What Dalberg Research does

Dalberg Research is a full-service primary research agency and division of The Dalberg Group, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya (legal entity: Braham Global Consultants LTD.), with 21 years of operational experience focused on African markets spanning more than 20 countries. The firm delivers qualitative and quantitative research, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and bespoke data collection for businesses, NGOs, governments, and multilateral institutions.

Its core technology stack includes LOCAN, a proprietary geo-spatial database aggregating 30M+ data points from 150+ sources; D-PANEL, an SMS-based mobile data collection platform; and CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) tooling for in-field surveys. These platforms underpin the firm's primary research methodology and represent its principal technical differentiator relative to generalist research agencies operating in Africa.

The business model is project-based consulting, with engagements commissioned by philanthropic foundations (Gates Foundation, Rockefeller), corporate clients (Merck, Visa, AB InBev, LEGO), bilateral/multilateral donors (USAID), and United Nations agencies (UN Women, UNICEF). The firm reports 4,000+ cumulative engagements and a multidisciplinary team spanning 60+ nationalities and 90+ languages. Recent strategic activity indicates geographic expansion beyond Africa, notably a 2025 partnership with Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Ashoka Changemakers to conduct ageing population research in India.

Name

Dalberg Research

Legal name

Braham Global Consultants LTD.

Website

https://dalbergresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Dalberg Research is a Nairobi-based primary research agency and division of The Dalberg Group, conducting qualitative, quantitative, and M&E research across 20+ African countries for foundations, corporates, governments, and UN agencies via proprietary platforms LOCAN and D-PANEL.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Strategy & Thematic Research (FSACAGAG), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Primary data collection
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Geo-spatial analytics
• Consumer insights Africa

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Advisory Services: Project-based professional services providing research, analysis, and consulting to businesses, NGOs, governments, and institutions. Services include quantitative surveys (sample sizes from 50 to 25,000 respondents), qualitative research, monitoring and evaluation, and secondary data analysis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dalberg Research is a full-service primary research agency delivering quantitative and qualitative studies across more than 20 African countries for businesses, NGOs, governments, and multilateral institutions. Its core deliverables include LOCAN (East Africa's most comprehensive geo-spatial database with 30+ million data points from 150+ sources), the D-PANEL SMS data collection platform, and end-to-end research services spanning monitoring & evaluation, qualitative research, quantitative surveys, and secondary data analysis.

Product overview

Dalberg Research is a full-service research agency offering a portfolio of research products and services focused on markets, consumers and lifestyles across more than 20 African countries. The core offerings include LOCAN (a geo-spatial research database), D-PANEL (SMS data collection platform), and specialized research services including Monitoring & Evaluation, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Surveys, and Secondary Data Sourcing and Analysis. The company has 21 years of experience in primary research with proprietary quality control systems, field forces and devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• D-PANEL: SMS data collection platform offered by Dalberg Research for survey and research data collection purposes.
• LOCAN

Products and services

• LOCAN East Africa's most comprehensive geo-spatial database containing millions of data points from over 100 sources, used by Dalberg Research for location analytics including focused retail/B2C expansion, distribution planning, sales performance benchmarking, target market selection, regional market analysis, localized segmentation, and identification of underserved areas, intervention and control groups. Sold and delivered as part of Dalberg Research's research engagements to businesses, NGOs, governments, and multilateral institutions.
• D-PANEL SMS data collection platform enabling rapid survey deployment and primary data gathering through mobile channels, used by Dalberg Research as part of its research delivery toolkit across African markets.
• Monitoring & Evaluation End-to-end Monitoring & Evaluation services including design of evaluations, questionnaire development, complex data collection implementation, analysis and reporting — with baseline, midline, and endline surveys covering agriculture, financial inclusion, education, health, WASH, gender, value chain interventions, and more. Targeted at NGOs, foundations, and multilateral institutions requiring rigorous program evaluation.
• Qualitative Research Qualitative research services including focus group discussions, key-informant interviews, observations/ethnographies, and basic human-centered design research, executed in over 20 languages across major cities, rural, and remote areas of African markets. Targeted at clients needing deep consumer, behavioral, or community-level insights.
• Quantitative Surveys Complex quantitative survey implementation with sample sizes ranging from 50 to 25,000 respondents, primarily using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) supported by Dalberg's own scripting team, field forces and devices, and proprietary quality control and reporting system. Phone, IVR, SMS, and online survey channels are used where appropriate. Targeted at clients needing statistically robust market, consumer, or program measurement across African markets.
• Secondary Data Sourcing and Analysis Combination and cross-analysis of data from multiple sources by dedicated data hunters, with an inventory of hundreds of online and offline sources continuously expanded. Used to generate insights for clients when existing secondary data can address research questions, complementing Dalberg Research's primary research offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sample sizes from 50 to 25,000 respondents for complex quantitative surveys
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rohini Nilekani PhilanthropiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Joint initiative for landscape study on Ageing and Longevity in India, combining philanthropy research with Dalberg's analytical capabilities
• Ashoka ChangemakerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Trilateral partnership for ageing and longevity research initiative in India, leveraging Ashoka's changemaker network and Dalberg's research expertise

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ipsos: Global market research firm with established Africa operations and custom research capabilities for enterprises, NGOs, and governments — directly overlapping with Dalberg Research's full-service primary research offering across African markets.
• Fraym: Geo-spatial data and consumer insights firm focused on sub-Saharan Africa, building proprietary location-based datasets. Closely comparable to Dalberg Research's LOCAN offering and its location analytics use cases.
• Palladium: International development consultancy with deep M&E, baseline, and impact evaluation practice, serving many of the same NGOs, donors, and bilateral agencies as Dalberg Research. Directly competes on monitoring & evaluation engagements.
• RTI International: Global nonprofit research institute providing survey research, M&E, and social science research for governments, multilaterals, and foundations. Comparable in delivering complex quantitative surveys and policy research across developing markets.
• GeoPoll: Mobile-based market research platform operating across Africa and other emerging markets, using SMS and mobile channels similar to Dalberg Research's D-PANEL. Directly competes for the same low-cost, rapid-turnaround survey work in African markets.
• Abt Associates: Global research, consulting, and evaluation firm with substantial development and M&E work for USAID, foundations, and multilaterals. Comparable on policy research, baseline/endline surveys, and impact evaluation in emerging markets.
• Premise Data: Crowdsourced data collection platform operating in emerging markets including Africa, using mobile-based contributors for rapid in-country data gathering. Comparable to D-PANEL and Dalberg Research's quantitative fieldwork in Africa.
• Afrobarometer: Pan-African research network conducting large-scale public attitude surveys across more than 30 African countries. Directly comparable on multi-country survey research methodology and African geographic reach, though focused on public opinion rather than commercial clients.

Broad incumbents

• NielsenIQ: Global consumer intelligence firm with growing Africa footprint, offering consumer panel and retail measurement services that overlap with Dalberg Research's market and consumer studies.
• Kantar: Global market research and consumer insights leader with Africa coverage as part of a much wider portfolio. Competes with Dalberg Research on multinational brand-tracking and consumer studies in African markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dalberg

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&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dalberg Research