By Edward Storm
August 15, 2025

The expert network industry has been on a meteoric rise since 2003, transforming the way businesses access specialized knowledge. Leading the pack is Guidepoint Global, a powerhouse in the sector, alongside other major competitors that have emerged primarily in North America and Europe. These top firms collectively dominate the market, holding the lion’s share of an increasingly lucrative industry valued at approximately $2.9 billion in 2023 and projected to grow further in 2025.

Guidepoint Global’s remarkable growth has set the standard for expert networks, which connect professionals with deep industry insights to clients ranging from investment firms to corporations. The industry’s appeal is particularly strong for professionals with backgrounds in equity research, institutional sales, investment banking, and asset management. These individuals are finding expert network providers to be a fertile ground for leveraging their expertise, often with substantial financial rewards.

While Guidepoint has enjoyed a strong position, it faces stiff competition from established players like GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group), AlphaSights, and Third Bridge, as well as rising firms such as Atheneum, Coleman Research, and NewtonX. GLG, headquartered in New York, remains the market leader with its vast network of over a million experts and a focus on diverse sectors including healthcare and technology. AlphaSights, based in London, emphasizes rapid, high-quality connections for private equity and consulting clients. Third Bridge, also London-based, specializes in in-depth primary research and has expanded its transcript library offerings. Other notable competitors include Atheneum (Berlin), known for its global reach in emerging markets; Coleman Research (New York), a veteran in the space with strong ties to institutional investors; and innovative upstarts like NewtonX (New York), which leverages AI for precise expert matching, and proSapient (London), focusing on tech-driven surveys and calls.

Market share remains concentrated among Guidepoint and a handful of other leading firms, though the competitive landscape continues to evolve as new players enter the fray. The following table outlines the top competitors, their headquarters, and key focus areas:

Based on recent data, the market shares of these firms highlight GLG’s dominance, with Guidepoint and AlphaSights following closely. Using a 2023 global market size of $2.89 billion as a baseline, the estimated market shares are as follows (calculated from reported revenues):

For a visual representation, here’s an approximate bar chart of market shares for the top firms (using ASCII art for illustration):

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Market Share of Top Expert Network Firms (2023 Estimates)

GLG: █████████████████ (17%)

AlphaSights: ████████████ (12%)

Guidepoint: ██████████ (10%)

Third Bridge: █████ (5%)

Atheneum: ███ (3%)

Coleman: ███ (3%)

Others: █████████████████████████████████████████████████ (50%)

The compensation packages offered by these firms are a significant draw, making expert networks an attractive career pivot for finance professionals seeking high-impact, flexible roles. Industry-wide, job growth has mirrored the sector’s expansion, with the U.S. market alone projected to grow by 4.3% in 2025, following a 7.0% CAGR from 2020-2025. Globally, the industry has seen an average annual growth of 18% since 2015, leading to increased hiring in roles such as expert recruiters, compliance officers, and research analysts. However, recent trends show a stabilization in job postings, with 250-450 open positions industry-wide as of 2024—down 60% from peak levels amid cost-optimization efforts like office relocations.

As the demand for real-time, specialized knowledge grows—driven by private equity rebound and AI integrations—the expert network industry shows no signs of slowing down. With a projected global market exceeding $3 billion in 2025 and job opportunities expanding at a steady clip, Guidepoint Global and its peers are driving innovation and opportunity in this dynamic space.