The Insights Family

What The Insights Family does

The Insights Family, legally Apex Engage Limited, is a Manchester-headquartered market intelligence platform specializing in real-time research, data, and insights on kids (ages 3-18), parents, and young adults (ages 19-30) across 22 countries and six continents. The company operates three integrated sub-brands — Kids Insights, Parents Insights, and NextGen Insights — built on a proprietary 360-degree methodology that surveys approximately 800,000 family members annually and has accumulated over 5.9 billion data points covering 56,000+ brands and IPs. All research is conducted in a GDPR and COPPA compliant manner, which the company positions as a structural advantage in a market where post-regulation tracking of children's data has become materially restricted.

The core product is a subscription-based real-time portal that updates with 50 million data points per month, supplemented by audience segmentation tools (country tools, dashboards, trend tracker), predictive data science tools (IP Index, Film Predictive Tool, Media Mix Compass, Persona Perspectives, Datagram) developed with leading academics, curated vertical reports, custom research projects, and strategic consultancy. Distribution combines self-serve portal subscriptions across multiple markets with direct enterprise sales and bespoke engagements. The company serves over 100 enterprise clients globally, including Amazon, Disney, Lego, Warner Bros., F1, BBC, Coca-Cola, Paramount, WildBrain, Pocket.watch, Mattel, Hasbro, Nike, and SEGA, spanning entertainment, toys, licensing, publishing, FMCG, advertising, and motorsport.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: recurring portal subscriptions (annual cadence, multi-market), custom research projects (Brand Uplift, Audience In Focus, Brand Health Checks, Flash Surveys, Property In Focus), and strategic consultancy workshops. The company was founded by Nick Richardson in 2016/2017, scaled under CEO Tom Williams from February 2023, and secured £5.6 million in growth equity from BGF in January 2024 to accelerate international expansion. Regulatory engagement with Ofcom, the ICO, and the Gambling Commission, combined with Cyber Essentials and ESOMAR credentials, anchors its positioning as trusted infrastructure for kids and family market intelligence.

Name

The Insights Family

Legal name

Apex Engage Limited

Website

https://theinsightsfamily.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Insights Family is a Manchester-based subscription market intelligence platform providing real-time, GDPR and COPPA compliant research, data, and predictive insights on kids, parents, and young adults across 22 countries to 100+ enterprise clients including Disney, Warner Bros., Lego, Amazon, and F1.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Portal Access: Clients subscribe to the award-winning portal to access real-time market intelligence data, dashboards, reports, and analytics tools. The portal is the primary recurring revenue channel, with subscriptions across multiple markets and tiers.
2. Custom Research Projects: Bespoke research projects including Brand Uplift studies, Audience In Focus, Brand Health Checks, Flash Surveys, and Property In Focus, providing one-off or recurring custom research engagements for clients.
3. Strategic Consultancy: Strategy team provides workshops and strategic planning services to help clients review and plan for the future using market intelligence data.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Insights Family provides real-time, GDPR and COPPA compliant market intelligence on kids (ages 3-18), parents, and young people (ages 19-30) across 22 countries through a subscription-based data portal. The platform continuously surveys approximately 800,000 family members annually, accumulating over 5.9 billion data points on 56,000+ brands and IPs, and offers custom research projects plus strategic consultancy to enterprise clients.

Product overview

The Insights Family operates as a unified platform company offering three integrated research sub-brands — Kids Insights™ (ages 3-18), Parents Insights™ (parents of children 1-16), and NextGen Insights™ (ages 19-30) — all accessed through a single award-winning Portal. The platform is built around a class-of-one methodology that provides real-time, statistically significant data across 22 countries. The product architecture spans three pillars: Research (Industry Knowledge, Audience Research & Trends), Data (Audience Segmentation Tools, Predictive Data Science Tools), and Insights (Curated Insights, Custom Projects, Strategic Consultancy). Clients access these modules through the Portal, which provides real-time dashboards, trend tracking, and historical data updated continuously. Add-on modules include the Engagement Index for licensing IP performance tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Insights: Market intelligence service focused on kids and teens aged 3-18, surveying c400 kids per week per country.
• Parents Insights
• NextGen Insights

Products and services

• Kids Insights Real-time market intelligence on kids and teens aged 3-18 across 22 countries, providing data on attitudes, behaviour, and consumption patterns through weekly surveys of approximately 400 kids/teens per country, totalling approximately 21,000 kids per year per country. Sold as a standalone subscription panel for enterprise clients.
• Parents Insights Market intelligence on parents of children aged 1-16, providing holistic views of parents' digital and offline attitudes, behaviours, and consumption patterns through weekly surveys of approximately 200 parents per country. Sold as a standalone subscription panel for enterprise clients.
• NextGen Insights Market intelligence on young people aged 19-30, surveying approximately 300 young people per country per week to track changing attitudes and behaviours as they transition into adulthood. Sold as a standalone subscription panel for enterprise clients.
• The Insights Family Portal The award-winning subscription-based client portal providing real-time access to market intelligence data, dashboards, reports, industry news, historical data, and analytical tools all in one place, updating with 50,000,000 data points monthly. Clients can subscribe across multiple markets (UK, FR, DE, IT, etc.).
• Custom Projects Bespoke research services for specific client needs including testing, measuring, and evaluating new creative, campaigns, and products. Includes Audience In Focus, Brand Health Check, Brand Tracker Monthly/Quarterly, Brand Uplift, Brand Uplift Lite, Flash Survey, and Property In Focus. Delivered as professional services engagements to enterprise clients.
• Strategic Consultancy Strategic advisory services helping clients review and plan for the future. Includes Workshops (hands-on moderated sessions) and Strategic Planning (working with expert industry advisors). Provided by The Insights Family's strategy team to enterprise clients.
• Engagement Index

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,904,075,229+ total data points collected
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of BoltonminorOthersThe Insights Family has an academic partnership with the University of Bolton. The collaboration has introduced digital and psychology academic expertise, enriched the student experience, and provided hands-on workplace experience. In 2022, founder Nick Richardson received an Honorary Doctorate for Innovation from the University of Bolton.
• Leading Academics (Predictive Data Science Collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Insights Family's Predictive Data Science Tools were developed in collaboration with leading academics. This academic collaboration enables the development of sophisticated predictive tools including the Film Predictive Tool, IP Index, Media Mix Compass, Datagram, and Persona Perspectives, which apply data science techniques to future decision-making.
• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)coreOthersThe Insights Family works with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and other regulators and policy holders on data protection matters. Given their GDPR and COPPA compliant operations collecting data on children and families, this relationship is important for regulatory alignment.
• OfcomcoreOthersThe Insights Family is cited by Ofcom as a trusted data source for industry data on children and families. Their data is used by Ofcom and other trade bodies and governments for regulatory and policy purposes.
• Gambling CommissionminorOthersThe Insights Family works with the Gambling Commission and other government bodies on policy matters related to children and families, leveraging their extensive data and research capabilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Ypulse: US-based youth market research and insights firm focused on Gen Z and Millennials, with syndicated research, custom studies, and subscription intelligence directly comparable to The Insights Family's kids/youth/parent offering.
• ChildWise: Specialist UK children's market research agency covering media, technology, and consumer behaviour of kids and parents, directly comparable in focus, geography, and research methodology to The Insights Family.

Broad incumbents

• Circana (formerly IRI + NPD Group): Global consumer intelligence leader with the NPD heritage in toys and kids market research, providing point-of-sale and consumer insights that overlap with The Insights Family's toy/entertainment client work.
• Nielsen: Global measurement and data analytics incumbent with long-running kids and family audience research panels, comparable as a broad-based competitor with overlapping kids/family intelligence capabilities.
• Kantar: Major global market research group with dedicated youth, family, and media audience research practices that overlap with The Insights Family's licensing, media, and consumer verticals.
• Ipsos: Global market research group with significant kids, family, and youth research offerings across media, advertising, and consumer products, comparable as a broad incumbent across multiple of The Insights Family's vertical segments.
• GfK: Global consumer market research firm with consumer panels covering kids and family purchasing behaviour, providing overlapping market intelligence across the toys, media, and consumer goods sectors served by The Insights Family.
• Euromonitor International: Global market research firm providing industry, country, and consumer intelligence including kids and family consumer trends, comparable as a broad incumbent in the same market intelligence category.

Emerging players

• GWI (Global Web Index): Digital consumer research platform with audience segmentation across age cohorts including younger demographics, providing an emerging digital-first comparable to The Insights Family's portal-based audience intelligence model.
• Parrot Analytics: Data analytics platform for the entertainment industry tracking audience demand for content, franchises, and IPs - directly adjacent to The Insights Family's IP Index and Film Predictive Tool offerings in licensing/media.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/InsightsFamily
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-insights-people

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Insights Family