What 13D Research does

13D Research & Strategy is a privately held, independent investment research firm founded in 1983 by Kiril Sokoloff and headquartered in Sun Valley, Idaho, with additional operations in St. Thomas (USVI), London, Hong Kong, and Pune, India. The firm generates revenue almost exclusively through subscription-based access to two flagship weekly publications: 'What I Learned This Week' (a 40+ page deep analytical compendium covering macro, geopolitics, technology, healthcare, energy, and personal development) and 'What Are the Markets Telling Us?' (a weekly chart-and-pattern analysis publication). The subscription bundle also includes four decades of archived research, proprietary 13D Theme Indices (e.g., 13D China Index, Critical Minerals Index, China Deep Value & High Dividend Yield Index), digital content (podcasts, interviews, webinars), and direct access to the global analyst team. A Chinese-language abbreviated edition, 'WILTW Lite,' extends reach into Asia-Pacific.

The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, relying on a global team of Senior Directors, Directors, VPs, and Managers of Relationship Management alongside an inside sales function; subscription pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers are predominantly institutional — hedge funds, asset managers, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and large corporations — with documented elite subscribers including Stan Druckenmiller, Howard Marks, Byron Wien, Sam Zell, and Prem Watsa. The firm has never raised external capital, remains founder-controlled, and operates as a bootstrapped enterprise with no public listing. Beyond subscription delivery via a client portal, 13D has no public API, no third-party integrations, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML capability; its competitive differentiation rests on human-curated research, a 40+ year track record, and a global specialist analyst bench of over 50 professionals across macro, China, Europe/Middle East, critical minerals, geopolitics, green technology, genomics, and automation.

Name

13D Research

Legal name

13D Research & Strategy LLC

Website

https://13d.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

13D Research & Strategy is a privately held, independent investment research firm founded in 1983 that provides subscription-based macro, geopolitical, and thematic research — anchored by its flagship weekly publication 'What I Learned This Week' — to institutional investors and business leaders globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Thematic Research (FSACAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sector-Specific Industry Research (FSACAGAL), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Competitive & Market Intelligence (Competitive Tracking, TAM/SAM/SOM) (MPAAALAL)

Keywords

• Investment research services
• Macroeconomic research subscriptions
• Thematic equity research
• Geopolitical market analysis
• Institutional research advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Thomas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Research Services: 13D generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for access to its two weekly publications ('What I Learned This Week' and 'What Are the Markets Telling Us?'), the archives of 40+ years of research, digital content (podcasts, interviews, webinars), and direct access to the global analyst team. Subscriptions are sold to institutional investors, family offices, hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals on a subscription basis. The firm does not disclose specific pricing publicly; subscriptions are quote-based.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

13D Research & Strategy is an independent investment research firm that produces two flagship weekly subscription publications: "What I Learned This Week" (WILTW), a 40+ page deep analytical research compendium, and "What Are the Markets Telling Us?" (WATMTU), a weekly chart and pattern analysis report. Subscribers also receive access to 40+ years of archived research, proprietary 13D Theme Indices (e.g., Critical Minerals, China Deep Value & High Dividend Yield), digital content (podcasts, webinars, interviews), and direct access to a global team of analysts covering macro, geopolitics, China, critical minerals, green technology, and disruptive technologies.

Product overview

13D Research & Strategy is an investment research firm offering a unified subscription service centered on two flagship weekly publications: 'What I Learned This Week' (a 40+ page deep analytical research report delivered Thursday/Friday Asia) and 'What Are the Markets Telling Us?' (a Sunday/Monday Asia chart-pattern analysis compilation). These core products are bundled together as a single subscription and supported by four decades of archived research and analysis, digital content (podcasts, interviews, webinars), and direct access to the firm's global analyst team. The firm also offers proprietary 13D Theme Indices (including the 13D China Index, Critical Minerals Index, and China Deep Value & High Dividend Yield Index) tracking its highest-conviction investment themes. A Chinese-language abbreviated version ('What I Learned This Week Lite') extends reach into Asian markets. The offering is delivered as a digital subscription product with a client portal, and does not include a public API, integration marketplace, or AI-native features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• What I Learned This Week: The flagship weekly 45-page publication delivering in-depth research and analytical insights from the global team, published every Thursday (Friday Asia).
• What Are the Markets Telling Us?
• WILTW
• WATMTU
• 13D Theme Indices

Products and services

• What I Learned This Week (WILTW) Flagship 40+ page weekly publication delivered every Thursday (Friday Asia), highlighting key themes from 13D's global analyst team with in-depth research, analysis, and investment recommendations across markets, geopolitics, technology, health, and personal development; targeted at institutional investors, hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.
• What Are the Markets Telling Us? (WATMTU) Weekly compilation of chart analysis delivered every Sunday (Monday Asia), providing interpretation of key emerging trends, sector shifts, inter-market ratios, relative strength measures, and comprehensive chart and pattern analysis to inform shifts in intermediate- and longer-term market trends; targeted at institutional and accredited investors.
• 13D Theme Indices Proprietary indices developed by 13D's analyst team tracking high-conviction investment themes such as the 13D China Index, 13D Critical Minerals Index, and the 13D China Deep Value & High Dividend Yield Index; for institutional and accredited investor subscribers.
• What I Learned This Week Lite (Chinese Version) Abbreviated Chinese-language version of the flagship 'What I Learned This Week' publication, co-edited by Peng Zhou and Angela Li; extends 13D's research reach to Chinese-speaking institutional and accredited investors.
• Full Subscription Package (research, archive, analyst access, digital content) Full subscription package bundling the two flagship weekly publications, 40+ years of archived research and analysis, digital content (podcasts, interviews, webinars), and direct access to the firm's global analyst team; sold to institutional investors, family offices, hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals on an annual quote-based subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13D China Deep Value & High Dividend Yield Index returned 105.6% vs. 59.7% for S&P 500 from Nov 2021 to Sep 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Reliance Industries (Jio, Reliance Retail, Network18)minorOthers13D Research provides SSO (Single Sign-On) access for Reliance Industries and its subsidiaries (Jio, Reliance Retail, Network18) through a dedicated business unit selection portal on client.13d.com, indicating a tailored institutional client arrangement. This appears to be a client-specific access arrangement rather than a formal commercial partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BCA Research: Independent global investment research firm selling macro and cross-asset subscription research to institutional investors; directly comparable in business model, target customer base, and analyst-led subscription format. Billy Iliopoulos (13D's Canada/LatAm VP) previously worked at BCA Research.
• Ned Davis Research: Long-running independent research firm providing quantitative and macro research subscriptions to institutional investors; directly competes with 13D for the same institutional accounts with a similarly recurring subscription model.
• TS Lombard: Independent macro and thematic research firm headquartered in London serving institutional investors globally; directly comparable as a subscription-driven independent research house. Multiple 13D relationship managers previously worked at TS Lombard/Lombard Street Research.
• Alpine Macro: Independent macro research firm offering subscription research to institutional and HNW clients; comparable in size, distribution (institutional subscriptions), and product offering (thematic macro reports).
• Strategas Research Partners: Independent research firm offering macro, policy, and sector research subscriptions to institutional investors; directly comparable in client segments and subscription research GTM.
• Gavekal Research: Global independent research firm providing macro and thematic research with a particular focus on China and Asia; directly comparable to 13D's depth in Asia research and subscription-based institutional offering.
• Hedgeye Risk Management: Independent investment research firm delivering macro and sector research via subscription to institutional and professional investors; comparable in subscription product and contrarian positioning.
• Variant Perception: Independent research firm providing thematic and macro research on a subscription basis to institutional investors; comparable in target customer and subscription research delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Intelligence: Bloomberg's institutional research arm offers broad sector and thematic research as part of the Bloomberg Terminal; competes for the same institutional wallet but as part of a much larger platform rather than a focused subscription.

Emerging players

• Enodo Economics: Independent economics and macro research firm offering subscription research to institutional investors; comparable product, smaller scale. A 13D relationship manager previously worked at Enodo Economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whatilearnedtw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 13D Research