In a strategic shift, Stears, the renowned pan-African source for economic and industry data and insights, has pivoted from a B2C (Business-to-Consumer) approach to a B2B (Business-to-Business) model. This was revealed by Yvette Dimiri, Director at Stears.
The decision to transition was driven by comprehensive customer research that identified evolving needs and Stears’ aspiration to establish a prominent presence in the African data ecosystem. Yvette explained that they combine feedback with their vision to establish a prominent presence in the African data ecosystem.
Under the new B2B model, Stears will no longer provide its data products to individual subscribers but will offer them exclusively to organizations with licenses to access their advanced intelligence solutions. Current individual subscribers with active Stears subscriptions will retain access to the platform’s insights until their subscriptions expire.
This transition follows Stears’ recent expansion across Africa, evidenced by the release of inflation forecasts for Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. Stears has also developed proprietary models and indices such as the Stears Approval Rating and the Consumer Sentiment Index for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Looking ahead, Yvette revealed that Stears intends to broaden its coverage by delving into macroeconomic issues in more countries across West and East Africa, Southern and Northern Africa, starting with South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco. Moreover, Stears plans to introduce tailored intelligence solutions for professionals and businesses, including market sizing estimates, predictive forecasts, consumer indices, and comprehensive macroeconomic datasets.
Preston Ideh, CEO of Stears, emphasized the significance of this evolution, stating that African economies present exciting growth opportunities. However, access to reliable, granular, financial, and economic data ranks consistently as one of the toughest parts of doing business in Africa. The evolution of Stears into this new era of intelligence solutions represents commitment to equipping businesses and professionals with the tools and information they need to thrive.
A year ago, Stears secured $3.3 million in seed funding, pledging to identify existing data sources, establish a shared data language, and combine public and proprietary datasets to create fresh perspectives on African markets. Currently, Stears boasts a subscriber base that includes prestigious organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, European Investment Bank, Infracredit, PZ Cussons, and Piggyvest.
