Research Insights from Inex One
Top Picks
Expert network market size in 2025: The $3Bn Market Overview
The $3Bn Expert Network overview comeback: Explore 2025 market size, the 4 generations of players, and the regional leaders who’s winning the global stage and what trends matter in 2026.
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Will strategy consultants still do CDDs next year?
With the rapid progress of AI, will consultants still be needed to help analyze investment opportunities? We clarify what parts of the CDD are at risk of being automated with AI.
How many Commercial Due Diligences (CDDs) are run each year?
Strategy consulting is a big deal. More than 100,000 people work in the largest strategy shops alone. But how many commercial due diligences (CDDs) do they all do? We estimate 36,000 CDDs are done, with ~40% attributed to CDD-heavy consulting firms.
What makes a consulting firm live for 100 years?
Strategy consulting firms are notoriously long-lived. McKinsey and Kearney turning 100 gives us a reason to look at why that is. Fundamentally, it’s because of a well-designed partnership model: clear sales targets, a talent-alumni flywheel and a finite pension cliff keep a consulting firm energetic and customer-focused. Conversely, the kiss of death to a consulting firm is when senior partners get to linger around for too long, hog the best client relationships and equity, and obstruct the upwards movement of ambitious junior colleagues.
How we counted the number of CDDs
Inex One estimates there are about 36,000 CDDs run globally each year. We can attribute ~14,500 of those to the leading CDD-focused consulting firms. Here's how we got there.
How many Commercial Due Diligences (CDDs) are run each year?
Strategy consulting is a big deal. More than 100,000 people work in the largest strategy shops alone. But how many commercial due diligences (CDDs) do they all do? We estimate 36,000 CDDs are done, with ~40% attributed to CDD-heavy consulting firms.
The best expert networks in 2026
The best expert networks are the ones that find the sweet spot between quantity, quality, speed, and price, all in line with state-of-the-art compliance. Once again, we ranked how expert networks from all over the world perform in these areas.
Will strategy consultants still do CDDs next year?
With the rapid progress of AI, will consultants still be needed to help analyze investment opportunities? We clarify what parts of the CDD are at risk of being automated with AI.
Expert Network Pricing - what does an expert network interview cost?
An expert interview usually costs between $1,000 and $1,400 per hour. But for most clients, pricing is a black box. Prepayments, "credits", and “premium multipliers” make prices inflate. Inex One simplifies expert network pricing with an efficient and transparent tech platform.
Expert Network Client Mapping: How we sized the market
At Inex One, we have estimated the number of unique firms using Expert Networks. Learn why multi-sourcing is driving a third evolution in the expert network industry.
The CDD sausage and Expert Network OpEx
The high OpEx of Expert Networks is driven by inefficiencies in the associates' workflow. We break down the P&L and show how an expert network aggregator cuts costs and solves the CDD 'sausage' problem, with real-time project transparency.
How to use Expert Networks best: The EN Score
The EN Score helps you get optimal service from Expert Networks by aligning client incentives. Learn how this metric works and why high-score clients get priority service.
Expert networks in Latin America
There are dozens of expert networks focusing on the Latin American market. Some focus on specific countries, while others cover a wider area. Many of the leading LATAM expert networks are available on Inex One.
Compliance at Inex One: The 3 Lines of Defense
Inex One centralizes and standardizes primary research across your entire firm. Our robust compliance framework is built on three lines of defense: 1. Vetting, due diligence and standardized compliance across all suppliers 2. Tools to empower your central oversight 3. Global monitoring and industry leadership
Why does Inex One charge for Platform Access?
Inex One is pay-per-use access to the best expert networks and B2B survey firms worldwide. But customers must pay an annual access fee to use the platform. This buys them access to the industry-leading tech platform, and qualifies them as customers. The fact that only qualified customers are let onto Inex One creates mutual trust and enables the suppliers (expert networks and B2B survey firms) to provide the best service in the industry.
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