CivicScience

CivicScience is a consumer analytics and market intelligence firm that provides real-time insights into consumer sentiment and behavior. Founded in 2007 by serial entrepreneur John Dick, the Pittsburgh-based company originated from an incubator at Carnegie Mellon University with the goal of modernizing opinion research for the digital age. Dick, who previously founded and exited a software and services business named GSP, identified a gap in the market as traditional polling methods became less effective and online survey panels showed systemic biases. CivicScience was created to provide a more reliable and accessible way for people to share opinions anonymously and for organizations to measure attitudes. The company has raised a total of $21.4M to $34.1M over several funding rounds, with its latest being a Venture Round in August 2021. Its investors include prominent names such as Mark Cuban, Thomas Tull, Jeff Wilke, and The NPD Group. The business operates on a subscription-based model, selling its services to a diverse client base that includes Fortune 500 companies, major brands, media outlets, and investment firms. Notable clients have included T-Mobile, Samsung, Microsoft, Google, NBCUniversal, and The Atlantic. The core of CivicScience's offering is its proprietary technology platform, the InsightStore™, which combines a vast database of poll questions with advanced data mining and AI capabilities. The company collects millions of anonymous responses daily through polls embedded on a network of partner websites, avoiding the use of paid panelists. This methodology allows for the real-time analysis of consumer attitudes, intentions, and future behaviors. The platform provides tools for audience segmentation, ad hoc studies, brand tracking, and trend analysis. In 2023, CivicScience launched Sage, a generative AI analytics assistant designed to provide trusted, cited answers to user queries in plain English by performing live statistical analyses on its database. Keywords: consumer intelligence, public opinion polling, market research, predictive analytics, consumer behavior, data analytics, real-time data, audience insights, survey methodology, consumer sentiment, brand tracking, advertising optimization, first-party data, psychographic data, trend analysis, InsightStore, ad sales, media partnerships, AI analytics, consumer intent, John Dick