Custom Research
M&A due diligence, market entry analysis, product-market fit validation, technology assessments, and any other question you need answered. Custom-scoped to your exact needs.
Why do most approaches fall short?
You have a specific question that doesn't fit a standard report type. A potential acquisition target, a new market you're evaluating, a technology decision with millions on the line. Traditional consultants charge $50,000+ and take months. Online research tools give you raw data with no analysis.
How do we solve it differently?
Tell us what you need to know. We scope the research, identify the relevant data sources, and deliver a thorough analysis: verified data, cross-referenced findings, and specific recommendations. Same multi-agent verification. Same source transparency. Custom-scoped to your exact question.
What's included in every report?
Each report is built for your specific situation, but these capabilities come standard.
M&A Due Diligence
Thorough target analysis: financials, market position, customer sentiment, employee satisfaction, technology stack, and risk factors.
Market Entry Feasibility
Should you enter this market? Competitive landscape, demand signals, regulatory requirements, and go-to-market recommendations.
Product-Market Fit Validation
Is there demand for your product? Consumer signals, competitive alternatives, pricing sensitivity, and adoption likelihood assessed.
Technology Assessment
Build vs. buy analysis, technology landscape mapping, vendor comparison, and implementation risk assessment.
Investor Research
VC/PE landscape, investor preferences, portfolio overlap analysis, and pitch positioning recommendations.
Any Question, Any Data
If it can be researched, we can research it. Our government databases, patent registries, financial filings, and archived consumer discussions across social platforms and 20-year historical depth cover virtually any business question.
How does the process work?
Four rigorous stages. No shortcuts, no recycled templates.
Scoping Call
We define exactly what you need answered, the depth required, the timeline, and the deliverable format.
Research Design
We identify the right data sources, design the analysis framework, and confirm the approach before starting.
Deep Research
Multi-agent research across all relevant sources. Every finding cross-verified through our <a href='/services/verification-as-a-service/'>multi-agent verification</a> process. Every claim sourced.
Delivery & Consultation
Full report with executive summary, detailed findings, and specific recommendations. Follow-up consultation included.
What do you actually get with this service?
What "custom" actually means
Most consulting firms call their work "custom" because the slide template is white-labeled with your logo. The actual answer is whatever they pulled from prior engagements, adjusted slightly.
A real custom research engagement starts from your specific question, builds a methodology designed for that question, and runs analysis you cannot get from any off-the-shelf report.
What we use it for
Common custom research engagements:
- Due diligence on acquisition targets where public information is thin or contradictory
- Market structure analysis in niche categories that no analyst firm covers
- Vendor or partner evaluation across 5-15 candidates with normalized scoring
- Regulatory or competitive scenario planning ("what happens to our market if X passes / Y enters")
- Customer cohort analysis when survey data is unreliable or unavailable
- Operational benchmarking — what comparable companies do, without asking competitors directly
The scope is set by your question, not by a fixed deliverable template.
How we deliver it
The engagement starts with a 60-minute scoping conversation: what's the question, what decision will the answer drive, what does the deliverable need to look like, what timeline matters.
We turn that into a written brief — methodology, sources, assumed limitations, deliverable format, timeline, price — that you sign off on before work starts. That brief is the contract. Scope creep gets handled with explicit additions, not silent margin loss.
Standard engagements run 5-7 business days for moderate scope, 10-14 days for broader scope. The deliverable is a research report, sized to the question — sometimes 20 pages, sometimes 80, never padded for length. Every claim cites its source. We hand off raw data tables alongside the synthesis so your team can verify and extend.
Where this fits
Custom research fits questions where off-the-shelf analyst reports are too generic, consulting firms are too expensive or slow, and your in-house team doesn't have the data infrastructure to run the analysis quickly. Also where confidentiality matters — commissioned research stays exclusive to you.
It doesn't fit cases where existing public reports already answer your question. We'll tell you that on the scoping call rather than sell unnecessary work.
Common questions about custom research?
What is a due diligence report?
How do you price custom research?
What's the turnaround time?
What data sources do you use for due diligence?
Can you handle confidential or sensitive research?
What can you research that we can't do ourselves?
Industries that engage this service
How firms package this service for clients
Authoritative sources we reference
Have a question? We have the answer.
Tell us what you need to know. We'll tell you what it costs and how fast we can deliver. Any topic, any market, any company.