What Act Fast & Smart Research does

Act Fast & Smart Research (AFS-Research LLC) is a Tashkent-headquartered B2B market research firm operating in Uzbekistan since 2008 with a team of approximately 15–17 employees. The company delivers qualitative research (focus groups, in-depth interviews, product tests, home visits, mystery shopping, UX/UI research), quantitative research (CATI telephone polls, CAPI personal interviews, CAWI online surveys), combined research methods (retail audit, retail census, hall tests), and desk research. Core service infrastructure consists of CATI/CAPI/CAWI methodologies, an in-house call center with 15 expandable operators, project managers, and a supervisor, plus respondent recruitment capabilities. According to company claims, AFS-Research has completed 200+ successful projects and surveyed more than 100,000 respondents across its history, serving both foreign multinationals and domestic Uzbek enterprises seeking local market intelligence in Uzbekistan and the broader Central Asia region.

The firm commercializes its services on a project-based professional services model with published unit pricing for call center work (priced in Uzbek Sum, ranging from 4,300 UZS/call for high-volume quality control calls to 60,000 UZS/hour for inbound call handling, plus 6–20% commission on cold-calling-driven sales). Go-to-market is sales-led via direct client engagement through website forms, phone (+998 78 113 44 55), and email ([email protected]), supplemented by industry association memberships in ESOMAR, AMCHAM.UZ, and MARKETING.UZ that provide inbound credibility and referrals. Customer segmentation is horizontal, with primary targeting of enterprise clients across industries (including retail/FMCG for retail audit work) plus secondary segments for brand owners and SMB call center buyers.

AFS-Research positions itself as a local-market specialist leveraging deep knowledge of Uzbekistan's history, traditions, and consumer landscape combined with awareness of international research standards, claiming 15+ years (since 2008) of operating experience. The company has no disclosed funding, no institutional investors, no parent entity, and no publicly reported financials; ownership appears to be held by founder/management with Julia Bakhmach as CEO. Industry association affiliations (ESOMAR directory listing as AFS-Research LLC, AMCHAM.UZ membership) provide international standing, while the firm competes in a small Uzbekistan market research ecosystem with limited direct local competitors visible in the source material.

Name

Act Fast & Smart Research

Legal name

AFS-Research LLC

Website

https://afs-research.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AFS-Research is a Tashkent-based B2B market research firm serving enterprises in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Since 2008 it has delivered qualitative, quantitative, retail audit, desk research, and call center services, with a team of ~15 staff and an in-house 15-operator call center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Qualitative Research (Focus Groups, IDIs, Ethnography) (MPAAALAE), Competitive & Market Intelligence (Competitive Tracking, TAM/SAM/SOM) (MPAAALAL), Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Market research services
• Consumer surveys
• Retail audit
• Focus group research
• Call center surveys

Headquarters

HQ city

Tashkent

HQ country

Uzbekistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Market Research Services: Project-based market research services including qualitative research (focus groups, in-depth interviews, product tests, home visits, mystery shopping, UX/UI research), quantitative research (telephone polls, personal interviews, online surveys), desk research, and combined research methods (retail audits, retail census, hall tests). Pricing varies by project scope and methodology.
2. Call Center Services: Outbound and inbound call center services including customer satisfaction surveys (6,000-4,300 UZS per call), consumer opinion collection (5,000-13,000 UZS per call), database collection and updates, cold calling with 6-20% sales commission, and inbound call handling at 60,000 UZS per hour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AFS-Research provides a full range of market research services in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, organized across four methodologies: qualitative research (focus groups, product tests, home visits, mystery shopping, UX/UI research), quantitative research (CATI telephone polls, CAPI personal interviews, CAWI online surveys), combined research (retail audits, retail census, hall tests), and desk research from open sources. The firm also operates a 15-operator call center offering outbound/inbound calling, quality control, consumer opinion collection, database building, and commission-based cold calling as adjunct services.

Product overview

Act Fast & Smart Research offers a comprehensive suite of market research services organized into four main research methodologies: Qualitative Research (product tests, home visits, mystery shopping, focus groups, UX/UI research), Quantitative Research (telephone polls/CATI, personal interviews/CAPI, online polls/CAWI), Combined Research (retail audits, retail census, hall tests), and Desk Research. The company also provides additional services including call center operations with 15 operators, respondent recruitment, mystery shopping/calling/viewing/mailing services, and database collection and validation. The portfolio is structured as independent research service offerings rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AFS-RESEARCH: Primary brand under which the company operates, offering qualitative research, quantitative research, desk research, combined research methods, mystery shopping, respondent recruitment, and call center services in Uzbekistan.

Products and services

• Qualitative Research Studies behavioral norms, habits, and consumer motivation through product tests, home visits, mystery shopping, focus groups, and UX/UI research to obtain subjective consumer opinions for enterprise clients.
• Quantitative Research Statistical data collection from large samples using CATI telephone polls, CAPI personal interviews, and CAWI online surveys to measure consumer loyalty, brand awareness, and preferences.
• Combined Research Integrated research combining quantitative, qualitative, and desk research methods, including retail audits, retail census, and hall tests for comprehensive market analysis.
• Desk Research Analysis of existing statistical data, news, and market trends from open sources to deliver a complete picture of the market situation.
• Retail Audit Collection and analysis of retail trade information including assortment, pricing, brand presence, and shelf conditions directly at retail outlets to optimize sales and distribution.
• Retail Census Compilation of a database of retail outlets selling specified product categories within defined geographic areas to support market sizing and distribution mapping.
• Hall Tests Personal interview-based product testing in central locations to rapidly obtain consumer opinions about product advantages and disadvantages.
• Mystery Shopping Evaluation of service quality, staff performance, and facility conditions through mystery shoppers, callers, viewers, and mailers for retail and service businesses.
• Call Center Services Outbound and inbound call center services including service quality monitoring, consumer opinion collection, database collection and updates, cold calling on commission, and inbound call handling priced per hour.
• Respondent Recruitment Recruitment of respondents meeting specified criteria (gender, age, region) for research projects where clients lack their own panels.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AMCHAM.UZminorOthersActive member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan, providing networking opportunities and credibility within the business community.
• ESOMARcoreOthersListed in ESOMAR directory as AFS-Research LLC, demonstrating compliance with international market research standards and global industry recognition.
• MARKETING.UZminorOthersPartner member of the Uzbekistan marketing community portal, providing visibility among local marketing professionals and potential clients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: One of the world's largest market research and public opinion firms, operating a global network of qualitative and quantitative research teams. Highly comparable in methodology (qual/quant/desk research, mystery shopping, UX) but at global scale versus AFS's Uzbekistan focus.
• Kantar: Global research, data, and analytics firm covering consumer insights, brand strength, and retail measurement across many geographies. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping service lines (consumer research, retail audit, brand tracking) and a stated presence in Central Asian markets.
• NielsenIQ: Global market research and consumer intelligence giant offering retail audit, consumer panel, and analytics services across 100+ markets. Comparable as the dominant broad incumbent that multinationals typically engage for Central Asia research, where AFS competes as a local fieldwork partner or sub-contractor.
• GfK (now part of NIQ): Long-established German-origin market research firm known for consumer goods, retail, and technology research globally. AFS competes in the same product-research and consumer-behavior domain, though at vastly different scales and geographic breadths.

Emerging players

• Qualtrics: Global experience management and survey platform offering enterprise customers DIY research tooling and panel services. Comparable as an indirect peer/competitor in the survey-based research space and represents the technology substitution risk AFS faces.
• Dynata: Large global online research panel and data collection platform offering survey programming and sample delivery across markets. Comparable as a survey/fieldwork services provider; represents the technology-enabled model AFS competes against in CAWI/CATI services.

Direct peers

• 4Service Group: CIS-focused market research and customer experience firm offering mystery shopping, customer satisfaction research, and retail audits. Directly comparable in the qualitative/CATI/mystery-shopping service line that AFS markets to enterprise clients.
• BeLogic: Uzbekistan-based research and analytics firm with a dedicated Project Manager (Javokhir Khodjaev) listed on AFS's team. Most directly comparable as a local Uzbek research peer offering overlapping methodology and competing for the same enterprise and brand-owner clients in Tashkent.

Regional players

• TMA (TMA Research): CIS-region market research agency offering qualitative and quantitative fieldwork across Russia and former-Soviet markets. Comparable as a regional research peer addressing multinational clients needing in-country execution across CIS geographies where AFS also operates.
• Online Market Intelligence (OMI): Turkey and CIS regional market research agency providing quantitative and qualitative consumer research, retail audits, and customer satisfaction studies. Comparable as a regional player covering overlapping service categories in adjacent emerging markets.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afsresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/AFSResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afs-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Act Fast & Smart Research