Corporate and market intelligence
Discreet, reliable insight into a competitor, counterparty, market or threat, with fact separated from claim and inference and a confidence grade on each.
Discreet inquiries into competitors, counterparties, markets and reputational exposure.
Some decisions depend on information that is not in any annual report: who really controls a counterparty, how a competitor is entering a market, or who is behind a campaign against your brand. Corporate intelligence gathers that information lawfully and tells you how far to rely on it.
Our analysts work across public and lawfully accessible sources. Our field team adds discreet human-source enquiries in the market. Networks of ownership and influence are mapped, and developments can be monitored over time rather than captured once.
Every brief separates three things: what is established fact, what a source has reported and what we infer. Each is graded for confidence, so you know where the evidence is strong and where it is not.
You need discreet, reliable insight into a competitor, counterparty, market or reputational threat.
Signs we see most often
- 01You are entering a new market or region and need a reliable picture of the players.
- 02A counterparty in a negotiation or dispute is not what it presents itself to be.
- 03Your brand or leadership is the target of rumours, campaigns or hostile activity.
- 04A competitor's growth or pricing does not match what is publicly known.
- 05You need to understand the influences around a tender, project or approval.
Scoped in writing, run by one accountable team.
Every engagement starts with agreed questions, a reporting line and a confidentiality protocol. The steps below are how this service usually runs; we adapt them to your matter.
- 01QuestionAgree the intelligence question and how the answer will be used.
- 02ResearchSearch public records, filings, media and lawfully accessible databases.
- 03EnquireRun discreet human-source enquiries in the market.
- 04MapChart ownership, networks and influence.
- 05GradeGrade each item for source reliability and information credibility.
- 06BriefDeliver an intelligence brief and, where needed, ongoing monitoring.
An intelligence brief that separates fact from reported claim and inference, with a confidence grade for each.
- An intelligence brief that separates fact, reported claim and inference
- Network and ownership maps
- Confidence grades for every key finding
- Monitoring updates on an agreed cycle where developments continue
The law and frameworks this work is aligned to
- DPDP Act, 2023 for lawful and proportionate processing of personal data
- Information Technology Act, 2000: no unauthorised access to systems or accounts
- Competition Act, 2002: no exchange of competitively sensitive information
- Admiralty-style grading of source reliability and information credibility
References show the standard the work is built to. They do not imply accreditation or endorsement by the bodies that publish them.
This is a summary of the service. For a deeper understanding of how it would work for your organisation, please reach out to us.
Talk to a BDI partnerQuestions clients ask before we start.
Is this legal?
Yes, as we run it. We use public and lawfully accessible sources and discreet enquiries. We do not use pretexting, hacking or private bank, phone or e-mail records, and the client is never named to a source.
How reliable is human-source information?
It varies, which is why every item is graded. A claim from one source is reported as a claim. It becomes a finding only when it is corroborated.
Can you watch a situation over several months?
Yes. Monitoring can run on an agreed cycle, with alerts when something material changes.