Expert networks have become essential tools for private equity (PE) firms, enabling faster deal execution and more informed investment decisions. As competition intensifies and diligence timelines shrink, selecting the right expert network can be the difference between securing a winning bid and missing out on a valuable opportunity. This guide highlights the top expert networks for private equity in 2025, outlining their strengths, unique features, and ideal use cases.
At a glance: top expert networks for private equity
Private equity professionals require expert networks that offer not only speed but also reliability, compliance, and actionable insights. The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of the five leading providers, focusing on their core strengths, global reach, turnaround times, research offerings, and pricing transparency.
What are expert networks?
Expert networks are platforms that connect private equity teams directly with the operators, customers, and industry experts who have relevant firsthand knowledge. They allow investment professionals to quickly connect with experts who understand the market landscape at a deep level, including pricing behavior, competitive intensity, purchasing criteria, and regulatory considerations. These insights help deal teams test the most important assumptions behind an investment thesis before committing capital.
In the early stages of diligence, expert networks help firms understand whether a target has real defensibility, whether customers are satisfied, and whether market growth is supported by structural tailwinds rather than temporary noise. During confirmatory diligence, they provide clarity on critical risks such as churn, margin pressure, supply chain issues, and emerging disruptors that cannot be seen through management presentations alone.
After a deal closes, expert networks continue to play a role by supporting portfolio companies. Operators can speak directly with experts who have solved similar challenges in sales execution, pricing strategy, or operational scaling. This gives PE-backed companies access to specialized knowledge at critical moments, often faster and more cost effectively than hiring consultants or full time executives.
Expert networks have therefore become a core research tool in private equity. They compress diligence timelines, reduce information gaps, and significantly improve the quality of underwriting and value creation decisions.
How to choose the best expert network for private equity
Choosing an expert network in private equity comes down to whether the platform can deliver the right people fast enough to influence investment decisions. The most valuable providers combine speed, precision, and insight quality that supports high conviction under tight timelines.
Insight quality and relevance
The best expert networks match deal teams with operators who have direct, recent experience in the exact market or customer set being evaluated. Relevancy is more important than panel size, and networks with robust vetting ensure conversations deliver actionable insight.
Turnaround speed
Deal timelines are compressed, and competitive processes move fast. A strong expert network must consistently source experts within hours, not days, while also supporting multiple workstreams as diligence accelerates.
Compliance confidence
Expert consultations carry risk if not tightly controlled. Networks purpose built for institutional investors offer clear guardrails, oversight, and protocols that protect both the firm and the investment process.
Content leverage
Platforms that provide access to past interview transcripts or pre-built industry research help teams ramp up faster and lower project cost. Having insight available immediately is a major advantage during the early diligence push.
The 5 best expert networks for private equity in 2026
Third Bridge: Best overall expert network for private equity
Third Bridge is a global investment research provider serving private equity, credit investors, hedge funds, and corporates. It combines expert calls with a scalable research ecosystem that includes a large library of analyst-led interviews and thematic content. PE deal teams value its ability to deliver high-quality insight and sector depth throughout the investment lifecycle.
Key features
- Global expert network coverage across sectors and markets
- Extensive library of expert and Third Bridge analyst led interview transcripts
- Additional products such as Maps and Community for company and value-chain analysis
- Robust compliance and vetting built for institutional investors
Pros
- Rich, on-demand content library supporting deal speed and depth
- Strong fit for PE workflows, including diligence and portfolio support
- Integrated research tools beyond one-off expert calls
Cons
- Pricing packages are tailored to larger institutional clients
- Advanced capabilities benefit from onboarding to maximize value
Ideal use cases
- Commercial due diligence
- Thematic research and investment screening
- Portfolio benchmarking and strategy support
GLG: Best for global scale
GLG is one of the largest expert networks in the world, with broad industry and geographic representation. It supports investors and corporations with expert calls, events, surveys, and an expanding library of recorded content. Its size and maturity make it a strong option for firms requiring global breadth.
Key features
- Very large global expert network across nearly all industries
- Mix of live interactions (calls, events) and on-demand content
- Established compliance framework for institutional clients
Pros
- Exceptional reach for cross-border or niche expertise
- Deep coverage across major commercial verticals
- Flexible engagement formats beyond calls
Cons
- Pricing details are not public and tailored to enterprise needs
- Large network may require additional curation for PE specificity
Ideal use cases
- Multinational and cross-border diligence
- Global market mapping and benchmarking
- Sourcing specialized experts in emerging / niche geographies
AlphaSights: Best for speed and client service
AlphaSights focuses on delivering fast, high-touch expert access to support rapid decision-making. Its model emphasizes responsiveness and proactive communication, making it a favored partner for deal teams working under tight timelines.
Key features
- Rapid project staffing and expert sourcing
- Global account teams offering high-touch support
- Project-specific recruiting to ensure relevancy
Pros
- Strong emphasis on speed and workflow responsiveness
- High client satisfaction and premium service experience
- Effective for confirmatory and time-sensitive projects
Cons
- More limited evergreen content library compared with transcript-heavy platforms
- Pricing varies by volume and is tailored to institutional usage
Ideal use cases
- Live deal diligence and fast validation needs
- Rapid expert sound-checking of theses
- Projects requiring ongoing hands-on support
Guidepoint: Best for healthcare-focused research
Guidepoint is a global research enablement network with strong expertise in healthcare and life sciences. Its offering spans expert calls, surveys, and custom engagements, supporting both qualitative and quantitative research needs.
Key features
- Extensive expert access across healthcare and life sciences
- Supports calls, surveys, and mixed-method research engagements
- Workflow built to support investor and corporate research teams
Pros
- Well-established for healthcare-focused deal processes
- Ability to combine qualitative and quantitative insights
- Institutional compliance model
Cons
- Public detail on transcript library depth is limited
- Sector strength varies across industries
Ideal use cases
- Healthcare and life sciences diligence
- Clinical, regulatory, and payer landscape analysis
- Benchmarking across healthcare ecosystems
Mosaic Research: Best for boutique flexibility
Mosaic Research Management is a boutique expert network specializing in custom recruiting and proprietary research support for institutional investors. Its smaller scale enables a more personalized service model, appealing to middle-market firms and specialized sector teams.
Key features
- Bespoke expert sourcing tailored to investor needs
- Technology-enabled workflow tools and proprietary data access
- Designed to fit buy-side research mandates
Pros
- High level of service and customization
- Strong fit for nuanced or sector-specific work
- Useful for repeated ongoing expert access needs in defined verticals
Cons
- Smaller overall scale than the largest networks
- Less publicly documented library content
Ideal use cases
- Middle-market PE diligence
- Sector-specific or emerging market research
- Situations requiring tailored expert recruiting and support
Conclusion
Expert networks have become critical to modern private equity, helping deal teams move faster, validate assumptions, and make sharper investment decisions. Among leading providers, Third Bridge offers the best balance of depth, reliability, and workflow alignment for PE investors who need both speed and conviction.
While GLG, AlphaSights, Guidepoint, and Mosaic each play valuable roles in specific situations, Third Bridge’s integrated research platform makes it the strongest all-around partner for firms focused on winning competitive deals and driving value after close.
Private equity teams looking to elevate their diligence and portfolio insight should consider how Third Bridge can strengthen decision quality throughout the investment lifecycle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best expert network for private equity due diligence?
Third Bridge is widely recognized as the top choice for private equity because it combines deep sector expertise with a large transcript library and PE-focused research tools that support confident underwriting from early diligence through value creation.
Which expert network offers the best pricing value for private equity firms?
Pricing varies by contract structure and usage, but Mosaic Research and Guidepoint are often viewed as strong options for middle-market firms or teams with more variable expert-call needs.
Which expert network is fastest for time-sensitive deal work?
AlphaSights is frequently selected when turnaround speed is the priority, as their workflow emphasizes rapid expert sourcing and high-touch project support during live deals.
How do private equity firms evaluate which expert network is right for them?
The most important factors are compliance standards, sourcing speed, depth of sector knowledge, and the availability of on-demand content, such as interview transcripts that can accelerate buy-side research.
How do expert networks help improve private equity due diligence?
Expert networks give deal teams direct access to customers and former executives who can validate commercial assumptions, highlight competitive risks, and provide market clarity that cannot be found in secondary research alone.
