GIST Research

What GIST Research does

GIST Research is a privately-held research, advisory, and project implementation company that supports government agencies, international organisations, research institutions, and civil society organisations working in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Founded in London in 2019 by Michele Cesari, Matthieu Dillais, and Marc Parker, the firm operates as a globally distributed network with partners and field researchers across Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Levant, Central Asia, South-East Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans.

The company delivers four integrated services: Research and Analysis, Learning and Strategy Design, Training and Capacity Building, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). Its technical approach combines granular primary field research with open source intelligence, social media analysis, geo-spatial and remote sensing data (notably via a December 2025 partnership with Spire Global for satellite soil moisture data), social network analysis, political economy analysis, and AI/ML exploitation within a mixed-methods research framework. This stack is designed to produce triangulated intelligence for clients operating in restrictive or information-poor contexts.

GIST monetises through project-based professional services engagements priced per scope, typically delivered under multi-year contracts with institutional donors including the United Nations, IOM, and government development agencies. The go-to-market is predominantly direct enterprise field sales supplemented by competitive tendering for international organisation contracts and professional referrals. The firm is small (1-10 employees) with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; the three co-founders collectively bring over 55 years of relevant sector experience and prior leadership of multi-donor programmes valued at USD 100m+.

Name

GIST Research

Legal name

GIST Research Limited

Website

https://gist-research.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GIST Research is a London-headquartered, globally distributed professional services firm founded in 2019 that delivers research, advisory, training, and monitoring and evaluation services to UN agencies, IOM, governments, and research institutions operating in fragile and conflict-affected environments across Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conflict and Development Research Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics) (EUAHAKAC), GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK)

Keywords

• Conflict research services
• Peacebuilding advisory
• Fragile states consulting
• Monitoring evaluation services
• Capacity building programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Analysis Services: Professional services revenue from providing research, analysis, and advisory services to government agencies, international organizations, and civil society. Services include field research, open source analysis, remote sensing data integration, and strategic assessments for relief, development, and security programming in conflict and fragile states.
2. Learning and Strategy Design Services: Technical assistance and strategic advisory services for project design, implementation, and adaptation in restrictive contexts. Includes strategy design, stakeholder mapping, political economy analysis, and programme adaptation.
3. Training and Capacity Building Services: Bespoke training and adaptive capacity-building programs for institutional development and security sector reform, delivered to government institutions engaged in reconciliation efforts and socio-economic development.
4. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Services: Third-party verification, monitoring, and evaluation services combining deep context understanding with innovative methodologies. Includes portfolio-wide monitoring programs, strategic reviews, and evaluation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GIST Research is a research, advisory, and project implementation firm delivering four integrated services for peacebuilding, relief, and development in fragile and conflict-affected environments: Research and Analysis, Learning and Strategy Design, Training and Capacity Building, and Monitoring and Evaluation. It combines granular field research with open source and remote sensing data analysis (including AI/ML exploitation) to advise government agencies, international organizations, research institutions, and civil society groups operating in hard-to-reach areas across Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South-East Asia.

Product overview

GIST Research offers a unified suite of four integrated professional services for peacebuilding, relief and development solutions in fragile and conflict-affected environments. The core offering combines Research and Analysis (field research, open source and remote sensing data analysis using AI/ML), Learning and Strategy Design (strategic advisory and stakeholder engagement), Training and Capacity Building (institutional development and security sector reform training), and Monitoring and Evaluation (third-party verification and programme evaluation). These services work together to provide clients with comprehensive support from research through implementation and evaluation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Analysis Integrates granular field research with open source and remote sensing data analysis to deliver unique insights into complex, restrictive environments for government agencies, international organizations, and research institutions. Capabilities include local access and field research, open source and social media analysis, and all-source data analysis combining qualitative, statistical, social network, and geo-spatial methods, with AI/ML exploitation.
• Learning and Strategy Design Provides technical assistance and strategic advisory to help clients absorb critical data into decision-making and advise on programme design and policy development. Includes strategy design and adaptation, stakeholder engagement, social network analysis, and political economy analysis to identify pathways for impact in fragile and conflict-affected states.
• Training and Capacity Building Delivers bespoke training and flexible, adaptive capacity-building programmes for institutional development and security sector reform. Includes institutional and technology assessments, institutional development, leadership, strategy and management training, and mentoring for government institutions engaged in reconciliation efforts and socio-economic development.
• Monitoring and Evaluation Provides third-party verification, monitoring, and evaluation services combining deep context understanding and innovative methodologies. Includes MERL system design, third party verification and monitoring, and strategic reviews and evaluations at programme, portfolio and country levels for humanitarian, peacebuilding and development programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Designed and led large-scale research and evaluation platforms for US, UK, EU and UN agencies in Afghanistan, Middle-East and Sub-Saharan Africa
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Spire GlobalcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 December 2025Spire Global was selected by GIST Research to provide soil moisture data for climate and conflict early warning research in Ethiopia's Somali Region. The partnership utilizes satellite-based insights to improve early warning systems for drought and conflict risks, supporting organizations like IOM and the UN in climate-exposed regions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forcier Consulting: Research, monitoring, and evaluation consultancy operating across fragile states in East and West Africa, offering mixed-methods research and MEL services closely overlapping GIST's core offerings.
• International Crisis Group: Independent conflict analysis organization producing field-based research and policy advice on fragile and conflict-affected states, addressing the same problem space as GIST's Research and Analysis service line.
• CDA Collaborative Learning Projects: Consulting and learning organization focused on peacebuilding, conflict sensitivity, and program evaluation in fragile contexts, providing similar MEL and adaptive management services to institutional donors.
• The Liaison Office (TLO): Policy and research organization conducting field-based socio-economic and governance research in conflict-affected states, with comparable primary research methodology and donor client base.
• Integrity: Research, evaluation, and learning firm specializing in fragile and conflict-affected states with a similar donor-client mix (USAID, FCDO, UN) and comparable mixed-methods research, monitoring, and program design offerings.

Broad incumbents

• NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research organization with global programs including conflict, governance, and MEL work for USAID and other institutional donors, addressing similar research and evaluation mandates as GIST.
• Search for Common Ground: Large international peacebuilding NGO operating across dozens of fragile states, addressing overlapping peacebuilding and conflict transformation themes, though as a broader programming organization rather than a specialist research and MEL firm.
• Maxar Technologies: Commercial satellite imagery and geospatial intelligence provider whose data and analytics capabilities underpin remote sensing workflows like those GIST integrates with Spire Global, serving adjacent government and humanitarian customers.
• Cardno Emerging Markets (now part of Stantec): Large development consulting firm delivering monitoring, evaluation, and research services across fragile and developing states, with overlapping donor clients and MEL capability.

Emerging players

• Planet Labs: High-cadence Earth observation satellite operator providing imagery used for environmental and humanitarian monitoring, comparable to the remote sensing layer GIST incorporates for climate and conflict early warning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gist-research-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 GIST Research