Ammad Ahmad is co-founder of research-as-a-service company Atheneum. The platform provides speedy information services to companies like management consulting and investment firms.
“We start where Google stops,” Ahmad told Forbes. “What our clients really need is that primary intelligence, direct from the experts and professionals leading their industries.”
Ahmad recently announced a £110 million funding round to expand the growing technology company.
Ammad Ahmad used his expertise to create Atheneum
Ahmad co-founded Atheneum Partners in Berlin, Germany in 2010. He remained Chief Operating Officer until 2014, when he founded an office for the company in London, United Kingdom. He has stayed there since as Managing Director.
“Working as a management consultant myself previously, I recognized the importance of information and the challenges the professional services industry faced in securing credible insights within a time-crunched manner,” Ahmad explained. “I felt that the acquisition of information could be done more effectively, and at a much greater pace.”
Prior to founding Atheneum, Ahmad worked as a Senior Management Consultant for the firm Kaiser Associates. Ahmad was also Technical Sales Director at the health care research company Advisory Board before earning his Master’s.
After earning his Bachelor’s, Ahmad was a Network Consultant for information and communications technology recruitment firm Configure Inc.
Ammad Ahmad has a global education
As a child, Ahmad attended Karachi Grammar School, one of Pakistan’s British-founded and most prestigious schools. He also attended the British International School, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
In 1998, Ahmad entered the University of Texas in Austin. He earned his Bachelor’s in Computer Science in 2004.
After working for a few years, Ahmad decided to go for his Master’s degree during the 2007-2009 Great Recession.
“I knew that a European master’s degree would give me a competitive edge over my peers in the US so I moved to Germany for a joint master’s degree at the WHU School of Management, combining an MBA and Law programme with the Bucerius Law School” Ahmad explained.
Atheneum raises £110 million in funding round
Starting from a single location in Germany, Atheneum now has 11 offices around the world. The company works with management consulting firms and investment companies.
“Society is suffering with an information overload,” Ahmad told Forbes in an interview. “What we’ve been able to achieve is to simplify that overload and provide clients with direct access to very specific expertise.”
Whenever a client requires specific market or industry expertise, Atheneum provides information via its extensive network of professionals. Clients may connect with experts directly or arrange interviews in less than 24 hours through Atheneum’s team. The platform has built a network of over 550,000 experts in various industries and boasts over 10,000 users.
“We are making it easier, faster and more accessible for all businesses to tap into rich resources of intelligence to support agile companies around the world to reach their growth goals faster,” said Ahmad.
As a result of rapid growth, Atheneum announced a £110 million funding round. Growth capital firm Guidepost Growth Equity led the round. Existing investors including Michael Brehm, Crosslantic Capital Management, and Atheneum’s founding management team also participated.
The company will use the funds to invest in data technology, marketing, and business development.
“Our vision is to build a fully digital cockpit for primary research—a one-stop-shop to gather raw data from surveys, virtual focus groups and in-depth interviews, all delivered by our evolving suite of products,” Ahmad explained.
