. This approach and the studies generated are now widely viewed as highly robust; they feature prominently in a report issued in August by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scientific committee established by the United Nations. It is now an “established fact”, the panel said, that rising greenhouse-gas emissions have made some weather extremes — in particular, extreme heat — more frequent and more intense . Its report came out shortly before the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the global climate-change treaty , held last month in Glasgow, UK.

Attribution studies are more difficult in the global south, where reliable climate data are often lacking , and where local research capacities are limited. But these are some of the places most at risk from climate change and the extreme weather that it can spark. Otto hopes that lower-income countries will be able to strengthen their research in these areas in coming years, with support from wealthier countries.

“Attribution studies are really essential in terms of understanding human impacts of climate change,” says Emily Boyd, a social scientist at Lund University in Sweden who studies climate adaptation and governance. “The science is shifting our mindsets — it allows us to think about the relation between climate and vulnerability in a completely new way.”

Together with Boyd and legal scholars, Otto will study how vulnerable groups and countries might be able to capitalize on attribution studies. “The science”, says Boyd, “has every potential to drive government action and promote climate justice.”

Credit: Sun Zifa/CNSphoto

Zhang Rongqiao: Mars explorer

This engineer leads China’s first successful Mars mission, which reached the planet this year and landed a rover on its surface.

By Smriti Mallapaty

On 15 May, Zhang Rongqiao wiped tears from his eyes as China’s Mars rover landed safely on the planet’s sandy, auburn plains . “I was so overwhelmed,” says Zhang, who coordinated the mission.

The touchdown marked the conclusion of a 475-million-kilometre journey full of peril for Zhang and the China National Space Administration, which had never before sent a successful mission to Mars.

The landing, says Zhang, gave him a taste of the old Chinese saying — it takes ten years to sharpen a good sword. China is only the second nation, after the United States, to place a rover on Mars, which is notorious for crushing the hopes of space agencies; nearly half of all missions to the planet have ended in failure.

China’s team faced many unknowns in what Zhang calls “such a strange and complex environment”. As chief designer, he is responsible for coordinating a team of tens of thousands who built and operate the Mars mission, named Tianwen-1. The project consists of an orbiter, a lander and the rover, called Zhurong. “The buck stops with him,” says David Flannery, an astrobiologist at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.

The mission was one of three to arrive at Mars in 2021 — the others were NASA’s Perseverance rover and an orbiter delivered by the United Arab Emirates . The success of China’s mission has made a national hero of Zhang, who has appeared numerous times on state media, but rarely talks to the press outside China. He responded to Nature ’s questions by e-mail.

Science took a back seat to Tianwen-1’s primary goal, which was to develop and demonstrate China’s prowess in deep-space missions that travel beyond the Moon. But Zhang says that getting rich and high-quality information from Mars was a key consideration of the design. And researchers say that the data generated by the rover’s six scientific instruments, and another seven on the orbiter, will contribute to a better understanding of a previously unexplored patch of the planet.

Born in 1966 in the town of Anling, eastern China, Zhang studied engineering at Xidian University in Xi’an. He later completed a master’s degree at the Chinese Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, and has worked on Earth-observation satellites.

Lu Pan, a planetary scientist at the University of Copenhagen, says that Zhang probably played a key part in the CNSA’s decision to send an orbiter, lander and rover to Mars in one shipment — making China the first country to do so. Researchers also say that Zhang considered their input on the choice of instruments and landing site, which will help to ensure that the mission generates as much research as possible.

“He encouraged scientists to participate in the mission to get more scientific output,” says Wenzhe Fa, a planetary scientist at Peking University, Beijing, who is analysing radar data from the Mars mission.

Launched on 23 July 2020, Tianwen-1 arrived at the red planet in February, and dropped the lander and rover in May. The spacecraft settled on a vast impact crater named Utopia Planitia — selected mainly because it is flat and a relatively safe place to land. Since then, the rover has travelled more than 1,200 metres south, taking panoramic images as well as selfies that have been widely shared online.

In mid-September, Zhurong went into hibernation because the Sun got in the way of communications between Mars and the Earth, but it returned to work in late October. It is now heading towards a region that might once have been the coastline of an ancient ocean, where researchers will search for clues about the evolution of Mars.

The mission has produced limited science so far, but data collected by some instruments on the rover and orbiter have been shared with more than two dozen teams across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, says Fa, and results are seeping out. They expect to learn insights about the geology of the Utopia Planitia region and the fate of water on the planet.

For China’s deep-space missions to take a big leap scientifically, the country will need to refocus towards advancing research rather than chiefly demonstrating engineering. That switch has already happened with China’s lunar missions, says Pan. “These processes take time.”

The real research riches for China, says Flannery, will come later — with the next round of planetary missions. China plans to launch sample-return missions to the asteroid Kamoʻoalewa in 2024, and to Mars before 2030. And it has its sights set on Jupiter, too.

Tianwen-1 has also given China’s nascent field of planetary science a boost, say researchers.

“A new generation of scientists is being created right now with this mission,” says Flannery.

Credit: Djeneba Aduayom

Timnit Gebru: AI ethics leader

After losing her job at Google, an artificial-intelligence pioneer founded an independent institute to raise questions about ethics in technology.

By Holly Else

Timnit Gebru, a researcher who studies the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), says her past year has been — in a word — horrible. Last December, she lost her job at Google after a row over the tech giant’s vetting of her work. The highly publicized ousting shocked scientists, including some in the firm, and thousands of researchers rallied to support her, amplifying her concerns around anti-Black discrimination in AI, and around the harms that the technology can cause to marginalized groups in society.

Now, Gebru has forged her own path. On 2 December this year, exactly 12 months after her split with Google, she launched a research institute to study AI independently of big tech companies. The events of the past year, she says, reflect a growing realization that the faults of AI should not be framed as technical problems: they are a symptom of the flawed environment in which the technology is developed.

Born in Ethiopia to parents from Eritrea, Gebru fled the region during a time of war as a teenager and eventually arrived in the United States as a refugee. During her PhD at Stanford University in California, she co-founded a ‘Black in AI’ group with computer scientist Rediet Abebe. And while working at Microsoft, she and computer scientist Joy Buolamwini reported that facial-recognition software performed less well at identifying the gender of people who were not white men — a finding that drew more attention to bias in AI.

Gebru joined Google in 2018, where she co-led the firm’s ethical AI team with Margaret Mitchell. The pair had a reputation for creating a supportive environment for Black and brown researchers at the firm, where 1.6% of researchers (now 1.8%) were Black women. Their team studied the potential harms of AI, helped Google product teams to think through societal risks of their technologies and supported workforce diversity and inclusion.

But in late 2020, a dispute flared about a paper Gebru had authored with Mitchell and external academics. It critiqued the environmental impacts and potential biases of large language models — AI software that generates fluent prose and that Google uses in search engines. Gebru was told that internal reviewers at the firm wanted her to withdraw the paper from a conference that she’d submitted it to, or to remove Google-affiliated authors; when she asked for details about who had suggested this — and e-mailed colleagues saying that Google was silencing marginalized voices — she found herself without a job. Google says it accepted her resignation; Gebru says that she was fired, as she had only threatened to resign. (Google didn’t respond to Nature ’s request for comment for this article.)

Gebru tweeted about the split, and the company faced a storm of protest. Almost 7,000 researchers and engineers, including more than 2,600 from Google, signed a petition in December 2020 calling for an overhaul of the company’s research integrity. In February, the firm fired Gebru’s colleague Mitchell after she searched for incidents of discrimination against Gebru in her company e-mail. Two other Google employees left the company outraged at Gebru’s treatment, and several groups that support minority researchers in AI ended sponsorship agreements with Google.

Gebru says that what happened to her was a display of disrespect to her and her work that amounts to misogynoir — anti-Black sexism. “They would never do what they did to me to someone else,” she says. “Google had a problem with me speaking up about discrimination.”

Meredith Whittaker, who researches the social implications of AI at New York University, says that it suddenly became clear to those on the outside that Google’s commitment to ethics “was only paper thin”.

Reverberations from the firing were powerful because Gebru has such a high-profile voice, says Luke Stark, a researcher who studies the social impacts of AI at Western University in Ontario, Canada. “It was immediately obvious that this was censorship,” he says. The firing also brought into focus AI research’s dependency on corporate money, and how academics have become so entangled in it, Whittaker adds.

Gebru says that she has long had ideas about creating her own institute to build a positive model of how AI work should be done. Those dreams came to fruition after she applied for grants and won US$3.7 million in funding from several philanthropic organizations. The Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute — a remote interdisciplinary centre — will develop AI models and applications that do not depend on the large data sets and computing power that the big tech companies hold.

The organization has two advisory board members and two research fellows (including Gebru), and expects to hire more people soon. “Her institute is not going to shy away from the reality of things,” says Deborah Raji, who has collaborated with Gebru on AI ethics and works at the non-profit Internet foundation Mozilla. “It’s going to be a great landing spot for people who want to ask these questions and don’t have somewhere to do it. She’s going to define the field in ways people don’t appreciate. It is going to be amazing.”

Credit: Rogan Ward for Nature

Tulio de Oliveira: Variant tracker

A bioinformatician in South Africa helped to identify troubling variants of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

By Linda Nordling

On 25 November, Tulio de Oliveira announced the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 . Omicron, detected in samples from Botswana, South Africa and Hong Kong, had a Swiss Army knife of mutations that de Oliveira and other leading scientists feared might help it to evade immunity from previous infection or vaccinations.

For de Oliveira, director of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), it was eerily reminiscent of the previous year, when his team had discovered another SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern in South African samples. Beta, as that variant became known, led foreign governments to curb travel to and from South Africa many months after its discovery. Both variants were spotted after doctors and laboratory workers flagged unexpected rises in infections in areas that had already been hit hard by COVID-19.

De Oliveira knew that by reporting yet another concerning variant, he ran the risk of incurring fresh sanctions, which would economically penalize countries in southern Africa. But he also knew it was the right thing to do. “The way that one stops a pandemic is by quick action,” says the Brazilian-born bioinformatician. “Wait and see has not been a good option.”

The rapid identification of both Beta and Omicron in southern Africa reinforces the importance of having disease surveillance spread evenly around the world, says Jeremy Farrar, director of the biomedical research charity Wellcome, based in London. “If an imbalance continues, then where disease surveillance is limited, we risk new variants of COVID-19 — or even new diseases entirely — cropping up and spreading unchecked,” he says.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t the first time that genomic sequencing has been used to trace outbreaks in Africa; scientists used it in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. KRISP, created in 2017 with de Oliveira at the helm, has tracked pathogens behind diseases including dengue and Zika, and more common scourges such as AIDS and tuberculosis. But never before have so many different samples of the same virus been sequenced in such a short period of time — both in Africa and around the world.

De Oliveira’s work has also influenced policymaking. KRISP’s way of working combines cutting-edge molecular technology with close links to doctors and nurses on the front line, to inform policy in real time. For example, their mapping of an early hospital outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in guidelines for ward layouts to prevent the virus from spreading in hospitals. “Tulio has done an incredible job pioneering a new way of science responding to epidemics,” says Christian Happi, a molecular biologist who heads the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases at Redeemer’s University in Ede, Nigeria.

In December, de Oliveira moved permanently to Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town, South Africa, where he has been setting up the Centre for Epidemic Research, Response and Innovation (CERI) since July (he will keep his position at KRISP). The centre will work to control epidemics in Africa and the global south, and will house Africa’s largest sequencing facility. The coronavirus pandemic has fuelled these investments, but the momentum is already spilling over into surveillance on other diseases, says de Oliveira. “The main thing we have shown the world is that these things can be done in developing countries.”

Not that those countries have been rewarded for it — quite the opposite. De Oliveira says he was extremely disappointed when rich countries imposed travel bans on southern Africa simply because the country had the scientific skill to discover new variants. The scapegoating of South Africa “was almost a smokescreen for the vaccine hoarding, and for rich countries losing control of the pandemic”, says de Oliveira. “Of course I expected more.”

De Oliveira’s role in announcing two variants of concern has given him a reputation for delivering bad news. When the Omicron announcement brought fresh travel bans, some South Africans, including politicians, queried de Oliveira’s right to make such pronouncements. Some people even view the genomic-surveillance community as the enemy. But, he says: “We are not the enemies, we are the opposite.”

Credit: Alecsandra Dragoi for Nature

John Jumper: Protein predictor

A team led by this AI researcher released a tool that is transforming biology.

By Ewen Callaway

What would it mean if determining the structure of almost any protein — all of its intricate folds, pockets and catalytic surfaces — were as simple as performing a web search? John Jumper and his colleagues at DeepMind in London attempted to answer that question earlier this year with the public release of AlphaFold, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict protein structures with stunning accuracy.

“It is going to change the face of modern biology,” says Tobin Sosnick, a biophysicist at the University of Chicago, Illinois, and one of Jumper’s former PhD advisers. “There’s going to be a before and after 2021, when people ask, ‘What is structural biology?’”

AlphaFold’s development was a process of destruction and rebirth. In 2018, the team working on it jolted the small community of scientists interested in protein-structure prediction. At a biennial competition called CASP (short for Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction), an early version of AlphaFold outperformed all other computational tools for determining a protein’s shape from its sequence .

But despite the win, AlphaFold didn’t generate predictions with fine enough detail, says Jumper, who was co-leader of the team at the time. Efforts to improve its performance hit a wall. So the researchers decided to start from scratch. “You had to throw away everything,” says Pushmeet Kohli, head of AI for Science at DeepMind, a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Jumper had a key role in the decision to start afresh, says Kohli, and stuck with it, even when early versions of ‘AlphaFold2’ performed much worse than its predecessor. “He’s not afraid of taking on new directions.”

Jumper has a history of changing tack. He started a PhD in condensed-matter physics at the University of Cambridge, UK, but decided it wasn’t the right research topic. So he left with a master’s degree and wound up working on computer simulations of proteins at a private research group run by a physicist-turned-hedge-fund-manager. “I didn’t know what a protein was when I showed up,” says Jumper.

He next embarked on a chemistry PhD programme, in which he used machine learning to study protein dynamics. Applying AI to a scientific problem was “really magical”, says Jumper. But he wanted stability. So, he applied for jobs in finance as well as at commercial AI laboratories. During an interview with DeepMind, the company revealed its plans to tackle protein-structure prediction, and Jumper was intrigued. “I probably would have left science, if not for DeepMind,” Jumper notes.

The first iteration of AlphaFold was based on a neural network that predicted the distance between parts of a target protein, an approach that other teams were also taking. Jumper wanted AlphaFold to deliver predictions that scientists could have confidence in, necessitating a complete overhaul of the underlying neural network.

The second version of AlphaFold dominated CASP again in late 2020 , this time by an even wider margin. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of its predictions were on a par with experimentally determined structures. For Jumper, however, the most rewarding chapter in AlphaFold’s story came in July. He and his team released the network’s underlying code, as well as predicted structures for almost all proteins in human s and 20 other model organisms — 250,000 structures in total — together with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton, UK. They plan to release the structures of nearly half of all known proteins — totalling 130 million structures — next year.

Jumper’s team regularly hears from other researchers who now use AlphaFold. One of the projects he was most excited about was a map of the nuclear pore complex, a gargantuan molecular machine that is a gatekeeper to the genomes of eukaryotic cells. The work combined AlphaFold’s structures and other predictions with experimental structures comprising the complex, which consists of more than 1,000 individual protein chains.

For Jumper, such applications are the highest compliment. “To see the amount to which AlphaFold has changed the work of experimentalists has been really, really incredible,” he says. “The dream is to do something really useful.”

Credit: ​Annie Ling/The New York Times/ Redux/eyevine

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz: Indigenous defender

A former revolutionary helped Indigenous peoples to gain international recognition for protecting biodiversity and the climate.

By Jeff Tollefson

As the United Nations climate summit COP26 kicked off in Glasgow, UK, several wealthy nations and more than a dozen philanthropic organizations stepped up with an unprecedented commitment. They pledged to provide US$1.7 billion to help Indigenous peoples around the world to preserve forests, protect biodiversity and prevent global warming by keeping carbon locked up in plants and soils.

It was a watershed moment for Indigenous groups, and much of the credit goes to decades of work by Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, an Indigenous leader from the Philippines who served for six years as the UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Tauli-Corpuz has spent years criss-crossing the globe to convince governments, environmentalists and philanthropic foundations that Indigenous peoples are the best stewards of forests and other hotspots of biodiversity — something that has recently been backed up by scientific literature.

“The world caught up with her, and also science caught up with her,” says David Kaimowitz, an economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN in Rome. Kaimowitz says that it has really only been in the past five or ten years that peer-reviewed literature has provided data showing that Indigenous lands serve as protective buffers against environmentally harmful activities such as mining, dams and deforestation (see A. Blackman et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 114 , 4123–4128; 2017 ). Having grown up in an Igorot village without electricity in the mountains of the Philippines, Tauli-Corpuz learnt that lesson earlier than most. When the regime of former president Ferdinand Marcos sought to log her people’s forests and install a hydroelectric dam in their river in the 1970s, she joined the opposition.

“We defeated the dam, and the logging stopped,” says Tauli-Corpuz, who is the founder and executive director of the Tebtebba Foundation in Baguio City, the Philippines.

She realized that the fates of Indigenous peoples and the world’s forests are inextricably intertwined. As she worked her way through the UN bureaucracy over the course of 35 years, Tauli-Corpuz became a forceful critic of what she calls “fortress conservation” — a model that presumes that nature can be preserved only if walled off from humanity. “The conservation mindset has to be changed,” she says, because the forests that hold much of Earth’s biodiversity and carbon are also home to the world’s Indigenous populations. “People live in these forests, and we should be working with them.” In recent years, with the help of satellite imagery, scientists have come to the same conclusion. Like national parks and other protected areas, Indigenous territories are less prone to deforestation, mining and dams than neighbouring lands.

That idea gained traction this year. Indigenous rights were recognized during the virtual UN Convention on Biological Diversity in October, and received unprecedented attention at the world conservation congress in Marseilles, France, in September. Indigenous groups attended the latter as members for the first time and successfully pushed for a motion that called on governments to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025. And for the first time, governments and donors stepped up at COP26 with real funding commitments.

Activism came naturally for Tauli-Corpuz. In 1966, she earned a spot in an elite high school in Manila, and joined protests against her country’s involvement in the Vietnam War. She was at university when the Marcos regime declared martial law in 1972, and studied to be a nurse in preparation for potentially violent uprisings. After university, she returned home to help organize community health programmes, while also promoting resistance against the regime and the proposed dam and logging — activities that resulted in a military raid on her home in 1980.

In 1985, Tauli-Corpuz received an invitation to join a UN panel in Geneva, Switzerland, investigating Indigenous rights. It took nearly a quarter of a century and plenty of travel, but Tauli-Corpuz saw the effort through. In September 2007, the UN General Assembly in New York City adopted a landmark declaration that recognized, for the first time, the collective rights of Indigenous peoples. Tauli-Corpuz then carried that effort forwards under the UN climate convention, ultimately helping to garner recognition of Indigenous rights in the 2015 Paris agreement. At the COP26 summit, Indigenous rights were once again recognized in an agreement governing international partnerships and carbon markets.

“The attention on Indigenous peoples was unprecedented,” says Jennifer Corpuz, one of Tauli-Corpuz’s four children, who has followed in her mother’s footsteps in the Indigenous-rights movement. An attorney with the US-based non-profit advocacy group Nia Tero, Corpuz acknowledges that she sometimes suffers from the weight of expectation, but says she never felt any pressure from her mother.

From 2014 to 2020, as the UN special rapporteur, Tauli-Corpuz travelled the world, holding meetings with Indigenous communities to talk about the challenges they are facing on the ground. In one influential 2016 report to the UN, she shone a light on how the creation and enforcement of conventional protected areas such as national parks and nature reserves has often impinged on the rights and land claims of Indigenous communities.

Now back at her foundation, Tauli-Corpuz continues to work with Indigenous communities around the world, helping them to understand their rights and gain the title to their traditional lands. She is also helping Indigenous communities to bolster their own governance systems, which will be crucial as they seek to propose projects and access the newly committed international funds.

“It’s really about helping the Indigenous peoples empower themselves,” she says. “Hopefully, we can strengthen their capacity to do what they need to do.”

Credit: Frédéric Scheiber for Nature

Guillaume Cabanac: Deception sleuth

This computer scientist helped to uncover a new kind of fabricated paper.

By Diana Kwon

Underground creepy crawly state. Bosom malignancy. Sun oriented force. These might sound like expressions from a work of fiction, but they are actually strange translations, pulled from the scholarly literature, of scientific terms — ant colony, breast cancer and solar energy, respectively. Guillaume Cabanac, a computer scientist at the University of Toulouse, France, spots such bizarre phrases in academic papers every day.

This year, Cabanac and his colleagues found these tortured phrases, as they call them, in thousands of papers . A handful have been retracted; publishers are investigating many more. Cabanac has built a website to keep track of the mushrooming problem. “They found this whole new hornet’s nest of articles that appear to be completely fake,” says Elisabeth Bik, a research-integrity analyst in California.

Weeding out these problems is related to Cabanac’s day job: he specializes in analysing the scholarly literature, and now devotes around two hours a day to finding tortured phrases. Some people might find them funny, but Cabanac takes the problem seriously. “This shouldn’t be happening,” he says.

Cabanac’s hunt for gibberish papers began in 2015, when he started collaborating with Cyril Labbé, a computer scientist at the University of Grenoble Alpes in France. Labbé had developed a program to spot gibberish computer-science papers automatically generated using SCIgen, a piece of software created initially as a joke. Labbé’s work led journals to withdraw more than 120 manuscripts . Cabanac helped to update Labbé’s program to find papers only partially written by SCIgen, and to locate them using Dimensions, a search engine for scholarly literature. This year, they reported finding hundreds more papers containing nonsense text , published in journals and conference proceedings and as preprints.

To raise awareness, Cabanac and his colleagues e-mailed publishers and posted their findings on social media and on PubPeer, a post-publication peer-review site. Cabanac also created the Problematic Paper Screener , a website for flagging and reporting questionable manuscripts. “He gets frustrated about fake papers,” Labbé says. “He’s really willing to do whatever it takes to prevent these things from happening.”

The SCIgen work led Alexander Magazinov, a software engineer at the multinational technology firm Yandex, headquartered in Moscow, to contact Labbé and Cabanac. Magazinov asked whether SCIgen might be behind oddly paraphrased versions of scientific concepts he’d noticed in papers, such as “colossal information” for “big data”. Together, the three located the terms in hundreds of papers , which they reported in July. Digging deeper, they suggested that machine-paraphrasing tools might have been used to create them.

“I think these tortured phrases indicate a failure of peer review,” says Jennifer Byrne, a cancer researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia, with whom Cabanac has worked on other scientific-integrity projects. “Surely, somebody who was conscious during the peer-review process would have seen that that’s not really right.”

By now, Cabanac and colleagues — along with volunteers from the PubPeer community — have pinpointed nearly 400 tortured phrases in more than 2,000 papers, including ones in journals from well-known publishers such as Elsevier and Springer Nature ( Nature ’s news team is editorially independent of its publisher). Each such phrase first has to be spotted by a person; a search algorithm then runs on Dimensions’ index to find papers that include it. Cabanac and a host of helpers manually scan each of these articles to weed out false positives. Eventually, Cabanac would like to develop a program that can identify tortured phrases automatically.

Cabanac hopes that his work will help to decontaminate the scientific literature. But he knows that will not be easy. “I’m afraid of new techniques that would help scammers publish papers containing errors that would be less detectable,” he says. “It’s a whack-a-mole game. We need to be prepared.”

Credit: Jessica Hallett/ Nature

Meaghan Kall: COVID communicator

A government epidemiologist went against norms to tweet explanations of UK coronavirus data.

By Richard Van Noorden

On the afternoon of 8 January, Meaghan Kall, a UK government epidemiologist, helped to put the finishing touches to a technical briefing document about a concerning SARS-CoV-2 variant spreading in southeast England. Then, about half an hour after the report was published, she tried something new: she posted a Twitter thread breaking down its key points.

Kall had seen increasing disquiet and confusion about the coronavirus variants online, and wanted to explain publicly what the government data showed. She hadn’t asked permission from her bosses at Public Health England (PHE) — an agency tasked with responding to health threats, now succeeded by the UK Health Security Agency. “I just did it,” she says. But she soon got an audience. UK researchers chimed in with questions; so did a US philosopher and an Argentinian programmer.

It was the first of a series of accessible, rapid explainers from Kall on dozens of the agency’s coronavirus briefings. Through her tweets — prepared and posted around her day job — she became a human face for a government team that has provided many early answers to burning questions about COVID-19 in 2021.

Thanks to its early roll-out of vaccines, well-equipped genomics laboratories and unified National Health Service (NHS), the United Kingdom was quick to produce high-quality data on the coronavirus, from the spread of new variants to the effectiveness of vaccines. “PHE’s data have been absolutely invaluable and have been used by the whole world to understand many key aspects of COVID-19,” says Marm Kilpatrick, an infectious-disease researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

UK researchers did a better job communicating these data than other countries with early vaccine roll-outs. Scientists from Israel, for instance, often shared initial data on social media only as pictures, making it hard to extract data, and in Hebrew, making the results difficult for an international audience to understand, says Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

With so much misinformation and confusion about what data such as these can mean, public-health agencies struggled to get their messages across. Kall stepped into this breach. “Meaghan has been a wonderful source of hot-off-the-presses information and has done a fantastic job in breaking down the reports,” says Kilpatrick.

Dozens of scientists have emerged as communication stars on Twitter during the pandemic, but Kall’s position is unusual. “As a civil servant, I have limited scope to speak my truth,” she tweeted in September. In more than 6,000 tweets this year, she also shared photos of her rapid coronavirus tests when her family had to isolate, and invited people who were worried about COVID-19 vaccines to message her privately. Her tweeting was neither forbidden nor encouraged by her bosses, she says, although some colleagues have been personally supportive.

Kall thinks her public communication has aided trust in UK government data. “My favourite responses are the people who say, ‘I didn’t really have a lot of faith in PHE, I didn’t really trust it, until I started following your Twitter feed,’” she says.

Before COVID-19, Kall spent a decade monitoring HIV infections for UK government agencies. She says that her work with people with HIV — she was writing up her PhD on a national survey of those living with the virus when COVID-19 struck — gave her experience in understanding people’s sometimes opposing views, as did her upbringing in a small, conservative town in Michigan.

Kall’s most popular tweets have criticized the UK coronavirus response, which included the controversial privatization of most of its testing and contact tracing. In November, she wrote: “I still think it was a huge oversight that our NHS sexual-health advisers, who are professional contact tracers, were never drafted in or consulted on Test and Trace.” Asked — with a press officer watching — about how much freedom she has to tweet, she says that she’s never been told what to say or been reprimanded, but she carefully chooses the issues that she feels strongly about.

Kall says putting together her Twitter threads cuts into her personal life — it takes her an hour or so to prepare each briefing breakdown, in addition to responding to questions — and colleagues ask her how she keeps going. “One of my main aims”, she says, “is really just to try and make sure people are empowered, and have agency to understand the data to make their own decisions, from a reliable source.”

Credit: Stefa​ni Reynolds/The New York Times​/eyevine

Janet Woodcock: Drug chief

This career administrator led the US’s premier drug agency through a challenging year.

By Heidi Ledford

Only days after Joe Biden became US president this January, he appointed Janet Woodcock as acting commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon, the letters came flooding in. Some were in her favour: one signed by 82 rare-disease patient-advocacy organizations praised her leadership and her focus on integrating patient voices in drug-approval decisions.

Others were less laudatory: 31 advocacy organizations urged the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services to keep Woodcock’s time at the helm of the FDA brief. “Dr Woodcock presided over one of the worst regulatory agency failures in US history,” they wrote, laying partial responsibility for the country’s raging opioid crisis at her feet. The debates over her would continue through a tumultuous year at the top of the agency.

Woodcock, a former medical doctor, spent most of her 35-year career at the FDA running the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which is responsible for ensuring that drugs are safe and effective before they are approved for the US market. Woodcock helped to modernize the centre’s drug-evaluation process, ushering in advanced clinical-trial designs and pathways to drug approval that are coupled with sophisticated diagnostic tests. She also oversaw the development of a bigger role for patients and their advocates in the approval process. In January, there was speculation that President Biden might nominate her to stay on as commissioner.

By June, however, that prospect dimmed after a controversial FDA decision to approve the drug aducanumab for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease . The drug, developed by Biogen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, had been shown to reduce tangled amyloid-β proteins in the brains of people with the disease. But it did not seem to improve cognitive function or symptoms.

A panel of external advisers to the FDA voted against the approval, but the agency made the unusual decision to ignore the recommendation. Michael Carome, director of health research at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen in Washington DC, says it was a pivotal moment: the agency had approved a drug that could be taken by millions, without solid evidence that it helps people. “It was one of the worst decisions the agency has ever made,” says Carome.

Woodcock declined to comment for this article, but an FDA spokesperson said that she was not involved in the aducanumab approval. Even so, as acting head of the agency, she bore some responsibility, says Aaron Kesselheim, a physician who also studies drug regulation at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Kesselheim served on the FDA advisory panel and, along with two others, resigned in protest over the decision. Woodcock has long advocated a close relationship between industry and the FDA, raising concerns among some consumer groups and academic scientists.

Kesselheim quit to call attention to what he worried might be an emerging trend at the agency: “My hope is that this kind of bad decision-making doesn’t metastasize.”

The agency faced more controversy in the summer, when the White House announced that the country would soon administer booster vaccines for COVID-19. The FDA had not yet issued a decision on the boosters, and Biden’s announcement was seen as not only premature, but also antithetical to his promise to put science and evidence at the centre of decision-making. Woodcock, along with several other US public-health officials, endorsed the plan but said that it was subject to regulatory approval.

The episode caused a disturbance at the FDA, and two key vaccine evaluators resigned in protest.

In November, Biden nominated cardiologist Robert Califf, a former FDA commissioner, to return to lead the agency . But Woodcock’s legacy will go beyond her year at the FDA’s helm, says Kesselheim.

Despite his critiques, he says, “I think the FDA makes the right decision most of the time, and continues to serve as a gold standard for drug regulation around the world.” Woodcock, he adds, “deserves some recognition for the way the FDA has evolved with the times”.

Ones to watch in 2022

Chikwe ihekweazu.

WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence

This epidemiologist will direct the surveillance hub and gather data on the COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

As project scientist for operations for the soon-to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope , this astrophysicist will help to orchestrate what discoveries are made.

Love Dalén

Swedish Museum of Natural History

This geneticist has sequenced the oldest DNA on record — 1.65 million years old, from a mammoth — and is now going after more genetic remains.

Xie Zhenhua

China’s special envoy for climate change

This politician will have a central role in ongoing talks to strengthen international efforts aimed at combating climate change .

Graziano Venanzoni

Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics

This physicist is co-spokesperson for the Muon g-2 experiment . The effort could produce strong evidence of discrepancies between experiments and the standard model of particle physics, hinting at new fundamental discoveries.

This article is also available as a pdf version .

The profile on Timnit Gebru incorrectly referred to Ethiopia’s 1998 conflict with Eritrea as a civil war.

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13 Top Market Research Companies in 2024

Your choice of market research firms — from traditional firms like Ipsos and Kantar to innovative platforms like StartUs Insights — can significantly influence strategic decision-making and product development. Ensuring that your selected partner offers the specific industry insights and data depth required is crucial for receiving accurate information that can drive your business strategy and innovation forward.

Market research companies play a pivotal role in simplifying the complexities of today’s business environment, blending traditional and innovative methodologies for exhaustive market insights.

Traditional market intelligence companies have evolved, while non-traditional entities are transforming the sector through the early identification of startups, scaleups, emerging companies, future trends, and technologies to provide a 360° view of opportunities.

13 Top Market Research Companies:

• Frost & Sullivan
• StartUs Insights
• Zion Market Research
• MarketsandMarkets
• Forrester Research
• Kantar Group
• Kline & Company
• MarketResearch

Credit: Ipsos

Ipsos connects businesses with online communities, offering insights across multiple industries including retail, healthcare, transportation, politics, and automotive. With Ipsos, companies can:

• Assemble custom panels of consumers
• Conduct brand, packaging, and product testing
• Develop studies on healthcare quality and patient satisfaction
• Engage in public opinion polling

Ipsos’ customizable services and global reach provide businesses with the insights required to make informed decisions.

2. Frost & Sullivan

Credit: Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan is renowned for its extensive industry research and strategy solutions, focusing on innovation opportunities, market trends, and disruptive technologies. Collaborating with Frost & Sullivan offers businesses:

• Detailed market research and analysis
• Growth strategy consulting

Frost & Sullivan’s strategic insights enable companies to identify growth opportunities and navigate market challenges.

3. StartUs Insights

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StartUs Insights is a non-traditional market research company that specializes in identifying startups, scaleups, and emerging technologies early on. With access to data on over 4.7 million startups, scaleups, and tech companies, as well as 20 000 trends & technologies, we leverage both AI and human expertise to deliver tailored market reports and custom research services. This unique approach enables businesses to proactively engage with the latest innovations and market shifts across more than 20 industries, including automotive, pharmaceuticals, logistics, mobility, biotechnology, manufacturing, and energy. Services offered by StartUs Insights include:

• Customized market research reports plus competitive intelligence
• Tailored startup and technology scouting
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Collaborating with StartUs Insights allows you to make informed, confident decisions that not only future-proof your business but also foster strategic growth. To explore how StartUs Insights can transform your market research approach, get in touch for a free consultation.

4. Zion Market Research

Credit: Zion Market Research

Zion Market Research provides comprehensive market research reports, offering insights into global and regional markets across various industry sectors such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, and consumer goods. Working with Zion Market Research, businesses benefit from:

• Extensive market analysis and forecasting
• Sector-specific research reports
• In-depth studies on consumer behavior and market trends
• Custom research services tailored to specific business needs

Zion Market Research’s deep industry knowledge enables companies to navigate market dynamics effectively, ensuring strategic decision-making.

5. MarketsandMarkets

Credit: MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is known for its focus on identifying high-growth emerging markets and the technologies driving these sectors. Its market research reports and custom research services are designed to provide:

• Comprehensive market analysis and forecasts
• Insights into technological advancements and innovations
• Custom research tailored to client-specific requirements

By partnering with MarketsandMarkets, organizations gain access to actionable insights that support strategic planning.

6. TrendFeedr

Credit: TrendFeedr

TrendFeedr is an innovative market research platform designed to keep businesses ahead of the curve by identifying and analyzing over 20 000 trends in real-time. TrendFeedr.com specializes in sifting through data from industry reports, company websites, news outlets, social media, and more to deliver actionable insights directly relevant to your market. Services provided by TrendFeedr.com include:

• Real-time trend tracking and analysis
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With TrendFeedr.com, companies can rapidly adapt to market changes, identify new opportunities, and stay competitive in their respective industries. Moreover, the platform’s focus on emerging trends makes it an invaluable tool for businesses looking to innovate and grow.

7. Forrester Research

Credit: Forrester Research

Forrester Research offers detailed market analysis with a focus on the impact of technology on businesses and consumers. Companies working with Forrester can access:

• Strategic market research reports
• Consumer and business technology insights
• Custom advisory services

Forrester’s forward-looking research assists businesses in anticipating customer needs and technological shifts, enabling them to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

Credit: Mintel

Mintel provides comprehensive market analysis, insights, and forecasts across a range of sectors, including consumer goods, finance, and automotive. Mintel’s services allow businesses to:

• Understand market trends and consumer behavior
• Test and develop new products
• Conduct brand and packaging research

Mintel’s global presence and in-depth industry knowledge empower companies to make strategic decisions.

9. Kantar Group

Credit: Kantar Group

Kantar Group delivers services that cover brand guidance, media effectiveness, creative excellence, and retail & shopper insights. Kantar enables businesses to:

• Understand and leverage brand equity
• Optimize media planning and effectiveness
• Enhance creative development and execution
• Gain insights into shopper behavior and retail strategies

Kantar’s comprehensive approach to market research enables companies to achieve brand and business growth.

10. Gartner

Credit: Gartner

Gartner provides technology-related insights through its research and advisory services that inform business decisions in IT, marketing, and supply chain management. Gartner allows organizations to:

• Navigate IT investments and strategies
• Develop marketing plans and customer engagement
• Optimize supply chain operations and management

Gartner’s expert analysis and advice support businesses in leveraging technology for strategic advantage.

Credit: IQVIA

Specializing in health information technology and clinical research, IQVIA offers:

• Data analytics and research services to the healthcare industry
• Insights into patient care, drug development, and market dynamics
• Custom solutions for healthcare organizations

IQVIA’s expertise in healthcare data and analytics enables businesses to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.

12. Kline & Company

Credit: Kline & Company

Kline & Company provides market research and management consulting services focusing on the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products sectors. Kline offers:

• Market analysis and strategic planning
• Competitive intelligence and benchmarking
• Custom research and consulting services

Kline’s industry knowledge and strategic insights assist companies in navigating market complexities and identifying growth opportunities.

13. MarketResearch.com

Credit: MarketResearch.com

MarketResearch.com is a comprehensive source for market research reports and services, offering data from hundreds of research firms across a range of industries. Services include:

• Access to an extensive collection of market research reports
• Insights into industry trends, forecasts, and market analysis

MarketResearch.com’s vast resources and expertise allow businesses to make data-driven decisions.

Which Company’s Best Suited for Your Needs?

For tailored research insights that align closely with your specific business needs, consider partnering with specialized companies such as StartUs Insights , Zion Market Research, or MarketsandMarkets. These firms offer the expertise and depth of data necessary to dive deeper into emerging technologies and market trends.

If you’re leaning towards more autonomous or flexible market exploration, platforms like TrendFeedr.com may serve your needs more effectively, offering real-time trend analysis.

Ultimately, the selection of a market research partner should be informed by the relevance of their industry focus and the richness of their data sources. This ensures that the insights you receive are both precise and actionable, driving forward your strategy, product development, and broader business objectives.

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28 Biotech Companies Bolstering Life Sciences

While biotech has long been a vital component of the global tech market, this pivotal sector has seemingly reached new heights over the past decade. And although organizations around the world have tried to rule the life sciences space, the United States remains the undisputed biotech leader. 

Biotech Companies to Know

Flatiron health.

According to reports , the nation’s life sciences sector alone generates over $112 billion in revenue. In light of biotech’s mounting economic impact, it’s no surprise that tech hubs across the country are witnessing a surge in life sciences companies , bolstering the nation’s status as a biotech epicenter.

Over the past couple years, the importance of the biotech industry has been even further amplified, as the world raced to create a COVID-19 vaccine.

While focus has been on combating COVID-19, the country’s biotech leaders continue to dedicate themselves to addressing other pressing medical issues. Backed by teams of world-renowned scientists and technologists, these organizations are addressing challenges across the healthcare spectrum. Whether they’re formulating new cancer treatments or harnessing the power of human genetics, the nation’s biotech companies are making a monumental impact on the future of medical research and drug discovery. 

We’ve rounded up the top biotech companies to give you a glimpse into the burgeoning life sciences sector.

Novo Nordisk

Location: Bagsværd, Denmark

Novo Nordisk has been around since the 1920s, and today focuses on developing treatments and pharmaceuticals for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hemophilia. The company has roughly 860 research and development employees working in the United States and is conducting clinical trials in more than four dozen countries.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Biotech firm Asimov is a genetic design company. It uses machine learning, computer-aided design and a niche of biology known as synthetic biology — a field that redesigns existing organisms for new uses — to genetically engineer therapeutics like biologics and gene therapies. Asimov markets a platform that includes host cells, a genetic parts library, technical guides and design software for creating genetic systems in various types of cells.

Location: Menlo Park, California

GRAIL is on a mission to detect cancer at earlier stages so that it can be more easily cured. The company focuses on seeking cancer signals in the blood, guided by the belief that tumors release cell-free nucleic acids into the bloodstream, which are thought to be a direct measure of cancer and can potentially be detected before the onset of symptoms. GRAIL intends to foster a deeper understanding of cancer biology through its high-intensity sequencing assays and population-scale clinical studies.

Schrödinger, Inc.

Location:  Cambridge, Massachusetts

Schrödinger is powering drug research with its computer simulations platform. Founded in 1990, the company employs physics-based methods to evaluate chemical matter and compounds before synthesis. As a result, researchers should see faster lead discoveries, accurate property descriptions and access to large-scale molecular exploration. The company also provides integrated data and visualization tools

Location: San Diego, California

Illumina seeks to make “genomics more useful for all, for a better understanding of human health .” The company develops products for cancer research, reproductive health, genetic and rare diseases and microbial genomics.

Location:  Lexington, Massachusetts

Founded in the 18th century, Takeda is a global pharmaceutical company with a strong emphasis on research and development. The company focuses its research in several areas: oncology, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, vaccines, neuroscience and gastroenterology. In the U.S. alone, Takeda has created over 50 products and service programs that benefit patients and physicians.

Viome Life Sciences

Location:  Bellevue, Washington

Viome Life Sciences believes microbial and human gene expression are altering how biological activities and human health are connected. The company uses an mRNA platform to digitize human data to prevent, diagnose and treat chronic illnesses and diseases. Through the platform, consumers can receive personalized recommendations — like dietary restrictions and exercise plans — on how to live a healthy life.

Location: San Francisco, California

Invitae provides genetic testing services, the Invitae Digital Health platform to coordinate patient care, biopharma partnerships. Its products have applications for oncology, reproductive health, pediatrics, cardiology and pathology.

Variant Bio

Location:  Seattle, Washington

Variant Bio uses innovative sequence technology and studies the genetics of individuals with “exceptional health-related traits.” The company’s goal: to transform drug development as we know it today and, ultimately, find better ways to treat diseases.

Benchling is dedicated to speeding up life sciences research through its suite of unified applications, which are housed within the company’s life sciences research and development cloud. The cloud serves as a platform for centralizing and standardizing all R&D data, enabling users to track every workflow, automatically interlink related data and easily and quickly export data. Benchling’s applications can be used for the research of antibodies, cell therapy, proteins and peptides, gene therapy, vaccines and more.

Location: San Mateo, California

Helix created an end-to-end genomics platform in an effort to enable health systems, life sciences companies and payers to advance genomic research. The company’s platform allows users to deliver actionable genetic insights and conduct large-scale genetic analyses. Helix’s Exome+ assay is designed to facilitate the discovery and analysis of rare and novel variants, genome-wide imputation, polygenic risk score calculation, ancestry inference and more.

Charles River Laboratories

Location: Wilmington, Massachusetts

Charles River Laboratories ’ focus is on the quick, efficient and safe discovery and development of drugs and therapeutics. The company provides products and services that take its clients from the basic research stage to clinical development and commercialization. Its customers come from the pharmaceutical, biotech, agrochemical, and academic sectors.

Location: Rahway, New Jersey

Merck ’s efforts center around biopharmaceutical research for preventing and treating disease in people and animals with a focus on oncology, vaccines, infectious diseases, COVID-19, cardio-metabolic disorders and discovery and development.

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Location: New York, New York

Flatiron Health aims to reinvent cancer care by learning from the experiences of cancer patients. The company’s Flatiron HC platform can help providers with administrative tasks, matching patients to clinical trials they’re eligible for and accessing patient information whenever or wherever they need.

Imagen Technologies

Imagen Technologies is dedicated to making diagnostic care more accessible while eliminating errors in radiology. The company’s FDA-cleared Computer Assisted Detection and Diagnosis software applies AI technology to medical image analysis in an effort to improve patient outcomes.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

CancerIQ is dedicated to helping providers use genetic information to predict and prevent disease. The company provides user-friendly screening tools that allow healthcare providers to offer patients easy risk assessment questionnaires in waiting rooms and track patient outcomes over time to keep them engaged and informed. CancerIQ’s screening solution enables providers to replace long paper forms and quickly identify patients eligible for genetic counseling, genetic testing or an MRI.

 Location: Palo Alto, California

BridgeBio works in medicine development for patients who have genetic diseases and cancers with clear genetic drivers. The company’s partners have included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Location: Chicago, Illinois 

Neurocern aims to leverage neuroinformatics and data analytics to improve the quality of life and longevity of neurological patients. The company’s technology is designed to identify different types of dementia more effectively than other forms of diagnosis. Neurocern is guided by the belief that analytics can connect siloed markets in new ways to improve long-term care outcomes and ultimately find cures for neurodegenerative diseases.

Location: Foster City, California

Notable ’s platform aims to dramatically reduce the cost and time associated with the traditional drug development process. Powered by machine learning, automation and high-throughput flow cytometry, the company’s precision medicine platform is capable of determining which drugs or drug combinations would be most effective for specific types of cancers. Notable’s mission is to change the way clinicians and prescribers select treatments for the millions of individuals suffering from hematological cancers.

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Atomwise developed deep learning technology for the discovery of structure-based small molecule drugs. The company’s AtomNet technology utilizes a statistical approach in order to extract insights from millions of experimental affinity measurements and thousands of protein structures to predict the binding of small molecules to proteins. Atomwise’s technology removes some of the physical barriers that previously limited the success of drug discovery, and has the ability to analyze a very large chemical space to identify a small subset with high specificity for synthesis and testing.

Location: Austin, Texas

Natera is a genetic testing and diagnostics company dedicated to changing how doctors and patients manage genetic disease. The company’s solutions include personalized cancer care management, health assessments for transplant patients and women’s health testing. Natera aims to deliver technology and finely-tuned workflows that drive superior clinical and analytics performance.

ATX Therapeutics

ATX Therapeutics is dedicated to helping people more easily manage chronic health conditions such as cancer and heart disease. The company offers evidence-based digital therapeutics intervention programs, which are based on individual patients’ health history, needs and abilities. ATX Therapeutics’ programs are designed to be integrated into patient lifestyles and provider workflows to deliver a fully integrated healthcare experience.

Location: Greenwood Village, Colorado

VieCure aims to make genomic-based cancer care more accessible for patients and providers. The company’s platform operates as a point-of-care clinical decision support system that combines clinical knowledge with patient data to help oncologists generate personalized treatment plans and manage patients’ care. VieCure intends for its platform to serve as a value-added extender for every oncologist, nurse, therapist and clinical researcher.

Paige seeks to transform the diagnosis and treatment of cancer with its AI-native digital pathology ecosystem. The company’s AI suite is intended to provide data-driven insights to pathologists, clinicians and pharmaceutical teams. Paige’s aim is to propel cancer care with more powerful and efficient tools for diagnosis, treatment selection and drug development.

Location: Santa Monica, California

Quantgene aims to transform the future of medicine by unlocking the deep human genome. The company’s platform combines deep genomic sequencing and AI to detect mutational patterns of disease down to a single molecule, thus helping inform early cancer detection, prediction of disease onset and non-invasive treatment monitoring. Additionally, Quantgene’s Serenity Medical Intelligence is intended to extract vital health data from patients’ DNA so they can help protect themselves from chronic diseases, drug interactions and lifestyle risks.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Moderna is a pharmaceutical company working to use mRNA technology to develop medicines, vaccines and therapeutics. Infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases have been among Moderna’s areas of focus.

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Strata Oncology

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Strata Oncology is a genomic testing company working on precision medicine for cancer patients. The company’s StrataNGS genomic profiling test is effective for smaller tumor tissue samples compared to other tests, making testing that can inform immunotherapy decisions more accessible to patients with advanced solid tumors.

Myriad Genetics

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Myriad Genetics aims to provide accurate genetic insights to improve disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The company offers multiple testing options, including MyRisk hereditary cancer risk testing and Prequel prenatal screening.

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22 Top Health Care Marketing Research Companies

A Quirk's resource guide covering the top companies that specialize in health care research.

Conducting health care research may be complicated due to the sensitivity of the data and the insights gathered. Applying research findings has immediate consequences for health care practitioners, patients, caregivers and many others.  

Companies specializing in health care research can offer the most effective and efficient research methods. They are familiar with the challenges in this sector and can ensure you remain compliant with information privacy regulations. If you need insights on patients, physicians or medical devices these companies can collaborate with you from start to finish to obtain high-quality findings. 

Founded 1990 | 160 employees

Phone 1-862-327-9667

www.aplusaresearch.com/aplusa-us/

Applied Marketing Science (AMS)  

Founded 1989 | 40 employees 

John Mitchell, President and Managing Principal  

Phone 1-781-250-6300  

ams-insights.com/insights-for-healthcare-markets/

Civicom® Marketing Research Services

Founded 2000 | 500+ worldwide employees

E-mail [email protected]

Phone 1-203-413-2423

www.CivicomMRS.com  

Clarity Pharma Research ® LLC

Founded 2008 | fewer than 100 employees

Susan Carroll, Managing Director

E-mail [email protected]

Phone 1-864-579-2115

www.claritypharma.com

Decision Analyst Inc.

Founded 1978 | 150 employees

Monisha Hatfield, Senior Vice President

Bonnie Janzen, Executive Vice President

Phone 1-817-640-6166

www.decisionanalyst.com/industry/medical/

Egg Strategy

Founded 2005 | 50 employees

Christopher Wilshire, CEO and Founder

Matthew Singer, President

Phone 1-303-546-9311

www.eggstrategy.com

Founded 1980 | 350+ employees

Steve Raebel, President

Phone 1-800-863-4353

www.fieldwork.com/market-research-services/

Focus Insite  

Founded 2015 | 40 employees 

Jim Jacobs, CEO

Liana Wood, VP of Operations

E-mail [email protected]  

Phone 1-888-836-2871 (888-8-FOCUS-1)

www.focusinsite.com

Holden Healthcare

Founded 2006 | 50 employees

Jeffrey Kelsch, Managing Partner

Phone (U.S.) 1-208-809-7117

www.holdendata.com

Founded 1991 | 900 employees

Kristof De Wulf, CEO

Phone 1-248-239-2300

www.wearehuman8.com

Founded 2014 | 270+ employees

Lisa Wilding-Brown, CEO

Phone 1-888-229-6664

www.innovatemr.com

Insights Opinion

Founded 2015 | 50 employees

Phone (U.S.) 1-646-475-7865 | (U.K.) +44 20 3239 5786 | (IN) +91 120 498 7860

www.insightsopinion.com

Ironwood Insights Group LLC

Founded 2017 | 300 employees

E-mail [email protected]  

Phone 1-602-661-0878 x2110

www.ironwoodinsights.com

Olson Research Group Inc.

Founded 1995 | 55 employees

Phone 1-267-487-5500

www.olsonresearchgroup.com    

Founded 2017 | 20+ employees

Jim Whaley, CEO

Phone 1-212-653-8750

www.ovationmr.com

PRC Corporation

Founded 1982 | 70 Employees

E-mail [email protected]

Phone 1-201-265-7500 (Main switchboard)

www.prcmarketresearch.com

Qessential Medical Market Research

Founded 1988 | 15 employees

E-mail [email protected]

Phone 1-603-775-9200

www.qessential.com

Rare Patient Voice LLC

Founded 2013 | 20 full-time, 20 part-time patient advocates

Wes Michael, President and Founder

Phone 1-443-986-1949 

www.rarepatientvoice.com

Founded 1995 | 1,000+ employees.

Lance Hoffman, EVP of Client Engagement

E-mail [email protected]

Phone 1-512-757-8120

www.reconmr.com

Schmidt Market Research

Founded 1986 | 40 employees

Phone 1-412-367-1226

www.schmidtmr.com

Symmetric, A Decision Analyst Company

Founded 2016 | 150+ employees

Jason Thomas, President of Symmetric

Phone 1-817-649-5243

www.symmetricsampling.com/panels/

WebMD/Medscape Market Research

Founded 1995 | 1,800 employees

Audrey Rosen, Vice President, Market Research

Phone 1-646-856-3860

www.MedscapeMarketResearch.com

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10 Cool Tech Companies That Raised Funding In March 2024

Funding for IT startups remains tight, continuing a slowdown that began in early 2022. But some startups with bold business plans and game-changing technologies are winning big investment deals. Here’s a look at 10 companies that successfully raised new funding in March.

Venture capital investments for IT startups remain in the slump that began in early 2022. Global venture capital investments in the January-March quarter fell to $75.9 billion – a nearly five-year low – according to PitchBook statistics cited in a Reuters story .

And yet some startups are bucking the trend and announcing significant funding rounds, some in the nine figures, as seen in our Follow the Money monthly roundup.

Prior to the funding slump businesses with game-changing cybersecurity and big data products were the most popular investments for the Sand Hill Road crowd. That continued to be the case in March, although any startup with “artificial intelligence” or “generative AI” in its name or business plan is also very popular.

Topping the list for March was Axonius, a cybersecurity asset management technology developer, which raised $200 million in a Series E funding round. Other cybersecurity companies with impressive funding rounds included Claroty, Coro Cybersecurity and Nozomi Networks – all with $100-million funding infusions.

Observe, which develops a platform for storing, managing and analyzing machine-generated data for a range of applications, was No. 2 on the March list with a $115-million Series B funding round.

Big data tech developers Ocient, Unstructured and Dymium were among the companies collecting significant financing in March.

Here’s a look at 10 companies that raised funding in March 2024.

Headquarters: New York

CEO: Dean Sysman

Funding: A $200 million Series E funding round at a $2.6 billion valuation.

Investors: The round was led by Accel and Lightspeed Venture Partners with participation from existing investor Stripes.

What company does: Axonius provides cybersecurity asset management technology.

CEO Quote: “We have customers of every size, every industry, every region. And what we're realizing is that the problem we're solving is very universal. Every organization needs it. It's a very foundational thing of every security and IT program. Today we have about 630 customers. It's very easy to imagine us getting to 6,000 or even 60,000 customers. And that means that we really have the potential to be one of the major software companies of the world.”

Headquarters: San Mateo, Calif.

CEO: Jeremy Burton

Funding: A $115 million Series B funding round.

Investors: The round was led by Sutter Hill Ventures with participation from existing investors Capital One Ventures and Madrona and new investor Snowflake Ventures.

What company does: The Observe platform is used to store, manage and analyze machine-generated data.

CEO Quote: “We had a great year last year. Our fiscal year 2024 ended at the end of January. We almost tripled revenue, and we’re seeing great net revenue retention, which is a measure of how sticky the product is. So we feel very good about our growth. For the coming year, I think a big chunk of that money is going to go towards expanding the sales teams. Not just sales reps, but technical people to support sales, and folks who can help with customer implementations.”

CEO: Yaniv Vardi

Funding: $100 million in strategic growth funding that brings Claroty’s total funding to $735 million.

Investors: Participants included lead equity investor Delta-v Capital, as well as AB Private Credit Investors at AllianceBernstein, Standard Investments, Toshiba Digital Solutions, SE Ventures, Rockwell Automation, and Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank.

What company does: Calroty’s CPS security system is used by organizations to secure cyber-physical systems across industrial, healthcare, commercial and public sector environments.

CEO Quote: “The past year has brought unprecedented geopolitical, macroeconomic, and regulatory changes that have created new trends and challenges for those charged with protecting the world’s critical infrastructure. With our deep domain expertise, unmatched technological capabilities in our comprehensive platform, and extensive partner ecosystem, Claroty is uniquely equipped to help CPS defenders navigate these changes.”

Coro Cybersecurity

CEO: Guy Moskowitz

Funding: The $100 million Series D funding round brought the company’s total funding to $255 million in the last 24 months.

Investors: The round was led by One Peak with participation from existing investors Energy Impact Partners and Balderton Capital.

What company does: Coro develops a cybersecurity platform that’s purpose-built for small and mid-size business and organizations. The software includes endpoint protection, email and user protection, and network and cloud protection capabilities.

CEO Quote: “We are a channel-first company — 70 percent of our revenue comes from the channel. We expect that to grow dramatically in 2024 and 2025.”

Nozomi Networks

Headquarters: San Francisco

CEO: Edgard Capdevielle

Funding: A $100 million Series E funding round.

Investors: New investors Mitsubishi Electric and Schneider Electric participated in the round along with previous investors Activate Capital, Energize Capital, Forward Investments, GGV Capital U.S., Honeywell Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Johnson Controls, Keysight Technologies, Lux Capital, Planven Investments SA, Samsung, Porsche Ventures, Telefónica Ventures, and Triangle Peak Partners.

What company does: Nozomi Networks develops security products for IoT and operational technology (OT) networks.

CEO Quote: “As we meet with customers around the world, the reality is that they operate highly heterogeneous environments and are looking for a security platform that can effectively defend those environments. This investment clearly underscores the need and support for OEM-agnostic security solutions in light of today’s escalating attacks against critical infrastructure around the world.”

Headquarters: Denver

CEO: John Nellen

Funding: A $50 million Series B funding round.

Investors: The round was led by Base 10 Partners with participation from Anthos Capital, Tech Operators and StoneMill Ventures.

What company does: Todyl’s security platform for small and mid-size businesses incorporates SASE, endpoint security, SIEM, MXDR, SOAR and GRC into a cloud-first, single-agent platform.

CEO Quote: “Small and medium businesses are facing sophisticated cyber threats at an unprecedented frequency. The cost and complexity have kept the capabilities required to defend against ever-changing tactics and adversaries in the hands of large enterprises. Our revolutionary, cloud-first platform levels the playing field for businesses of all sizes. We purpose-built our platform to utilize a single agent that delivers the capabilities of multiple point solutions.”

Headquarters: Chicago

CEO: Chris Gladwin

Funding: The $49.4 million funding is an extension of Ocient’s Series B financing.

Investors: The Series B round was previously led by Greycroft and OCA Ventures and included new venture investors Buoyant Ventures, Levy Family Partners, Riverwalk Capital, and Wolf Capital Management, as well as all prior major investors.

What company does: Ocient develops data analytics software for compute-intensive analysis of complex, large-scale data.

CEO Quote: “Organizations are being challenged to deliver energy-efficient, hyper-growth data analysis without accelerating costs, which has become increasingly challenging as real-time analytics, SQL, AI/ML, and geospatial workloads typically require more energy consumption. The close of this latest round of financing is an indication that the need for the solutions we bring to market is growing across industries, and geographies.”

Unstructured

CEO: Brian Raymond

Funding: The $40 million Series B round brought Unstructured’s total capital raised to $65 million.

Investors: The round was led by Menlo Ventures with participation from Databricks Ventures, IBM Ventures, Sacramento Kings Chairman Vivek Ranadive, DataStax CEO Chet Kapoor, Allison Pickens of the New Normal Fund, and Nvidia’s venture capital arm NVentures, along with existing investors Madrona, Bain Capital Ventures (BCV), and Mango Capital.

What company does: Unstructured develops technology for data ingestion and pre-processing for large language models.

CEO Quote: “A critical bottleneck to realizing the emerging value of LLMs is the ability to ingest and preprocess any human-generated data into an LLM-ready format. 2024 will be the year of moving LLM prototypes into production and organizations of all types and sizes are hungry to build out these architectures efficiently and at scale. Automating the process of structuring data and seamlessly delivering it into storage is critical for enterprises that want to build solutions on this new tech stack and go to market quickly.”

BlueFlag Security

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.

CEO: Raj Mallempati

Funding: BlueFlag Security emerge from stealth with a $11.5 million seed funding round.

Investors: The funding was led by Maverick Ventures and Ten Eleven Ventures with participation from Pier 88 Investment Partners.

What company does: BlueFlag Security has developed a software development lifecycle (SDLC) security and governance platform for identity-centric protection through the software development process.

CEO Quote: “Our mission is to provide developers with a clean, trustworthy environment. The BlueFlag platform doesn’t just add another layer of protection; it introduces a fundamentally different philosophy that places identity security at the heart of SDLC security and governance.”

Headquarters: Los Gatos, Calif.

CEO: Denzil Wessels

Funding: The company exited stealth with $7 million in funding.

Investors: The funding was led by Two Bear Capital with $5 million and an additional $2 million from angel investors.

What company does: Dymium has developed a data access management platform that provides secure access to data “where it lives.”

CEO Quote: “The practice of copying data to provide teams with data in myriad formats, each with different access controls, policies, and security requirements, has led to unprecedented complexity that impedes innovation and undermines security and governance. Dymium eliminates the need to make copies of the data, allowing you to secure data where it lives. It provides greater agility and secure access to a single version of the truth using a zero trust architecture, centralized access policies, and real-time data transformation services.”

A Solar Eclipse Means Big Science

By Katrina Miller April 1, 2024

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On April 8, cameras all over North America will make a “megamovie” of the sun’s corona, like this one from the 2017 eclipse. The time lapse will help scientists track the behavior of jets and plumes on the sun’s surface.

There’s more science happening along the path of totality →

An app named SunSketcher will help the public take pictures of the eclipse with their phones.

Scientists will use these images to study deviations in the shape of the solar surface , which will help them understand the sun’s churning behavior below.

The sun right now is approaching peak activity. More than 40 telescope stations along the eclipse’s path will record totality.

By comparing these videos to what was captured in 2017 — when the sun was at a lull — researchers can learn how the sun’s magnetism drives the solar wind, or particles that stream through the solar system.

Students will launch giant balloons equipped with cameras and sensors along the eclipse’s path.

Their measurements may improve weather forecasting , and also produce a bird’s eye view of the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth.

Ham radio operators will send signals to each other across the path of totality to study how the density of electrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere changes .

This can help quantify how space weather produced by the sun disrupts radar communication systems.

(Animation by Dr. Joseph Huba, Syntek Technologies; HamSCI Project, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, the University of Scranton, NSF and NASA.)

NASA is also studying Earth’s atmosphere, but far from the path of totality.

In Virginia, the agency will launch rockets during the eclipse to measure how local drops in sunlight cause ripple effects hundreds of miles away . The data will clarify how eclipses and other solar events affect satellite communications, including GPS.

Biologists in San Antonio plan to stash recording devices in beehives to study how bees orient themselves using sunlight , and how the insects respond to the sudden atmospheric changes during a total eclipse.

Two researchers in southern Illinois will analyze social media posts to understand tourism patterns in remote towns , including when visitors arrive, where they come from and what they do during their visits.

Results can help bolster infrastructure to support large events in rural areas.

Read more about the eclipse:

Our Coverage of the Total Solar Eclipse

Dress for the Occasion:  What should you wear for the eclipse? Our fashion critic weighs the options , including an unexpected suggestion from scientists.

Free to View:  Six inmates in upstate New York prisons who sued the state won their lawsuit to view the eclipse , arguing it “is a religious event.” But a statewide prison lockdown during the eclipse will remain in place.

Hearing the Eclipse:  A device called LightSound is being distributed to help the blind and visually impaired experience what they can’t see .

Sky-High Hotel Prices: One Super 8 hotel in the eclipse’s path is charging $949 a night . Its normal rate is $95.

Animal Reactions : Researchers will watch if animals at zoos, homes and farms act strangely  when day quickly turns to night.

A Rare Return:  A total solar eclipse happens twice in the same place every 366 years on average. But people in certain areas will encounter April 8’s eclipse  about seven years after they were near the middle of the path of the “Great American Eclipse.”

 No Power Outages:  When the sky darkens during the eclipse, electricity production in some parts of the country will drop so sharply that it could theoretically leave tens of millions of homes in the dark. In practice, hardly anyone will notice  a sudden loss of energy.

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Rosatom Starts Life Tests of Third-Generation VVER-440 Nuclear Fuel

• 16 June, 2020 / 13:00

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Rosatom Starts Production of Rare-Earth Magnets for Wind Power Generation

TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom has started gradual localization of rare-earth magnets manufacturing for wind power plants generators. The first sets of magnets have been manufactured and shipped to the customer.

In total, the contract between Elemash Magnit LLC (an enterprise of TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom in Elektrostal, Moscow region) and Red Wind B.V. (a joint venture of NovaWind JSC and the Dutch company Lagerwey) foresees manufacturing and supply over 200 sets of magnets. One set is designed to produce one power generator.

“The project includes gradual localization of magnets manufacturing in Russia, decreasing dependence on imports. We consider production of magnets as a promising sector for TVEL’s metallurgical business development. In this regard, our company does have the relevant research and technological expertise for creation of Russia’s first large-scale full cycle production of permanent rare-earth magnets,” commented Natalia Nikipelova, President of TVEL JSC.

“NovaWind, as the nuclear industry integrator for wind power projects, not only made-up an efficient supply chain, but also contributed to the development of inter-divisional cooperation and new expertise of Rosatom enterprises. TVEL has mastered a unique technology for the production of magnets for wind turbine generators. These technologies will be undoubtedly in demand in other areas as well,” noted Alexander Korchagin, Director General of NovaWind JSC.

For reference:

TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom incorporates enterprises for the fabrication of nuclear fuel, conversion and enrichment of uranium, production of gas centrifuges, as well as research and design organizations. It is the only supplier of nuclear fuel for Russian nuclear power plants. TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom provides nuclear fuel for 73 power reactors in 13 countries worldwide, research reactors in eight countries, as well as transport reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world operates on fuel manufactured by TVEL. www.tvel.ru

NovaWind JSC is a division of Rosatom; its primary objective is to consolidate the State Corporation's efforts in advanced segments and technological platforms of the electric power sector. The company was founded in 2017. NovaWind consolidates all of the Rosatom’s wind energy assets – from design and construction to power engineering and operation of wind farms.

Overall, by 2023, enterprises operating under the management of NovaWind JSC, will install 1 GW of wind farms. http://novawind.ru

Elemash Magnit LLC is a subsidiary of Kovrov Mechanical Plant (an enterprise of the TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom) and its main supplier of magnets for production of gas centrifuges. The company also produces magnets for other industries, in particular, for the automotive

industry. The production facilities of Elemash Magnit LLC are located in the city of Elektrostal, Moscow Region, at the site of Elemash Machine-Building Plant (a nuclear fuel fabrication facility of TVEL Fuel Company).

Rosatom is a global actor on the world’s nuclear technology market. Its leading edge stems from a number of competitive strengths, one of which is assets and competences at hand in all nuclear segments. Rosatom incorporates companies from all stages of the technological chain, such as uranium mining and enrichment, nuclear fuel fabrication, equipment manufacture and engineering, operation of nuclear power plants, and management of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. Nowadays, Rosatom brings together about 350 enterprises and organizations with the workforce above 250 K. https://rosatom.ru/en/

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Talpa Quiz Show ‘The Floor' Sells to Further Territories, Named as ‘Format to Watch' at MipFormats (EXCLUSIVE)

Talpa Studios, the company founded by "The Voice" and "Big Brother" creator John de Mol, has closed further territory sales for quiz-show format "The Floor." Variety can also reveal that the show has been named by research organization K7 Media as the "Format to Watch" in its "Tracking the Giants" format sales report, which was released Saturday at MipFormats. The recognition is based on the show's territory sales.

K7 said: "'The Floor' is the best-selling format in 2023 and early 2024 among all the unscripted formats that were newly created in 2023. Therefore, it's crowned as ‘The Format to Watch.'" The "Tracking the Giants" report spotlights the top 100 travelling unscripted TV formats of the past year.

The show made its debut in the U.S. on Fox in January, hosted by Rob Lowe, and even spawned a parody on "Saturday Night Live." It debuted with 3.9 million multiplatform viewers in Live + 3 ratings, ranking as Fox's most-watched unscripted Tuesday debut in 13 years. "The Floor's" premiere was Fox's largest total multiplatform audience for an unscripted debut in two years and is also its most streamed game show debut on record.

The show has been sold to 13 markets so far. Variety can reveal that it has just been sold to Portugal, where it has been acquired by public broadcaster RTP, and Israel, where public broadcaster KAN has taken the rights. Other buyers, previously announced, include Atres in Spain, Sat.1 in Germany, Rai2 in Italy, France Television in France, ATV in Turkey, KanalD in Romania, Kuarzo in Argentina, Novy in Ukraine, RTL in Hungary and RTL4 in the Netherlands.

In the fast-paced show, 100 quiz fanatics (in the U.S. this became 81) take each other on in quiz duels on a giant LED floor. The floor is divided into 100 squares (81 in the U.S.), each representing a field of knowledge. Each contestant starts off on their own square, if they win their duel they add the loser's square or squares to their own territory. The goal is to conquer the entire floor and take home a huge cash prize.

Talpa Studios' CEO Maarten Meijs and Sebastian van Barneveld, director of global distribution, talk to Variety about the format.

Meijs says that one of the reasons for the show's success is that it is "highly engaging" and "visually appealing."

He says: "At any stage of the show, whenever you tune in, you immediately see the top shot of the floor. You see the amount of contestants still playing, and you're able to chime in at any moment.

"Another important reason is the fact that every duel on the floor is life or death, so if you lose, you're out. And this is at a very high pace."

Van Barneveld adds: "There is a tension loop, if you will, that you go from addictive duel to duel, so you keep wanting to watch the next one.

"And then the questions are stacked in a way that draws the viewer in."

The host is an important participant in the game. Meijs says: "With a show like this, it's not a static host. It's a host who can play with characters because it's a show that's built on characters.

"What we do is we create heroes and villains on the floor. And that, for a host, is great to play with. And sometimes we see them literally entering the floor as well and questioning the players.

"So, aside from leading the show and the rhythm and the flow, you can also play with the characters and the dynamics of the game as it progresses."

Van Barneveld adds: "We started out in the Netherlands with a comedian. So, we wanted to keep it light, if you will. And then we found out as we progressed through all the 11 territories that the host is a key factor in all the ways Maarten just indicated, but also that with Rob Lowe, you have an additional layer, because he's so astute and spontaneous, and he knows how to grip the viewer."

Van Barneveld adds: "We say the show has a high ‘Game of Thrones' element, because the characters that are billed as heroes and villains, they can be ousted from the show at any point in time, because every duel is about survival. So, either you're in or you're out. And that's, I think, also a really appealing aspect."

When casting the players the aim is to reflect society, Meijs says: "We're looking for a very good representation of the local society because there's the possibility to have people from all different backgrounds.

"We aren't casting specialists in a certain genre or in a certain topic. What we supply them with is a list of topics and they can tick a few boxes, and then on the floor, they will find out what their category is. We're not looking for the brainiest in a certain genre. It's a level playing field and everybody can defeat the other player."

Van Barneveld adds: "The only country where we actually had some limitations in the way we cast was in the Ukraine, because all the men are obviously at war over there. But also there, there's a lot of diversity."

Meijs says: "That is something we are particularly proud of, because last year, as part of a relief effort for the war, we shot in coproduction with Novy channel, the Ukrainian broadcaster. We shot a version here in our studios in the Netherlands because we wanted to contribute to the well-being of the Ukrainian audience. And so we shot the version here, and the cast was people who fled from Ukraine and also veterans who are here for physical rehabilitation.

"There were people with physical disability in other versions too."

There are ways that the show can be modified. For example, as mentioned, in the U.S. version, they have a different number of squares. Meijs says: "At the end of the day, it should play out well on a 16 by nine screen. In the U.S., we have 81 squares. It has to do with multiple factors, such as the length of the episodes and the series structure, and we can build a breakdown on the basis of that.

"It's an arc show so that's also very special for a game show. You have those episodic winners, but at the end of the day, it's about who actually conquers the floor at the end of the series. And there are not a lot of game shows that have that arc structure." Most game shows have self-contained episodes.

Van Barneveld adds: "And there will be also daily versions, besides the weekly version, which have really done superbly well in all the markets we've launched in up to now. There will be a couple of markets that will start a daily version of the show. We're very confident that will work as well."

In the U.S., each season contains 10 episodes, but in the Netherlands, it's nine. Each territory varies the length of the season, depending on the length of the episodes. In Netherlands, the episodes have gross 90 minutes. In the U.S., it's a commercial hour. In Germany, it's two hours and in France slightly longer, but with only four episodes.

Meijs says: "What we do is that we focus on evolving our brands in terms of creativity in order that the show is not predictable, and we've already included a few new elements with respect to that. In France, we've implemented a feature that we call the Golden Square. So, if you win three duels in a row, your square becomes gold, and you will gain an additional five seconds that at any given moment in time, you can use. When seasons are following up, you need to keep on thinking, ‘How are we going to create surprise elements?'"

More from Variety

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Sponsored Content | Best Research Paper Writing Services: Top 5…

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Can I entrust someone to write my research paper? Is it safe?

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The news and editorial staff of the Delco Daily Times had no role in this post’s preparation.

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