How a Profshare estimate is built

01

Three ways we work, three methods

Profshare delivers research in three forms, and each is built differently. Knowing which one you are reading tells you what the findings rest on.

02

Custom research methodology

Commissioned studies start from the decision, not the data request. Each engagement follows the same path; the scope flexes to budget and timeline, the rigour does not.

1. Scope the decision

   What hangs on the answer, what is already known, and where the uncertainty actually sits.

2. Design the study

   The method is chosen to fit the question: in-depth interviews, structured surveys, expert panels, or a mix. Sample design and respondent criteria are agreed before fieldwork.

3. Field and validate

   Primary evidence is gathered, then cross-checked against secondary data and wider market context so findings hold up under scrutiny.

4. Deliver for action

   Findings structured for the decision, with the analyst who ran the study available for 90 days afterwards. The client owns the output.

How custom engagements work →

03

How a syndicated market estimate is built

1. Define the market

   Each report starts with a written scope: what the product is and isn't, the product types and applications it is segmented by, the regions covered, and the base year and forecast window. Definitions are fixed before any number is collected, so the figures measure one consistent thing.

2. Collect source-logged data

   Data points are gathered from named sources: company filings and investor materials, trade and customs data, government statistics, industry associations and commercial databases. Every data point is stored with its source and a confidence score, so any figure can be traced back to what supports it.

3. Size the base year

   The base-year market value is estimated from the collected data and cross-checked against independent indicators before it is accepted. Where sources disagree, the higher-confidence source governs and the gap is recorded.

4. Forecast

   The forecast is built in our in-house model over a seven-year window and expressed as a forecast-year value and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The drivers and challenges published with each report are the assumptions the forecast depends on, stated so you can judge them yourself.

5. Validate with practitioners

   Where a market is covered by our expert panels, segment shares, growth assumptions and drivers are checked with people who work in the market: manufacturers, distributors and end users.

6. Named analyst review

   Every report is reviewed and signed off by a named Profshare analyst, shown on the report page with a link to their profile. The reviewer is accountable for the figures and is the person you speak to with questions.

04

Conventions used in every report

So figures are comparable across reports, every syndicated study follows the same conventions.

The base year and forecast window roll forward one year every January.

05

Updates and revisions

Markets move faster than full research cycles. We're explicit about which figures come from a full research cycle and which are carried forward.

• Full re-research: the market is re-collected, re-sized and re-reviewed through the process above.
• Annual roll-forward: when the base year advances and a market has not yet been through a new cycle, its figures are carried forward at the report's own CAGR. They are not presented as new research.
• Corrections: if an error is found, the report is corrected and its last-updated date changes.

06

Consulting and benchmarking methodology

Consulting engagements answer a recurring or strategic question rather than size a single market. They draw on the same evidence base as our reports, add targeted primary research where the question needs it, and end in a recommendation.

1. Frame the question

   Agree what is being decided and how success is measured: the peer set for a benchmark, the price points under test, or the markets being considered for entry.

2. Build the comparison base

   Assemble the evidence from our research library and named external sources, and fill the gaps with targeted interviews or surveys. Every comparison uses the same definitions across all players.

3. Analyse against defined measures

   Benchmark positioning, pricing and performance against the agreed measures, and model the options, such as entry routes or price scenarios, with their assumptions stated.

4. Recommend and stay engaged

   Deliver a recommendation the client can take to a board or investment committee, with analysts on hand as the market moves. Engagement outputs are confidential to the client.

How consulting engagements work →

07

Limitations

Every market estimate is a model, and every model has limits. Ours are:

• Estimates, not audited figures. Market sizes are modelled from available evidence, not reported totals.
• Private companies. Revenues and shares for privately held companies are estimated from indirect evidence and carry wider uncertainty.
• Forecasts depend on assumptions. The stated drivers and challenges are what the forecast rests on. If they change, the forecast changes.
• Definitions matter. Figures from other publishers often differ because the market is defined differently. Compare scope before comparing numbers.

08

Citing our data and chart licence

Charts downloaded from Profshare report pages are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). You may reuse them in articles, presentations and reports, including commercially, as long as you credit Profshare and link to the source report.

Cite a chart or a published headline figure like this: