Cleveland Research Company

What Cleveland Research Company does

Cleveland Research Company (CRC) is an independent investment research and advisory firm founded in 2006 by Eric Bosshard (CEO) and Chris Byke (President and Director of Research Sales) and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The firm generates revenue from four streams: subscription-based equity research covering approximately 150 of the largest U.S. companies across consumer, industrial, technology, fintech & payments, and healthcare sectors; subscription-based market research organized into vertical Insight Councils (eCommerce, Foodservice, Convenience Store, Pet Insights, Travel, Home Improvement, Traditional Retail, Farm/Ranch/Home Retail, Macro, Technology); custom advisory and consulting engagements covering market and landscape analysis, new and existing product strategy, omnichannel strategy, operations and finance, and sales and marketing; and annual events including the eCommerce Summit (held since 2012), Foodservice Forum, and Walmart Forum, with tiered registration pricing (e.g., $1,995 per Walmart Forum service provider seat in 2026).

The underlying research platform is a channel-driven methodology that aggregates ground-level intelligence from a proprietary contact network spanning 50+ end markets, with 300+ contacts cited in fintech & payments alone and 50,000+ industry interactions and 60+ syndicated consumer and supplier benchmarks generated annually. The go-to-market model is sales-led and direct: dedicated institutional sales teams manage subscription relationships with asset managers, institutional investors, corporate executives, and brand/vendor clients via a secure Partner Portal (portal.clevelandresearch.com). Distribution is reinforced by thought leadership content, podcasts (Beyond the Text, Supplier Stuff You Should Know, The New Retail Frontier), a 12-week summer internship program, and a Thought Leader Program that partners with service providers such as Stackline (AI retail intelligence), Gray Falkon (eCommerce brand protection), DetailPage (retail SEO), Menasha Packaging, and Tinuiti (marketing agency).

CRC operates as a private, founder-led firm (approximately 100+ professionals, founded with 40 employees in 2006), with no public ticker, no disclosed external equity backing, and no parent company. Headquarters at 1375 E 9th St #2700, Cleveland, OH 44114. Geographic footprint is U.S.-focused with annual in-person events in Cleveland, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The firm is operationally stable with active website content through 2025–2026.

Name

Cleveland Research Company

Legal name

Cleveland Research Company

Website

https://clevelandresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cleveland Research Company is an independent equity and market research firm founded in 2006 that delivers channel-driven research and advisory services to institutional investors, corporate leaders, and consumer brands across consumer, industrial, fintech & payments, technology, and healthcare sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Research & Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Equity Research (FSACAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Sector-Specific Industry Research (FSACAGAL), Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

Keywords

• Equity research
• Market research
• Investment advisory
• Channel research
• Institutional research

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equity Research Subscriptions: Subscription-based equity research services covering 150 of the largest companies across consumer, industrial, fintech & payments, technology, and healthcare sectors
2. Market Research Subscriptions: Industry-specific market research councils providing ongoing reports, insights, and analyst access across channels including eCommerce, foodservice, home improvement, pet, travel, and traditional retail
3. Advisory Services: Custom consulting and advisory projects covering market assessment, new/existing product analysis, omnichannel strategy, operations & finance, and sales & marketing
4. Events & Forums: Annual summits and forums including eCommerce Summit, Foodservice Forum, Walmart Forum, and other industry events with registration fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cleveland Research Company is an independent investment research and advisory firm that delivers subscription-based equity research, market research, and custom advisory services to institutional investors and corporate clients. The firm leverages a proprietary network of industry contacts across 50+ end markets to provide channel-driven intelligence covering 150+ large companies in the consumer, industrial, fintech & payments, technology, and healthcare sectors.

Product overview

Cleveland Research Company is an independent investment research and advisory firm offering a platform of research services centered on three core offerings: Equity Research (covering consumer, industrial, technology, fintech & payments, and healthcare sectors), Market Research (with specialized councils for convenience stores, eCommerce, foodservice, home improvement, pet, travel, and traditional retail), and Advisory Services & Consulting (spanning Market & Landscape, New & Existing Product, Omnichannel Strategy, Operations & Finance, and Sales & Marketing). The company operates subscription-based Insight Councils (Pet, Travel, Home Improvement, eCommerce, Foodservice, Convenience Store) providing proprietary reports, unlimited analyst access, and benchmarking data. Additional offerings include CRC Insights (ongoing market commentary), Multimedia content (podcasts and audio reports), and annual industry forums (eCommerce Summit, Foodservice Forum, Walmart Forum). The Thought Leader Program partners with external service providers to deliver supplementary expertise. The firm also runs a 12-week summer internship program and hosts an annual student stock pitch competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equity Research Subscription-based investment research analyzing 150+ companies across consumer, industrial, technology, fintech & payments, and healthcare sectors, leveraging exclusive channel relationships to identify market inflections early.
• Market Research Subscription-based industry-specific market intelligence delivered through councils, reports, events, and consumer surveys, providing channel and retailer insights across convenience stores, eCommerce, foodservice, home improvement, pet, travel, and traditional retail verticals.
• Advisory Services & Consulting Custom research and advisory projects covering Market & Landscape, New & Existing Product, Omnichannel Strategy, Operations & Finance, and Sales & Marketing, built on 50,000+ annual industry interactions and 60+ syndicated benchmarks.
• Pet Insights Council Subscription-based pet industry research providing exclusive reports, unlimited analyst engagement, benchmarking on consumer behavior, market growth, and innovation, plus real-time webinars.
• Travel Council Travel and tourism research subscription with monthly travel trackers, real-time inflections, demand forecasts, and quarterly analyst webinars covering hotel, travel, and hospitality channels.
• Home Improvement Council Home improvement channel research subscription covering consumer behavior, retailer strategies, and vendor opportunities.
• eCommerce Summit Annual digital commerce event held in San Diego featuring proprietary research insights, best practice sharing, and peer networking across the eCommerce industry.
• Foodservice Forum Annual foodservice industry forum held in Cleveland covering trends across restaurants, non-commercial, and distribution sectors with proprietary research and peer networking.
• Walmart Forum Annual forum examining strategies, investments, and emerging trends shaping Walmart's business, covering merchandising, eCommerce, retail media, and consumer behavior.
• CRC Insights Ongoing equity and financial research newsletter delivering detailed analysis, data-driven perspectives, and commentary across industries CRC actively covers.
• Beyond the Text (Multimedia) Audio reports and podcasts including Beyond the Text series summarizing key research ideas for time-starved professional teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ annual industry interactions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers29 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StacklinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI-enabled retail intelligence and activation platform partner in Thought Leader program. Stackline serves as single source of commerce truth for brands, powering proprietary neural networks and deep learning systems. Founded in 2014, headquartered in Seattle with 250+ professionals serving 7,000+ global brands.
• Gray FalkoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnereCommerce brand protection partner specializing in combating illegitimate sellers in gray market. Uses proprietary AI, automation, and human expertise to identify unauthorized sellers across Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. Trusted by 250+ global brands.
• DetailPagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail SEO technology partner with patented AI built on real customer behavior. Boosts organic visibility and drives shoppers to product pages. Founded by former Amazon and Walmart leaders, trusted by Fortune 500s to emerging DTC brands.
• Menasha Packaging CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading provider of graphic consumer packaging, merchandising solutions, contract packaging, and fulfillment services. Serves brands across industries with design centers, manufacturing plants, and fulfillment facilities across North America.
• TinuiticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest independent full-funnel marketing agency across media channels. Powers commerce, search, social, TV & audio with proprietary technology Bliss Point by Tinuiti. Delivers clear visibility into growth drivers and inefficiencies with performance marketing expertise.
• Stackline (Pet Insights SuperZoo Social)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored social event at SUPERZOO 2025 pet industry trade show. Joint happy hour at StripSteak inside Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, August 13, 2025.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Buckingham Research Group: Mid-sized independent equity research and investment banking firm with similar sector breadth and institutional client focus. Closely comparable in scale and independent positioning to CRC.
• Wolfe Research: Independent equity research and capital markets firm covering consumer, industrial, healthcare, technology, and financial services. Directly comparable in scope, sector mix, and independent positioning to CRC.
• Evercore ISI: Independent equity research arm of Evercore covering consumer, technology, healthcare, and financials. Comparable as a premium independent research franchise serving institutional asset managers.
• Telsey Advisory Group: Independent equity and consumer research firm focused heavily on retail, restaurants, and consumer brands. Closest direct peer to CRC's channel-driven consumer research methodology and institutional client base.

Broad incumbents

• Jefferies Equity Research: Mid-market sell-side research, sales, and trading franchise with broad sector coverage. Overlaps with CRC on consumer, industrial, healthcare, and technology but operates as a full-service broker rather than a pure independent.
• Oppenheimer & Co. Mid-market investment bank and wealth manager with sector-focused equity research covering consumer, industrial, healthcare, and technology. Comparable in scale and institutional orientation.
• Guggenheim Securities: Full-service investment bank with substantial independent-style equity research across consumer, industrial, healthcare, and technology. A larger incumbent serving a comparable institutional audience.
• Robert W. Baird: Mid-market investment bank and research firm with strong consumer and industrial sector coverage. Comparable institutional client overlap and independent research orientation.
• Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research: Bulge-bracket investment bank with leading global equity research across all of CRC's covered sectors. The reference incumbent for institutional equity research distribution, though bundled with trading and IB.

Others

• Canalys: Independent technology and channel market research firm providing syndicated insights on consumer tech and channel ecosystems. Adjacent in methodology (channel-driven research, subscription councils) rather than direct equity research competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleveland-research-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/clevelandresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Cleveland Research Company