Strong Analytics

What Strong Analytics does

Strong Analytics is a Chicago-based custom machine learning and artificial intelligence consulting firm founded in 2016 by Brock Ferguson and Jacob Zweig. The firm designs, engineers, and deploys bespoke end-to-end ML/AI solutions for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises across pharmaceuticals, automotive, gaming, food and agriculture, retail, energy, financial services, and public-sector domains. Its core offerings are built around four proprietary platforms: Strong RL (a scalable reinforcement learning platform for next-best-action applications), Strong ML (a deployment and monitoring framework for production ML pipelines), Strong Vision (a human-in-the-loop computer vision platform), and torchcast (an open-source PyTorch-based forecasting package), supplemented by proprietary media mix modeling and multi-touch attribution tools.

The firm's underlying technology stack spans deep learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision, NLP, Bayesian modeling, and time-series forecasting, with documented production deployments including a 75,000-actions-per-day RL marketing engine for a large U.S. casino chain delivering 10%+ player profitability lift, automated inspection of millions of prunes per season for Sunsweet Growers, multi-touch attribution for a top global pharmaceutical company, and calibrated ridership forecasting for the Chicago Transit Authority. Strong Analytics generates revenue primarily through professional services engagements, with teams embedded as extensions of client organizations and pricing scoped per engagement; secondary revenue potential exists through platform licensing and open-source ecosystem presence. The firm operates with 11-50 employees from Chicago.

In June 2024, Strong Analytics merged with OneSix, a data engineering firm, to form a combined entity delivering end-to-end data and AI solutions spanning data engineering, data science, ML engineering, AI engineering, and LLM Ops. OneSix acting CEO Dave Kilimnik (former CEO of Hero Digital) leads the combined company, while the Strong Analytics founding team remains. The combined entity leverages OneSix's strategic Snowflake partnership to expand distribution and meet demand for ML/AI services purpose-built for Snowflake data.

Name

Strong Analytics

Legal name

Strong Analytics LLC

Website

https://strong.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strong Analytics is a Chicago-based AI/ML consulting firm founded in 2016 that designs and deploys bespoke machine learning solutions for Fortune 500 enterprises and growth-stage companies across pharmaceuticals, automotive, gaming, and food and agriculture, using proprietary platforms Strong RL, Strong Vision, and Strong ML. It merged with OneSix in June 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI and Machine Learning Consulting Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI/ML Solution Integration & MLOps Enablement (BPAEAAAJ), End-to-End MLOps & ML Platform Suites (HDAAABAA), Model Deployment, Serving & Inference Platforms (HDAAABAF)

Keywords

• Data science consulting
• Machine learning engineering
• Artificial intelligence solutions
• Custom ML development
• AI consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Data Science and ML Consulting Services: Strong Analytics generates revenue by providing bespoke data science, machine learning, and AI consulting services to organizations of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Engagements involve designing, engineering, and deploying custom end-to-end ML/AI solutions as a professional services engagement, with teams embedded within client organizations.
2. Platform Licensing and Deployment: Proprietary internal platforms including Strong RL, Strong ML, and Strong Vision are offered as tools to accelerate client projects and may be licensed or deployed as part of consulting engagements. The firm also maintains open-source offerings such as torchcast and Strong-RL for broader ecosystem access.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Strong Analytics designs, engineers, and deploys bespoke end-to-end machine learning and AI solutions for enterprise clients and growth-stage startups. The firm embeds full-stack data scientists and engineers into client organizations, accelerating delivery through proprietary platforms (Strong RL, Strong ML, Strong Vision) and open-source tooling (torchcast). Engagements cover computer vision, reinforcement learning, NLP, Bayesian media mix modeling, multi-touch attribution, generative AI, and time-series forecasting across industries.

Product overview

Strong Analytics offers a portfolio of proprietary AI/ML platforms alongside consulting services. The core platforms include Strong Vision (computer vision with human-in-the-loop learning), Strong ML (machine learning deployment framework), Strong RL (reinforcement learning for next-best-action decisions), and Strong Forecast (forecasting capabilities). These platforms work together to enable end-to-end AI solutions: Strong Vision handles visual data processing, Strong ML manages general ML pipeline deployment, Strong RL powers autonomous decision-making through reinforcement learning, and Strong Forecast provides time-series predictions. The company also maintains torchcast, an open-source Python forecasting package. Strong Analytics recently merged with OneSix to expand into data engineering services, creating an integrated data and AI solutions offering for enterprise clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Data Science and ML/AI Consulting Services Bespoke, end-to-end data science, machine learning, and AI consulting engagements for enterprise clients and growth-stage startups. Strong Analytics embeds its full-stack team of data scientists and engineers as an extension of the client's data engineering and data science practices, designing, engineering and deploying custom AI/ML products spanning computer vision, reinforcement learning, NLP, Bayesian modeling, time-series forecasting, and generative AI.
• Strong RL Scalable reinforcement learning platform for building, testing, and deploying next-best-action applications that learn, adapt, and optimize in production. Built on Apache Spark and TensorFlow with a Python SDK. Enables automated data-driven decisions with real-time one-to-one personalization across marketing, healthcare, and industrial domains.
• Strong ML Machine learning application framework for rapidly building and embedding ML pipelines in distributed, large-scale web applications. Provides complete toolkit for model versioning, API deployment, scaling and distribution, security, monitoring, and seamless translation of local Docker environments to native cloud services.
• Strong Vision Human-in-the-loop computer vision platform for building, training, deploying, and monitoring custom deep learning vision models. Features continuous model improvement through annotator validation and re-training pipelines, with cloud deployment at enterprise scale. Used for defect detection, food inspection, crop detection, and visual quality control.
• torchcast Open-source Python forecasting package built on PyTorch for building state-space models including exponential smoothing and Kalman filtering algorithms. Supports multivariate forecasting, batch training, and integration of custom neural network models for time-series prediction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10%+ boost in player profitability for a major U.S. casino chain operating across 6 properties with 75K automated actions per day
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability13 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• OneSixflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2024Strong Analytics joined forces with OneSix, a data engineering leader, in June 2024. The combined entity delivers end-to-end data and AI solutions spanning data engineering, data science, ML engineering, AI engineering, and LLM Ops. OneSix is led by acting CEO Dave Kilimnik, former CEO of Hero Digital. The merger positions OneSix as one of the first companies to connect components across the full data and AI value chain.
• SnowflakecoreTechnology or IntegrationOneSix (now the parent company of Strong Analytics following the merger) has a strategic partnership with Snowflake. The partnership is expanding to meet demand for Snowflake-specific services, with OneSix's new ML and AI service offerings purpose-built to deliver high-impact business applications from Snowflake data. Snowflake's VP of GSI & Americas Alliances expressed support for the combined company's expanded capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DataRobot: Enterprise AI platform vendor that also offers model deployment and MLOps services. Comparable target market (enterprise AI buyers) and overlaps with Strong ML/Strong Vision capabilities, but anchored in a packaged platform rather than bespoke consulting.
• Palantir Technologies: Enterprise data and AI platform serving Fortune 500 and government clients with embedded ML, decision optimization, and operational AI. Comparable end customers (large enterprises, government) and adjacent functional overlap with Strong's decisioning and forecasting work.
• Slalom: Large management and technology consulting firm with a dedicated data and AI practice delivering custom ML solutions to enterprise clients. Comparable in target customer and engagement model, but operates across a much broader consulting portfolio.
• Deloitte AI & Data Analytics Practice: Global consulting firm's AI/analytics practice delivers custom ML, generative AI, and MLOps engagements to Fortune 500. Direct overlap with Strong's bespoke enterprise AI consulting, though at much larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Tredence: Data science and AI engineering services firm focused on retail, consumer goods, and industrial verticals. Directly comparable in delivering custom ML models, MMM, and forecasting solutions for large enterprises.
• OneSix: Acquired Strong Analytics in June 2024 and is now its parent company. OneSix provides end-to-end data engineering and AI solutions, directly overlapping with Strong's ML/AI consulting model and serving similar Fortune 500 enterprise clients through Snowflake-aligned engagements.
• Tiger Analytics: AI and analytics consulting firm delivering custom data science and ML solutions to Fortune 1000 clients across industries. Closely comparable in service model (bespoke consulting), target customer (large enterprises), and technical depth (deep learning, forecasting, NLP).
• Fractal Analytics: Enterprise AI and analytics services company that designs and deploys custom ML/AI solutions at scale for global Fortune 500 clients. Comparable in consulting-led business model, cross-industry reach, and proprietary AI platforms (e.g., Qure.ai, Cuddle.ai).
• Civis Analytics: Data science consulting and software firm that combines proprietary analytics tooling with custom ML consulting for enterprises and mission-driven organizations. Comparable in offering bespoke ML solutions backed by an internal platform.

Emerging players

• Inferenz: Boutique AI/ML consulting firm delivering custom data science, computer vision, and NLP solutions to mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable in service model and small-team specialization, though smaller scale and narrower geographic footprint than Strong.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stronganalytics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strong-analytics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Strong Analytics