Expert networks that buyers most often shortlist include GLG, AlphaSights, Guidepoint, Third Bridge, Tegus, Dialectica, Coleman Research, NewtonX, Atheneum, proSapient and Nextyn. Which one suits you depends on your sector, your regions, the formats you need and how experts are screened. Shortlist two or three firms and give each the same brief.
Best expert networks are the ones that fit your question
No single expert network suits every buyer, because the work differs by seat. A private equity deal team needs quick access to operators across a target's market. A hedge fund analyst wants channel checks between earnings dates. A consulting case team wants range across many industries.
The firms below are the ones buyers compare most often. We describe each from what it says on its own website, and we have left out figures and prices. Where a firm does not publish a detail, the table says so; ask the firm for it in writing.
Top expert network companies, side by side
This table lists the top expert network companies buyers compare, in alphabetical order. Focus, regions and formats are as each firm presents them on its public website. Where the pricing column says not published, the firm's public pages state no pricing model.
| Firm | Focus | Regions | Formats | How pricing works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlphaSights | Describes itself as a knowledge search firm that recruits experts project by project, for investors, strategy consultancies and corporations | Offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia | Calls, meetings, surveys, transcripts, research, longer term advisory, board placements | Not published on its site |
| Atheneum | Primary research partner for corporates, strategy consultants and private equity, with a private markets data offering | Global coverage; London and New York offices listed | Expert interviews, workshops, webinars, survey research | Not published; contact the sales team |
| Coleman Research | Now VISASQ/COLEMAN, in partnership with VisasQ. Serves investors, consultants and corporates; states depth in Japan and the US | Offices across the US, EMEA and APAC | One to one consultations, expert surveys, moderated calls, transcripts, deal placements | Not published; clients start through "Become a Client" |
| Dialectica | Information services firm serving consulting firms, investment banks, private equity, hedge funds and corporates | Offices on several continents | Calls, B2B surveys, insight reports, company intelligence, executive partnerships | Not published; request a trial or talk to sales |
| GLG | Broad platform for investors, corporates, law firms and consulting firms | Offices across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific | Calls and meetings, expert transcripts, surveys, events, advisory placements, AI moderated calls | Not published |
| Guidepoint | Serves institutional investors, investment banks, corporations and consulting and professional services firms | Offices across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific; headquartered in New York | Expert consultations, transcript library, surveys, healthcare intelligence, AI answers through AskGp | Not published; starts with a request for a trial |
| NewtonX | B2B research with verified professionals, for technology, consumer, investor, consulting and other teams | Headquartered in New York; regional coverage not set out on its site | Surveys, interviews, AI moderated research, research advisory | Not published; contact form |
| Nextyn | Expert network and primary research firm serving private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, investment banks, consulting firms and corporate strategy teams | Offices in New York, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangalore and Jakarta | Expert calls, moderated and AI moderated calls, panels, field immersions, surveys, advisory boards | Upfront engagement agreements; project scopes draw down against them |
| proSapient | Tech led expert network whose clients are typically consultancies and private equity firms | London headquarters, with offices in North America and Europe | Expert calls, AI moderated interviews, transcripts, surveys, longer term engagements | Not published; start by contacting the team |
| Tegus | Expert transcript library and expert calls for investors and corporate teams; now part of AlphaSense | Delivered through the AlphaSense platform; regions not set out on its pages | Transcript library, expert calls, financial models | Not published; access through AlphaSense, with a free trial offered |
| Third Bridge | Expert insights for consulting firms, private equity, public equity, credit, investment banks and corporates | Global team; site in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean | Expert calls, library, surveys, advisors, data feeds, access from AI tools | Not published; request a trial or book a consultation |
Expert network companies work in several different ways
The firms above share a purpose but organise the work in four main ways.
- Project by project recruitment: AlphaSights describes finding experts afresh for each project, and Coleman Research and Atheneum describe custom recruitment alongside their networks.
- Transcript libraries: GLG, Guidepoint, Third Bridge, Tegus and proSapient each describe libraries of past expert calls alongside live calls. We compare them in our guide to expert call transcript libraries.
- Survey and research focus: NewtonX, Atheneum and Dialectica place surveys and wider B2B research next to expert calls.
- AI in the process: GLG, NewtonX and proSapient describe AI moderated interviews, and Nextyn offers AI moderated calls too.
An expert network for investment firms needs speed, coverage and a clear record
Private equity teams use expert networks in commercial due diligence. Public equity teams use them for channel checks between reporting dates. Venture capital investors use them to test whether buyers will pay for an early product, and investment banks use them to prepare pitches.
Four things matter most: how soon you see the first profiles, whether the network can reach the exact seat your thesis depends on, how it screens for conflicts and material non public information, and whether your team can search past calls later. Our guide to expert network compliance sets out what a good screening record contains.
Segment guides narrow the list for your type of firm
The firms that suit a deal team differ from those that suit a case team, so there is a guide for each seat.
- Expert networks for private equity: the firms deal teams compare for diligence.
- Expert networks for hedge funds: channel checks and fast turnaround.
- Expert networks for venture capital: practitioners in early stage markets.
- Expert networks for consulting firms: volume and reuse across case teams.
- Expert network companies in India: firms with depth in Indian markets.
If you already have a name in mind, our guides to GLG alternatives and the GLG, AlphaSights, Guidepoint and Third Bridge comparison go further.
How to choose an expert network firm
Run the same brief through two or three firms and compare what comes back. Six points decide most shortlists.
- Coverage: whether the firm can reach your seats in your countries and sectors.
- Speed: how soon after the brief you see the first expert profiles.
- Screening: how experts are checked for conflicts and confidential information, and what record you receive.
- Formats: whether the firm runs the formats you need, such as moderated calls, panels and surveys.
- Reuse: whether transcripts are searchable by your team after the call.
- Pricing model: whether you pay per call, per hour, through a subscription or prepaid agreement, or for transcript access. Seniority, rarity of the profile, format, geography and compliance requirements drive the cost. Our guide to expert network pricing explains each model.
Where Nextyn fits
Nextyn is an expert network and primary research firm, founded in Mumbai in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore since 2022. Our offices are in New York, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangalore and Jakarta, with teams in the USA, Singapore, India and Indonesia. A dedicated US team serves active US mandates, and we cover twelve industry groups.
Clients include private equity firms, venture capital investors, hedge funds, investment banks, consulting firms and corporate strategy teams. We work under upfront engagement agreements, and project scopes draw down against them. A research lead owns each brief from first conversation to transcript, and every call lands in Nextyn IQ, where your team can search it.
The Head of Compliance leads our compliance work, including US engagements. Every expert is screened for conflicts and material non public information before booking, and where your policy and ours differ, the stricter applies. Alongside expert calls, we run moderated calls, expert panels and opinion surveys.
You can see how teams have used Nextyn in our case studies, for example reading consumer demand between quarterly reporting dates and building a healthcare diligence evidence trail for an investment committee.