About Markteffect

Our approach

Whatever your research question may be, we can help you with it. We don't just do what you ask us to do; we want to really understand your research question before we get started. By listening carefully to you, analyzing your question, and only then giving advice, we ensure relevance. Because that's what really matters. With over 30 years of experience, we know the research market inside out and have in-depth industry-specific market knowledge. This helps us not only to understand what you are asking of us, but also to put your situation in the right context. That is why we are happy to provide you with appropriate advice. We use a proven approach, in which collaboration with our clients is central.

We are one of the five largest research agencies in the Netherlands and a major player in the field of market research. This is thanks to the excellent work of our team, our satisfied customers, and the philosophy of both founders: a customer is like a good friend, and that is how we treat them.

“When a client comes to visit, it's nice to see everyone greet them or strike up a conversation. Out of interest, just as you would do when friends come to visit at home.”-Hesam Fahimi, co-founder Markteffect CEO of The Relevance Group Benelux

Award-winning agency

Our team is committed to providing our clients with the best possible research process every day. From identifying the problem to applying the right research method and delivering the results and advice. Everything to help the client with strategic issues. That hard work has been rewarded several times in recent years with various professional awards, such as Data & Insights Agency of the Year 2025, Emerce100 Agency, and FD Gazelle. 

Our team

The concept of happy people = happy customers = happy company permeates our vision. In addition to the high quality of our reports, working with us is not only useful, but also enjoyable. From our offices in Amsterdam and Eindhoven, our enthusiastic team of specialists is ready to make your research a success. With a combination of extensive knowledge of the research market and industry-specific teams, we have the right knowledge and experience to empathize with the customer's situation. Curious about the faces behind Markteffect? Meet our team here!

In addition to our permanent team, we also have our own fieldwork team of approximately 80 flexible employees of various nationalities. They focus on data collection for various (international) research projects, both at external locations and from our own in-house call center. In addition, we have access to various (international) panels full of consumers, young people, and business decision-makers. This ensures that we always provide the right data collection for your research. You can find more information about the fieldwork team or the panel here.

History

Our story begins in 2007 at Rachelsmolen 1 in Eindhoven. Straight out of school, students Edgar de Beule, Hesam Fahimi, and then-market research lecturer and experienced researcher Maarten van Nieuwland decided to start a research agency together. They quickly rented an office and began their journey. There were no clients, no employees, but there was a vision. A vision in which the customer is central, customer intimacy is the greatest asset, and growth is the starting point. 

Data & Insights Agency of the Year 2025 (2025)
Markteffect named the best Data & Insights Agency of the Year 2025 for the second time in five years by the professional jury of its trade association, Data & Insights Network. The jury praised Markteffect "its impressive growth and the impact it makes in making the world a little bit better."

DirectResearch continues under the name Markteffect 2025)
As of January 1, 2025, Markteffect DirectResearch havecontinued under thename Markteffect. This collaboration combines the best of both worlds. It is a logical consequence of the intensive collaboration of recent years. "It is a logical step for us to continue to grow as a single brand," explains founder and CEO Hesam Fahimi. For Fahimi, it is a special and memorable moment: "It makes us even stronger as a party that our clients can turn to for all their market research and data analytics needs." Read the full press release here.

Further expansions within The Relevance Group (2024)
In addition to Markteffect DirectResearch, the portfolio will be strengthened in 2024 by the addition of digital growth consultancy IMG, full-service mobile technology consultancy Customlytics, and Dutch digital consultancy Techonomy. With these expansions, The Relevance Group is responding to the growing demand for integrated and future-oriented solutions within market research. Read more about The Relevance Group here.

Markteffect DirectResearch become part of The Relevance Group (2024)
As of January 1, 2024, Markteffect DirectResearch will become part of The Relevance Group. The Relevance Group consists of several international agencies, each with its own specializations in market research, data science, marketing technology, and AI. This collaboration will give us more opportunities in the fields of data science, marketing technology, and AI. We will remain a research agency, but when clients have an issue that requires one of these specializations, we will also be able to help them with that. Read more about the joint venture here.

ME Research Group wins FD Gazelle Award for the tenth time (2023)
Markteffect among the fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands for the eleventh time. Every year, Het Financieele Dagblad organizes the FD Gazellen Awards: the prize for the fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands. With multiple FD Gazelle Awards, it can be concluded that we have been strongly committed to the growth of the company for over 15 years. Markteffect has now also won Markteffect award in 2024 and 2025.

DirectResearch and Team Vier become one (2021)
As of January 1, 2021, it's official: Team Vier and DirectResearch will continue together as one research powerhouse. The new entity has a familiar name: DirectResearch, yet everything is different than before. The introduction of Team Vier's expertise and experience will take the market research agency to unprecedented heights.

Data & Insights Agency of the Year 2020 (2020)
Markteffect named Data & Insights Agency of the Year 2020 by the expert jury of its trade association, Data & Insights Network (formerly MOA). This prestigious award is considered a great honor within the industry. It illustrates the pursuit of the highest quality results within a relevant and customer-focused framework.

Collaboration with DirectResearch (2020)
In 2020, Jeannetta Berghahn and Remco Frerichs sell Team Vier to the ME Research Group. Team Vier works closely with DirectResearch: the two research agencies share the same office building and start a collaboration that strengthens both parties.

DirectResearch joins the ME Research Group (2019)
DirectResearch is acquired by Eindhoven-based Markteffect in 2019 Markteffect joins the ME Research Group. There are two research agencies within the group: DirectResearch and Markteffect, supported by the Response2Data data platform and Collecthor software.

Founding Markteffect Markteffect 2007)
Edgar de Beule and Hesam Fahimi Markteffect market research agency Markteffect in 2007 while they were still students. What began as an ambitious initiative grew into an agency that not only delivered results, but also strengthened the relevance of each study by looking beyond the questions asked.

Establishment of DirectResearch (2005)
DirectResearch was founded in 2005 by Okkie Boot. Its motto was "No fuss, research should be faster." The customer was central to the service, with the aim of building a strong relationship by offering direct and practical solutions.

Establishment of Team Vier (1983)
Four people, including Ton Berghahn, started the research agency Team Vier on Herengracht in Amsterdam because they believed things could be done differently.

With more than 100 employees and 30 years of experience, we know exactly what our clients need. This goes beyond delivering a strong research report; it is also about pleasant cooperation and building a lasting relationship. What once started small has now grown into an international player that continues to grow and innovate. Our joint venture with The Relevance Group underscores this ambition. Thanks to this collaboration, we not only remain relevant today, but we also guarantee that we can continue to make a lasting impact in the future.

CSR, sponsorship & partnerships

We attach great importance to making a contribution to society. That is why we have a CSR team that is involved in organizing various activities, among other things. During these activities, our employees are given the opportunity to contribute to society. These initiatives offer them the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the well-being of others and to make a positive difference in their immediate environment.

Some examples include: sculpting with elderly people, going on an outing with residents of the COA, visiting the Prehistoric Village with elderly people, or organizing a fun Christmas bingo game during the holidays.

‘’Last year, we already did a number of fun activities with the CSR team. Hopefully, we can get even more colleagues excited about joining us for half a day this year. I think it's great, fun, and important that we do this as a company. These activities are a small effort for us, and they make other people so happy. And that makes me happy too!’’ -Lieke Hamelink, Research Expert at Markteffect

"In the CSR team, we have the opportunity to do meaningful work that brings people together and motivates them. It is valuable to contribute (together with others) to initiatives that really make an impact. This work keeps me engaged and shows me how much we as a team can mean to others." – Majda Ćorović, Research Expert at Markteffect

Learn more about our partnerships