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Forrester Research
Forrester Research — George Colony's publicly traded advisory firm. Research-driven, not a capital allocator.
Forrester Research
George Colony founded Forrester Research in 1983, originally as a technology-focused market research firm. The company went public on Nasdaq in 1996 (ticker: FORR) and has since expanded across 10+ countries, serving B2B and B2C clients. Forrester generates revenue through subscription research services, advisory contracts, and data products — including the Forrester Wave, a widely cited vendor assessment methodology. Its coverage spans enterprise software, cybersecurity, AI/ML, FinTech, and digital health, among others. The firm maintains a large catalog of syndicated reports and custom consulting engagements, but does not make direct investments or manage capital for external allocators. As of 2025, Forrester employed roughly 1,700 people across offices in the US, Europe, and Asia. The firm operates as a public entity, not a family office or asset manager. In 2023, Forrester closed its acquisition of SiriusDecisions, a B2B sales and marketing research firm, adding scale to its go-to-market advisory business. Forrester's structural differentiator is its research-driven, data-backed advisory model — it sells analysis and forecasts rather than deploying capital. That makes it a source for investment themes but not a direct participant in asset allocation or deal execution.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
1983
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Cambridge
Corporate office
Cambridge, MA, United States
Principals
George F. Colony
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Forrester Research?
Forrester Research is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: FORR) whose investment decisions are made internally and overseen by CEO George Colony and the board of directors. It does not run external capital allocations or operate as an asset manager.
How does Forrester Research source proprietary deal flow?
Forrester does not invest in companies; it generates revenue through research subscriptions and advisory services. Its analysts produce vendor assessments like the Forrester Wave, which clients use to evaluate investment opportunities, but Forrester itself does not source or underwrite deals.
Is Forrester Research structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Neither. Forrester is a publicly traded research and advisory firm. It does not manage wealth for individuals or families and does not make venture investments. Its primary function is selling strategic insights to enterprises and technology vendors.
Does Forrester Research participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Forrester does not participate in fund commitments or direct deals. As a public company, its capital is deployed into operations, acquisitions (such as SiriusDecisions), and share buybacks or dividends — not into external investment funds.
What investment stages does Forrester Research typically target?
Forrester does not target any investment stages. The firm provides research and advisory services across company lifecycles, from early-stage startups to mature enterprises, but does not deploy capital into those companies.
Which sectors does Forrester Research explicitly avoid?
Forrester focuses on technology and business strategy — it does not avoid any specific sectors beyond its scope of digital transformation, customer experience, and Go-to-Market strategy. It does not have an investment mandate to avoid or target any sectors.
How is Forrester Research related to any family-office or investment firm?
Forrester is not related to any family office or investment firm. It is a standalone public company founded by George Colony. The Colony family maintains a controlling stake through Class B shares, but Forrester does not function as a family office.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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