Mobile Digital Insights

What Mobile Digital Insights does

MDI is a mobile-first consumer market research consultancy that designs and executes in-the-moment research studies for global FMCG and consumer goods brands. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Saint Kilda, Australia, the firm runs a custom-built mobile application that captures authentic consumer behavior at the point of consumption, shopping, or product usage rather than relying on recalled survey responses. Its core product suite comprises Mobile Diaries (custom consumer app for contextual diary-based data collection), Mobile Communities (longitudinal app-based research platform), Clever Kevin (an AI-driven multilingual qualitative moderator), and View EQ (facial emotional recognition software). The firm markets these as standalone technology products or as part of full-service research engagements spanning brand health tracking, shopper understanding, concept testing, and innovation pipeline research.

MDI operates a B2B, sales-led go-to-market targeting enterprise brand and insights teams in food, beverage, personal care, household goods, and QSR categories across more than 50 countries. The firm maintains a regional contact network covering APAC, Europe, MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, and LATAM, with a South African subsidiary (Mobile Digital Indaba Africa Pty Ltd) holding Level 1 B-BBEE certification. Revenue is generated through project-based research fees and, increasingly, licensing of its proprietary technology stack. Disclosed enterprise clients include L'Oreal and Kellanova, alongside several anonymized global snack, beverage, and QSR customers.

The technology platform integrates multimodal data capture (text chat, image, video, biometrics) with AI-driven moderation and emotional analysis. Compliance posture includes GDPR, Australian Privacy Principles, Market and Social Research Privacy Code (2014), and B-BBEE Level 1. The firm positions its 10+ years of mobile research specialization as a domain moat against traditional survey-based research agencies.

Name

Mobile Digital Insights

Legal name

Mobile Digital Indaba Africa Pty Ltd

Website

https://mdi-global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MDI is a mobile-first market research consultancy that runs in-the-moment consumer studies for global FMCG brands across 50+ countries, using proprietary mobile diaries, AI-driven chat moderation (Clever Kevin), and facial emotional recognition (View EQ).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Kilda

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consumer & Market Research Services: Full-service market research agency providing in-the-moment consumer research services to global brands. Services include brand health tracking, shopper understanding, innovation pipeline research, concept testing, and always-on consumer feedback platforms. Revenue generated through research project fees and ongoing platform subscriptions.
2. Proprietary Product Licenses: MDI licenses access to proprietary technology products including Clever Kevin AI moderation, View EQ facial emotional recognition, and mobile research platforms. Products available as standalone offerings or integrated into research services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MDI is a mobile-first consumer market research agency that provides in-the-moment data collection through proprietary mobile platforms. Core products include Mobile Diaries (custom app for diary-based data collection), Mobile Communities (ongoing app-based research platform), Clever Kevin (AI-powered qualitative chat moderator), and View EQ (facial emotional recognition software). Services are delivered to global FMCG brands across 50+ countries through project-based research engagements, ongoing platform subscriptions, and technology licensing.

Product overview

Mobile Digital Insights offers a mobile-first consumer market research platform with multiple integrated products and modules. The core offering consists of Mobile Diaries (custom mobile app for diary-based data collection), Mobile Communities (ongoing app-based research platform), and Clever Kevin (AI-powered qualitative research moderator). These are complemented by add-on modules including Self-Ethnography (video capture through communities), Concept Testing (visual sharing approach), and View EQ (Facial Emotional Recognition). All research is conducted through the proprietary MDI mobile app, enabling in-the-moment behavioral measurement across consumption, shopping, and product usage occasions. The platform is designed for global research across more than 50 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Diaries Custom-designed consumer-facing mobile app for diary-based data collection, allowing participants to provide feedback when contextually relevant during product usage, consumption, or shopping occasions. Supports various diary types including consumption, shopper, product usage, and experiential diaries with chat-based engagement overlay to encourage completion.
• Mobile Communities Consumer-friendly app-based research platform for ongoing client enquiries via cost-effective mobile community approach. Measures behavior (the what), qualitative engagement (the why), and tactical surveys (the how) with longitudinal data retention, image/video capture, location tracking, and multi-faceted chat capabilities.
• Clever Kevin AI-driven mobile chat moderator (depicted as a koala) that conducts qualitative discussions via mobile, available 24/7. Can conduct multiple interviews in multiple languages concurrently, provides transcripts with translations and report summaries immediately after interviews. Delivers cost reduction of at least 50% and completion within one-third the timeframe of human-moderated projects. Available as standalone offering or integrated into research services.
• View EQ Facial Emotional Recognition software that maps emotions on consumers' faces through their mobile phone camera, processing in-situ video capture to provide subconscious layer of analysis. Captures baseline neutral levels and reactions to stimulus (ads, concept images) for at-home product and sensory testing. Available as standalone offering or integrated into research services.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Children's GroundminorOthersMDI supports Children's Ground, a First Nations organization in Australia working to achieve systemic reform led by Australia's First Nations people. Children's Ground integrates cultural knowledge with international leading practice to enable excellence in learning, wellbeing and development.
• Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA)minorOthersMDI supports PSFA in South Africa, an organization that feeds 34,942 children every day through an organized food program based on donations, giving impoverished schoolchildren the fuel they need to succeed.
• Yeah! ChacoExisteminorOthersMDI supports Yeah! ChacoExiste in Argentina, an organization focusing on helping families and children in the poorest region of Argentina by nourishing, educating and empowering children in rural areas.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Zappi: Automated consumer insights platform purpose-built for FMCG/CPG brands across concept testing, advertising and innovation. Compares on AI-driven, mobile-friendly testing and similar enterprise customer profile.
• Attest: Self-serve consumer research platform targeting brands with rapid-turnaround surveys and brand tracking. Adjacent technology overlap and same consumer-brand target customers but lighter-weight methodology.

Direct peers

• Suzy: Real-time consumer insights platform offering mobile-based research to enterprise brands, including CPG/FMCG. Overlaps with MDI's in-the-moment, app-based community methodology.
• System1 (formerly BrainJuicer): Emotional and creative research firm serving FMCG brands globally with a focus on advertising effectiveness and brand growth. Comparable in emotional measurement (akin to View EQ) and FMCG-focused enterprise clients.
• Discuss.io: Mobile-first qualitative research platform with chat, video and asynchronous capabilities for global brands. Closely mirrors MDI's Mobile Communities, Clever Kevin-style chat moderation, and qualitative-at-scale approach.
• Toluna: Global online panel and mobile community provider running consumer research programs across many countries. Directly comparable in mobile-first community capabilities and FMCG-focused customer base.
• Civicom Marketing Research: Mobile qualitative research provider with online IDIs/focus groups, webcam/video and asynchronous capabilities. Directly comparable in mobile qualitative facilitation for global clients.
• MFour: Mobile-only market research company using a first-party consumer app for diary, location and shopper research in retail/FMCG categories. Strongest direct methodology match to MDI.

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research firm with deep FMCG expertise in innovation, brand and shopper research. Overlaps with MDI's service portfolio across category, geography and client base.
• Kantar: World's largest insights company serving FMCG brands with consumer, retail and media research. Same enterprise client pool as MDI but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MobileDigitalInsights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mdi-pty-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Mobile Digital Insights