Ahzul

What Ahzul does

Ahzul is a Chicago-headquartered, full-service market research consultancy founded in 2008 by Miguel and Johana Mantilla Gomez. The firm operates four integrated studios — Qual Studio, Quant Studio, Strategy Studio, and Design Studio — supported by an Operations Studio, and delivers ad-hoc, project-based research engagements to enterprise brand clients. Its core differentiators are proprietary methodologies such as Inspiration Spring-boarding™ and Qualistics™, a Cultural Fluidity Framework, and a storytelling- and information-design-driven delivery model rather than a technology platform.

The company is certified 100% minority-owned and 50% female-owned, and originally focused on Hispanic/multicultural audiences before repositioning to a Total Market approach that serves both general population and multicultural consumer segments. Services span ethnographies, focus groups, segmentations, brand equity tracking, concept and ad testing, market opportunity assessments, and new product innovation, with revenue generated through tailored professional-services engagements sold directly to brand clients. There is no disclosed pricing model, and no public revenue, funding, or client-logo data; the firm has grown from a two-person founding team to 30+ professionals with a globally distributed client base.

The business is entirely bootstrapped with no institutional investors, parent company, or acquisitions disclosed, and no app, API, or software product. Distribution is direct-to-brand with a consultative sales motion supported by thought-leadership content (POVs) distributed through LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X, and the company website. Following co-founder Miguel's death in early 2024, Johana Mantilla Gomez continues to lead the firm as Principal.

Name

Ahzul

Legal name

Ahzul

Website

https://ahzul.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ahzul is a Chicago-based, minority- and female-owned market research consultancy providing tailored qualitative, quantitative, strategy, and design research services to enterprise brand clients seeking cultural relevance across general and multicultural audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Competitive & Market Intelligence (Competitive Tracking, TAM/SAM/SOM) (MPAAALAL), Market Research, Analytics & Consumer Insights (BPAFAAAM)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Qualitative research
• Quantitative research
• Consumer insights
• Brand strategy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Consulting Services: Project-based professional services including qualitative research (ethnographies, focus groups, shop-alongs, etc.), quantitative research (U&A, segmentation, tracking, ad testing), brand development, cultural explorations, foundational research, communications development and testing, new product innovation, and market opportunity assessments. Services are tailored ad-hoc to each client's unique needs rather than standardized packages.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ahzul is a full-service market research consultancy that provides tailored, ad-hoc qualitative and quantitative research projects for brands. Service offerings span segmentation, brand development, cultural explorations, foundational research, communications development and testing, new product innovation, and market opportunity assessments, delivered through four integrated studios (Qual, Quant, Strategy, Design) and differentiated by proprietary Inspiration Spring-boarding™ and Qualistics™ methodologies. The firm specializes in helping brands achieve cultural relevance and connect authentically with general-market and multicultural consumer audiences.

Product overview

Ahzul is a full-service market research consultancy operating across four integrated studios: Qual Studio, Quant Studio, Strategy Studio, and Design Studio, supported by an Operations Studio. The firm specializes in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including its proprietary Qualistics™ approach and Inspiration Spring-boarding™ framework. Services span segmentation, brand development, cultural explorations, foundational research, communications development & testing, new product innovation, market opportunity assessments, and usage & attitude studies. Ahzul also offers a Total Market approach for U.S. brands seeking cross-cultural inspiration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qual Studio Qualitative research services including ethnographies, focus groups, one-on-ones, car clinics, expert interviews, and online communities for in-depth consumer understanding.
• Quant Studio Quantitative research services including U&A studies, market sizing, segmentations, brand equity tracking, concept testing, ad testing, and TURF analysis.
• Strategy Studio Strategic marketing and research consulting services including internal ideation sessions and stakeholder workshops to translate insights into go-to-market strategies.
• Design Studio Information design, storytelling frameworks, and visual communication services that help distill insights for maximum impact, including motion graphics and creative direction.
• Segmentation Research Segmentation research projects that identify and profile distinct consumer segments for brand and marketing strategy.
• Brand Development Brand development research to inform brand positioning, identity, and architecture.
• Cultural Explorations Cultural exploration research to surface insights about consumer culture, identity, and cross-cultural dynamics.
• Foundational Research Foundational consumer research providing baseline understanding of categories, consumers, and motivations.
• Communications Development & Testing Communications development and ad/concept testing research to evaluate and refine marketing messages and creative.
• New Product Innovation New product innovation research to support concept development, refinement, and innovation pipelines.
• Market Opportunity Assessments Market opportunity assessment research to size and evaluate new market or category entry opportunities.
• Usage & Attitude Studies

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Ipsos is a global market research and consulting firm offering quantitative, qualitative, and social research across industries. Comparable as a full-service research competitor serving brand clients, with significantly broader geographic and methodological scale than Ahzul.
• Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's largest market research and insights firms, offering qualitative and quantitative research, brand tracking, and consumer intelligence across global markets. Comparable as a full-service research provider to enterprise brand clients, though at vastly greater scale and breadth than Ahzul.
• Nielsen: Nielsen is a global measurement and data analytics firm with consumer insights, audience measurement, and multicultural consumer research practices. Comparable as a competitor for brand-side consumer insights mandates, operating at much larger scale than Ahzul.
• Mintel: Mintel is a global market intelligence firm publishing syndicated and custom consumer research, including multicultural and cross-cultural consumer trends. Comparable to Ahzul in producing consumer insights for brand marketers, though primarily through syndicated products rather than bespoke cultural exploration.

Direct peers

• Material (formerly The Material Group): Material is a cultural insights and strategy firm built around connecting brands with diverse consumers through research, strategy, and creative services. Highly comparable to Ahzul in integrating research, cultural expertise, and strategy/design to help brands act on multicultural insights.
• ThinkNow: ThinkNow is a multicultural market research agency serving brands targeting Hispanic, Asian, Black, LGBTQ+, and general-market consumers. Closely comparable to Ahzul in mission, methodology mix, and Total Market positioning for brands seeking cultural relevance.
• Savanta: Savanta is a market research consultancy combining quantitative, qualitative, and audience research with a focus on brand and communications research. Comparable to Ahzul for its full-service custom research positioning and emphasis on storytelling/insight activation alongside data.
• Horowitz Research: Horowitz Research is a full-service market research firm specializing in multicultural, multilingual, and generational consumer insights. Comparable to Ahzul for its dedicated focus on cross-cultural audiences, qualitative/quantitative methodologies, and tailored client engagements with brand marketers.
• Collage Group: Collage Group is a cultural consumer insights firm producing research on Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, and other diverse U.S. consumer segments. Closely comparable to Ahzul in cultural/multi-cultural research focus, Total Market approach, and brand-side advisory delivery model.

Emerging players

• Culture ONE World: Culture ONE World is a multicultural research and strategy firm supporting brands targeting U.S. Hispanic and other diverse consumer segments. Comparable to Ahzul in cultural/multi-cultural research emphasis and bespoke client engagements, though typically at smaller scale.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ahzul_insights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ahzulfirm
• Instagraminstagram.com/ahzulinsights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 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 Ahzul