What AUS does

AUS, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned (ESOP since 2001) holding company headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, operating three wholly owned subsidiaries across two data-driven verticals: market research and intellectual property management. Founded in 1967 by Joseph F. Brennan in Philadelphia as a utility-data consultancy, the firm entered market research in 1983 and has cultivated IP management services for over 30 years. Its operating units are SSRS (full-service survey and market research firm in Glen Mills, PA, serving media, foundations, educational institutions, non-profits, government, and major corporations across health policy, multicultural, religious, and sports/leisure specialisations), MSG / Marketing Systems Group (Horsham, PA, providing industry-standard research technology products including the Genesys RDD sample design system introduced in 1988, the PRO-T-S predictive dialer, and the ARCS panel management platform), and IPSCIO RoyaltySource (Austin, TX and Mount Laurel, NJ, offering the longest-running royalty rate database in the market, IPSCIO Reports, Licensing Economics Review, Purchase Price Allocation services, and a programmatic API for IP valuation workflows).

AUS monetises through a combination of professional services revenue (custom survey design, public opinion research, IP consulting) and subscription / recurring data and licensing revenue (RoyaltySource database access, Genesys/ARCS/PRO-T-S product licensing, RoyaltySource Concierge). The company's go-to-market is B2B sales-led, executed primarily through dedicated operating-company brands and websites (ssrs.com, m-s-g.com, ipscio.com) with industry engagement at conferences such as AAPOR. Shared technology, talent, and corporate services across subsidiaries are intended to deliver scale economies that single-niche competitors of equivalent size cannot match, and the ESOP structure is positioned to align long-term planning and retention across operating units. Leadership is stable, with Jack Ringwood serving as Chairman and CEO since 2002/2011 and a Board that includes the founder's family alongside independent directors.

The company holds 19 U.S. and international patents via Board member Denise Devine (co-inventor, technology platforms for food/beverage/pharmaceutical products), maintains the RoyaltySource and ESOP trademarks, and has received regional recognition including a Pennsylvania Best 50 Business Women award and a Lincoln University Lifetime Achievement Award to Board member Frank Giordano. The customer base spans seven identified segment verticals plus the IP management industry, pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no app-store products or public financial filings exist. A new Chief Accounting Officer joined in 2025, consistent with ongoing financial discipline and capacity for inorganic expansion.

Name

AUS

Legal name

AUS, Inc.

Website

https://ausinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AUS, Inc. is an employee-owned US holding company operating three subsidiaries: SSRS (full-service survey and market research), MSG (research technology products), and IPSCIO RoyaltySource (IP royalty data and consulting), serving media, government, academia, corporations, and IP management professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Laurel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Services: Full-service survey and market research services including omnibus surveys, online solutions, public opinion research, probability panels, and specialized sector research (health policy, multicultural, religious, sports/leisure)
2. IP Data and Consulting Services: Full range of data and consulting services for intellectual property management industry, including RoyaltySource database, reports, licensing economics review, and purchase price allocation
3. Data Management Systems: Products and services including sample design systems, predictive dialing solutions, panel management software, and GIS solutions for the research industry

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AUS Inc is a holding company that operates data-driven enterprises across market research and intellectual property management through three wholly owned operating subsidiaries: SSRS (a full-service survey and market research firm delivering omnibus surveys, online solutions, public opinion research, probability panels, and specialized sector research), MSG/Marketing Systems Group (provider of proprietary survey research technology including the Genesys RDD sample design system, PRO-T-S predictive dialer, ARCS panel management software, and GIS tools), and IPSCIO RoyaltySource (data and consulting services for IP managers, anchored by the longest-running royalty rate database, licensing economics review, purchase price allocation, and an API).

Product overview

AUS Inc is a holding company operating data-driven enterprises and consulting services through three main subsidiary brands: SSRS (market research and survey services), MSG (Marketing Systems Group - research technology products), and IPSCIO RoyaltySource (intellectual property management data and consulting). SSRS provides full-service survey research including omnibus surveys, online solutions, public opinion research, and specialized sector research. MSG develops proprietary research technology including Genesys (RDD sampling system), PRO-T-S (predictive dialing), ARCS (panel management), and GIS tools. IPSCIO RoyaltySource offers the industry-leading RoyaltySource® database, licensing economics reviews, purchase price allocation services, and an API for IP management professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SSRS (full-service survey and market research) Full-service survey and market research firm providing innovative methodologies, optimized sample designs, questionnaire refinement, and specialized research services for reaching low-incidence populations across media, foundations, educational institutions, non-profits, government, and major corporations.
• MSG — Marketing Systems Group (research technology products) Provider of innovative products, services, and information solutions to the survey research community, including sample design, predictive dialing, panel management, and GIS systems used by research firms for telephone and respondent-based data collection operations.
• Genesys RDD (Random Digit Dialing) sample design and generation system for telephone survey sampling, used by survey and market research professionals to design and generate random digit dialed samples.
• PRO-T-S Industry's first research predictive dialing system optimized specifically for market research, used by survey research operations to place outbound calls and manage live-interview workflows.
• ARCS Panel management software for managing research panels and participant engagement in survey research operations.
• GIS Geographic Information System tools for spatial data analysis in survey research, used to map and analyze research data by geography.
• SSRS Omnibus Surveys Regular multi-client survey offerings that provide data on various topics to multiple subscribers simultaneously across media, foundations, government, and corporate clients.
• SSRS Online Solutions Online survey and research solutions for data collection and analysis delivered to research buyers.
• SSRS Public Opinion Research Public opinion polling and research services for media, foundations, and government clients.
• SSRS Probability Panel Probability-based panel research service providing representative sampling for surveys.
• SSRS International Research Cross-border market research and opinion polling services delivered internationally.
• SSRS Health Policy Research Healthcare and health policy focused research services for clients in the health sector.
• SSRS Multicultural Research Research services targeting diverse demographic and multicultural populations.
• SSRS Religious Research Specialized research on religious demographics, attitudes, and behaviors.
• SSRS Sports & Leisure Research Market research focused on sports, recreation, and leisure activities for relevant clients.
• IPSCIO RoyaltySource (data and consulting) Comprehensive IP management data and consulting services featuring the longest-running royalty rate database in the market, supporting IP managers, licensing executives, valuation analysts, and corporate development teams.
• RoyaltySource Database Longest-running royalty rate database in the market, providing benchmark rates for IP licensing and valuation and powered by IPSCIO data engines using advanced Natural Language Processing.
• IPSCIO Reports Customized reporting services for intellectual property management and royalty analysis.
• IPSCIO LER (Licensing Economics Review) Licensing economics review publications and analysis for IP professionals, supporting licensing negotiations and royalty benchmarking.
• IPSCIO PPA (Purchase Price Allocation) Purchase price allocation services for IP valuation in M&A transactions.
• IPSCIO API Application programming interface for accessing IPSCIO data and services programmatically for IP management.
• RoyaltySource Concierge Premium concierge service for royalty rate research and consulting under the RoyaltySource brand.
• IPSCIO Solutions Comprehensive intellectual property management solutions and consulting services for IP professionals.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Consortium of Social Science AssociationsminorOthersMelissa Herrmann, President of SSRS and AUS Board Director, serves on the board of the Consortium of Social Science Associations

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Westat: US-based employee-owned statistical survey and research firm serving federal, foundation, and corporate clients — directly comparable to SSRS in full-service survey research, probability-based sampling, and public-sector/government research engagements.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research organization with deep capabilities in survey design, probability panels, and public opinion research across media, government, and academic clients — directly mirrors SSRS's service mix and customer segments.
• Abt Associates: US research and consulting firm serving government, foundations, and commercial clients in social science, health, and survey research — comparable to AUS/SSRS in mission-driven research, public-sector work, and multi-vertical specialization.
• ktMINE: Provider of royalty rate, intellectual property, and financial asset data, with comparable database products to IPSCIO's RoyaltySource and adjacent licensing-economics and PPA services.
• Ocean Tomo: Intellectual property valuation, consulting, and analytics firm offering royalty rate benchmarking, licensing advisory, and PPA services — directly comparable to IPSCIO RoyaltySource in IP economics and valuation.
• Sawtooth Software: Provider of specialized survey research and choice-based analytics software used by the survey research community — adjacent to MSG's research-technology product line and comparable to Genesys/ARCS as technology tooling for research firms.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research and public opinion firm operating across many of the same verticals as SSRS (media, government, health, public opinion) — broader portfolio and international scale make it a broad incumbent rather than direct niche competitor.
• Nielsen: Global measurement and data analytics company with deep audience research, public opinion polling, and panel-based research capabilities that overlap with SSRS's media and consumer research offerings at much larger scale.
• Qualtrics: Enterprise experience management and survey technology platform that overlaps with MSG's research technology products (sampling, panel management, data collection) as part of a broader SaaS portfolio.

Emerging players

• IPlytics: Patent analytics and IP market intelligence platform that intersects with IPSCIO's IP data and licensing economics offerings, particularly through standardized patent and licensing data accessible via software/API.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 AUS