YPulse, Inc.
YPulse is a private, subscription-based market research firm that delivers syndicated insights, brand tracking, and custom research on Gen Z, Millennials, and tweens to consumer brands and technology platforms across North America and Western Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What YPulse, Inc. does
YPulse, Inc. is a privately held subscription-based market research firm founded around 2013 and headquartered in New York, with a remote team across the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Colombia, Ecuador, and Argentina. The company specializes in quantitative and qualitative insights on Gen Z, Millennials, and now tweens (ages 8-39), operating the largest purpose-built youth research platform in the space with over 15 billion lifetime datapoints, 50+ million new datapoints annually, 400,000+ annual interviews, and a 1,000+ brand youth-affinity tracker spanning North America and Western Europe.
The core product is a tiered subscription platform (Starter at $1/month, Pro, Prime, Tween Pro, Agency/Enterprise) that delivers daily articles, branded reports, behavioral dashboards, and proprietary brand tracking metrics (coolness, authenticity, relevance, and 20+ indicators). In 2025 the company layered a generative-AI search assistant backed by ~500 million datapoints onto the platform, with a Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration that lets third-party AI clients (Claude, ChatGPT) query YPulse via Deepset for NLP and Snowflake for structured brand data. Custom research is delivered through The Studio / Youth Strategy Studio as project-based engagements for clients such as Spotify, Instagram, and Hello Sunshine, and the 2025-launched Tween Study product line covers 8-12 year olds with four annual reports.
Revenue is generated primarily via recurring subscription contracts sold through a sales-led GTM motion with both self-serve entry-level tiers and enterprise annual plans, supplemented by project-fee-based custom research. Marquee customers include Meta, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Apple, Samsung, Spotify, YouTube, Abercrombie & Fitch, The North Face, Build-A-Bear, Kraft Heinz, and Xbox. Distribution is direct-only (no resellers), with a content-led acquisition engine built on the daily newsletter, Substack, LinkedIn thought leadership, free Pulse Check briefings, and webinars.
YPulse, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YPulse, Inc.
- Legal name
- YPulse, Inc.
- Website
- https://ypulse.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- YPulse is a private, subscription-based market research firm that delivers syndicated insights, brand tracking, and custom research on Gen Z, Millennials, and tweens to consumer brands and technology platforms across North America and Western Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where YPulse, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
YPulse, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Research Content: YPulse's primary revenue stream is subscription-based access to syndicated research content. Tiered subscription plans (Starter, Pro, Prime, Agency) provide access to reports, articles, dashboards, AI tools, and brand tracking data. Pricing varies by feature access level and geographic regions included.
- Custom Research Services: Bespoke research engagements through the Strategic Services team, providing custom solutions for brands requiring specific youth insights, qualitative/quantitative research, segmentation studies, and white papers. Revenue recognized as project-based professional services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Starter - Entry-level subscription for individual users |
| Subscription | Monthly | Daily Intelligence - Daily articles and news access |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro and Prime - Full research access |
| Subscription | Annual | Agency/Enterprise - Multi-user organization plans |
| Subscription | Annual | Tween Pro - Specialized tween demographic access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
YPulse, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YPulse provides subscription-based syndicated research content and tools that decode Gen Z, Millennial, and tween (ages 8-39) consumer behavior for brands and organizations. The core platform combines daily articles, comprehensive trend and behavioral reports, brand tracking across 1,000+ youth-relevant brands, and an AI-powered search assistant trained on 500 million proprietary datapoints. Additionally, the Youth Strategy Studio delivers bespoke custom research engagements including segmentation, concept testing, and ethnographic studies for enterprise clients.
Product overview
YPulse, Inc. operates a subscription-based syndicated research platform providing strategic insights on Gen Z and Millennials (ages 8-39) to brands and organizations. The core offering consists of the YPulse Platform with Brand Tracking (monitoring 1,000+ brands), AI Assistant for natural-language data queries, and Daily Intelligence newsletters. The company offers tiered subscriptions (Starter at $1/month, Pro, and Prime) plus regional add-ons (Western Europe Agency, North America Agency). The Youth Strategy Studio provides custom research services, while the Tween Study product (launched 2025) extends coverage to 8-12 year olds. Reports span behavioral, trend, and brand topics including Music, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Personal Care & Beauty, and Media Consumption. Gen Z Pulse Check offers free strategic briefings powered by AI.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Studio: YPulse's custom research and strategic services team that crafts solutions to connect brands with Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
- Tweens Hub
Products and services
- YPulse Platform Subscription-based syndicated research platform providing companies and organizations strategic insight on Gen Z and Millennials through daily articles, reports, behavioral data, brand tracking, and AI-powered search.
- Brand Tracking Youth-specific brand tracking service monitoring affinity diagnostics (coolness, authenticity, relevance) for over 1,000 global and local brands among young consumers across North America and Western Europe.
- AI Assistant AI-powered research assistant that places 500 million YPulse datapoints at subscribers' fingertips, answering specific youth-marketing questions via natural-language queries against proprietary research.
- Youth Strategy Studio (The Studio) Custom research division offering bespoke youth-insight solutions including qualitative and quantitative projects, segmentation studies, ethnographic research, concept testing, and thought leadership work for brands.
- Tween Study Research product surveying 8-12 year olds across North America with 1,500 nationally representative respondents per survey, covering behaviors, media consumption, brand influences, and purchasing power through four themed reports per year.
- Daily Intelligence Daily newsletter product providing curated youth culture news infused with YPulse expertise and proprietary data, delivered to subscriber inboxes for $199 per month.
- Gen Z Pulse Check Free 2-3 page strategic briefing revealing drivers of teen, tween, and young adult behavior around a brand or industry, powered by YPulse's proprietary research and specialized AI.
- Report Data Downloads Data file download service providing access to raw survey data tables from YPulse reports with demographic splits including gender, generation, age groups, academic status, race, country, LGBTQ+, and parent status.
Quantifiable outcome
- 82% of 8-12 year olds influence household purchases
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use YPulse, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
YPulse, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
YPulse, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- SpotifyflagshipYPulse partnered with Spotify on an 8-phase research project leveraging quantitative, qualitative, behavioral, and ethnographic methods to understand Millennial and Gen Z Spotify users at scale. The project positioned Spotify as thought leaders within the music industry and won the EXPLOR Award for Excellence in research innovation.
- GolincoreYPulse collaborated with Golin on Gen Z research titled 'Fearful or Fearless' exploring generational attitudes and behaviors.
- Instagram (Meta)coreYPulse produced the Instagram Gen Z 2022 Trend Report in partnership with Instagram, providing insights into how Gen Z uses the platform.
- ImgursupportingYPulse published 'The Rise of Geek Culture' white paper in partnership with Imgur exploring geek culture among young consumers.
- VevosupportingYPulse created a Music Fan Report segmentation study for Vevo analyzing young music consumers.
- Hello Sunshine (Reese Witherspoon)flagshipYPulse's Youth Strategy Studio partnered with Hello Sunshine and Être to launch 'Sunnie' - a platform decoding Gen Z's secret to happiness. Research involved interviewing 1,000 girls ages 13-18. Findings informed the Sunnie platform content and showed brands how to connect authentically with Gen Z girls.
- ÊtreflagshipYPulse partnered with Être and Hello Sunshine for the Sunnie research project exploring Gen Z girls' happiness and joy.
- C&S (formerly Institute for Citizens & Scholars)coreYPulse is a partner in C&S initiative to empower 20 million young people aged 14-24 to take civic actions. YPulse provides research insights to support outreach through schools, workplaces, and a 135-member college consortium, targeting 15 million through an online campaign tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial.
- DoSomethingcoreNon-profit partner in C&S civic engagement initiative targeting young people.
- Carnegie Corporation of New YorkcoreFoundation partner in C&S initiative to foster civic engagement among Gen Z.
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce FoundationcoreChamber foundation partner in C&S civic engagement initiative supporting youth participation programs.
- DeepsetcoreAI search processing partner for YPulse's AI-powered search tool via Model Context Protocol (MCP). Deepset processes natural language queries submitted through the search tool.
- SnowflakecoreData infrastructure partner for structured brand data queries in YPulse's AI-powered search system. Processes and serves brand-related search requests.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
YPulse, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CivicScience: Real-time consumer polling and brand intelligence platform with API-based insights. An emerging competitor using continuously refreshed consumer polling — a methodology overlap that could pressure YPulse's static-survey cadence.
- Edited: Retail and consumer market intelligence platform specializing in fashion, apparel, and beauty — verticals that overlap with YPulse's strongest client concentration (Abercrombie, Build-A-Bear, The North Face).
- Hotspex: Consumer insights and brand effectiveness research firm with Gen Z/millennial expertise and subscription products. Specializes in advertising effectiveness research — a partial overlap with YPulse's brand affinity and tracking work.
Broad incumbents
- NIQ (NielsenIQ) / GfK: Global consumer intelligence giant offering syndicated brand and shopper research including youth segments. Operates as a broad incumbent with much greater scale, deeper enterprise contracts, and broader geographic coverage than YPulse's youth-specialist focus.
- Forrester Research: Subscription-based enterprise research firm publishing syndicated reports across consumer, marketing, and technology. Serves many of the same CMO-class buyers as YPulse at a substantially broader scope.
- Mintel: Subscription market research publisher covering consumer, beauty, food, and lifestyle categories with dedicated Gen Z and youth consumer reporting. Overlaps with YPulse on subscription content and CPG/retail client base, but covers all ages and verticals.
- Gartner: Enterprise IT/consumer research leader with massive subscription content and advisory relationships. Adjacent competitor for marketing-organization research budgets where YPulse sells youth intelligence.
Direct peers
- Piper Sandler (Taking Stock of Gen Z): Investment bank's research arm that runs the biannual 'Taking Stock With Teens' Gen Z consumer survey. Directly competes with YPulse for youth consumer brand tracking engagements with major apparel, tech, and food clients.
- YouGov: Global consumer research firm with large opt-in panels covering youth and Gen Z segments. Competes with YPulse on syndicated brand tracking and custom research, with comparable subscription offerings and AI search (YouGov Crunch).
- Morning Consult: Subscription-based consumer and political intelligence platform running large-scale daily polls. Directly comparable to YPulse as a tech-enabled, sales-led research firm selling syndicated insights to enterprise brand and media buyers, with an AI-powered research assistant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
YPulse, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceYPulse, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
YPulse, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YPulse, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
YPulse, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YPulse, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about YPulse, Inc.
What does YPulse, Inc. do?
YPulse provides subscription-based syndicated research content and tools that decode Gen Z, Millennial, and tween (ages 8-39) consumer behavior for brands and organizations. The core platform combines daily articles, comprehensive trend and behavioral reports, brand tracking across 1,000+ youth-relevant brands, and an AI-powered search assistant trained on 500 million proprietary datapoints. Additionally, the Youth Strategy Studio delivers bespoke custom research engagements including segmentation, concept testing, and ethnographic studies for enterprise clients.
Is YPulse, Inc. a public or private company?
YPulse, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was YPulse, Inc. founded?
YPulse, Inc. was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is YPulse, Inc. based?
YPulse, Inc. is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does YPulse, Inc. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Research Content is the primary driver. The others are custom Research Services.
Who are YPulse, Inc.'s main competitors?
Emerging players on record are CivicScience, Edited and Hotspex. Broad incumbents are NIQ (NielsenIQ) / GfK, Forrester Research, Mintel and Gartner. Direct peers are Piper Sandler (Taking Stock of Gen Z), YouGov and Morning Consult.
Does YPulse, Inc. have an API?
Yes. YPulse offers an AI-powered search tool that processes natural language queries and structured brand data queries. The system uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) for AI integration. The MCP server handles account ID, email, IP address, AI client identifier, tool names, and natural-language questions submitted by users. Structured brand queries include brand names and filter parameters. Search results and session data are not stored on the MCP server after requests complete. The AI tool is powered by a generative AI system. Developer documentation is at www.ypulse.com/privacy-policy.