Hootology, a market research platform marrying trusted research principles with modern technology, today announced a $1.1 million pre-seed round and the launch of HOOQZ, a GenAI-powered market research tool that hosts dynamic discussions in simulated environments to gain qualitative insights at quantitative scale. Hootology, which has an established client base of Fortune 100 companies and has been operating since 2016, will use the investment to further advance its product suite and support team growth.

The marketing research and analysis services market is worth an estimated $83 billion, yet many of the insights used by marketers and strategists are woefully inaccurate. Outdated research tactics and serious fraud scandals have made it challenging for those who rely on market research to discern what data and research can be trusted to deliver valuable insights into consumer preferences and trends.

Enter HOOQZ (pronounced hʊks) by Hootology, a new research platform providing a modern solution to dated surveys and focus groups with interactive, GenAI-powered experiences: dynamic discussions in simulated environments that respond to human input in real time. Immersive, in-conversation analysis dramatically increases engagement and enables market researchers to quantify qualitative information, allowing for a deeper understanding of the "whys" behind consumer decision-making at scale.

“By creating dynamic discussions that develop according to participant input in real time, our platform doesn’t just gather data, it curates smart conversations to uncover qual-level sentiments at quant-level scale, narrowing the gap between ‘think’ and ‘know,’” explained Stefanie Francis, Founder and CEO of Hootology. “When strategy is rooted in real understanding—honest, textured, human understanding—it leads to better decisions, stronger connections, and brands that actually resonate with their audiences. And that’s what we’re all about.”

"Hootology is one of the most data and insights-obsessed teams I've worked with, and it shows in the product they've created,” said Tammy Halevy, Executive Director of Reimagine Main Street, a project of the Public Private Strategies Institute. “The nuanced and actionable data it provides, getting at the heart of needs and perceptions in a reliable way, makes it one of the best tools to help us create large-scale strategy I've seen in a long time."

By releasing HOOQZ, Hootology is doing more than creating a new platform or tool; it’s setting a new standard, ensuring marketers, strategists, and innovators that the data they gather is accurate and actionable. It’s the difference between thinking you know your customer and truly understanding them. To learn more, visit: hootology.com.

About Hootology

Founded in 2016 by Stefanie Francis, Hootology marries sound research principles with modern technology to maximize the effectiveness of marketing and strategy initiatives. Hootology’s HOOQZ (pronounced hʊks) drives rich, nuanced insights into how consumers develop and maintain loyalty to the products and services they purchase, delivering qualitative insights at a quantitative scale. To learn more, visit: hootology.com.

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