GMI

About GMI

Global Market Insite (GMI), founded in 1999 by Rob Monster, operated as a global provider of technology solutions and online panels for the market research industry. The company was established in Bellevue, Washington, and prior to its acquisition, it was backed by venture capital firms including Voyager Capital.

On September 7, 2011, Kantar, the information and consultancy group within WPP, acquired GMI for an undisclosed amount. Following the acquisition, GMI was aligned with Lightspeed Research, another Kantar division, to form one of the world's largest online panel and sample providers. The combined entity was named Lightspeed GMI. At the time of the acquisition, GMI had revenues of $64 million for the year ended December 31, 2010, and employed 230 people. The deal expanded Lightspeed's global reach to over four million online panelists across 38 countries by adding GMI's panels in 13 countries.

The business centered on providing technology-enabled survey solutions and global consumer panels to market researchers. This allowed clients to access targeted consumer groups worldwide for data collection, delivering reliable and repeatable results. The service portfolio included survey design, sample management, and programming, facilitating a deeper understanding of consumer opinions and behavior for researchers, marketers, and brands. The integration with Lightspeed aimed to combine GMI's technological capabilities, including platforms for mobile surveys and interactive question types, with Lightspeed's extensive panel network to enhance data quality and operational excellence.