Science Says

What Science Says does

Science Says is a subscription-based marketing intelligence platform that curates peer-reviewed academic research from leading universities (Harvard, Wharton, MIT, Stanford, USC, Bocconi, INSEAD, Erasmus, NTU Singapore, Navarra, Ross) and translates it into actionable marketing and AI guidance. Founded by Thomas McKinlay, an ex-Googler, the company operates under the legal entity Science in Action, SL with Quebec court jurisdiction specified in terms of service; the platform was previously known as Ariyh before rebranding. It serves a global audience of B2B marketers, marketing agencies, enterprise brands, and growth-stage startups.

The product portfolio is built on a freemium content engine. A free weekly newsletter delivers a single 3-minute research-based insight to over 31,305 subscribers every Tuesday. A paid Platform membership at $199/year unlocks access to 300+ categorized insights spanning AI, Ads, Ecommerce, Pricing, Reviews, Referrals, Customer Experience, and more, plus case studies and exclusive playbook discounts. One-time topic-specific Playbooks (Ecommerce Optimization, SaaS, Pricing & Promotions, Brand Names, AI Best Practices, Ad Creatives, and Spa Visit Anticipation) are sold separately at dedicated storefronts. Enterprise Services offer custom research reports and science-based thought leadership content for brand authority-building, delivered via direct sales engagement.

The go-to-market combines product-led growth with a field-sales overlay. The newsletter is the primary acquisition funnel; the self-serve Platform converts free readers to paid members ($199/year individual, 20% team discount for 3+ members). Revenue streams include recurring subscriptions, newsletter sponsorship (booked ~2 months in advance), one-time playbook purchases, and custom enterprise research. The company is bootstrapped (1-10 employees, no funding rounds disclosed) and has established flagship partnerships with Wharton, Google, ServiceNow, HBR, Wolters Kluwer, Workato, and Zapier, most notably around the 2025 Wharton Blueprint for AI Agent Adoption.

Name

Science Says

Legal name

Science in Action, SL

Website

https://sciencesays.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Science Says is a marketing intelligence platform that translates peer-reviewed academic research into actionable marketing and AI insights for B2B marketers, agencies, and enterprise brands via a freemium newsletter, paid platform, and topic-specific playbooks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Research and Insights

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing (EDAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Marketing research insights
• Science-based marketing
• Marketing intelligence platform
• Peer-reviewed marketing research
• Evidence-based marketing

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Membership Subscription: Paid subscription giving access to all 300+ insights, case studies, and exclusive playbook discounts. Billed annually at $199/year with team discounts available.
2. Newsletter Sponsorship: Primary and secondary sponsorship placements in the weekly newsletter sent to 30,000+ subscribers. Booked out approximately 2 months in advance.
3. Playbook Sales: One-time purchases of topic-specific playbooks such as Ecommerce Optimization, Pricing & Promotions, AI Best Practices, Brand Names, and SaaS Optimization
4. Enterprise Custom Research: Custom research reports and thought leadership content tailored for enterprise brand authority building

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Science Says curates peer-reviewed academic research from leading universities and translates it into practical marketing and AI insights. Its core offerings are a free weekly newsletter, a paid Platform membership giving access to 300+ categorized insights and case studies, individual topic-specific Playbooks sold as one-time purchases, and Enterprise Services that deliver custom research reports and thought leadership content to brands.

Product overview

Science Says is a science-based marketing intelligence platform that translates peer-reviewed academic research into practical, actionable insights for business leaders and marketers. The product portfolio consists of a free Newsletter (delivering weekly 3-minute insights), a paid Platform membership (providing access to 300+ categorized insights, case studies, and playbooks), topic-specific Playbooks (individual guides covering Ecommerce, SaaS, Pricing & Promotions, Brand Names, AI Best Practices, Ad Creatives, and Spa experiences), and Enterprise Services (custom research reports and thought leadership content). The platform aggregates research from top universities including Harvard, Wharton, USC, Bocconi, and others, making scientific findings accessible and applicable to marketing decisions. Platform members receive exclusive discounts on all playbooks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Newsletter Free weekly email newsletter delivering one 3-minute science-based AI and marketing insight every Tuesday, derived from peer-reviewed academic research and trusted by 31,305+ evidence-based readers.
• Platform Membership Paid annual subscription ($199/year, with 20% team discount for 3+ members) granting full access to 300+ categorized insights, case studies, and exclusive Playbook discounts for professional marketers.
• Playbook Storefront Online storefront selling individual topic-specific Playbooks as one-time purchases, available at exclusive discounts to Platform members.
• The Science-based Playbook of Ecommerce Optimization Bestseller Playbook with 74 science-based recommendations for optimizing ecommerce stores, based on 1,200+ pages of academic research.
• The Science-based Playbook of AI Best Practices Playbook providing science-based recommendations for AI implementation in marketing applications.
• The Science-based Playbook of Ad Creatives Playbook of science-based recommendations for optimizing advertising creative assets.
• The Science-based Playbook of Brand Names Playbook of science-based best practices for effective product and brand naming.
• The Science-based Playbook of SaaS Optimization Playbook of science-based strategies for optimizing SaaS businesses.
• The Science-based Playbook of Pricing & Promotions Playbook of science-based pricing strategies and promotional tactics based on academic research.
• The Science-based Playbook for Creating Spa Visit Anticipation Custom Playbook created for the International Spa Association with 31 actionable science-based recommendations for improving customer satisfaction.
• Enterprise Services (Thought Leadership) Custom research reports and science-based thought leadership content designed to build authority for brands, including collaboration with top business schools such as Harvard, Wharton, and INSEAD.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by 31,305+ evidence-based readers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle is mentioned as both a customer (Chief Strategist Neil Hoyne provides testimonial) and a partner in the Wharton Blueprint for AI Agent Adoption collaboration.
• Wharton (University of Pennsylvania)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'The Wharton Blueprint for AI Agent Adoption' - tackling psychological blockers of AI Agent adoption with Wharton researchers and industry leaders.
• WorkatocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI industry leader partner in the Wharton Blueprint for AI Agent Adoption initiative.
• ZapiercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI industry leader partner in the Wharton Blueprint for AI Agent Adoption initiative.
• Wolters KluwercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI industry leader partner in the Wharton Blueprint for AI Agent Adoption initiative.
• ServiceNowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing thought leadership series on AI implications in organizations; each article draws on latest research and academic recommendations.
• International Spa AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated a science-based playbook for the International Spa Association on improving customer satisfaction with 31 actionable recommendations.
• Harvard Business ReviewflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPublished article 'Fixing Chatbots Requires Psychology, Not Technology' in Harvard Business Review.
• Knowledge at WhartonflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Wharton Blueprint for AI chatbots and other content partnerships.
• Entrepreneur MagazineflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPublished article on science-backed advertising in Entrepreneur Magazine.
• The Wall Street JournalflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Wall Street Journal article on AI company corporate use survey.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CXL: CXL is a conversion optimization and experimentation training platform that sells research-backed marketing education to professionals via paid memberships and courses. It is directly comparable to Science Says in serving evidence-seeking B2B marketers through subscription content.
• Reforge: Reforge provides curated, expert-led growth and marketing education to product and marketing professionals through paid programs. It overlaps with Science Says in translating best-practice research into structured learning for marketers.
• Animalz: Animalz is a content marketing agency that produces research-driven long-form content for B2B SaaS brands. Its philosophy of grounding content in original research and data parallels Science Says' evidence-based marketing positioning.
• MarketingProfs: MarketingProfs offers marketing training, certifications, and events to working marketers. It competes for the same B2B marketer audience seeking professional development, though with broader coverage and less academic-research focus.
• Demand Curve: Demand Curve publishes growth marketing playbooks, courses, and teardowns aimed at startup marketers and founders. It is comparable to Science Says' playbook-led approach to distilling marketing tactics into actionable guides.

Emerging players

• SparkToro: SparkToro is an audience research tool for marketers founded by Rand Fishkin, combining software with thought-leadership content. It is comparable to Science Says as a research-and-insights business targeting evidence-oriented marketers, though SparkToro's product is a software tool rather than a content subscription.
• Section: Section is a business education platform offering cohort-based courses in marketing, AI, and analytics to working professionals. It overlaps with Science Says in serving marketers seeking structured, research-informed upskilling.

Broad incumbents

• The Hustle: The Hustle is a large business and tech newsletter with sponsorship-driven monetization reaching a comparable B2B operator audience. It is comparable in distribution model and audience overlap, though broader in editorial scope than Science Says.
• Ahrefs: Ahrefs is an established marketing intelligence platform (SEO and content research) with a large educational content engine (Ahrefs Blog, Academy). It serves an overlapping marketer audience with research-driven education, though its core product is software rather than content subscriptions.
• HubSpot Academy: HubSpot Academy is a free marketing education and certification platform run by HubSpot. It targets the same B2B marketer persona and includes evidence-based content, but operates as a lead-generation vehicle for HubSpot's broader software suite rather than as a standalone subscription business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ScienceSaysHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/sciencesayshq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sciencesays

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Science Says