FRANDATA Corporation

What FRANDATA Corporation does

FRANdata Corporation (legal entity Franchise Information Services, Inc.) is a U.S.-headquartered, privately held franchise-focused market research and data analytics firm founded in 1991 and based in Arlington, Virginia. The company maintains what it describes as the largest franchise database in the world — approximately 9,000 U.S. franchise brands, 240,000+ franchisees representing 420,000+ units, cross-matched against 150M+ adult American profiles — built on longitudinal extraction from Franchise Disclosure Documents and proprietary franchisee identification methods.

The core platform centers on the Franchise Registry, which connects roughly 9,000 lenders from about 2,200 banks to franchise brands for financing verification, and on the FUND Score, a proprietary franchise credit risk rating assessed across 13 performance categories that is used by banks overseeing more than $5 trillion in assets and supports over 60% of SBA franchise loan underwriting decisions. Around this core, FRANdata sells Bank Credit Reports, FUND and Registry subscriptions on both lender and franchisor sides, contact lists, FDD/UFOC access, the New Concepts Report, and the FRANdex/FRUNS tracking and notification tools. Layered on top is a custom research and consulting practice covering performance benchmarking, international development, franchisee recruitment analytics, operational best practices, financial analysis, fee benchmarking, and strategic consulting, with marquee engagements for clients including Google, Capital One, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, TD Bank, Celtic Bank, and Experian.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions and data licensing (Franchise Registry membership, FUND Score subscription, lender Registry subscription, contact lists, FDD access) supplemented by project-based custom research and consulting fees. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, anchored on the company's position as the strategic research partner of the International Franchise Association (IFA), and increasingly on its quasi-regulatory status following the elimination of the SBA Franchise Directory. The company serves franchisors, franchise lenders, private equity and investors, suppliers, insurance carriers, legal professionals, and real estate firms, with international reach via FRANdata Australia and international development engagements covering the UK, China, India, Brazil, and other markets.

Name

FRANDATA Corporation

Legal name

Franchise Information Services, Inc.

Website

https://frandata.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FRANdata Corporation is a U.S. franchise-focused market research and data analytics firm that operates the Franchise Registry, the FUND Score franchise credit rating, and the world's largest franchise database to serve franchisors, franchise lenders, PE investors, and suppliers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Franchise Market Intelligence & Data Analytics

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)

Keywords

• Franchise market research
• Franchise credit scoring
• Franchise lending analytics
• Franchise brand database
• Franchise risk assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

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. Franchise Registry Membership: Subscription-based membership for franchisors to access the Franchise Registry platform, which provides verification status, FUND scores, and visibility to 9,000+ lenders. Membership helps franchisors make it easier for franchisees to access financing with better terms.
2. FUND Score / Franchise Credit Score Subscription: Subscription access to the FUND Score franchise credit risk ratings, used by lenders for franchise loan underwriting.
3. Bank Credit Report (BCR): Franchisor-commissioned credit risk analysis reports that lenders use to evaluate specific franchise brand performance history. Includes loan support services to answer lender questions during underwriting.
4. Franchise Contact Lists: Sale of franchise contact lists including franchisees, franchisors, and executives. Contact lists are supplied directly by franchisors and represent the most accurate and complete contact information available. Optional add-on service includes FRANdata sending emails to chosen contacts on behalf of clients.
5. Franchise Market Research Reports: Custom and standard research reports including the New Concepts Report (quarterly subscription with 200-300 emerging franchise brands), industry-specific reports (pickleball, labor studies, inflation studies), and the annual Franchising Economic Outlook report.
6. Custom Research & Consulting: Bespoke analytical studies, consulting engagements, and strategic advisory services for PE due diligence, lender portfolio review, and franchisor strategy development.
7. Franchise Registry Lender Subscription: Subscription access for lenders to access franchise brand information, FUND scores, and verification data for franchise lending underwriting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FRANdata is a franchise-focused market research and data analytics firm that operates the Franchise Registry platform (connecting 9,000+ lenders to 4,000-9,000 franchise brands), produces the proprietary FUND Score franchise credit risk rating used by lenders overseeing more than $5 trillion in assets, and issues Bank Credit Reports for SBA and conventional franchise loan underwriting. Around this core platform it sells subscription data products, contact lists, FDDs, and custom research/consulting engagements to franchisors, lenders, private equity firms, suppliers, insurers, and legal professionals.

Product overview

FRANdata is a franchise market research and data analytics company operating as a platform-plus-services model. The core platform consists of the Franchise Registry, FUND Score credit risk ratings, and Bank Credit Reports, which together enable franchise financing and lending decisions. Around this platform, FRANdata offers complementary data subscription products (FRUNS, FRANdex, New Concept Reports, Contact Lists, FDD services) and advisory services (Franchise Market Research, Performance Benchmarking, International Development, Franchisee Recruitment, Operational Best Practices, Financial Analysis, Benchmarking Fees, and Strategic Consulting). The company also publishes regular research reports including the annual Franchising Economic Outlook and specialized sector analyses. FRANdata serves franchisors, franchise lenders, private equity/investors, suppliers, insurance companies, legal professionals, and real estate developers through these integrated products and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Franchise Registry: Online platform connecting over 9,000 lenders to franchise brands, providing FUND scores, Bank Credit Reports, and franchise eligibility verification.
• FUND Score
• Bank Credit Report (BCR)
• FRANdex
• FRUNS

Products and services

• FUND Score (Franchise Credit Score) Proprietary franchise credit risk rating that assesses brand-level credit risk across 13 key performance categories (unit success rates, profitability, financial transparency). Used by lenders overseeing more than $5 trillion in assets to underwrite SBA and conventional franchise loans.
• Franchise Registry Online platform that connects 9,000+ lenders from 2,200+ banks to franchise brands in FRANdata's database, providing franchise brand eligibility verification, FUND scores, and brand performance information used as the recognized standard for franchise financing decisions.
• Franchise Registry Membership Subscription membership for franchisors that provides verified status on the Franchise Registry, FUND Score documentation, and SBA Directory certification assistance to make it easier for their franchisees to access financing at better terms.
• Bank Credit Report (BCR) Comprehensive brand-level credit risk analysis for franchise systems that draws on FDD data, FUND Score analysis, unit performance history, and franchisee financial indicators; endorsed by Bank of America, TD Bank, The Bancorp, and other major lenders.
• Franchise Credit Score (FUND) Subscription Ongoing subscription product providing lenders and other subscribers with access to FUND Score ratings and updates for franchise brand monitoring and portfolio management.
• Franchise Registry Lender Subscription Subscription access for lenders to the Franchise Registry platform providing FUND scores, Bank Credit Reports, and franchise eligibility information for franchise loan underwriting.
• Franchise Market Research Custom and standard market research services combining FRANdata's proprietary franchise database with expert analysis including franchisee surveys, executive interviews, buyer behavior modeling, competitive benchmarking, and growth analysis for franchisors and suppliers.
• Performance Benchmarking Analysis service comparing franchise system performance against competitors on growth, unit economics, and operator quality, used by franchisors to identify strengths and weaknesses.
• International Development Comprehensive analysis of foreign market demand, local environment assessment, regulatory navigation, and expansion model recommendations for franchise brands pursuing international expansion.
• Franchisee Recruitment Database-driven franchisee identification and recruitment service covering 240,000+ franchisees across 420,000+ units in the United States, including demographic targeting and contact list generation for franchisor sales and marketing teams.
• Operational Best Practices Analysis of franchise operational needs including technology, suppliers, advertising, training, system continuity, fee contributions, and profit/loss benchmarking across unit and corporate levels, leveraging FRANdata's 30+ years of franchise operating practice expertise.
• Financial Analysis Quantitative financial analysis service leveraging CFA expertise for complex franchise financial assessment, unit-level economics, and corporate structure analysis.
• Benchmarking Fees Franchise fee structure analysis comparing client fees against industry benchmarks to optimize fund allocation between franchisor support services and franchisee profitability.
• Strategic Consulting Customized consulting engagements addressing specific franchise challenges using quantitative and qualitative research, franchisee surveys, and executive interviews.
• New Concept Report Quarterly subscription product providing emerging franchise brand intelligence covering 200-300 new concepts per issue with executive contacts, FDD filings analysis, and viability verification.
• Sizing the Market Report Comprehensive franchise market sizing research helping suppliers and franchisors understand the total addressable market opportunity in the franchise industry.
• Franchise Contact List and Insights Verified contact lists of franchise brands, executives, and franchisees supplied directly by franchisors, with optional appending from top database aggregators and continuous FRANdata expertise updates; optional add-on email-send service available.
• FDDs (Franchise Disclosure Documents) Access to Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) and UFOC filings with proprietary data extraction covering hundreds of data points per document.
• FRANdex Proprietary franchise database tracking and analysis tool for analyzing franchise market growth and brand performance.
• FRUNS (FRANdata Registry Updates Notification System) Notification system that alerts subscribers to Franchise Registry brand status changes and new brand additions.
• FRANdata and LUMOS Integrated data solution combining FRANdata franchise intelligence with the LUMOS platform capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Banks using FRANdata's FUND Score reduced average charge-offs from 6.94% to 5.68% — a nearly 20% improvement in portfolio performance.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• International Franchise Association (IFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRANdata serves as the strategic research partner for the IFA, conducting annual franchise economic outlook reports, labor studies, and industry surveys. The company produces the annual Franchising Economic Outlook report in partnership with IFA, forecasting franchise growth, employment, and economic output. This relationship provides FRANdata with unique access to industry data and positions the company as the recognized research partner for the franchise industry's leading trade association.
• ExperianstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerExperian partnered with FRANdata to combine FRANdata's brand-level risk information with Experian's Financial Stability Rating, enabling clients to get a more complete picture of severe delinquency or business failure risk for individual franchisees.
• BenetrendsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenetrends partnered with FRANdata to streamline SBA funding for franchises, combining the Franchise Registry with FRANdata's expertise to empower franchisors.
• GooglestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle engaged FRANdata to conduct research and provide guidance on their franchise go-to-market strategy, leveraging FRANdata's franchise industry expertise and data.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dun & Bradstreet: Dun & Bradstreet is the incumbent business credit data and analytics provider, offering firmographic and credit risk data on millions of U.S. and global businesses. Comparable to FRANdata as a foundational business data and credit-scoring platform serving lenders and corporate customers, though D&B operates broadly across all industries rather than specializing in franchising.
• Experian (Business Information): Experian is a major credit bureau that provides business credit reports, Financial Stability Ratings, and commercial risk data, and is already a FRANdata partner. Comparable as a provider of standardized credit risk intelligence used by lenders in underwriting, with overlapping products in business credit scoring and SMB risk assessment.
• Moody's / Bureau van Dijk: Bureau van Dijk (now part of Moody's) provides detailed company financials and corporate data on millions of private and public businesses globally. Comparable to FRANdata as a deep corporate data and risk analytics provider used by lenders, PE firms, and corporate customers for due diligence and portfolio monitoring.

Direct peers

• PitchBook: PitchBook provides PE/VC deal data, company intelligence, and due diligence tools to private equity and venture capital firms. Comparable to FRANdata as a subscription-based research and data platform serving financial decision-makers, with overlap in PE deal sourcing, target screening, and franchise/company analytics.
• CB Insights: CB Insights offers market intelligence and data analytics on private companies, deals, and technology markets for PE, corporate strategy, and lending customers. Comparable to FRANdata in serving institutional investors with subscription research, proprietary scoring methodologies, and due diligence support.
• IBISWorld: IBISWorld provides industry research reports, market sizing, and risk ratings across thousands of U.S. industries, sold on a subscription basis to enterprises, lenders, and advisors. Comparable to FRANdata as a subscription research and benchmarking firm providing industry-specific data and analytics to lenders and corporate customers.
• Entrepreneur Media (Franchise 500): Entrepreneur Media's Franchise 500 is the most recognized franchise ranking in the U.S., backed by proprietary franchise performance data and analysis. Comparable to FRANdata as a franchise-focused data, research, and media brand used by franchisors, lenders, suppliers, and prospective franchisees for brand evaluation.
• Franchise Times: Franchise Times is the leading trade publication and data provider for the U.S. franchise industry, producing rankings (e.g., Top 400), research, and events. Comparable to FRANdata as a franchise-specific information and research provider serving franchisors, lenders, and suppliers with market intelligence.
• Abrigo (Sageworks):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=FRANdata+franchise
• Xx.com/frandata
• Facebookfacebook.com/frandata
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frandata

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 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 FRANDATA Corporation