U-turn Research Gmbh

What U-turn Research Gmbh does

U-Turn Research GmbH is a privately held German market research fieldwork and consulting firm founded in October 2016 in Cologne. The company delivers qualitative and quantitative research services for both B2B and B2C clients, with particular emphasis on difficult-to-reach professional target groups. Its core offerings include qualitative methods (focus groups, IDIs, TDIs, workshops, online group discussions, driving tests, car/motorcycle clinics), a 24-station CATI studio in Cologne for telephone-based quantitative research, a nationwide mystery shopping field of approximately 600 active testers, POS & CAPI studies, and online studies recruited via social media for hard-to-reach panels such as patients, doctors, and KOLs.

The firm operates a proprietary self-service platform at app-uturn.testernetz.net that allows both mystery shoppers and test subjects (probanden) to register, select tests, and manage participation. International fieldwork is delivered through partner institutes in Europe, Asia, and overseas, with U-Turn acting as the single client point of contact. The company is privately owned and led by CEO Frauke Bariou, supported by four named senior staff collectively carrying 15-20+ years of market research experience each. U-Turn holds memberships in ESOMAR and BVM, the principal German and global market research industry associations, and displays CATI/F2F Innovation and Kreativität and NPS certifications.

The business model is B2B professional services with custom, project-based pricing tied to methodology, target group complexity, sample size, geography, and deliverables. Sales are conducted directly via personal project managers handling client relationships from inquiry through project completion, with no public pricing, self-service channel, or platform-based transaction model. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company operates without external funding. The firm competes on hard-to-reach target group access, single-point-of-contact project management, and the ability to combine in-house CATI capacity, an established mystery shopping panel, and international partner reach within a small, senior-staffed organization.

Name

U-turn Research Gmbh

Legal name

U-Turn Research GmbH

Website

https://u-turn-research.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

U-Turn Research GmbH is a Cologne-based market research fieldwork firm offering qualitative, CATI quantitative, mystery shopping, POS/CAPI, and online studies for B2B and B2C clients in Germany and internationally via partner institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Fieldwork Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI)

Keywords

• Market research fieldwork
• Qualitative research services
• CATI telephone surveys
• Mystery shopping services
• B2B market research

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Qualitative Market Research Services: Full-service qualitative research including focus groups, IDIs, TDIs, Skype interviews, workshops, online GDs, driving tests and car clinics. Project management from recruitment through analysis and presentation.
2. CATI Quantitative Studies: Telephone-based quantitative market research using 24-station CATI studio in Cologne. Focus on B2B and complex B2C target groups. Data delivery in SPSS, Excel, ASCII formats with tabulation services.
3. Mystery Shopping Services: Nationwide mystery shopping field of approximately 600 active mystery shoppers covering B2B and B2C sectors. Services include tracking studies for insurance, banking, wholesale and retail sectors.
4. POS & CAPI Studies: Point-of-sale and computer-assisted personal interviewing studies using own mystery and interviewer field in Germany plus international F2F fields through partner institutes.
5. Online Research Services: Recruitment of special panels for target groups not available in existing online panels (purchase decision makers, manual workers, patients, doctors, KOLs etc.) with social media-based data collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

U-Turn Research GmbH provides qualitative and quantitative market research fieldwork and consulting services for B2B and B2C studies. Core offerings include a 24-station CATI studio in Cologne, full-service qualitative research (focus groups, IDIs, workshops, car clinics), nationwide mystery shopping through a network of approximately 600 active testers, POS/CAPI fieldwork, and online studies with social-media-based recruitment for hard-to-reach target groups. End-to-end project management is delivered by a single personal project manager from recruitment through data delivery and presentation.

Product overview

U-Turn Research is a qualitative and quantitative fieldwork and consulting company offering a comprehensive suite of market research services. The core offerings include Qualitative Market Research (focus groups, IDIs, workshops, driving tests), a CATI Studio with 24 telephone interviewing stations, Mystery Shopping/Testing services with approximately 600 active mystery shoppers, POS & CAPI Studies, and Online Studies using social media platforms. The company also operates two self-service registration platforms for mystery shoppers and test subjects. Services focus on B2B and complex B2C target groups, covering industries such as automotive, healthcare, pharmaceutical, banking, insurance, and retail.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualitative Market Research Services Full-service qualitative research including focus groups, in-depth interviews (IDIs), triadic depth interviews (TDIs), Skype interviews, workshops, online group discussions, driving tests, and car/motorcycle clinics. Covers both B2C and B2B segments with classic and innovative recruitment methods including social media.
• CATI Studio Quantitative Research Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) studio in Cologne with 24 stations, specializing in B2B and challenging B2C target groups. Includes data programming and delivery in SPSS, Excel, and ASCII formats with tabulation services.
• Mystery Shopping and Mystery Testing Services Nationwide mystery shopping field with approximately 600 active mystery shoppers covering phone, online, and face-to-face channels. Serves insurance, banking, wholesale, and retail sectors, including B2B mystery studies for fleet managers and decision-makers, plus tracking studies.
• POS & CAPI Fieldwork Studies Point-of-Sale and Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing studies using proprietary mystery and interviewer field in Germany plus international F2F fields through partner institutes. Covers mystery shopping, product tests, and self-administered questionnaires for B2B and B2C sectors.
• Online Studies with Social Media Recruitment Online research studies utilizing social media platforms for data collection. Recruits special panels for target groups not available in existing panels, including purchase decision makers, manual workers, patients, doctors, cooks, and KOLs.
• Mystery Shopper Registration Platform Self-service portal at app-uturn.testernetz.net for mystery shoppers to register, view available tests, schedule assignments, and track earnings using the proprietary tester network software.
• Test Person Registration Platform Registration platform for test subjects (probanden) to participate in market research surveys including personal interviews, workshops, group discussions, product tests, and online surveys, with compensation for participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 600 active mystery shoppers nationwide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 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 core and minor.

• International Partner Institutes (Europe, Asia, Overseas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with research institutes in Europe, Asia, and overseas markets cover international fieldwork requirements. U-Turn serves as the single contact point while partners execute local fieldwork operations.
• Qualified Moderators and StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of qualified partners providing access to studios and moderators across multiple countries for qualitative research projects including focus groups and workshops.
• Location ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners who provide suitable locations and venues for market research studies including focus groups, workshops, and car/motorcycle clinics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bilendi: Europe-wide online panel and market research technology provider; competes with U-Turn's online panel recruitment and represents a broader, tech-enabled alternative to traditional CATI-based fieldwork.
• Ipsos: Global market research incumbent with significant German presence; competes with U-Turn in B2B and B2C quantitative/qualitative research as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Kantar (NielsenIQ): Global market research and insights firm with extensive German operations; competes with U-Turn in quantitative and qualitative research as a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.

Regional players

• Norstat: Pan-European data collection and panel operator; comparable to U-Turn in panel-based and CATI fieldwork, particularly relevant for international projects run through U-Turn's partner network.

Direct peers

• Produkt + Markt: German full-service market research firm with own CATI studio and qualitative fieldwork capabilities; competes with U-Turn in CATI, qualitative research, and B2B studies.
• SKOPOS Group: German market research firm offering qualitative and quantitative fieldwork, customer experience, and mystery shopping services; competes with U-Turn in CX, mystery shopping, and B2B research.
• fieldaccess e.K. German mystery shopping and field research provider; directly comparable to U-Turn's mystery shopping operations and test buyer network across German retail and B2B sectors.
• Interrogare GmbH: German market research fieldwork firm operating its own CATI studio and online panel; directly competes with U-Turn in B2B telephone fieldwork and panel recruitment across Germany.
• TMA Market Research: German market research and consultancy offering qualitative and quantitative methods across B2B and B2C; competes with U-Turn in CATI studies and B2B fieldwork for similar clients.
• Psyma Group: Established German market research firm with strong B2B and healthcare expertise; competes directly with U-Turn in qualitative research, B2B target groups, and CATI fieldwork.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u-turn-research-gmbh

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 U-turn Research Gmbh