What Catalist does

Catalist is a Washington, DC-based data infrastructure company founded in 2006 that exclusively serves the progressive political and advocacy ecosystem. It maintains a national voter database covering 263+ million unique voting-age individuals across all 50 states and DC, built from official election rolls and enhanced with 20+ years of longitudinal records, commercial data, Census data, specialty data, and proprietary predictive models. The company offers a modular platform of analytics, APIs, and data science tooling used by Democratic campaigns, labor unions (SEIU, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, NEA, UFCW), and progressive non-profits for voter targeting, persuasion, mobilization, and issue advocacy.

Catalist's product architecture centers on its national voter file as the foundation, layered with behavioral, demographic, and issue-specific models; the Catalist Fusion matching software and Fusion Light/Mass Fusion APIs for data integration; the Catalist Q web-based query interface; the Catalist S data science platform; Tableau-based visualization dashboards; the Ad Data Toolkit built on Kantar CMAG data; and the TOP polling consortium, which conducts approximately 1,500-respondent nationwide polls matched to the voter file. Pre-configured integrations with NGPVAN, BlueVote, Civis, ActionNetwork, LiveRamp, and other field platforms embed Catalist's data layer into standard progressive organizing workflows.

The company operates as a private LLC owned by a trust, is the only unionized political data company (CWA Local 2336), and explicitly does not sell data for commercial purposes or serve non-progressive clients. Revenue is generated through tailored annual subscriptions plus usage-based fees for data services and enhancements, with additional revenue from ad hoc list services and the TOP polling consortium. Catalist has 51-100 employees and is led by CEO Michael Frias (since 2018), with founder Laura Quinn as Board Chair.

Name

Catalist

Legal name

Catalist LLC

Website

https://catalist.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Catalist is a Washington, DC-based data infrastructure provider founded in 2006 that maintains a national voter file of 263+ million individuals for exclusive use by progressive campaigns, labor unions, and non-profits. It sells subscription access to its database, predictive models, APIs, and analytics platforms, and is the only unionized political data company in the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Data Analytics and Voter Intelligence

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Political Organizations (813940), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA)

Keywords

• Voter data analytics
• Political data infrastructure
• Voter file database
• Electoral targeting software
• Campaign data services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Data Subscriptions and Licensing: Catalist provides subscription-based data services to progressive organizations. Subscriptions offer predictable annual fees with options for data services and enhancements. The company tailors data subscriptions to client needs and budgets.
2. Software and Analytics Services: Revenue from web-based software products including Catalist Q, Catalist S, and analytics platforms. Includes self-directed 24/7 access to proprietary data alongside national database, Census, and specialty data.
3. Data Services and Enhancements: Per-record and per-use charges for data services and enhancements including list hygiene, matching, scoring, data appends, and specialty data products.
4. Polling Consortium (TOP): Polling consortium with partner organizations including AFL-CIO, AFSCME, NEA, and SEIU using shared data for strategic planning.
5. Ad Hoc Data Services: One-time or occasional data needs including targeted lists, specialty lists, file hygiene, matching, list enhancement services, NCOA updating, phone and cell appends, geocoding, and record merge and purge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Catalist compiles, enhances, stores, and dynamically updates data on more than 263 million unique voting-age individuals across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and sells subscription-based access to this national voter database along with predictive behavioral, demographic, and issue-specific models. The company provides web-based analytics software (Catalist Q, Catalist S, Catalist Fusion), APIs (Fusion Light, Mass Fusion), an Ad Data Toolkit, Tableau-based data visualizations, ad hoc data services, and a progressive polling consortium called The Omnibus Project (TOP). Its products help clients build membership, target persuasive messaging, engage activists, drive issue agendas, and register and mobilize voters.

Product overview

Catalist offers a platform-plus-modules architecture built on its foundational National Voter Database containing data on over 263 million voting-age individuals. The core offerings include Analytics & Models (behavioral, demographic, and issue-specific predictive models), Catalist Fusion suite (matching software with Fusion Light API and Mass Fusion API for third-party integration), Catalist Q (web-based querying), Catalist S (data science platform), and the Ad Data Toolkit. Additional modules include Data Visualizations & Reporting (Tableau dashboards for AVEV, voter registration, VFIR), The Omnibus Project (polling consortium), Innovation Pilot (streamlined database access for smaller organizations), and Ad Hoc Lists (custom data services).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catalist Fusion: Premier matching software designed for organizations with large datasets that power multiple programs
• Fusion Light API
• Mass Fusion API
• The Catalist Q
• The Ad Data Toolkit
• Catalist S Data Science Platform
• The Omnibus Project (TOP)
• Catalist Innovation Pilot
• Catalist National Database

Products and services

• National Voter Database The foundational national voter database compiled from election officials in all 50 states and DC, with records going back over 20 years. Contains data on more than 263 million unique voting-age individuals across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Designed for progressive campaigns, unions, and non-profits to identify, target, and mobilize voters.
• Analytics and Models Comprehensive suite of behavioral models (Partisanship & Ideology, Primary & General Vote Propensity, Ticket Splitter, Digital Messaging, Language, Media Consumption, Mail Readership), demographic models (Age, Race including Multiracial, Educational Attainment, Ethnicity, Household Income, Marital Status, Presence of Children, Religion), and issue-specific models (Anti-Deportation & Immigration, General Activism, Gun Control, Pro-Choice Policy, Union Support). Used by progressive organizations to reach target audiences across direct mail, email, display, mobile, and social media.
• Catalist Fusion Premier matching software designed for organizations with large datasets that power multiple programs including outreach, recruitment, fee management, and fundraising. Provides high-accuracy record linkage across Catalist's data and client data.
• Fusion Light API API that brings Catalist data to third-party tools and applications chosen by clients, enabling partners to use Catalist data within their preferred platforms via data transfer, matching, and integration capabilities.
• Mass Fusion API API enabling large-scale data sets to be automatically delivered, processed, or ingested into client systems or third-party systems clients want to use.
• Catalist Q Direct web-based access to query the Catalist voter file and develop target universes. Provides self-directed 24/7 access to proprietary data alongside the national database, Census data, and specialty data for clients.
• Catalist S Data Science Platform Powerful analytics environment for sophisticated users to autonomously conduct their own in-house analyses on the Catalist dataset.
• Ad Data Toolkit Toolkit offering search, analysis, and reporting on Kantar CMAG data including creative content, media spending, sponsor activity, and market share of voice. Users can filter by geography, campaign, dates, affiliation, issues, and sponsor.
• The Omnibus Project (TOP) Polling consortium managed by Catalist for the progressive community. Conducts approximately 1,500-respondent nationwide polls matched to the Catalist voter file, with TOP polls conducted monthly in presidential and midterm years and bimonthly in odd years. Partners include AFL-CIO, AFSCME, NEA, and SEIU.
• Data Visualizations and Reporting Interactive Tableau-based dashboards and reports including Absentee Vote and Early Vote (AVEV) returns, Voter Registration Reporting, Voter File Intelligence Report (VFIR), First Time Voter Registrant Report, and Custom Research and Analysis.
• Innovation Pilot Streamlined version of Catalist's national voter database and software for technology innovators, startups, incubators, and down-ballot campaigns. Offers basic demographics, registration status, and vote history for a limited universe with scalability options and pre-configured integrations including VAN, BlueVote, and Civis.
• Ad Hoc Lists and Data Services One-time or occasional data services including targeted outreach lists, specialty lists (doctors, teachers, parents), proprietary file hygiene, matching and list enhancement, NCOA updating, phone and cell appends, geocoding, and record merge/purge.

Quantifiable outcome

• TOP polls include 1,500 respondents matched to the Catalist voter file, oversampling Black, AAPI, and Latino voters
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability6 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• NGPVANcoreTechnology or IntegrationNGPVAN is a major field organizing platform used by progressive campaigns. Catalist data and tech infrastructure integrates with NGPVAN allowing organizers to access voter data within their organizing workflow.
• DSP (Data Selling Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner providing data platform capabilities for progressive campaign operations.
• BlueVotecoreTechnology or IntegrationBlueVote is a Democratic data and targeting organization. Catalist integrates with BlueVote to provide data infrastructure for progressive campaign targeting.
• Civis AnalyticscoreTechnology or IntegrationCivis Analytics is a data science platform for progressive organizations. Catalist provides data and analytics integration with Civis for campaign intelligence.
• ActionNetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationActionNetwork is a popular organizing platform for progressive campaigns. Catalist data integrates with ActionNetwork for targeted outreach and mobilization.
• LiveRampcoreTechnology or IntegrationLiveRamp provides identity resolution and data connectivity. Catalist uses LiveRamp for matching and linking voter data across platforms.
• Kantar CMAGcoreTechnology or IntegrationKantar CMAG provides advertising data for Catalist's Ad Data Toolkit, allowing users to analyze creative content, media spending, and market share.
• AFL-CIOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFL-CIO is a founding partner of The Omnibus Project (TOP), Catalist's polling consortium. TOP polls are matched to the Catalist voter file with results fed back into models for the progressive community.
• AFSCMEflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSCME participates in TOP polling consortium for strategic planning. Poll data is shared exclusively with the progressive community.
• NEAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEA participates in TOP polling consortium. Their 3.2 million member organization uses Catalist data for political engagement.
• SEIUflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEIU participates in TOP polling consortium. Catalist provides CTO Genny Mayhew to Board of Managers for strategic guidance.
• VAN (Voter Activation Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationVAN is the standard field organizing platform for Democratic campaigns. Pre-configured integration with Catalist allows seamless data access.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NGP VAN: NGP VAN is the dominant progressive campaign technology platform for fundraising, organizing, and field operations. While Catalist provides the underlying voter data and NGP VAN provides the workflow software, they are deeply integrated and often the joint solution for Democratic campaigns, making them the closest peer in the progressive data ecosystem.
• L2: L2 is a nonpartisan voter file and political data provider offering voter contact, data enhancement, and analytics services to campaigns and organizations. It is a direct peer to Catalist in providing voter file data and political targeting services.
• ActBlue: ActBlue is the dominant progressive online fundraising platform and operates a Democratic donor database. While its core focus is fundraising infrastructure, its donor file and data capabilities make it a peer in the progressive political data ecosystem alongside Catalist.
• TargetSmart: TargetSmart is a political data and technology provider offering voter files, targeting, and data services to campaigns, parties, and advocacy organizations across the political spectrum. It directly competes with Catalist in the voter data and political targeting space, with broader ideological reach.
• Civis Analytics: Civis Analytics is a data science platform focused on progressive and Democratic organizations, offering analytics, modeling, and audience targeting. Like Catalist, it serves campaigns and progressive nonprofits with voter and consumer data analytics, making it a direct peer in the progressive data science market.
• BlueVote: BlueVote is a progressive voter data and targeting platform used by Democratic campaigns. It integrates with Catalist data but also competes in the targeting and audience development space for progressive clients.

Others

• Pew Research Center: Pew Research Center is a major nonpartisan public opinion polling and demographic research organization. While not a commercial competitor, its polling and voter behavior research overlaps thematically with Catalist's TOP polling and behavioral modeling products, and it serves as a benchmark for progressive-leaning research infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Aristotle International: Aristotle is one of the largest political and consumer data vendors in the U.S., offering voter files, campaign compliance software, and data services to campaigns, parties, and PACs across the political spectrum. As a broad incumbent, it overlaps significantly with Catalist's voter file offerings while operating at greater scale and ideological breadth.
• i360: i360 is the conservative counterpart to Catalist, providing voter data, donor data, and analytics to Republican campaigns, conservative causes, and corporate clients. It is a broad incumbent in political data with similar scope to Catalist but on the opposite side of the political spectrum.
• Data Trust: Data Trust is the Republican National Committee's voter file and data platform, serving GOP campaigns and conservative organizations. As the conservative counterpart to Catalist's progressive data utility, it represents a structurally analogous competitor on the opposite political side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/41999
• Xx.com/Catalist_US

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Catalist