USUMA

What USUMA does

USUMA GmbH is an independent market and social research institute headquartered in Berlin-Weißensee, founded in 1990 and operating continuously for over 35 years. The company delivers full-service primary research projects to B2B clients across government, healthcare, academia, finance, media, and political sectors. Its service offering spans the entire research workflow: questionnaire development, representative sampling using the ADM Gabler-Häder method, data collection via telephone, written, online, and face-to-face modes, processing, and interpretation of results. USUMA contacts more than 200,000 people annually and holds ISO 20252 certification (DEKRA, August 2023) and ADM membership since 1996, including founding roles in the ADM Telephone Samples and ADM F2F Samples working groups.

The company's technology foundation is methodological rather than digital. Core capabilities rest on scientifically recognized sampling frameworks and an in-house telephone studio supplemented by a freelance interviewer network operating from home. Named client engagements include multi-year studies for the Robert Koch-Institut (GEDA 2024, West-Nil-Virus case-control study), the BMAS nationwide work-and-health survey, Pearson psychological test norming, Charité health studies within the European H2O program, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung political polling, and the annual Versichertenbarometer health insurance satisfaction survey with M+M Consulting. USUMA is privately held by founder Rainer Schwarz and Managing Director Dr. Jürgen Schunter, with no external investment, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity.

Revenue is generated entirely through project-based professional services contracts, with customer-facing pricing not publicly disclosed. The company employs approximately 18 staff covering research direction, studio management, project management, statistics, programming, field management, data protection, and administrative functions, supported by a freelance interviewer pool. USUMA operates primarily within Germany with multilingual capacity for select international projects, including current participation in the EU-funded ETUDE research program. No software platform, mobile app, API, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Name

USUMA

Legal name

USUMA GmbH

Website

https://usuma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berlin-based market and social research institute founded in 1990, conducting scientifically representative telephone, written, online, and face-to-face surveys for B2B clients across government, healthcare, academic, financial, and political sectors in Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market and Social Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real-World Data (RWD) / Real-World Evidence (RWE) & Observational Research Platforms (HLACAOAM)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Social research surveys
• Opinion polling
• Telephone survey fieldwork
• Representative population studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Research Projects: Full-service research contracts including questionnaire development, data collection, processing, and interpretation. Projects commissioned by government agencies, academic institutions, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and corporations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

USUMA is a full-service market and social research institute that conducts custom research projects for B2B clients. It delivers representative population surveys, telephone, written, online, and face-to-face interviews, covering the full workflow from questionnaire development through data collection, processing, and interpretation of results. The institute serves government agencies, academic institutions, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, corporations, and political organizations.

Product overview

USUMA is an independent market and social research institute headquartered in Berlin, founded in 1990, offering a comprehensive portfolio of qualitative and quantitative research services. The company operates as a full-service research provider rather than a software product platform, delivering services from questionnaire development through data collection, processing, and interpretation of results. Core offerings include market research, social research, and opinion research, supported by specialized research areas in financial market research (since 1994), health research, media research, politics and election research, industrial market research, consumer research, pharmaceutical research, and organization analyses. The portfolio includes named studies such as the Versichertenbarometer, RKI Health Studies, Pearson Psychological Testing, and the ETUDE European Research Program, alongside service modules for freelance interviewer positions and internship programs. All services are delivered through direct engagement with clients in economics, science, associations, authorities, media, and politics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Market Research Services
• Social Research Services
• Opinion Research Services
• Financial Market Research (Finanzforschung)
• Health Research
• Media Research
• Politics and Election Research
• Industrial Market Research
• Consumer Research
• Pharmaceutical Research
• Organization Analyses
• Survey Management and Data Processing

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ survey participants annually across various societal topic areas including media, economy, science, and politics

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• M+M Consulting GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing cooperation for annual Versichertenbarometer health insurance satisfaction surveys. M+M handles consulting while USUMA conducts the representative telephone surveys.
• infratest dimapminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSUMA conducts representative telephone surveys commissioned by infratest dimap, including youth studies in Saarland and Bayern Democracy Report.
• Universität LeipzigcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple cooperations including Gesund Altern (Healthy Aging) study on quality of life in older adults, and Berlin Senate representative survey.
• ETUDE (European Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded research program on functional disorders. USUMA provides practical research training, planning, supervision, and active support in data collection. Currently 2 junior researchers are on placement at USUMA Berlin.
• Konrad Adenauer StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts nationwide representative telephone surveys on political and societal topics for the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, including Migrationsmonitor studies.
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted health study 2025 on health-related everyday experiences as part of the European Health Outcomes Observatory (H2O) research project.
• Institut für Binnenfischerei e.V. (IfB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOderAngeln catch book study on fish mortality impacts in the Oder river, conducted for the Institute for Inland Fisheries.
• Thünen-Institut für OstseefischereiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific angling survey at the Baltic Sea to understand the role of angling in society and its economic significance in Germany.
• ISAP (Institut für Sozialmedizin, Arbeitsmedizin und Public Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with University of Leipzig's Institute for Social Medicine for nationwide survey on work and health commissioned by BMAS.
• ADM (Arbeitskreis Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforschungsinstitute e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association membership since 1996. USUMA is also founding member of ADM Telephone Samples and ADM F2F Samples working groups. Uses ADM sampling systems for scientifically representative studies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GfK (now part of NielsenIQ): One of Germany's largest historical market research institutions, now operating as part of NielsenIQ. Comparable as a full-service German-rooted consumer and social research provider serving corporate and public-sector buyers.
• Kantar: Global market research and insights giant with German operations (formerly TNS Infratest). Operates overlapping custom research, media research, and public opinion capabilities — directly comparable to USUMA's service portfolio at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Ipsos: Global market and social research firm with strong presence in Germany delivering custom B2B research, public opinion polling, and healthcare studies — directly comparable business model to USUMA's full-service custom research.
• Norstat Deutschland: Pan-European data collection and market research firm operating CATI and online panels across multiple European countries. Directly comparable to USUMA on multi-country fieldwork and custom B2B research delivery.
• infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft GmbH: German social research institute conducting representative population surveys, health reporting (DEGS), and public-sector research for federal ministries — a strong direct peer to USUMA on government and health research work.
• forsa Politik- und Sozialforschung GmbH: German market and social research institute headquartered in Berlin focused on political polling, media research, and consumer studies. Closely comparable niche, methodology mix, and customer base to USUMA.
• Demoskop GmbH: German market and opinion research institute based in Berlin conducting political polling, consumer research, and media studies. Comparable size, methodology mix, and customer profile to USUMA.

Emerging players

• YouGov Germany: Online panel-based consumer and public opinion research with German operations. Comparable to USUMA on opinion polling and consumer research but differentiated by panel/online methodology.
• Civey GmbH: Berlin-based digital-first market and opinion research platform using online panels. Represents the technology-led substitution that threatens traditional CATI-driven institutes like USUMA, while also being comparable on the political/health polling side.

Others

• infratest dimap: Berlin-based political polling and election research institute — both a customer (subcontracts telephone fieldwork to USUMA) and a thematic peer in German public opinion polling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usuma-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 USUMA