Ipsos Takes Majority Stake in Askia

Ipsos has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in survey technology provider Askia, and says it will tap the firm's expertise and technology to develop the 'survey platform of the future'.

Founded in the mid-1990s by Jérôme Sopoçko and Patrick George Lassale, Askia offers tools for collecting, analysing, reporting and visualising on- and off-line data, and has more than 150 clients, both research providers and clients. With subsidiaries in France, the UK, Germany and the US it has annual revenues of around EUR 5 Million euros (£4.2m). The two co-founders will continue to co-manage Askia following the buy.

Ipsos and Askia have been working together for a year on the co-development of the DIY solutions that power online research platform Ipsos.Digital, launched in November 2019 under the leadership of CEO Andrei Postoaca.

The global giant says the new platform will 'go way beyond equivalence of current software solutions on the market today and provide a new paradigm for the market research industry'. Chairman and CEO Didier Truchot comments: 'The more we worked with Askia, the more we realised the strength and depth of their technology and the more we valued the people we were working with. We understood quite quickly that there was an opportunity to not only invest in the solutions but in the business as well - for the benefit of Ipsos, Askia and our respective clients'.

Sopoçko says of the deal: 'Joining forces with a company like Ipsos is a dream come true. We have been extremely impressed with their expertise, attitude and commitment to helping us to create the next generation of survey platform. The future of interviewing is not linear or browser-based. Whether the respondent chooses to type, talk or visualise their answer - in-stream analysis and decision making is required. This will allow instant recognition of intent, sentiment and attitude. It will result in the dynamic presentation of feedback and conversation management'.

Ipsos is present in 90 markets and employs more than 18,000 people. Web sites: www.ipsos.com and www.askia.com .