Full Circle Research

What Full Circle Research does

Full Circle Research is a privately held, independent online market research boutique founded in 2013 and headquartered in Potomac, Maryland. The company supplies online sample, polling, programming, and related research services to enterprise B2B and B2C clients, marketing research agencies, and political/public opinion organizations. Its operations are structured as a managed service rather than a self-serve platform, with client teams assigned by client rather than by project to support long-running engagements such as tracker studies and political polling. Seven-time Inc. 5000 appearances (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025) and four-time Inc. Best Workplaces recognition indicate durable top-line growth, though absolute scale remains mid-market given the 51-100 employee range and absence of disclosed funding rounds.

The core technology stack is built around an owned consumer panel branded Survey Roundtable, coupled with a proprietary anti-fraud and quality layer comprising HoNoR (pre-survey threat identification), Watchdog (in-survey behavioral pattern recognition), and the FC+ Quality Score (real-time respondent scoring). InstaConnect provides a programmatic extension for hard-to-reach B2B and expert audiences via behavioral signals across publisher, social, and affiliate ecosystems; SmartPoll layers political polling capability on top of the panel plus TargetSmart voter-file integration. Programming and hosting runs on the Decipher survey platform, with additional methodologies spanning Phone-to-Web hybrid CATI/CAWI and continuous trackers with census-balanced stratification. The company was the first US-based online consumer sample provider to achieve ISO 26362 certification in 2014, has been recertified to ISO 20252:2019 through 2028 via CIRQ, and operates under GDPR, CCPA, COPPA, and ISO 27001-aligned controls.

Commercial operations span roughly 25 office locations across the United States (including a Houston operations office, second California office, and presence in New York, Atlanta, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles) plus a Paris international office. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise field sales with regional coverage (West, Midwest, Southeast), supported by RFP intake and dedicated consultative teams with stated 10+ years of MRX industry tenure. Revenue mechanics are managed service contracts priced per project on a quote basis, calibrated to incidence, survey length, fielding timeline, and quota requirements; underlying revenue streams include online sample delivery, programming and hosting fees, expert network sampling, political polling, and survey project management. Customer logos include Procter & Gamble, A+E Networks, Catapult Insights, and sports/political research buyers.

Name

Full Circle Research

Legal name

Full Circle Research Company, LLC

Website

https://ilovefullcircle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Market Research Sample Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA), Social & Digital Insights (Social Listening, Online Community Research) (MPAAALAK), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Online sample provider
• Market research panels
• Survey programming services
• B2B market research
• Consumer insights data

Headquarters

HQ city

Potomac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Sample Services: Primary revenue stream from providing access to high-quality online research panel (Survey Roundtable) for B2B and B2C market research. Delivered through managed service model where Full Circle manages sample design, launch and fieldwork.
2. Programming & Hosting: Survey programming and hosting services through Decipher platform, including questionnaire optimization, logic validation, and quality control.
3. InstaConnect (Programmatic): Premium programmatic solution for capturing hard-to-reach audiences beyond traditional panels, delivered as part of integrated sample offering.
4. SmartPoll (Polling): Polling services for political and public opinion research with hybrid approach combining panel and programmatic recruitment.
5. Expert Networks: InstaConnect service providing access to high-value expert audiences through programmatic targeting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Full Circle Research operates as a managed online sample provider for market research, delivering access to its proprietary consumer panel (Survey Roundtable) and complementary services. Its core business is selling high-quality online sample, anti-fraud quality controls (HoNoR and Watchdog), survey programming and hosting, and consultative research project support to enterprise clients in B2B, B2C, political polling and expert network research.

Product overview

Full Circle Research is an award-winning online sample provider offering a comprehensive research ecosystem built around quality and data integrity. The core offering centers on Survey Roundtable, their proprietary consumer panel, complemented by InstaConnect for programmatic reach to hard-to-reach audiences. Anti-fraud protection is delivered through HoNoR (pre-survey) and Watchdog (in-survey), which work together with the FC+ Quality Score system. SmartPoll provides polling capabilities, while Programming & Hosting, Phone to Web, and Trackers services extend the offering. All services are delivered through a managed, consultative approach with dedicated teams and supported by ISO 20252:2019 certification since 2014.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Survey Roundtable®: Proprietary consumer-facing panel built through vetted sources including exclusive publisher partnerships, social networks, and real-time intercept sampling.
• HoNoR®
• InstaConnect®
• SmartPoll®
• Watchdog®

Products and services

• Survey Roundtable Full Circle's proprietary consumer-facing panel built through exclusive partnerships with content-driven publishers, social networking platforms and real-time intercept sampling. Panel members are vetted through rigorous quality controls and continuous profiling with 25+ demographic and psychographic data points plus 12 in-depth profiling modules.
• InstaConnect Programmatic solution leveraging advanced algorithms and behavioral signals to capture hard-to-reach and low-incidence audiences through expert networks, social platforms and affiliate ecosystems. Targeted at micro-audiences worldwide for B2B and expert research needs.
• HoNoR (Holistic Next-Level Research) Proprietary pre-survey security technology (Holistic Next-Level Research) that identifies and blocks technical threats including bots and suspicious behavioral patterns using behavioral fraud detection, digital fingerprinting, identity validation and the FC+ Quality Score. Translated into 50+ languages.
• Watchdog In-survey pattern recognition technology that applies real-time behavioral analytics to detect anomalies and remove low-quality or fraudulent respondents during fieldwork, tracking mouse movement, keystroke patterns, response timing and question engagement.
• SmartPoll Polling service combining high-quality panel respondents with real-time programmatic recruitment for rapid flash polling, supporting political polling, voter sentiment tracking and message testing with geographic precision down to district and precinct levels via voter file integration.
• Online Sampling (B2B/B2C) High-quality online sample services delivering both consumer and business-to-business research audiences through vetted communities and proprietary technology, with 25+ demographic and psychographic profiling attributes and 12 in-depth profiling modules. Delivered via consultative managed-service model.
• Programming & Hosting Survey programming and hosting services using Decipher platform, supporting advanced methods including MaxDiff, conjoint, heatmapping and text highlighting, with comprehensive quality review process from strategic review through soft launch.
• Phone to Web (P2W) Hybrid methodology combining CATI rigor with CAWI speed and scalability, featuring live interviewer support and real-time respondent handling for hard-to-reach audiences without requiring downloads.
• Trackers Continuous tracking study services with dedicated team support, census-balanced stratification and quality safeguards protecting data across waves with full visibility into sourcing and recruitment, targeting ≤3% variance across key demographics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of clients surveyed reported being extremely satisfied with interactions, extremely likely to partner again, and definite in their willingness to recommend Full Circle to others
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Procter & GambleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2025Participated in Data Integrity Under Fire event alongside A+E Networks to demonstrate ISO 20252 certified data quality impact on research outcomes.
• A+E NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2025Participated in Data Integrity Under Fire event alongside Procter & Gamble to demonstrate ISO 20252 certified data quality impact on research outcomes.
• Women in Research (WIRe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 20241-For-1 professional development giving program: With every new Full Circle hire, the company donates to WIRe Accelerate program, which awards a scholarship to a junior researcher. Part of external DEIA commitment.
• Insights AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 October 2023Partnership to expand MRII Diversity Award package. Insights Association contributes CRC registration and travel/lodging stipend for awardees, supporting DEI initiatives in the insights industry.
• Market Research Institute International (MRII)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 June 2023Official sponsor of MRII Diversity Award. Expanded award package to include CRC registration and travel/lodging stipend. Partnership aims to increase DEI impact on MRX industry by supporting under-represented talent.
• Certification Institute for Research Quality (CIRQ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2022Partnership to launch #QualityForAll initiative, raising awareness of ISO 20252:2019 certification as pathway to increasing data quality and consumer trust. Full Circle co-founded the initiative.
• TargetSmartcoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2021Integration of SmartMatch and Voter Registration Check API into SmartPoll service to enhance validation and quality for political and public policy clients. Provides PII matching to voter files and integrated voter databases for precision targeting.
• OpinionRoute (CleanID)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2021Addition of CleanID to HoNoR quality initiative for enhanced fraud detection. CleanID uncovers bots, survey farms and survey respondent markers including oscillating IP addresses and browser signature spoofing.
• Cannabiz Consumer Group (C2G)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2016Partnership with industry's foremost experts on cannabis consumers and their ecosystems for specialized research capabilities in cannabis market.
• Kinesis Survey TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 16 July 2013Early partnership for panel and survey technology integration. Panel is built through exclusive partnerships with content-driven publishers, associations with social networking sites and real-time intercept sampling.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DISQO: Audience insights platform offering first-party consumer data, sample, and brand measurement. Competes with Full Circle in premium B2C sample and ad effectiveness research.
• Dynata: One of the world's largest first-party data and online sample providers for market research. Directly competes with Full Circle Research in B2B/B2C sample provision, with much greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Prolific: Online participant pool focused on high-quality respondents for academic and commercial research. Competes with Full Circle's Survey Roundtable in the quality-focused B2C sample segment.
• Schlesinger Group: Global data collection and qualitative research company providing online and offline sample, panels, and focus group facilities. Overlaps with Full Circle in online sample and panel services.
• InnovateMR: Full-service sample provider and insights consultancy offering B2B/B2C sample, healthcare panels, and qualitative recruiting. Competes head-to-head with Full Circle in US enterprise sample market.
• Toluna: Global consumer panel provider offering online sample, panel management, and survey technology. Directly competes with Full Circle in B2C sample delivery and panel infrastructure.
• PureSpectrum: Sample marketplace and quality platform providing automated sample buying for market research. Direct competitor in programmatic sample access and quality-scored respondent delivery.
• Cint: Global digital insights exchange platform connecting buyers with panel suppliers. Directly competes with Full Circle by aggregating panel supply, and acquired Lucid to expand sample marketplace capabilities.

Emerging players

• Resonate: Consumer data and insights provider leveraging a proprietary panel and AI-driven analytics. Adjacent competitor combining sample access with rich consumer data assets.

Broad incumbents

• Qualtrics: Enterprise experience management platform offering survey technology, panel services, and research operations at scale. Competes indirectly through its XM Directory and panels, with much broader portfolio beyond sample.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Full Circle Research