What FUSE Research Network does

FUSE Research Network is a privately held, founder-owned research and consulting firm founded in 2008 and headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts (with a Denver, Colorado office). The company serves U.S. asset and wealth management firms with a portfolio of subscription research, benchmarking, and decision-support products organized around four core pillars: (1) the Decision Support Platform, a proprietary offering that delivers ongoing market intelligence, on-demand custom responses, and a business concierge service; (2) the BenchMark Study Series, which benchmarks sales, marketing, national accounts, and product management functions across asset managers; (3) the Advisor Trend Monitor, an annual survey program covering 700–1,000+ financial advisors on topics such as wholesalers, portfolio construction, and alternatives; and (4) Board Services, including 15(c) reporting and Business Intelligence for Fund Boards (BI4FB). Supporting offerings include custom Advisor Insights surveys drawn from a 60,000+ advisor pool, FUSE Consulting for distribution and product strategy engagements, and the annual FUSE Forum hosted at the Harvard Club of Boston (11th edition in 2026). Since 2023 FUSE has also managed the Investment Management Education Alliance (IMEA) trade association.

The firm generates revenue primarily through recurring annual subscriptions to its research and decision-support products, supplemented by project-based consulting engagements, board services contracts sold to fund families and independent directors, corporate sponsorships for the FUSE Forum, and membership/event revenue from IMEA. Distribution is direct and sales-led: named relationship managers and a Senior Business Development Director sell multi-product enterprise contracts to asset management clients, and the annual FUSE Forum is the primary demand-generation and relationship-building touchpoint. FUSE's 40+ enterprise clients include large asset managers such as AB (AllianceBernstein), Franklin Templeton, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, T. Rowe Price, MFS, Nuveen, and Russell Investments, plus 'dozens' of fund families using its 15(c) reporting practice. Underlying technology is light: the Decision Support Platform is delivered through a client portal (clients.fuse-research.com), data and content are produced and hosted on SySys' proprietary FundSys platform, and webinar/web distribution relies on Fugent. The firm has no public API, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no outside funding, operating as a self-sustaining boutique at 11–50 employees.

Name

FUSE Research Network

Legal name

FUSE Research Network LLC

Website

https://fuse-research.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FUSE Research Network is a privately held research and consulting firm that provides subscription benchmarking, advisor survey, and decision-support services to U.S. asset and wealth management firms, including fund boards and ETF providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Competitive Intelligence & Benchmarking (BPAHALAB), Strategy & Thematic Research (FSACAGAG), Investor Education, Research & Portfolio Analytics Services (Retail) (FSAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Asset management research
• Fund board services
• Financial advisor surveys
• Investment market intelligence
• Distribution strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Needham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Decision Support Platform (DSP) Subscription: FUSE sells annual subscriptions to its Decision Support Platform, which provides ongoing market intelligence, on-demand decision support, and business concierge services. The platform is sold directly to asset management firms, with DSP clients receiving complimentary passes to the FUSE Forum.
2. BenchMark Research Reports: FUSE produces and sells the BenchMark Series — industry benchmark studies covering sales, marketing, product, and national accounts functions — as annual research subscriptions to asset management firms.
3. Advisor Trend Monitor Surveys: Annual survey-based research series targeting 700-1000+ financial advisors, published in partnership with WealthManagement.com. Findings are sold to asset management firms as market intelligence.
4. Custom Advisor Surveys (Advisor Insights): A full-service custom survey offering for investment management firms seeking specific and targeted insights. Access to a pool of 60,000+ advisors with robust selection criteria for targeted audience refinement.
5. FUSE Consulting Engagements: Customized consulting engagements covering product line review, distribution strategy, sub-advisory business plans, brand awareness, and advisor segmentation. Engagements are billed project-based.
6. Board Services (15c Reporting & BI4FB): Services for fund boards including 15(c) reporting (established 2010, serving dozens of fund families) and Business Intelligence for Fund Boards (BI4FB). Sold as recurring service subscriptions to fund families and independent directors.
7. FUSE Forum Registration & Sponsorships: Annual flagship conference (11th Annual October 1, 2026, Boston). DSP clients receive two complimentary passes; non-clients pay registration fees with early-bird discounts available. Corporate sponsorships sold to asset management firms seeking visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FUSE Research Network provides research, benchmarking, and consulting services to the asset and wealth management industry. Its core offerings include the proprietary Decision Support Platform subscription, the annual BenchMark research series, the Advisor Trend Monitor surveys of 700-1,000+ financial advisors, Board Services for fund boards (15(c) reporting and BI4FB), custom survey capabilities accessing a pool of 60,000+ advisors, and FUSE Consulting engagements covering product, distribution, and brand strategy. The company also hosts the annual FUSE Forum conference and manages the Investment Management Education Alliance (IMEA).

Product overview

FUSE Research Network is a research and consulting firm serving the asset and wealth management industries, offering a coordinated suite of research products and advisory services organized around four core pillars: (1) Advisor Trend Monitor — annual survey-based reports covering 700–1,000 financial advisors on topics including product usage, wholesaler effectiveness, portfolio construction, and alternatives; (2) BenchMark Study Series — industry-leading benchmarking reports covering sales management, marketing, national accounts, and product management and development; (3) Board Services — including 15(c) reporting for fund boards and Business Intelligence for Fund Boards (BI4FB); and (4) Decision Support Platform — a proprietary platform providing ongoing market intelligence, on-demand research responses, and expert concierge services. These core offerings are supplemented by Advisor Insights custom survey capabilities (access to 60,000+ advisors), FUSE Consulting for strategy engagements, and the annual FUSE Forum conference. FUSE also publishes free content resources including infographics, blog posts, videos, and timelines. The company operates from offices in Needham, MA and Denver, CO, and manages the Investment Management Education Alliance (IMEA) trade association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FUSE Board Services: Fund board services including 15(c) reporting, business intelligence for fund boards, and consulting services for independent fund directors.
• FUSE Decision Support Platform
• Advisor Trend Monitor
• FUSE BenchMark Series
• Advisor Insights

Products and services

• Decision Support Platform A proprietary subscription platform providing ongoing market intelligence, on-demand custom research responses for specific business challenges, and personalized business concierge services connecting asset management firms to a network of industry experts. Unlike traditional research vendors, FUSE's model includes ongoing involvement in tactical execution to ensure tangible business impact.
• BenchMark Study Series A comprehensive suite of annual industry benchmarking reports covering sales management, marketing, national accounts, and product management and development. Designed to help asset managers optimize distribution and operational functions across investment management organizations.
• Advisor Trend Monitor (ATM) An annual series of research reports surveying 700-1,000 financial advisors on critical topics of interest to the asset management community. Published in partnership with WealthManagement.com, covering trends in products, marketing, wholesalers, portfolio construction, and alternatives.
• Board Services (15(c) Reporting & Business Intelligence for Fund Boards) Services for independent fund directors and boards including 15(c) reporting for fund board peer comparison and fiduciary oversight, and Business Intelligence for Fund Boards (BI4FB) providing curated industry news, pricing trends, product line marketability, distribution effectiveness, and M&A insights.
• Advisor Insight An online benchmarking service and tool that enables financial advisors to benchmark their practices, survey responses, and performance against industry peers. Features a first-of-its-kind scoring system that delivers instant grades and recommendations based on survey responses.
• Advisor Insights Custom Surveys A full-service custom survey offering for investment management firms seeking specific and targeted insights. Provides access to a pool of 60,000+ advisors with robust selection criteria for targeted audience refinement on topics including new product concepts, value-add programs, brand measurement, and content consumption trends.
• FUSE Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Surveys 700-1000+ financial advisors per Advisor Trend Monitor report
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers43 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MMBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMMB is a national, full-service creative agency offering brand strategy, creative development, and marketing execution services to financial services firms. FUSE references MMB as a strategic partner, though no specific co-marketing initiatives are detailed.
• SySyscoreTechnology or IntegrationSySys is the preferred web and fact sheet technology partner for asset managers. SySys builds, hosts, and maintains FUSE's websites and fund fact sheets using its proprietary FundSys platform. SySys also powers FUSE's client portal. Contact: Kevin Smith, [email protected], 303.835.0004.
• 21SharesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner21Shares partnered with FUSE Research Network to release survey findings on U.S. financial advisors' views on digital assets. The research partnership was announced May 13, 2026, revealing that firm policy constraints and education gaps are primary barriers to digital asset adoption among advisors.
• UMB Fund ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMB Fund Services partnered with FUSE Research Network on research examining Active ETFs' growth to 12% of the $15T US investment fund market. The research, published August 6, 2026, found adoption tripled over five years with 54% of advisors planning to increase allocations.
• WealthManagement.comcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFUSE Research Network and WealthManagement.com team up annually to produce the Advisor Trend Monitor series of research reports. The partnership surveys 700-1000+ advisors annually and publishes findings on critical industry topics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fund Evaluation Group (FEG): FEG provides investment advisory and consulting services to institutional investors and fund boards. Comparable overlap in fund board, 15(c)-adjacent services, and asset management research.
• Cerulli Associates: Cerulli Associates is a research and consulting firm focused on asset management, wealth management, and institutional investing. Highly comparable to FUSE's research, benchmarking, and consulting offerings for asset managers.
• Coalition Greenwich (formerly Greenwich Associates): Coalition Greenwich provides research and benchmarking services to financial institutions, including asset managers and distributors. Directly comparable as a research and benchmarking peer serving buy-side institutions.
• Casey Quirk by Deloitte: Casey Quirk is a strategy consulting practice focused on asset management, serving similar clients with distribution strategy and growth advisory. Compares to FUSE's consulting and distribution strategy engagements.
• ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services, part of Deutsche Börse): ISS provides governance, fund board, and investment research services, including 15(c)-related analytics and benchmarking for fund boards. Comparable to FUSE Board Services practice.
• Tiburon Strategic Advisors: Tiburon is a research and consulting firm focused on wealth management, asset management, and fintech. Comparable as a smaller, peer-tier research and consulting firm serving similar institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• Broadridge Financial Solutions: Broadridge provides data, analytics, and technology for asset management and distribution, including advisor analytics and distribution intelligence. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping benchmarking and advisor insights.
• Morningstar: Morningstar offers investment research, data, and analytics across asset management, with research and benchmarking tools that overlap FUSE's research and Advisor Insight offerings.
• SS&C (Kasina): SS&C acquired Kasina, a consulting and advisor analytics firm for asset managers. Kasina offers distribution consulting and advisor insights that overlap FUSE's consulting and Advisor Trend Monitor offerings.

Emerging players

• SmartBrief (asset management vertical): SmartBrief distributes curated industry news and research digests targeted at financial services professionals. Comparable as a content intelligence distribution channel for asset management communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FUSEResearchNet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeAa5naPF_u-4Qt5ZPuawPQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fuse-research-network
• Facebookfacebook.com/FUSE-Research-Network-242735175910410

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 FUSE Research Network