Aletheia Research Institution

What Aletheia Research Institution does

Aletheia Research Institution is a private, nonpartisan social science research organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with 11–50 employees and a distributed research network spanning the United States, Germany, Greece, China, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Europe. It operates as a hybrid research-and-analytics provider, delivering bespoke policy research, behavioral studies, econometric modeling, custom analytics, database development, and expert testimony to government agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and private-sector clients.

The organization's core technology asset is the BLOCS (Bilateral Longitudinal Observations and Country Statistics) database—a publicly available bilateral panel dataset aggregating 584 variables across 218 countries from 1948 to 2022, integrating trade, investment, tariff, trade-agreement, institutional, economic, and financial data sourced from IMF, UNCTAD, World Bank, CEPII, DESTA, and other authoritative providers. Supporting offerings include the GAPS Lab (gap analysis across education and labor markets), MINDS Lab (mindfulness and student performance research), FORESIGHT, AUDIT, and RESEED Labs, the LCHE Data & Action Platform (a stakeholder-collaboration tool developed for the Louisiana Center for Health Equity), an Academy resource hub, an AI Readiness Quiz, and an AI Adoption Research Series. Internal capabilities combine econometric modeling, factor analysis, cluster analysis, forecasting, AI big-data techniques, and NLP-based publication retrieval.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services solicited via an inquiry-driven website contact form, with no public pricing. The BLOCS database itself is distributed free of charge as a public-good asset that drives downstream consulting demand, academic citations, and conference invitations, while partnerships with institutions such as the Brookings Institution, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, MERICS, and the Institute for International Political Economy Berlin reinforce its research credibility and distribution footprint. The organization is governed by a board of directors and led by Managing Director Michael Wright, Program Director Dr. Clark Banach, and a roster of directors, advisors, and more than 25 named Lab Fellows.

Name

Aletheia Research Institution

Legal name

Aletheia Research Institution

Website

https://aletheia-research.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aletheia Research Institution is a Palo Alto-based nonpartisan research organization delivering custom policy, behavioral, and economic analytics to government, nonprofit, academic, and private-sector clients, anchored by its free BLOCS bilateral trade and investment database.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research & Analytics Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Social science research
• Policy analysis services
• Behavioral research analytics
• Education policy research
• Healthcare policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Research and Analytics Services: Aletheia generates revenue by providing bespoke research, statistical analysis, data visualization, custom reporting, and expert testimony to government agencies, nonprofits, academic institutions, and private sector clients. Services are project-based and solicited through an inquiry-driven contact process on the organization's website. Engagements include policy impact evaluations, market research, behavioral studies, and database development.
2. Database Licensing and Distribution: The BLOCS database is made available as a free public download (v3.2, December 2025, 1505 downloads recorded). While the database itself is free, its development and maintenance represent a core institutional asset that attracts research partnerships, consulting engagements, and collaborative projects.
3. Educational Partnerships and Workshops: The Academy section of the organization provides educational resources, tool compilations, and course recommendations. The organization also offers workshops and educational collaborations solicited through its contact form, suggesting a revenue stream from training and educational service delivery.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aletheia Research Institution delivers nonpartisan social science research, policy analysis, and behavioral research services focused on education, healthcare, and economic policy. It offers proprietary databases (BLOCS), data platforms (LCHE Data & Action Platform), and tailored analytical services — including custom research, data and AI readiness assessments, and expert testimony — to government agencies, academic institutions, non-profits, and private sector clients.

Product overview

Aletheia Research Institution operates as a research organization offering a portfolio of research databases, analytical labs, and consulting services. The core offerings include: BLOCS (Bilateral Longitudinal Observations and Country Statistics) - a free public database for bilateral trade and investment analysis; GAPS Lab - researching social and gender gaps in education and labor; MINDS Lab - studying mindfulness and student performance; and the LCHE Data & Action Platform - a health equity platform. Supporting services include custom analytics, behavioral and policy research, AI readiness assessments, expert testimony, and the Academy resource hub providing educational tools and data sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BLOCS: Bilateral Longitudinal Observations and Country Statistics - a global panel dataset for analyzing trade agreements and international flows, covering bilateral trade data from 1948-2022 and investment data from 2001-2022
• GAPS
• MINDS

Products and services

• BLOCS Database

Quantifiable outcome

• BLOCS v3.2 has been downloaded 1505 times as of December 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

AI capability14 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAletheia partnered with LCHE to design and develop the LHE Data & Action Platform—a tool intended to improve public health outcomes across Louisiana. The collaboration included a statewide stakeholder analysis, data audit, literature review, and development of a health equity framework for institutional change. The platform features an 'Action Bank' dashboard engineered by Aletheia's Technology Director and underwent beta testing during a pilot phase (2023–2025). The partnership is ongoing, with the platform empowering stakeholders to consolidate health data and drive actionable solutions.
• EQSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEQS collaborated with Aletheia Research Institution and the Louisiana Center for Health Equity on the design and development of the LHE Data & Action Platform. EQS contributed to the initiative as a co-development partner alongside Aletheia.
• MERICS (Mercator Institute for China Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMERICS Lead Analyst Jacob Gunther collaborated with Aletheia's Director Clark Banach on multiple research outputs including the MERICS China Global Competition Tracker and analysis of China's Belt and Road Initiative, its evolving maritime strategy, and global port influence. The collaboration produced reports, interactive maps, podcasts, and conference presentations. Research was published under the MERICS China Global Competition Tracker series.
• Brookings InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Sofoklis Goulas, Director of Public Policy Programs at Aletheia, is a Fellow at the Brookings Institution. His research on enrollment declines in public schools and the value of remote work was first released as part of the IZA Institute of Labor Economics Discussion Paper Series. The Brookings affiliation provides credibility and intellectual exchange for Aletheia's public policy research.
• IZA Institute of Labor EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAletheia researchers (notably Dr. Sofoklis Goulas) publish working papers through the IZA Institute of Labor Economics Discussion Paper Series. Working papers on enrollment declines in public schools and the value of remote work were first released through IZA before being published by Aletheia.
• Institute for International Political Economy, BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Aletheia-affiliated researchers (Pédussel Wu, Banach, Goulas, Silva Neira) co-authored working papers published through the Institute for International Political Economy Berlin (Working Paper No. 239/2024 on BLOCS and Working Paper No. 252/2025 on FDI and local innovation). This institutional partnership is central to Aletheia's BLOCS database development and international trade research.
• Institute of International Relations (ΙΔΙΣ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAletheia presented research on China's economic spheres of influence in Greece at the Athens Security Forum, hosted by the Institute of International Relations (ΙΔΙΣ). This forum provided a platform for dissemination of Aletheia's policy research to an international audience of policymakers and analysts.
• Associated Builders and Contractors New Jersey Chapter (ABC-NJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAletheia partnered with ABC-NJ to conduct a demographic composition study of member companies. Aletheia designed the survey application and data collection instruments, distributed through ABC-NJ, combining member data with publicly available demographic data to analyze workforce diversity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Data Providers (IMF, UNCTAD, World Bank, CEPII, DESTA, etc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe BLOCS database is built from data sourced from authoritative international organizations including the IMF (Direction of Trade Statistics, International Financial Statistics, Balance of Payments, CDIS), UNCTAD (FDI/TNC database), World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CEPII (BACI, Gravity), DESTA (Design of Trade Agreements), UNESCO, and academic datasets from Andrew Rose, Mario Larch, and Jeffrey Bergstrand. These partnerships are foundational to the BLOCS database.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RTI International: Independent research institute delivering social, statistical, and survey research plus custom analytics for government and commercial clients. Directly comparable scale, client mix, and deliverable types.
• Westat: Employee-owned research firm delivering statistical research, survey design, and program evaluation for federal agencies. Direct competitor for the same government-side custom research and analytics engagements Aletheia targets.
• MERICS (Mercator Institute for China Studies): Berlin-based think tank studying China's economic and foreign policy impact. Aletheia collaborates with MERICS analysts on BRI research, and the analytical focus on Chinese trade/investment economics is highly comparable.
• Urban Institute: Nonpartisan policy research organization producing nonpartisan evidence on economic, health, and education policy. Comparable focus areas (education, health equity, economic policy) and similar custom-research delivery model.
• Mathematica Policy Research: Policy research and data analytics firm delivering program evaluations, behavioral research, and custom analytics for government and nonprofit clients. Closely comparable business model and service mix to Aletheia's.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research organization conducting survey, behavioral, and policy research for government, foundations, and corporations. Strong methodological and delivery overlap with Aletheia's research labs.
• IZA Institute of Labor Economics: Research network and working-paper series for labor economics and policy. Aletheia already publishes through IZA and its key researchers (Goulas) sit at the intersection, making IZA a direct methodological and distribution peer.

Broad incumbents

• Cato Institute: Public-policy research organization producing analysis on economic, education, and social-policy issues. Broader ideological focus than Aletheia but operates in the same nonpartisan-style policy research segment with similar distribution channels (working papers, media).
• Brookings Institution: Large, established policy think tank with broad coverage of economic, education, and health policy. Aletheia's directors hold Brookings affiliations, and Brookings serves as the broader-incumbent reference point in the same research category.
• RAND Corporation: Large, diversified policy research organization spanning defense, education, health, and international economics. Substantially broader portfolio but operates in the same nonpartisan, evidence-based research segment for government clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aletheia-research-institution

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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