Coleman Research
One of the original expert network pioneers, founded in 2003 and now operating as VISASQ/COLEMAN after its $102M acquisition by Japan's VisasQ in 2021. Provides expert consultations, custom research, and survey services with a global footprint spanning 7 offices.
Services
Best For
When Not Ideal
Key Strengths
- ✓ One of the longest-operating expert networks (founded 2003) with unmatched institutional experience
- ✓ VISASQ/COLEMAN combination creates unique US-Japan-Asia bridge with 650,000+ experts
- ✓ Strong compliance culture refined over 20+ years of serving regulated financial institutions
- ✓ Kevin Coleman remains as CEO, providing continuity and deep industry relationships
- ✓ White-glove service model with dedicated project managers for each engagement
- ✓ Custom recruiting capability — ~20% of experts are custom-sourced per project with sub-24-hour turnaround
- ✓ Dedicated Life Sciences team for pharma, biotech, and medical device research (since July 2023)
- ✓ Publicly listed parent (VisasQ/TSE) ensures financial transparency and governance
- ✓ 7 global offices providing local presence across major financial centers
Watch-outs
- ⚠ VisasQ recorded JPY 14.6B goodwill write-off on Coleman in April 2024 due to US revenue shortfall
- ⚠ Integration of two different company cultures (Japanese tech platform + US service firm) remains ongoing
- ⚠ Less technology-forward than AI-native competitors like Techspert or NewtonX
- ⚠ Stock decline (VisasQ shares down 84% from 2021 peak) may create uncertainty about long-term investment
- ⚠ Service-led model may have higher costs compared to self-service or AI-driven platforms
- ⚠ Brand transition from Coleman to VISASQ/COLEMAN may cause confusion among established clients
Deep Dive
1 Overview
2 History
Kevin Coleman founded Coleman Research in 2003, drawing on his experience at Multex, a financial information service that launched during the dot-com era. Coleman recognized that investors needed more direct access to industry experts than traditional research channels provided. The company grew steadily from its base in New York, building offices across the US and expanding internationally. The transformative moment came in August 2021 when Japan's VisasQ announced it would acquire Coleman for $102 million (JPY 11.2 billion). The deal was striking: Coleman had revenues of $43.8 million — more than double VisasQ's own revenue. VisasQ valued Coleman at roughly 2.3x revenue. Kevin Coleman remained as CEO and joined the VisasQ board. Post-acquisition, however, macroeconomic headwinds hit hard. A prolonged slowdown in the US M&A market caused Coleman's revenue to fall short of expectations, leading VisasQ to record a JPY 14.6 billion goodwill write-off in April 2024. Despite this, the combined entity continued integrating operations, rebranding as VISASQ/COLEMAN in January 2023 and expanding to 650,000+ experts globally.
3 Services in Detail
Expert Consultations
One-on-one phone consultations connecting clients with vetted industry experts. Coleman's core service for over 20 years, with dedicated project managers handling expert sourcing, scheduling, and compliance. Roughly 20% of experts on any project are custom-recruited (average custom recruiting time under 24 hours). Deep coverage across financial services, healthcare, technology, and industrials.
Custom Research Projects
End-to-end research engagements combining expert interviews with analysis and reporting. Supports due diligence, competitive intelligence, and market entry studies with deliverables ranging from raw transcripts to executive-ready reports.
Survey Services
Quantitative survey research leveraging Coleman's 650,000+ expert network for targeted B2B sampling. Supports market sizing, pricing research, and competitive benchmarking across industries.
Life Sciences Consulting
Dedicated US life sciences team (established July 2023) providing specialized expert access for pharma, biotech, and medical device sectors. Supports clinical, regulatory, and commercial due diligence with healthcare-specific compliance protocols.
Cross-Border Asia-US Research
Unique capability combining Coleman's US/European depth with VisasQ's 175,000+ Japanese experts and Asian network. Enables seamless cross-border research for investors and companies evaluating opportunities across Western and Asian markets.
Hosted Events & Roundtables
Webinars and moderated roundtables featuring senior industry experts, providing clients with broader thematic perspectives beyond individual consultations.
4 AI & Platform
Coleman Research has historically been a service-led rather than technology-led expert network, differentiating through human relationships and white-glove project management. Pre-acquisition, Coleman developed the Coleman Exchange (a cloud-based platform connecting buy-side users with sell-side analysts) and an Expert Relationship Management (ERM) platform for buy-side firms to manage expert interactions — though the ERM product was discontinued post-acquisition to refocus on core expert network services. Coleman also operates a dedicated Compliance App that integrates with its workflow software, blocking consultation scheduling if an expert fails compliance checks. Following the VisasQ acquisition, the combined entity has been integrating VisasQ's technology platform — including its spot consulting marketplace and AI-powered expert matching — with Coleman's established service model.
- ◆ Integrated VISASQ/COLEMAN platform for global expert access
- ◆ Multilingual expert search spanning English, Japanese, and other languages
- ◆ Technology-enhanced expert matching with manual curation overlay
- ◆ Cross-border compliance management across US, European, and Asian jurisdictions
- ◆ Centralized project management across 7 global offices
- ◆ VisasQ spot consulting marketplace integration
- ◆ Dedicated Compliance App blocking ineligible consultations in real-time
5 Compliance
Coleman Research has built one of the industry's strongest compliance cultures over its 20+ year history. The company maintains a dedicated compliance team with robust MNPI policies, thorough expert vetting, and enforced cooling-off periods. As a subsidiary of publicly listed VisasQ (Tokyo Stock Exchange), Coleman operates under enhanced transparency and audit requirements. The company's compliance framework has been refined through two decades of serving hedge funds, asset managers, and other regulated financial institutions.
- ● 20+ year track record of compliance-first culture
- ● Dedicated compliance team with robust MNPI monitoring
- ● Thorough expert vetting with employment verification and conflict screening
- ● Enforced cooling-off periods across all client engagements
- ● Mandatory expert compliance training with annual re-certification
- ● Restricted companies database integrated into platform workflow
- ● Compliance App blocks scheduling if expert fails compliance checks
- ● Complete audit trail for all expert interactions
- ● Publicly listed parent company (VisasQ on Tokyo Stock Exchange) ensures enhanced transparency
- ● Cross-border compliance management spanning US, European, and Asian regulatory frameworks
Coleman Research operates under the dual oversight of US regulatory frameworks and Japanese public company requirements (as a subsidiary of TSE-listed VisasQ). The company's compliance infrastructure has been built to serve the most regulated clients in financial services, including hedge funds, asset managers, and private equity firms. Clean regulatory record over 20+ years of operation.
6 Client Fit
Coleman Research is best suited for clients who value long-standing relationships, consistent service quality, and a compliance-first approach. The VISASQ/COLEMAN combination is particularly compelling for organizations needing cross-border research spanning the US, Europe, and Asia — especially Japan. Clients seeking a pure technology platform may prefer AI-native networks, as Coleman's strength lies in its human-led service model.
- → Financial institutions requiring compliance-first expert access with deep industry coverage
- → Asset managers and hedge funds conducting investment due diligence across sectors
- → Companies evaluating cross-border opportunities between Western and Asian markets
- → Consulting firms needing reliable expert sourcing with consistent service quality
- → Healthcare and life sciences organizations requiring specialized clinical expertise
7 Notable Facts
- • Founded in 2003 by Kevin Coleman, making it one of the original expert network pioneers alongside GLG
- • Acquired by Japan's VisasQ for $102 million in 2021 — Coleman had more than twice VisasQ's revenue at the time
- • Coleman's pre-acquisition transaction volume exceeded $43 million annually
- • Combined entity operates as VISASQ/COLEMAN with 650,000+ experts across 7 offices globally
- • Kevin Coleman's background at Multex (dot-com era financial information service) inspired the expert network model
- • VisasQ recorded a JPY 14.6 billion goodwill write-off on Coleman in April 2024
- • Combined entity has 600+ employees and serves 1,000+ clients worldwide
- • 175,000 of the combined network's experts are based in Japan — the deepest Japanese coverage in the industry
- • Kevin Coleman was a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in NYC (2010)
- • ~20% of experts on any project are custom-recruited with sub-24-hour average recruiting time
- • Established dedicated Life Sciences team in the US in July 2023
- • Previously developed ERM (Expert Relationship Management) SaaS platform, discontinued post-acquisition to refocus
8 Source Notes & Methodology
- ℹ VISASQ/COLEMAN official website (colemanrg.com) — company overview, services, and about page
- ℹ Bloomberg (August 2021) — acquisition announcement ($102M purchase price)
- ℹ VisasQ corporate IR (corp.visasq.co.jp) — acquisition details, goodwill write-off, financial disclosures
- ℹ PR Newswire (November 2021) — acquisition completion announcement
- ℹ Canaccord Genuity — financial advisor to Coleman on the sale ($103M+)
- ℹ INEX ONE Expert Network Directory — Coleman Research profile and industry context
- ℹ Integrity Research (December 2021) — expert network M&A frenzy coverage
- ℹ PR Newswire (July 2023) — Life Sciences team establishment announcement
- ℹ Expert Opportunities — Coleman Research review with expert/consultant perspective and pricing details
- ℹ Crunchbase — Kevin Coleman founder profile and background
- ℹ Traders Magazine — Coleman Exchange platform launch details
- ℹ CB Insights — company profile and leadership information
9 Data Confidence Ratings
Each data point in this profile is graded for source confidence. Here's what each badge means:
This profile's ratings
10 How We Researched This
This profile was researched and written by the ExpertNetworks.net editorial team using a multi-source methodology:
- Primary sources: Company website, press releases, SEC/regulatory filings, and official announcements
- Third-party verification: Industry reports (Integrity Research, Inex One), news coverage (TechCrunch, Bloomberg, FT), and data aggregators (PitchBook, Tracxn, Crunchbase)
- Cross-referencing: Claims were checked against multiple independent sources where possible; single-source claims are flagged
- Confidence grading: Each data point is rated as Verified, Positioning (company-claimed), or Inference (estimated from indirect evidence)
We do not accept payment from any expert network for inclusion or favorable coverage. If you spot an error, contact us with the correction and source.
Last fact-checked: 2026-03-07