What Instituto Locomotiva does

Instituto Locomotiva is a privately held Brazilian research institute headquartered in São Paulo that converts consumer and social research data into strategic knowledge for corporate, institutional, and media clients. Founded in 2016 and operating with 11-50 employees, the firm serves three primary customer segments: corporate companies and brands seeking consumer insights and strategy support, NGOs and institutional organizations requiring social research, and media organizations needing authoritative data for journalism.

Its core product portfolio is built on proprietary methodologies that combine neuroscience, behavioral economics, and artificial intelligence to analyze consumer decision-making and emotional responses. Flagship services include Brain Window (neuroscience-based evaluation of films and advertisements), Neuro Branding (machine learning on evoked cortical potentials to surface brand associations), Recall Emocional (brain-wave, eye tracking, and proprietary perceptive monitoring to measure memorability), Digital Assets (eye tracking and interaction analytics for digital experiences), AI-Powered Research Insights (continuous research panels with dynamic AI-driven question scripts and mobile dashboards), Signaling Categories, Decision Making Under Risk and Uncertainty, and Diversity programs. A dedicated Neural Technologies Lab houses brain-analysis equipment and a scientific team, including non-verbal speech analysis using AI, large data graphs, facial micro-expression recognition, and research meta-analyses.

The business model is B2B professional services: custom research projects delivered through direct consultative sales, with quote-based pricing and multi-year contract cadences. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales supported by a strong earned-media presence across Brazil's leading outlets. Revenue is generated per project rather than via subscription, with documented research collaborations spanning brands such as P&G and Uber, consultancies like PwC Brasil, industry associations like FIESP, and multilateral/NGO partners including UNESCO Brasil, Laudes Foundation, Instituto Patrícia Galvão, and CUFA. No public revenue, funding, or ownership disclosure is available.

Name

Instituto Locomotiva

Legal name

Instituto Locomotiva

Website

https://ilocomotiva.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Instituto Locomotiva is a São Paulo-based research institute that converts consumer and social research data into strategic insights using proprietary neuroscience, behavioral economics, and AI methodologies for corporate, institutional, and media clients in Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Neuroscience Research (Biometrics, Eye-Tracking, Neuromarketing) (MPAAALAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Consumer market research
• Neuroscience research services
• Behavioral economics insights
• Brand strategy consulting
• Consumer behavior analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Consulting Services: B2B research services offering custom studies, consumer insights, and strategic consulting to companies and organizations. Services include diversity programs, signaling categories, AI-powered research panels, digital asset evaluation, neuro branding, emotional recall testing, and neuroscience-based market research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Instituto Locomotiva is a Brazilian research institute that conducts consumer behavior research and transforms results into knowledge and strategic guidance for companies, brands, and institutions. Its core services blend neuroscience (brain analysis, eye tracking, facial micro-expressions), behavioral economics, and artificial intelligence to deliver proprietary methodologies such as Brain Window, Neuro Branding, Recall Emocional, Digital Assets, and AI-powered real-time perception dashboards, all anchored by its in-house Neural Technologies Lab.

Product overview

Instituto Locomotiva is a Brazilian research institute offering a portfolio of market research services centered on consumer behavior, neuroscience, and AI-powered analytics. The portfolio includes neuroscience-based products (Brain Window for film/image evaluation, Neuro Branding for brand associations, Recall Emocional for experience memorability, and Neural Technologies Lab for advanced brain response analysis), AI-powered analytics (Insights em Grandes Bancos de Pesquisa com Inteligência Artificial for real-time perception monitoring), digital experience evaluation (Digital Assets and Barreira de Vendas), and strategic research services (Diversidade, Categorias Sinalizadoras, Tomadas de Decisão Sob Risco e Incerteza). These products work together to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer decision-making and emotional responses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Neural Technologies Lab: Advanced research laboratory for neural and behavioral experiments using brain analysis, artificial intelligence, and facial micro-expressions

Products and services

• Diversidade (Diversity) Diversity programs designed to help companies identify and correct barriers preventing pluralism in their teams, supporting sustainable results through research-driven inclusion strategy.
• Categorias Sinalizadoras (Signaling Categories) Research methodology that ranks the importance of price for different product or service categories from the customer's perspective, helping companies refine pricing strategy and commercial communication.
• Tomadas de Decisão Sob Risco e Incerteza (Decision Making Under Risk and Uncertainty) Consultancy applying heuristics, intuitive thinking, and neuroeconomics to deliver rigorous answers about how political or economic contexts affect decision-making processes.
• Insights em Grandes Bancos de Pesquisa com Inteligência Artificial (AI-Powered Insights in Large Research Databases) Custom research panels combined with AI algorithms that generate continued insights, deliver real-time monitoring of customer perceptions, use dynamic question scripts, and publish results to intuitive dashboards accessible via mobile.
• Digital Assets Digital experiments evaluating user experience with websites, apps, and games by analyzing eye tracking, click patterns, scroll patterns, and user interactions to support omnichannel experience generation.
• Neuro Branding Brand research approach that uses brain responses to images and values via evoked cortical potentials and machine learning to reveal unconscious brand associations for campaign planning.
• Recall Emocional (Emotional Recall) Methodology combining brain waves, eye tracking, and an exclusive perceptive monitoring device to determine the likelihood of a speech or experience being retained and remembered later.
• Brain Window Film and image evaluation using neuroscience that maps unconscious and subconscious brain reactions to determine the effectiveness of static or video advertisements, including guidance on colors, syntax, and message semantics.
• Barreira de Vendas (Sales Barrier) Evaluation of objective and subjective items that impact consumer purchase decisions, enabling rapid tactical action to reverse critical scenarios.
• Neural Technologies Lab Advanced experimental facility with state-of-the-art equipment and a team of high-level scientists, conducting brain analyses of films, images, speeches, and brands, plus non-verbal speech analysis using AI, large data graphs, facial micro-expressions, and research meta-analyses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of Brazilian households using weight-loss injections reported reduced consumption of sweets, snacks, sugary drinks, and ultra-processed foods
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PwC BrasilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership for 'Mercado da Maioria' study on how the low-income population is transforming the retail and consumption sector in Brazil.
• P&G (Always brand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for research on the relationship of Brazilian women with the menstrual period. Conducted in 2022.
• UbercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Uber and Instituto Patrícia Galvão for research on women's autonomy.
• Instituto Patrícia GalvãocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Multiple partnerships including research on violence and harassment perceptions, domestic violence during pandemic, perceptions about rape and legal abortion, and women's mobility autonomy.
• Laudes FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for research on perceptions of violence and harassment.
• CUFA (Central Única das Favelas)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for Data Favela Forum, a webinar series on education, culture, periphery, and racism topics. Multiple editions conducted.
• UNESCO BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-organizer of Data Favela Forum webinars with Locomotiva and CUFA, addressing data and research on favelas and marginalized communities.
• FIESPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for 'A mesa dos brasileiros' study showing the relationship of Brazilians with food.
• Acesso Digital and Cia de TalentosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for research on the new normal of work in large Brazilian companies.
• OnetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for research on post-Covid behavior.
• Instituto RMEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Annual research partnership for IRME - Empreendedoras e seus Negócios study focusing on challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ipsos: Global market research and consumer insights firm with strong neuromarketing (Ipsos Neuro) and brand-effectiveness offerings; directly comparable in serving enterprise brand and public-sector clients with custom research.
• Toluna: Global digital consumer insights platform with panel-based research; comparable in offering custom B2B research with online panels and dashboards, similar to Locomotiva's AI-powered panels.
• Kantar: World leader in brand and consumer research (including Kantar Neuro and Link AI); competes head-on with Locomotiva in ad-effectiveness, brand tracking and consumer behavior studies.
• InSites Consulting: Global consumer insights agency known for community-based and behavioral research; comparable in providing custom insight communities and brand-strategy research to enterprise clients.
• MindMiners: Brazilian AI-driven consumer insights platform combining research communities, behavioral data and automation — closest direct competitor in Brazil for digital, AI-augmented consumer research.

Broad incumbents

• Qualtrics: Enterprise experience management and research platform with broad brand, customer and product experience offerings; competes in the same corporate-research budget pool with a tech-platform GTM model.
• Nielsen (NielsenIQ): Global consumer measurement and analytics powerhouse with extensive Brazil operations; broader portfolio but directly comparable on consumer-insights deliverables for CPG and retail clients.

Emerging players

• Neuro-Insight: Independent neuromarketing research firm using EEG and implicit response measurement; direct comparable on the neuroscience-led ad/branding methodology that Locomotiva's Neural Lab delivers.
• NeuroFlash: AI + neuromarketing content and brand-effectiveness platform; comparable in applying AI and neuroscience to predict campaign performance and brand perception, an emerging alternative to traditional insights firms.

Regional players

• Data Popular: Brazilian research institute specialized in popular classes, favelas and social/diversity research — the closest regional peer in Locomotiva's underserved diversity and mass-market segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/i_locomotiva
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/InstitutoLocomotiva
• Facebookfacebook.com/ilocomotiva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-locomotiva
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilocomotiva

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 Instituto Locomotiva