Campus Insights

What Campus Insights does

Campus Insights is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based user research firm founded in 2014 that specializes in Gen Z (and Millennial) consumer research. The company operates as a B2B subcontractor, partnering with agencies, research firms, consultancies, and similar businesses to add Gen Z research capabilities to the services those clients already provide to their own end customers. Its core differentiator is that research is conducted entirely by Harvard undergraduates who are themselves members of Generation Z, which the company positions as enabling authentic, candid communication with Gen Z research participants.

The single unified service offering is Gen Z consumer research: participant recruiting, conducting recorded interviews, and producing qualitative and quantitative analysis reports with actionable recommendations. Deliverables are fully customizable per engagement and include summary reports, detailed data analysis, and topical white papers (e.g., seasonal depression, fashion, generative AI, graduation, summer plans). There is no proprietary software platform, app, or API; the "technology" is a domain-specialized research methodology executed by a network of Harvard undergraduate researchers and managers.

The business model is professional services delivered through a consultative, project-based direct sales motion. Prospects engage via a website contact form and an "Instant Cost Estimate" Typeform tool, with custom pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Named clients span technology, entertainment, financial services, education, and nonprofit sectors, including Google, Netflix, Airbnb, Venmo, GoFundMe, Quizlet, Chegg, and Tilt. The company is privately held, appears bootstrapped/student-operated with no disclosed external funding or parent, and has publicly noted that it pauses operations for the summer, resuming in September.

Name

Campus Insights

Legal name

Campus Insights

Website

https://campus-insights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Campus Insights is a Harvard-undergraduate-run user research firm specializing in Gen Z and Millennial consumer research, subcontracting participant recruiting, interviews, and analysis to agencies, research firms, and consultancies serving clients such as Google, Netflix, and Venmo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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

Revenue model

1. Research Services: Campus Insights provides Gen-Z-specific research services to agencies, research firms, and consultancies. Services include participant recruiting, conducting interviews, and producing analysis reports. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with customizable research deliverables.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Campus Insights is a subcontracted Gen Z consumer research firm operated entirely by Harvard undergraduates who are themselves members of Generation Z. The company recruits participants, conducts interviews on behalf of clients, and produces qualitative and quantitative analysis reports and white papers tailored to each engagement. Services are fully customizable and project-based, sold primarily to agencies, research firms, consultancies, and similar businesses seeking Gen Z insight capabilities for their own end clients.

Product overview

Campus Insights offers a single unified service: Gen Z consumer research subcontracting. Harvard undergraduate researchers conduct interviews, recruit participants, and produce analysis (both qualitative and quantitative) for agency and consultancy clients seeking to understand Gen Z consumers. Deliverables include summary reports, detailed data analysis, and white papers on topics such as seasonal depression, fashion trends, generative AI, and graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gen Z Consumer Research Services Subcontracted market research service in which Harvard undergraduate researchers recruit Gen Z participants, conduct interviews on behalf of the client's end client, and produce summary reports plus detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis with actionable recommendations. Fully customizable and tailored to each engagement's research questions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies can improve their Gen Z appeal and customer engagement

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Sparks & Honey: Cultural foresight and Gen Z insights consultancy (part of Omnicom) that helps brands understand emerging youth culture and consumer behavior. Directly comparable to Campus Insights in target buyer (CMOs and brand strategists) and category (youth-driven cultural and consumer research).
• Y-Pulse: Research and strategic insights firm focused exclusively on youth and Gen Z consumers, serving food, retail, and consumer brands. Direct peer given the shared niche focus on Gen Z consumer research for enterprise clients.
• Material (formerly Material Strategies): Insights-driven brand consultancy that conducts consumer and cultural research for enterprise clients. Comparable in being a mid-sized research-focused consultancy serving similar enterprise buyers, with overlapping capabilities in qualitative consumer research.

Emerging players

• Prolific: Online participant recruitment platform giving researchers fast, vetted access to Gen Z and other demographic samples. Comparable as an alternative channel for enterprises seeking Gen Z participants, though it competes as a tooling layer rather than a full-service qualitative research firm.
• dscout: Diary-based and video qualitative research platform serving enterprise UX and insights teams. Overlaps in the Gen Z qualitative research use case but competes on a self-serve tech platform rather than a hand-rolled student interviewer model.
• Respondent.io: Marketplace connecting researchers with vetted participants for B2B and consumer studies, including Gen Z respondents. Comparable as a competing channel for sourcing Gen Z research participants and conducting qualitative interviews.

Broad incumbents

• UserTesting: Enterprise-grade UX and human insights platform with a large contributor network including Gen Z participants. Comparable as an enterprise buyer alternative for Gen Z user research, but operates as a broad incumbent technology platform rather than a niche Gen Z specialist.
• Nielsen: Global consumer insights and audience measurement giant serving major brands with quantitative and qualitative research. Comparable as an incumbent enterprise research vendor that Campus Insights' clients could substitute, but vastly broader in scope and not Gen Z-specialized.
• Ipsos: Global market research and consumer insights firm serving most Fortune 500 brands. Comparable as a large-scale substitute for Campus Insights' Gen Z research work, with deeper methodology, panels, and global reach.
• Kantar: Major consumer insights and brand research consultancy serving global enterprises. Comparable as a substitute research vendor for the same Fortune 500 buyers, but focused on broader brand and media effectiveness rather than Gen Z specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/campusinsights
• Facebookfacebook.com/campusinsightspage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/campus-insights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Campus Insights