What Ebco does

Ebco (also operating as Ebco Trends) was a small, privately-held strategic trends and innovation consultancy founded in 2015 and headquartered in Austin, Texas. The firm specialized in connecting market research, trend forecasting, and business strategy to help enterprise clients understand the direction of their industries, categories, and consumers. Its core offering centered on translating insights and trends into strategic foresight — a service-led model rather than a productized software offering.

The company's primary product, Ebco Trends, was a consulting engagement through which it delivered strategic foresight work for clients. The underlying service stack combined traditional market research with forward-looking trend analysis and innovation frameworks, enabling clients to anticipate change in consumer behavior and category dynamics. No proprietary technology platform, patents, or AI-driven products were disclosed in available sources, suggesting the business operated as a people-and-expertise-driven consultancy rather than a software-enabled platform.

Ebco's business model was typical of boutique strategy consultancies: project-based engagements with enterprise clients spanning multiple verticals. Pricing was not publicly disclosed. The firm operated with 11–50 employees prior to acquisition. In 2024, Ebco was acquired by Dig Insights, a tech-enabled consumer insights company, and ceased to operate as an independent entity. Its team, led by CEO and Co-Founder Erin Mays, was integrated into Dig Insights as a newly formed Trends & Innovation division, with Mays transitioning to EVP.

Name

Ebco

Legal name

Ebco

Website

https://theebco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ebco was an Austin-based boutique trends and innovation consultancy that translated market insights and consumer trends into strategic foresight for enterprise clients, acquired by Dig Insights in 2024 and integrated as its Trends & Innovation division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Trends & Innovation Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Analytics & Business Intelligence Services (BPAHALAC)

Keywords

• Strategic trends consulting
• Innovation consulting
• Trend forecasting
• Market research services
• Business strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

Ebco was a strategic trends and innovation consultancy that translated consumer and market insights into long-horizon strategic foresight, helping enterprise clients understand where their industries, categories, and consumers were headed. The firm connected insights, trends, and business strategy to guide innovation programs and corporate decision-making. Following its 2024 acquisition by Dig Insights, Ebco's team and capabilities were integrated into Dig Insights' Trends & Innovation division.

Product overview

Ebco (formerly known as Ebco Trends) was a strategic trends and innovation consultancy that translated insights and trends into strategic foresight for enterprise clients. The company operated as a single-service consultancy focused on connecting insights, trends, and business strategy to help clients understand where their industries, categories, and consumers are headed. Following its acquisition by Dig Insights, Ebco's team and offering were integrated into Dig Insights' broader innovation platform, combining trends and innovation expertise with Dig Insights' technology-enabled research capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ebco Trends Strategic trends and innovation consulting services that translated consumer and market insights into long-horizon strategic foresight for enterprise clients, helping them understand the direction of their industries, categories, and consumer bases.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dig InsightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDig Insights acquired Ebco Trends to deliver a seamless end-to-end innovation lifecycle. Ebco team, led by CEO Erin Mays, joins Dig Insights to build and lead their Trends & Innovation division. The acquisition combines Ebco's expertise in trends and innovation with Dig Insights' technology-enabled insights capabilities, creating an integrated solution for the entire innovation lifecycle from discovering territories to testing ideas, building strategy, and driving action.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TrendWatching: Trend intelligence and innovation consultancy that produces trend reports and consumer foresight for global brands — directly comparable to Ebco's positioning as a trends and innovation strategy firm serving enterprise clients.
• WGSN: Global trend forecasting and consumer insight platform that supplies strategic foresight and trend forecasts to consumer brands — directly comparable to Ebco's core offering of translating trends into strategic direction.
• The Future Laboratory: Strategic foresight and consumer trends consultancy delivering trend forecasting, innovation strategy, and future scenario work for brands — directly comparable to Ebco's strategic trends and innovation practice.
• Mintel: Global market research firm offering consumer insights, trend analysis, and innovation consulting to CPG and retail clients — directly comparable to Ebco's consumer and category foresight work.
• Forrester Research: Global research and advisory firm combining consumer insights, market forecasts, and innovation advisory for enterprise decision-makers — directly comparable to Ebco's research and trend-driven advisory model.
• frog (Capgemini Invent): Design and innovation consultancy that blends human-centered research, trend foresight, and innovation strategy to help enterprises build new offerings — directly comparable to Ebco's translation of insights into innovation strategy.
• Fahrenheit 212 (Capgemini Invent): Innovation and growth strategy consultancy that combines market foresight with innovation execution for large enterprises — directly comparable to Ebco's enterprise-facing innovation strategy work.
• Sparks & Honey: Cultural foresight and innovation consultancy that translates emerging cultural signals into strategy for brands — directly comparable to Ebco's positioning at the intersection of cultural insight, trends, and strategic direction.

Broad incumbents

• Kantar: Global market research and consulting group operating across consumer insights, brand strategy, and innovation — broadly comparable as a large incumbent in the research and innovation space where Ebco plays.
• Ipsos: Global market research and consumer insights firm with innovation, trend, and strategy advisory practices — broadly comparable as a large incumbent covering parts of the trends and innovation space Ebco served.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EbcoTrends

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ebco