AlphaSights
AlphaSights is a global leader in knowledge on demand, founded in 2008 by Max Cartellieri and Andrew Heath, who serve as its co-CEOs.[1][2] The company specializes in connecting investors, business leaders, and professionals with expert insights across industries, geographies, and topics, facilitating over 3 million client-expert interactions to date.[1] Operating from nine offices worldwide with more than 2,000 employees, AlphaSights emphasizes rapid, secure, and efficient access to specialized knowledge to support informed decision-making.[1] The firm's growth has been remarkable, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70% in revenue from 2009 to 2023, driven primarily by client satisfaction and word-of-mouth referrals.[1] In September 2024, AlphaSights raised $400 million in growth funding at a $4.2 billion valuation, led by Carlyle and TA Associates.[3] AlphaSights' platform leverages a dynamic network of industry experts and a knowledge graph to match client needs with relevant professionals, distinguishing it in the expert network sector.[4] Its corporate culture, shaped by the founders' vision, prioritizes excellence, continuous learning, and a long-term focus on building future business leaders.[2] In addition to its commercial success, AlphaSights has been recognized for its workplace environment, earning Great Place to Work certifications in the UK, USA, and Japan as of 2025, and for social impact, including a $1.1 million donation in services through its Knowledge for Good initiative in 2023.[1] The company has also received accolades such as inclusion in the UK's Fast Track 100 list from 2013 to 2017, underscoring its position as one of Europe's fastest-growing firms.[1]Overview
Company Description
AlphaSights is a private company operating in the information services sector, specializing in knowledge brokerage through expert networks.[5] Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the firm maintains global operations across multiple continents, providing round-the-clock coverage from offices in key international cities.[6][1] The company's mission is to equip global investors and business leaders with the knowledge necessary for informed decisions, while fostering career development opportunities for its employees.[1] As of 2025, AlphaSights employs over 2,000 professionals and has facilitated more than 3 million client-expert interactions, underscoring its scale in delivering on-demand insights.[1] AlphaSights primarily serves investment firms, management consultancies, private equity groups, and Fortune 500 corporations, spanning sectors such as finance, healthcare, and technology.[1][7]Business Model and Services
AlphaSights operates as a knowledge-on-demand provider in the expert network industry, specializing in connecting clients—primarily investors, consultants, and corporate strategy teams—with subject-matter experts to deliver primary market insights through customized consultations.[1] The core model revolves around a custom search process, where a global team of over 2,000 professionals sources, qualifies, and matches experts to client briefs, emphasizing speed and precision over static databases.[8] This approach enables frictionless access to insights across sectors, geographies, and topics, with services delivered via an interactive platform that facilitates over 3 million client-expert interactions.[1] The company's primary services include one-on-one expert calls, which form the foundation of its offerings and involve direct phone or video consultations with vetted professionals, often moderated by ex-investors or strategy experts for optimal relevance.[8] Additional services encompass qualitative and quantitative research, such as structured market analysis derived from multiple expert inputs, and large-scale surveys supporting up to 200 respondents, including questionnaire design, execution, and data analysis.[8] Complementary options include real-time transcripts with AI-powered summaries delivered within hours, as well as deal advisory services that engage industry veterans to assist in transaction execution, such as due diligence or sourcing.[8] Revenue is generated on a fee-based structure, charging clients per interaction, project, or custom engagement, while compensating experts for their time and expertise according to predefined guidelines.[9] This model supports on-demand and retainer-based access, allowing scalability for both ad-hoc queries and ongoing knowledge needs.[10] AlphaSights' unique value proposition lies in its emphasis on confidentiality, global reach in over 60 languages, and seamless integration as an extension of client teams, enabling rapid decision-making without internal resource strain.[8] To uphold integrity, the company adheres to stringent compliance standards, including Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, anti-money laundering (AML) checks, conflict-of-interest screenings, and full GDPR compliance for data protection.[11] Experts are bound by a professional code of conduct that ensures ethical participation, respectful interactions, and non-disclosure of sensitive information, with proprietary risk management technology monitoring all engagements.[12][13]History and Founding
Origins and Founders
AlphaSights was founded in 2008 by Max Cartellieri and Andrew Heath, who had met while studying at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in the late 1990s.[14][15] The company's inception stemmed from the founders' observation of a market gap for streamlined access to specialized expert knowledge, particularly for professionals in consulting and investment roles seeking efficient insights to inform decisions.[14] This vision addressed the inefficiencies they encountered in prior entrepreneurial experiences, where timely expert input could accelerate progress in high-stakes environments. Cartellieri, a German national, brought experience from co-founding Ciao AG in 1999, Europe's leading price comparison and product review platform, which had grown to around 150 employees before being sold to Greenfield Online in 2005 and ultimately acquired by Microsoft in 2008.[16][17] Heath, meanwhile, had co-founded GoIndustry in 1999 as an online marketplace for surplus industrial goods, serving as CEO until 2006 and expanding it from a three-person team to a global operation later integrated into GoIndustry DoveBid.[18][19] Their combined backgrounds in scaling tech-enabled platforms informed AlphaSights' approach to knowledge brokering. The company was formally incorporated as AlphaSights Ltd on March 14, 2008, in London, United Kingdom, where it launched operations from a small office with an initial focus on serving private equity firms and consulting clients.[20][21] Amid the global financial crisis of 2008, the startup navigated early hurdles by prioritizing rapid client acquisition and internal processes, laying the groundwork for technology-driven scaling and targeted recruitment to build its core team.[22]Early Milestones
Following its incorporation in 2008, AlphaSights formalized its structure and recruited its first hires to build an initial network of experts.[20] The company quickly expanded its team, growing to around 30 employees in its early years, primarily focused on sourcing and engaging subject-matter experts for client consultations.[14] The core product, an expert call service connecting clients with industry specialists, was launched shortly after founding, with initial wins among private equity firms seeking insights for investment decisions.[8] This service emphasized rapid, customized pairings, laying the groundwork for proprietary technology that would later evolve into a knowledge graph for expert-client matching using machine learning on curated relationships.[23] Early operations centered on the finance and consulting sectors, including preliminary interactions with international clients ahead of physical expansion.[24] The firm achieved operational profitability by mid-2010, demonstrating strong pre-expansion growth.[14] This momentum was retrospectively highlighted in 2013 when AlphaSights was ranked third among the UK's fastest-growing companies by The Sunday Times Fast Track 100.Leadership
Co-Founders
AlphaSights was co-founded in 2008 by Max Cartellieri and Andrew Heath, who have served as Co-CEOs since the company's inception, jointly overseeing its global strategy and operations.[1][2] As leaders of a firm now employing over 2,000 professionals across nine offices, they maintain active involvement in steering the organization's direction, emphasizing client-centric innovation and sustainable expansion.[1] Max Cartellieri brings expertise in technology and scaling operations, drawn from his prior role founding Ciao AG in 1999, Europe's leading price comparison and product review service, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2008.[25] Andrew Heath's background in auctions and online marketplaces stems from co-founding GoIndustry DoveBid in 1999, where he served as CEO until 2006, scaling the platform from a three-person team to a global operation with 300 employees that specialized in trading surplus industrial goods across Europe.[18] At AlphaSights, Heath focuses on strengthening European operations and client relationship strategies, leveraging his experience to foster long-term partnerships with investment and business leaders.[25] The co-founders' leadership philosophy centers on a founder-led culture that promotes meritocracy through hiring high-caliber talent with strong intellectual and emotional intelligence, while encouraging ownership, continuous learning, and a flat hierarchy to empower employees.[2] This approach fosters excellence and hard work, aligning with their vision of unlocking knowledge to accelerate client success and long-term business growth.[26][1] As of 2025, Cartellieri and Heath continue to guide AlphaSights, having achieved a 70% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue from 2009 to 2023.[1] Their strategic oversight has enabled the delivery of over 3 million client-expert interactions, solidifying the firm's position in the expert network sector.[1]Executive Structure
The executive structure of AlphaSights is led by its co-founders serving as co-CEOs, with a C-suite comprising key operational, financial, and technological leaders to oversee global activities. The composition includes a Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and regional presidents, such as for the Americas, supporting the company's expansion across multiple continents.[27][28] Notable non-founder executives include Sean Corrigan, who has served as COO since 2022 after joining in 2011 as a founding member of the New York office, focusing on operational scaling and global infrastructure. Oliver Strutynski acts as CFO, bringing nearly 20 years of finance and operations experience to manage the company's international financial strategy.[27][29][30] Alexei Kalveks serves as CTO, having previously led as Global Head of Product and Strategy since 2017, overseeing technology initiatives to enhance the platform's knowledge delivery capabilities.[31][28] Alexander Leclair serves as President of the Americas as of July 2025, directing regional operations and client services in North and South America.[32] Governance is handled by a board of directors consisting of approximately 12 members and advisors, including the co-founders and external experts such as investor Silvester Dekeijzer, to provide strategic oversight with international expertise.[33] The leadership employs a collaborative decision-making model, emphasizing cross-functional input from C-suite and regional heads to facilitate rapid scaling, as evidenced by the growth to over 2,000 employees across nine offices worldwide.[1] In late 2024 and 2025, executive changes included promotions within specialist teams to support growth phases, though specific C-suite appointments beyond ongoing roles were not publicly detailed.[34]Global Operations
Office Network
AlphaSights is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, where the company was founded in 2008.[1] As of 2025, AlphaSights operates nine offices globally, providing a physical footprint across key international markets. These locations are: New York (opened 2011), Hong Kong (2011), Dubai (2013), San Francisco (2015), Seoul (2016), Shanghai (2016), Hamburg (2016), and Tokyo (2017).[35][36][37][38]| Region | Offices |
|---|---|
| EMEA | London (HQ), Hamburg, Dubai |
| Americas | New York, San Francisco |
| APAC | Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo |