Company lists · Data refreshed September 2026

Top 25 Research and advisory firms based in Chicago, United States

Name: Research and advisory firms based in Chicago, United States
Creator: RevenueBase
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Compiled by the RevenueBase Data Team Data refreshed Sep 21, 2026 196 companies tracked

RevenueBase identified 196 research and advisory firms headquartered in Chicago, United States as of September 2026 and tracks 23,244 professional contacts across them, including 11,093 with verified work emails. New York is the largest hub.

This list covers research and advisory firms headquartered in Chicago, United States, matched on what each company actually does as described in its own words. Ranked by team size, largest first. Every row shows the company's own description, its RevenueBase Smart Search rating, and when it was last checked. Data refreshed September 21, 2026.

Published by RevenueBase, a B2B data infrastructure company. This list was built with RevenueBase Smart Search, the natural-language company search RevenueBase customers use to build their own targeted lists and unlock verified emails and direct dials at the companies on them. How these lists are built and judged.

How to read this list HQ checked on every row RevenueBase Smart Search rating on every row Refreshed Sep 21, 2026 86% judged on-target in blind review

196Companies

23,244Contacts tracked

11,093Verified emails

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The 25 largest research and advisory firms based in Chicago, United States

Ranked by team size

Top 25 of 196 research and advisory firms based in Chicago, United States, ranked by team size, largest first. Data refreshed Sep 21, 2026. RevenueBase Smart Search rates how each company's information relates to research and advisory firms: strong evidence (its own description names it), partial (names part of it), indirect (matched on the rest of its profile rather than the description shown). Click a contact count to view that company's people.
#	Company	RevenueBase Smart Search	Headquarters	Employees	Contacts
1	Morningstar	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	10001+	11,150 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Morningstar, Inc.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
2	Kearney	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	5,001-10,000	6,978 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “As one of the original firms, we’ve never lost sight of the fact that consulting is a people business.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
3	Lincoln International	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	1,001-5,000	1,489 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Lincoln International, Inc.(NYSE: LCLN) is a trusted investment banking advisor to business owners and senior executives of leading private equity firms and their portfolio…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
4	STOUT	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	1,001-5,000	1,345 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Stout is a global advisory firm specializing in corporate finance, accounting and transaction advisory, valuation, financial disputes, claims, and investigations.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
5	Kaufman Hall	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	201-500	585 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “For nearly 40 years, Kaufman Hall has provided independent, objective insights grounded in sound data and analysis to help clients fulfill their missions, achieve their goals, and…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
6	Blackstone Group	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	51-200	229 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Blackstone Group is a full-service custom marketing research and consulting firm providing clients with actionable insights for over 25 years.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
7	Livingstone	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	51-200	207 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Livingstone is an international mid-market M&A and debt advisory firm with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Los Angeles, Madrid…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
8	Technomic, INC	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	51-200	159 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Technomic Inc, an Informa company, was founded as a management consulting firm in 1966.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
9	Ocean Tomo, A Part Of J.S. Held	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	51-200	87 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Established in 2003, Ocean Tomo, LLC provides Financial Expert, Management Consulting, and Advisory services related to intellectual property (IP) and other intangible assets…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
10	Houlihan Capital	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	53 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Houlihan Capital is a leading, solutions-driven valuation, financial advisory and investment banking firm committed to delivering superior client value and thought leadership in…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
11	SB Friedman Development Advisors	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	47 contacts →
	Partial evidence “SB Friedman Development Advisors (SB Friedman) provides analytical, strategic and financial consulting services in support of complex, high-impact development projects.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
12	Epsilon Economics	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	45 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Epsilon Economics, a subsidiary of Epsilon Xi, is a firm of economists and financial analysts specializing in economic analysis, analytics, and strategy.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
13	Minding Your Business	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	n/a	42 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “At MYB (Minding Your Business), we believe that if you dare to look at things differently the possibilities are endless.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
14	RED Chalk Group	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	38 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Red Chalk Group is a professional services firm and strategic advisor to senior management on issues related to top-line growth, disruptive technology, key mega-trends, and…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
15	Navigate	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	36 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Navigate is a trusted advisor to leading brands and organizations in sports and entertainment.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
16	Cook M&a Advisory Services	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	27 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Cook M&A is recognized as one of the leading buy side M&A advisory firms in the industry.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
17	Helios Healthcare Advisors	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	22 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Helios Healthcare Advisors is an independent corporate advisory firm that provides strategic and financial advice on mergers & acquisitions, recapitalizations, and private…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
18	Livingpath	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	21 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “LivingPath is a leading competitive market data analytics firm.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
19	Terrana Group LLC	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	20 contacts →
	Partial evidence “TERRANA GROUP since 1992, a top nationally recognized Financial Advisor recruiting firm and business development consulting company for Advisor and Stockbroker placements with…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
20	Peregrine Economics	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	18 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Peregrine Economics provides independent economic and financial analysis.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
21	Upfield Group	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	1-10	18 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Upfield Consulting: As the founding arm of Upfield Group, our consulting division was built upon collaborations and growth strategy within the ag & food, sustainability, and…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
22	T4 Associates	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	1-10	16 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Since 2006, we have offered unique customer insights essential for our clients to make informed business decisions-and we deliver.(Our own Net Promoter Score is 86%, and nearly…” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
23	The Chicago Corporation	Indirect evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	11-50	15 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “After 15 successful years, The Chicago Corporation (TCC) will be winding down operations at year end 2024.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
24	AZA Capital Management	Partial evidence	Chicago, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	1-10	15 contacts →
	Partial evidence “Founded in 1997, AZA Capital Management is a boutique, independent investment advisory firm.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026
25	Bruk Consulting	Indirect evidence	Chicago, United StatesHQ checked Sep 21, 2026	1-10	12 contacts →
	Indirect evidence “Results-oriented strategists and thought partners who transform data into actionable insights to solve our clients’ highest priority challenges.” Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 21, 2026

RevenueBase Smart Search

RevenueBase Smart Search assesses information from a company’s LinkedIn profile, information supplied directly by the company, its website, and other publicly available sources. It uses that information to rate how closely the company relates to this list’s category: research and advisory firms. Every row carries its rating and the description the rating was read from, so each one can be checked rather than taken on trust.

Strong evidence: The company's own public description of its business names research and advisory firms.
Partial evidence: Its own public description names part of research and advisory firms, so it works in or next to the category without describing itself that way.
Indirect evidence: The description shown does not name research and advisory firms. The match rests on the rest of the company's public profile rather than the one sentence quoted here, so this is the rating to check first.

RevenueBase Smart Search is how these lists are built: RevenueBase's data engine and AI assemble the companies that match a category defined in a user's own words, so a list can be about what companies actually do rather than about whichever industry code they were filed under.

Showing 25 of 196 research and advisory firms based in Chicago, United States

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Research and advisory firms based in Chicago, United States at a glance

As of Sep 21, 2026

47.7%Verified-email coverage

118.6Average contacts per company

1-10Median size (employees)

441.3%Largest-city concentration · New York

Sep 21, 2026Page data refreshed

Companies by employee count

1-10

130

11-50

51-200

201-500

1,001-5,000

5,001-10,000

10001+

Email recency for this list is measured across the whole United States list rather than for Chicago, so it is reported there. Company counts and contact totals on this page are exact for Chicago, over 196 companies.

How this list was built

Company categories are rarely black and white. RevenueBase reads each company's own description of its business to decide whether it belongs among research and advisory firms, so some rows will be adjacent to the category rather than pure plays. The description and RevenueBase Smart Search rating on every row are there so you can check each match yourself.

Source: The RevenueBase company graph: 60 million companies and 398.9 million professional contacts resolved from primary sources, queried with RevenueBase Smart Search, the natural-language company search available to every RevenueBase user.
What qualifies: Companies headquartered in Chicago, United States whose own description of what they do matches “research and advisory firms”. Matching reads each company's description, not its industry code or its name.
RevenueBase Smart Search: RevenueBase Smart Search is how this list is assembled and how each row is rated. RevenueBase's data engine and AI assess a company's LinkedIn profile, information supplied directly by the company, its website and other publicly available information, then relate it to a category defined in a user's own words. Each row is rated strong evidence (its own description names research and advisory firms), partial evidence (it names part of the category) or indirect evidence (the description shown names none of it and the match rests on the rest of the company's profile). The description supporting each rating is quoted on the row.
What we exclude: Companies whose own description does not clearly place them among research and advisory firms, and records with no verified work email. Companies headquartered outside Chicago are excluded even when they keep an office there.
Match quality: In blind human judging of this matching method, 86% of matched companies were on target. Expect roughly 1 in 7 rows to be adjacent to the category rather than a pure play. Every row shows the company's own description and its RevenueBase Smart Search rating so you can judge each match yourself. Read the full methodology: how the lists are built, how the judging worked, and what the figure means.
Ranking: Team size, largest first: companies are ordered by the number of professionals RevenueBase tracks at each one. Employee ranges shown are reported bands, for context.
Verification: Every listed company carries at least one verified work email, 11,093 across the full list. Contacts re-verify on a rolling cadence, and each contact's own verification date is shown inside RevenueBase.
Refresh: This page's figures were pulled from the company graph on September 21, 2026. Lists refresh periodically as the graph is re-checked.
Corrections: Wrong category, wrong headquarters, or a company that has closed? Use “Report an issue” on any row. Reports go to the RevenueBase Data Team and feed back into the company graph.

Research and advisory firms by metro in the United States

Research and advisory firms in New York865
Research and advisory firms in Washington376
Research and advisory firms in Chicago196
Research and advisory firms in Los Angeles171
Research and advisory firms in Boston159
Research and advisory firms in Atlanta148
Research and advisory firms in San Francisco130
Research and advisory firms in Miami115
Research and advisory firms in Austin112
Research and advisory firms in Dallas101
Research and advisory firms in Houston95
Research and advisory firms in Seattle77
Research and advisory firms in Arlington76
Research and advisory firms in San Diego68
Research and advisory firms in Denver67
Research and advisory firms in New York City61
Research and advisory firms in Minneapolis60
Research and advisory firms in Charlotte59
Research and advisory firms in Philadelphia47
Research and advisory firms in Alexandria46
Research and advisory firms in Phoenix44
Research and advisory firms in Las Vegas42
Research and advisory firms in Orlando41
Research and advisory firms in Portland41
Research and advisory firms in Tampa37
Research and advisory firms in Irvine35
Research and advisory firms in Wilmington35
Research and advisory firms in San Jose33
Research and advisory firms in Pittsburgh32
Research and advisory firms in Columbus31
Research and advisory firms in Raleigh30
Research and advisory firms in Cincinnati29
Research and advisory firms in Mclean29
Research and advisory firms in Nashville29
Research and advisory firms in Boca Raton28
Research and advisory firms in San Antonio28
Research and advisory firms in Bethesda27
Research and advisory firms in Cambridge26
Research and advisory firms in Reston26
Research and advisory firms in Princeton25
Research and advisory firms in Richmond25

Frequently asked

What is RevenueBase Smart Search?

RevenueBase Smart Search is how RevenueBase decides which companies belong on this list and how strongly each one fits. Its data engine and AI assess a company's LinkedIn profile, information supplied directly by the company, its website and other publicly available information, then relate it to the category the list is about. Each row is rated strong evidence when the company's own description names research and advisory firms, partial evidence when it names part of the category, and indirect evidence when the description shown names none of it and the match rests on the rest of the company's profile.

How many research and advisory firms are there based in Chicago, United States?

RevenueBase identified 196 research and advisory firms headquartered in Chicago, United States as of September 2026, matched on each company's own description of what it does rather than its industry code.

What is the largest company on this list?

Morningstar, headquartered in Chicago, tops this list with the largest team on record.

Which city has the most research and advisory firms?

New York leads with 865 headquartered companies, followed by Washington (376) and Chicago (196).

How do I get contact information for these companies?

A free RevenueBase account lets you run this exact search and work the top results, verified emails and direct dials included. Upgrading unlocks all 11,093 verified decision-maker contacts tracked across these 196 companies.

How current is this list?

The list refreshes periodically as the company graph is re-checked. This page's figures were pulled on September 21, 2026.

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About this data

RevenueBase is a B2B data infrastructure company. Its company graph covers 60 million companies and 398.9 million professional contacts, with emails verified on a rolling cadence rather than scraped once and left to decay. These company lists are generated directly from that graph with RevenueBase Smart Search, the same natural-language company search every RevenueBase user has: describe a market in plain words, get the companies that match, and add verified emails and direct dials for the people at them. It is the same data that powers RevenueBase's B2B data products, and a free account includes 500 credits to start. How these lists are built and judged.