--- source_url: "https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/expert-networks" title: "The 18 Best Expert Network Companies in 2026 | GrowthMentor" mirrored_at: 2026-08-12T01:38:11.199Z host: www.growthmentor.com cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/www.growthmentor.com/blog/expert-networks" --- > **Original source:** https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/expert-networks TL;DR - Expert networks connect you with vetted industry experts for paid calls, usually $500 to $1,500+ an hour. They are built for hedge funds, PE, and consultancies. - The big three are GLG (biggest), AlphaSights (fastest, most service-led), and Guidepoint (broad and more cost-efficient). Third Bridge and AlphaSense add transcript libraries. - The market consolidated: AlphaSense bought Tegus in 2024, folding the two biggest transcript libraries together. Several names from older lists (DeepBench, Expertwired, Emissary) have shut down or been absorbed. - If you are a founder rather than a fund, most of these are overkill and overpriced. GrowthMentor and Clarity.fm are the founder-friendly options. - The quick pick, funds go GLG or AlphaSights, corporates running niche B2B research go NewtonX, founders and operators go GrowthMentor or Clarity.fm. ## 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 catch for most people:** expert networks are priced for institutions. Expect per-call fees of $500 to $1,500 an hour, often on top of an annual subscription or minimum spend. If you are a founder or a small team, the founder-focused options near the top of this list get you most of the value for a fraction of the cost. The 18 expert networks at a glance Network Founded Model Pricing Best for Who it's for ![GrowthMentor](https://www.growthmentor.com/growthmentor-logo.svg) 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 ### GrowthMentor ![GrowthMentor homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/growthmentor-2026.jpg) 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](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/why-the-best-mentors-dont-charge-500-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](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/give-first) and no institutional gatekeeping. If you want real expert advice and you are not a fund, start here. [Become a member](https://www.growthmentor.com/membership) Part 1 ## The big institutional networks ### GLG ![GLG homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/glg-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit GLG](https://glginsights.com/) ### AlphaSights ![AlphaSights homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/alphasights-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit AlphaSights](https://www.alphasights.com/) ### Guidepoint ![Guidepoint homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/guidepoint-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Guidepoint](https://www.guidepoint.com/) ### Third Bridge ![Third Bridge homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/third-bridge-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Third Bridge](https://www.thirdbridge.com/) ### AlphaSense ![AlphaSense homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/alphasense-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit AlphaSense](https://www.alpha-sense.com/) Part 2 ## Specialist and research-as-a-service ### NewtonX ![NewtonX homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/newtonx-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit NewtonX](https://www.newtonx.com/) ### Dialectica ![Dialectica homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/dialectica-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Dialectica](https://www.dialectica.io/) ### Atheneum ![Atheneum homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/atheneum-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Atheneum](https://www.atheneum.ai/) ### proSapient ![proSapient homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/prosapient-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit proSapient](https://www.prosapient.com/) ### Capvision ![Capvision homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/capvision-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Capvision](https://www.capvision.com/) ### VisasQ / Coleman ![VisasQ / Coleman homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/visasq-coleman-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit VisasQ / Coleman](https://corp.visasq.co.jp/en/) ### Magellan Research Group ![Magellan Research Group homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/magellan-research-group-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Magellan Research Group](https://www.magellanrg.com/) Part 3 ## Marketplaces and more accessible options ### Clarity.fm ![Clarity.fm homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/clarity-fm-2026.jpg) [Clarity.fm is the closest thing on this list to GrowthMentor](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/clarity-vs-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. [Visit Clarity.fm](https://clarity.fm/) ### CleverX ![CleverX homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/cleverx-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit CleverX](https://cleverx.com/) ### Zintro ![Zintro homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/zintro-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Zintro](https://www.zintro.com/) ### Catalant ![Catalant homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/catalant-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Catalant](https://catalant.com/) ### Inex One ![Inex One homepage](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog-images/expert-networks/inex-one-2026.jpg) 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. [Visit Inex One](https://inex.one/) ## 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](https://www.growthmentor.com/mentors-for/advice-on-funding), 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.