The best expert network companies in 2026. And which one you actually need.

What is an expert network?

An expert network is a company that maintains a large roster of vetted professionals (former executives, current operators, doctors, engineers, niche specialists) and connects them with clients who want their knowledge. You describe what you need to know, they find the right expert, and you book a paid call, usually an hour, sometimes a survey or a longer research project.

They exist because some knowledge is not on the internet. If you are deciding whether to acquire a company, the most valuable hour you can buy might be with someone who ran that company's supply chain two years ago. Expert networks handle the sourcing, the vetting, and the compliance (recording consent, conflict checks, blocked topics) that make those calls safe to have.

The 18 expert networks at a glance

Network	Founded	Model	Pricing	Best for	Who it's for
	2018	Flat membership	No per-call fee, unlimited 1:1 calls	Expert calls without institutional pricing	Founders & operators
GLG	1998	Pay-per-call	Per call + contract minimums	Broadest expert coverage at scale	Funds, consultancies
AlphaSights	2008	Pay-per-call, service-led	Per call + contract minimums	Fast, white-glove turnaround	Consultancies, funds
Guidepoint	2003	Pay-per-call + AI platform	Per call + contract minimums	Broad coverage at lower cost	Funds, banks
Third Bridge	2007	Calls + transcript library	Per call or library subscription	Calls plus a searchable interview library	PE, public equity
AlphaSense	2011	AI research platform	Platform subscription	AI search across filings and expert transcripts	Investors, corporates
NewtonX	2016	AI-powered B2B research	Per project	Verified niche B2B experts, custom research	Corporates, consultancies
Dialectica	2015	Pay-per-call + research	Per call + contract minimums	Fast on-demand experts for diligence	Funds, consultancies
Atheneum	2010	Research-as-a-service	Per project	Bundled interviews, surveys, and reports	Consultancies, PE
proSapient	2017	AI expert network	Per call + contract minimums	Tech-led sourcing with built-in AI search	Funds, consultancies
Capvision	2006	Pay-per-call	Per call + contract minimums	China and Asia primary research	Funds, corporates
VisasQ / Coleman	2012	Pay-per-call	Per call + contract minimums	Japan, Asia, and US coverage	Funds, corporates
Magellan Research Group	2014	Pay-per-call + research	Per call, boutique scale	Senior attention without GLG scale	Hedge funds, PE
Clarity.fm	2012	Pay-per-minute	Per minute, advisor-set rates	Quick paid founder calls	Founders, SMBs
CleverX	2019	Self-serve B2B research	Pay per interview or survey	DIY sourcing of vetted B2B pros	Research teams
Zintro	2010	Marketplace	Low-cost, per engagement	Affordable niche-expert sourcing	Research firms
Catalant	2013	Consultant marketplace	Project fees	Staffing consultants on multi-week projects	Enterprises
Inex One	2018	Aggregator	Usage-based, one contract	20+ networks in one workflow	Funds, consultancies

Founded

2018

Model

Flat membership

Pricing

No per-call fee, unlimited 1:1 calls

Best for

Expert calls without institutional pricing

Who it's for

Founders & operators

GLG

Founded

1998

Model

Pay-per-call

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

Broadest expert coverage at scale

Who it's for

Funds, consultancies

AlphaSights

Founded

2008

Model

Pay-per-call, service-led

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

Fast, white-glove turnaround

Who it's for

Consultancies, funds

Guidepoint

Founded

2003

Model

Pay-per-call + AI platform

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

Broad coverage at lower cost

Who it's for

Funds, banks

Third Bridge

Founded

2007

Model

Calls + transcript library

Pricing

Per call or library subscription

Best for

Calls plus a searchable interview library

Who it's for

PE, public equity

AlphaSense

Founded

2011

Model

AI research platform

Pricing

Platform subscription

Best for

AI search across filings and expert transcripts

Who it's for

Investors, corporates

NewtonX

Founded

2016

Model

AI-powered B2B research

Pricing

Per project

Best for

Verified niche B2B experts, custom research

Who it's for

Corporates, consultancies

Dialectica

Founded

2015

Model

Pay-per-call + research

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

Fast on-demand experts for diligence

Who it's for

Funds, consultancies

Atheneum

Founded

2010

Model

Research-as-a-service

Pricing

Per project

Best for

Bundled interviews, surveys, and reports

Who it's for

Consultancies, PE

proSapient

Founded

2017

Model

AI expert network

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

Tech-led sourcing with built-in AI search

Who it's for

Funds, consultancies

Capvision

Founded

2006

Model

Pay-per-call

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

China and Asia primary research

Who it's for

Funds, corporates

VisasQ / Coleman

Founded

2012

Model

Pay-per-call

Pricing

Per call + contract minimums

Best for

Japan, Asia, and US coverage

Who it's for

Funds, corporates

Magellan Research Group

Founded

2014

Model

Pay-per-call + research

Pricing

Per call, boutique scale

Best for

Senior attention without GLG scale

Who it's for

Hedge funds, PE

Clarity.fm

Founded

2012

Model

Pay-per-minute

Pricing

Per minute, advisor-set rates

Best for

Quick paid founder calls

Who it's for

Founders, SMBs

CleverX

Founded

2019

Model

Self-serve B2B research

Pricing

Pay per interview or survey

Best for

DIY sourcing of vetted B2B pros

Who it's for

Research teams

Zintro

Founded

2010

Model

Marketplace

Pricing

Low-cost, per engagement

Best for

Affordable niche-expert sourcing

Who it's for

Research firms

Catalant

Founded

2013

Model

Consultant marketplace

Pricing

Project fees

Best for

Staffing consultants on multi-week projects

Who it's for

Enterprises

Inex One

Founded

2018

Model

Aggregator

Pricing

Usage-based, one contract

Best for

20+ networks in one workflow

Who it's for

Funds, consultancies

The 18 best expert networks in 2026

GrowthMentor

GrowthMentor is the odd one out on this list, on purpose. Every other company here is built for hedge funds and consultancies paying $500 to $1,500 an hour for a single expert call. GrowthMentor is built for founders and operators instead, a flat membership, unlimited 1:1 calls with vetted startup mentors, no per-call fee and no institutional gatekeeping.

If you want real expert advice and you are not a fund, start here.

Not an institution? There's a cheaper way to get expert advice.

GrowthMentor gives founders and operators unlimited 1:1 calls with vetted mentors for a flat membership. No per-call fees, no gatekeeping.

Find a mentor

GLG

GLG is the largest expert network in the world, connecting clients with over a million vetted experts for paid one-on-one calls and surveys. It is the default for big institutions that need coverage across nearly every industry and geography, now with AI tools layered across its myGLG platform. The trade-off is cost and a process built for funds, not individuals.

AlphaSights

AlphaSights is the service-led option, hands-on project managers who turn around well-scoped expert calls fast. It is a favorite of the top management consultancies and investment firms, and raised at a $4.2B valuation in 2024. You pay for speed and white-glove handling.

Guidepoint

Guidepoint connects investors and corporates with vetted advisors for paid calls, surveys, and custom research, with very broad sector and geographic coverage. In late 2025 it launched Guidepoint360, an AI research layer with a conversational interface. A strong, slightly more cost-efficient alternative to GLG.

Third Bridge

Third Bridge pairs one-on-one expert calls with Forum, a subscription library of moderated interview transcripts covering tens of thousands of companies. It is built for investors who want both live calls and a deep back-catalog to read before they dial. Strong in private and public equity research.

AlphaSense

AlphaSense is the consolidator, an AI-powered research platform that searches across filings, broker research, news, and expert transcripts in one place. It acquired Tegus in 2024 for about $930M, folding the two biggest expert-transcript libraries together (both Stream and Tegus now live inside it). If your work is reading before calling, this is the center of gravity now.

NewtonX

NewtonX uses its NewtonX Graph to recruit and verify niche professionals, then runs surveys, interviews, and AI-moderated research on top. It leans hard on source verification, which matters when you are sourcing hard-to-find B2B experts and worried about fraud. Built for corporate insights teams and consultancies, not quick one-off calls.

Dialectica

Dialectica is a bootstrapped expert network that crossed $100M in revenue by building a reputation for fast, on-demand access to vetted experts, plus its Origin research platform. It competes directly with the big names on diligence and primary research. Worth a look if the AlphaSights and GLG quotes come back steep.

Atheneum

Atheneum runs a research-as-a-service model, bundling expert interviews, surveys, and custom reporting into one engagement rather than selling calls one at a time. It is strong in life sciences and healthcare. A fit when you want a managed research project, not just a contact.

proSapient

proSapient pairs a traditional expert network with its own software platform, adding AI search, survey building, and transcript tools to the workflow. It is one of the faster-growing UK players, at around 480 people. A good option if you want the calls and the tooling in one place.

Capvision

Capvision is the go-to for sourcing experts inside mainland China and across Asia, with coverage Western networks struggle to match. It completed a Chinese government compliance review in 2023 and continues to operate. The clear pick when your research is Asia-focused, with the compliance caveats that come with the region.

VisasQ / Coleman

VisasQ, which bought US network Coleman Research in 2021, connects clients to roughly 700,000 experts with particular strength in Japan and Asia alongside the US. The combined VISASQ/COLEMAN brand spans seven offices. Useful when your research needs both Western and deep Asian coverage from one vendor.

Magellan Research Group

Magellan Research Group, founded by a former AlphaSights manager, is a smaller New York network focused on investment-grade primary research, expert calls, surveys, and management checks. It is leaner and more boutique than the giants. A solid choice for funds that want senior attention without GLG scale.

Clarity.fm

Clarity.fm is the closest thing on this list to GrowthMentor, a marketplace where founders book pay-per-minute calls with startup advisors and operators. It skews startup advice rather than institutional research, and the product has aged, but it remains a practical way to get a quick paid call. You pay by the minute rather than a flat membership.

CleverX

CleverX is a self-serve, AI-first platform for recruiting vetted B2B professionals for surveys, interviews, and consultations. It is built for teams that want to run their own research without a managed-service layer on top. A newer, leaner option than the institutional networks.

Zintro

Zintro is an expert marketplace on the affordable, self-serve end of the spectrum, with 150,000+ specialized experts for interviews, surveys, and projects. It is a practical alternative when GLG and Guidepoint pricing is overkill for what you need. Less white-glove, more do-it-yourself.

Catalant

Catalant is a marketplace for project-based work rather than expert calls. It matches enterprises with vetted independent consultants and boutique firms for multi-week engagements. It started life as HourlyNerd. The right tool when you need someone to do the work, not just advise on a call.

Inex One

Inex One is the meta-layer, a marketplace that lets you source calls and surveys across 20+ expert networks through one procurement and compliance workflow. Instead of picking a single network, you run them all from one place. Useful for teams managing spend across multiple vendors.

Do you need an expert network, or a mentor?

Expert networks are extraordinary at one job. If you are a hedge fund doing diligence on a company and you need a former executive of that company on the phone within 48 hours, paying $1,200 for the hour is a bargain. The information is specific, it is hard to get any other way, and the decision it informs is worth far more than the fee.

Most founders and operators do not have that job. They need someone who has already done the specific thing they are stuck on (raised the round, built the team, fixed the funnel) and can talk it through, more than once, without a four-figure invoice each time, not a stranger with insider data on one company.

That is a different product.

If you are a fund, use an expert network, the list above tells you which. If you are a founder, the network at the top of the list is the one built for you.

Founders who skipped the $1,000 call

Before you pay an expert network by the hour,
talk to someone who's already done it.

GrowthMentor is unlimited 1:1 calls with vetted founders and operators, for a flat membership. No per-call fee, no gatekeeping.

Talk to a mentor