Wave Research
Wave Research is a Romanian B2B market research consultancy in Bucharest offering custom qualitative, quantitative, UX, online community, and AI-moderated research, plus pre-made reports, for enterprises, SMEs, and startups operating in Romania.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBucharest, Romania
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wave Research does
Wave Research is a private B2B market research consultancy headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, operating under the legacy name WaveTreeZero. The firm delivers custom research across online research communities, classical qualitative and quantitative methods, UX research, interactive workshops, and business consultancy, supplemented by a small catalog of fixed-price pre-made reports (Sustainability, GenZ, Employer Branding) sold as 250-300 EUR PDF deliverables. Its underlying technology stack combines the Recollective online community platform (via an exclusive partnership) with an internally developed AI moderator called Yasna for text-based AI-powered interviews, alongside traditional WhatsApp-based online IDIs.
The customer base is anchored on Romania-based enterprises spanning banking (BRD/Société Générale Group, ING Bank), telecommunications (Telekom Mobile Romania, Orange), retail (Carrefour, Lidl), energy (E.ON, ENGIE), tobacco (Philip Morris International), technology (Bitdefender), and consumer goods (Ursus), with explicit targeting of SMEs and startups for concept testing and customer discovery work. Wave also operates as an exclusive co-development partner with Exact Business, jointly delivering solutions such as the Double Diamond design-thinking framework. The firm claims 12+ years of cross-industry knowledge, is ESOMAR-member compliant, GDPR-aligned, and counts an 8-person team led by Managing Director Monica Marinescu and Executive Director Andreea Nedelcu. Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based custom engagements, with a secondary unit-priced report sales channel and ancillary workshop/consultancy revenue.
Wave Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wave Research
- Legal name
- Wave Research
- Website
- https://waveresearch.ro
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Wave Research is a Romanian B2B market research consultancy in Bucharest offering custom qualitative, quantitative, UX, online community, and AI-moderated research, plus pre-made reports, for enterprises, SMEs, and startups operating in Romania.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wave Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Market Research Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA), Social & Digital Insights (Social Listening, Online Community Research) (MPAAALAK), Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI)
Keywords
Where Wave Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bucharest
- HQ country
- Romania
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wave Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Custom Research Services: Tailor-made research services for businesses including online research communities, qualitative and quantitative studies, UX research, workshops, and consultancy. Priced based on project scope and requirements.
- Pre-made Research Reports: Off-the-shelf internal reports covering industries and topics. Available for purchase at fixed prices (250-300 EUR + VAT).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sustainability Report |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | GenZ Generation Sensible Report |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Employer Branding Gen Z vs Millennials Report |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Wave Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wave Research is a Romanian B2B market research consultancy that designs and runs custom research engagements for businesses, including online research communities, classical qualitative and quantitative studies, UX research, interactive workshops, and strategic consultancy. The company also produces and sells pre-made industry research reports (e.g., Sustainability, Gen Z behavior, employer branding) at fixed unit prices.
Product overview
Wave Research is a Romanian market research company offering a portfolio of research services centered on custom market research solutions and off-the-shelf research reports. The core service offerings include Online Research Communities (customizable branded, category-related, target-related, and employee communities), Classical Qual & Quant Reinvented, UX Research, Workshops, and Consultancy. The company also sells three pre-built research reports: Sustainability – from theory to practice, GenZ - generation sensible, and Trends in employer branding - Gen Z vs Millenials. Services are tailored for large businesses, SMEs, and startups, with a reported 12+ years of industry experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Research Communities
- Classical Qual & Quant Reinvented
- UX Research
- Workshops
- Consultancy
- Custom Research Solutions
- Sustainability – from theory to practice
- GenZ - generation sensible
- Trends in employer branding - Gen Z vs Millenials
Companies that use Wave Research
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wave Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Wave Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RecollectivecoreExclusive partnership for online research community platform technology. Recollective provides the platform infrastructure for running online research communities, which Wave uses as a core methodology for engaging with consumers in real-time.
- Exact BusinesscoreExclusive partnership for joint research and consultancy services. Wave and Exact have co-developed solutions including the Double Diamond approach combining Design Thinking workshops with ongoing consumer listening and validation. Multiple joint studies conducted together.
- ESOMARminorWave Research and employees are members of ESOMAR, the worldwide organization for market research improvement. ESOMAR sets professional standards and codes of ethics that Wave adheres to.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Wave Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- UserTesting: UserTesting is a global UX research platform enabling rapid usability and customer experience studies. Comparable as an emerging tech-enabled player overlapping with Wave's UX Research offering, particularly relevant given Wave's gamified UX methodology.
- Discuss.io: Discuss.io is a tech-enabled qualitative research platform specializing in online IDIs, focus groups, and research communities. Comparable as an emerging player in the online research community space — the same category where Wave claims pioneer status in Romania and partners with Recollective.
Regional players
- Cult Market Research: Cult Market Research is a Romanian-based qualitative and UX research boutique. Comparable as a regional peer with similar niche focus on qualitative insights and design-led research, competing for SME and startup client budgets in Romania.
Direct peers
- Mercury Research Romania: Mercury Research is one of the leading local market research agencies in Romania, offering quantitative and qualitative consumer research, brand tracking, and ad hoc studies. Closely comparable to Wave as a domestic Romanian competitor pursuing the same client segments with similar methodologies.
- ISRA Center Marketing Research: ISRA Center is an established Romanian market research agency offering consumer research, brand studies, and ad hoc qualitative and quantitative projects. Direct competitor for the same Romanian enterprise clients Wave serves, including FMCG, retail, and telco accounts.
- Reveal Marketing Research: Reveal Marketing Research is a Romanian boutique agency specializing in qualitative and quantitative research, UX studies, and consumer insights. Directly comparable as a regional peer targeting similar B2B clients with overlapping methodologies (qual, UX, communities).
Broad incumbents
- NielsenIQ: NielsenIQ provides consumer research, retail measurement, and qualitative insights globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for FMCG/retail clients (e.g., Carrefour, Lidl, Ursus) that also appear in Wave's customer list.
- GfK (now part of NIQ): GfK is a global market research firm specializing in consumer, retail, and technology insights across CEE. Comparable as a broad incumbent with prior presence in Romania and overlapping FMCG/tech client base with Wave.
- Kantar: Kantar is a global market research and insights firm with deep expertise in brand, advertising, and consumer research, including online communities via its Worldpanel and Qual offerings. Directly comparable as a broad incumbent whose qualitative, brand, and consumer research work overlaps with Wave's portfolio.
- Ipsos: Ipsos is a global market research leader offering qualitative and quantitative research, customer experience, and online communities across 90+ markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for the same enterprise custom-research and online community budgets that Wave serves at a regional level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wave Research social profiles
Digital presenceWave Research compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Wave Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wave Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wave Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wave Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wave Research
What does Wave Research do?
Wave Research is a Romanian B2B market research consultancy that designs and runs custom research engagements for businesses, including online research communities, classical qualitative and quantitative studies, UX research, interactive workshops, and strategic consultancy. The company also produces and sells pre-made industry research reports (e.g., Sustainability, Gen Z behavior, employer branding) at fixed unit prices.
Is Wave Research a public or private company?
Wave Research is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wave Research founded?
Wave Research was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Wave Research based?
Wave Research is headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, in the Europe region.
How does Wave Research make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Custom Research Services are the primary driver. The others are pre-made Research Reports.
Who are Wave Research's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are UserTesting and Discuss.io. Cult Market Research is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Mercury Research Romania, ISRA Center Marketing Research and Reveal Marketing Research. Broad incumbents are NielsenIQ, GfK (now part of NIQ), Kantar and Ipsos.
Does Wave Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wave Research.
What industry is Wave Research in?
Wave Research's product category is Market Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHALAE, Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom), with a secondary code of MPAAALAA, B2B / Industrial Market Research. Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 7310.