Ideally raises $13.4m to disrupt slow-moving market research industry

Ideally has raised A$13.4 million in Series A funding as it looks to reinvent the $90 billion market research industry, replacing slow and costly legacy models with real-time, AI-powered insights.

The round was led by Shearwater Capital, with support from Altered Capital, Icehouse Ventures and Ecliptic VC, valuing the company at over A$83 million.

Rethinking research for modern marketers

Ideally is positioning itself as a faster, more accessible alternative to traditional research, delivering consumer insights overnight at a fraction of the cost.

James Donald

CEO James Donald said the industry has failed to keep pace with modern marketing needs.

“Market research hasn’t kept pace with the modern marketer, and brands are drowning in data but starved of insight they can actually use,” he said.

“So we built something different: real human insight, fast enough to fuel creativity, accessible enough for every team doing the work.”

The platform uses real consumer data, with AI enhancing both question design and analysis to support faster decision-making.

Strong growth and global expansion

More than 250 brands across APAC and the US, including DoorDash, Telstra, Google and Asahi, are already using the platform.

The funding will accelerate expansion into the US, where Ideally opened a New York office earlier this year and has since grown revenue by 350%.

Lauren Nikolareas, Head of Marketing, Digital Health at Bupa Australia, said the platform has shifted how teams approach decision-making.

“Ideally has changed how our marketing team walks into a room. In a field where everyone has an opinion, it gives us the evidence to back our instincts and move with confidence.

Zac Zavos, Managing Partner at Shearwater Capital, said the platform’s speed is driving adoption.

“Once marketers experience the speed of overnight responses, it becomes indispensable,” he said.

New product launch

Alongside the raise, Ideally has launched Ideally Canvas, a product designed to provide a continuously updated view of consumer behaviour rather than static research snapshots.

The tool builds a compounding dataset over time, helping brands understand shifting consumer sentiment and make more informed creative and commercial decisions.

Donald said the pace of change makes traditional research models increasingly outdated.

“Consumer sentiment moves in dog years these days. The biggest risk in marketing is making a bold call based on who your customer was half a year ago, let alone 18 months ago”

Main image: Ideally

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