{"id":"b3f4a102-35a3-4e2f-9486-9bb8a6c517db","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","summary":"System1 Group PLC (AIM: SYS1) is a United Kingdom-based marketing decision-making platform business that provides automated ad testing, innovation testing, and brand health measurement services grounded in behavioural science. Founded in 1999 as BrainJuicer Limited, the company rebranded to its current name in 2017 and is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. Its core methodology uses emotional-response measurement to predict the commercial effectiveness of advertising and marketing ideas for large consumer brands globally.","sections":[{"body":"System1 Group PLC is a marketing decision-making platform provider that predicts and improves marketing effectiveness through proprietary behavioural science research [1]. The company operates three core product lines: Test Your Ad (TYA), an ad-testing platform that measures consumer emotion to predict short-term sales potential and long-term brand growth; Test Your Innovation (TYI), which evaluates the commercial potential of new product ideas; and Test Your Brand (TYB), which tracks brand health and predicts future brand performance [6]. Complementing these is Test Your Ad Competitive Edge, a subscription-based intelligence database of over 100,000 ads providing daily-refreshed emotional effectiveness benchmarks across more than 100 category sectors [11]. In August 2026 the company launched Test Your Ad Screen, an AI screening tool trained on 18 million real human emotional responses capable of screening up to 100 long-form ads in approximately 10 minutes [14]. System1's methodology is rooted in the behavioural science and emotion-based research frameworks associated with psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Paul Ekman [2].","heading":"Overview"},{"body":"The principal operating subsidiary, originally named BrainJuicer Limited, was incorporated on 29 December 1999 [7]. The parent holding company, BrainJuicer Group PLC, was incorporated on 19 September 2006 in the United Kingdom and admitted to AIM on the London Stock Exchange, with the ticker symbol BJU [7]. John Kearon, the company's founder, served as CEO for over 20 years and remains the largest individual shareholder; as of the FY2025 annual report he moved to a non-executive presidential role [3]. In February 2017 the company put a name change to shareholders, citing its adoption of the 'System 1' approach to market research and the prior launch of a System1-branded advertising agency [8]. The change from BrainJuicer Group PLC to System1 Group PLC was formally completed on 24 March 2017 and trading commenced under the new ticker SYS1 on 3 April 2017 [8]. Crunchbase records two investors including Unilever Ventures and Brave Bison, classified as post-IPO equity rounds [4]. James Gregory serves as CEO as of FY2025 [9].","heading":"History"},{"body":"System1 operates in the advertising effectiveness, innovation research, and brand health measurement categories, competing primarily with enterprise market research firms [1]. For the financial year ended 31 March 2025 (FY2025), the company reported total revenue of £37.4 million, up 25% year-on-year, with platform revenue (its strategic product lines) rising 39% to £34.5 million and accounting for 92% of total revenue [5]. Profit before taxation rose 71% to £5.3 million in the same period [5]. The company reported over 310 new client wins in FY2025, bringing its total client base up 31% to 563 clients, and achieved a platform net revenue retention rate of 106% [5]. System1 reported working with 5 of the top 10 advertisers in the United States and 8 of the top 10 in the United Kingdom in FY2025 [5]. Named clients appearing in company materials include Progressive Insurance, Alphabet, Warner Bros. Discovery, PepsiCo, Amazon, Procter & Gamble, Sky, Unilever, and L'Oréal [10]. US revenue grew 49% year-on-year to £12.8 million in FY2025 and the US subsequently became the company's largest revenue market in early FY2027 [12]. The company has a market capitalisation of approximately £58.4 million as of September 2026 [13].","heading":"Market Position"},{"body":"System1 operates in the advertising pre-testing and marketing effectiveness research segment, where its primary competitors include Kantar (via its LINK+ and Kantar Marketplace products), Ipsos, and Zappi [15]. Third-party comparative reviews position System1 as the established behavioural-science pioneer in emotional-response ad pre-testing, with Kantar characterised as the incumbent with the largest historical normative database (reported at 260,000+ ads) and Zappi as an automated testing alternative for high-volume concept and creative programmes [15][16]. One independent buyer-facing guide places System1 alongside Kantar LINK AI and Zappi as the three principal tools for pretesting finished ads against consumer norms, noting System1's Star Rating system—which predicts long-term brand-building potential—and its Spike Rating, which predicts short-term sales response [17]. The same source notes that System1's pricing is quoted rather than listed publicly, and suggests its cost structure may limit high-volume creative testing for smaller advertisers [16]. System1's Test Your Ad Competitive Edge database, covering over 100,000 ads across 11 sectors and 108 sub-categories, is positioned as a real-time competitive intelligence layer not replicated in the same form by direct competitors [11].","heading":"Competition"}],"keyFacts":[{"label":"Founded","value":"1999 (BrainJuicer Limited incorporated 29 December 1999)","sourceIndex":7},{"label":"Headquarters","value":"London, United Kingdom","sourceIndex":6},{"label":"Stock Exchange","value":"London Stock Exchange AIM (ticker: SYS1)","sourceIndex":9},{"label":"Revenue (FY2025, ended 31 March 2025)","value":"£37.4 million","sourceIndex":5},{"label":"Total Clients (FY2025)","value":"563","sourceIndex":5},{"label":"Former Name","value":"BrainJuicer Group PLC (renamed March 2017)","sourceIndex":8},{"label":"CEO","value":"James Gregory","sourceIndex":9},{"label":"Founder","value":"John Kearon","sourceIndex":3}],"sources":[{"url":"https://system1group.com/investors-old/company-info","date":"2025","title":"System1 Group PLC Company Overview and Information","publisher":"System1 Group PLC (investor relations)"},{"url":"https://system1group.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Text-only-S1_ARA_-FY2025-RNS-9-July-2025.pdf","date":"2025-07-09","title":"System1 Group PLC (AIM: SYS1) – Financial results to 31 March 2025","publisher":"System1 Group PLC (official filing)"},{"url":"https://system1group.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/S1_ARA_-FY2025-9-July-2025.pdf","date":"2025-07-09","title":"System1 Group PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025","publisher":"System1 Group PLC (official filing)"},{"url":"https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/brainjuicer","date":null,"title":"System1 Group – Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding","publisher":"Crunchbase"},{"url":"https://stockanalysis.com/quote/aim/SYS1/company/","date":"2025","title":"System1 Group (AIM:SYS1) Company Profile & Description","publisher":"Stock Analysis"},{"url":"https://system1group.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2018-Annual-Report-and-Accounts.pdf","date":"2018","title":"System1 Group PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2018","publisher":"System1 Group PLC (official filing)"},{"url":"https://uk.advfn.com/stock-market/london/brainjuicer-BJU/share-news/System1-Group-PLC-Change-of-Name/74241108","date":"2017-04-03","title":"System1 Group PLC Change of Name","publisher":"ADVFN"},{"url":"https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/298507/brainjuicer-rebrands-as-system1.html","date":"2017-04-04","title":"BrainJuicer Rebrands As System1","publisher":"MediaPost"},{"url":"https://disfold.com/company/system1-group-plc/","date":"2026-09-07","title":"System1 Group plc Company Profile & Data","publisher":"Disfold"},{"url":"https://system1group.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Results-Roadshow-Final_New.pdf","date":"2025-07-09","title":"FY25 Results Roadshow – July 2025","publisher":"System1 Group PLC (investor presentation)"},{"url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251103422991/en/System1-Introduces-Test-Your-Ad-Competitive-Edge-the-Only-Emotion-Driven-Creative-Intelligence-Platform-to-Help-Brands-Shape-Creative-Strategy","date":"2025-11-03","title":"System1 Introduces Test Your Ad Competitive Edge","publisher":"Business Wire"},{"url":"https://www.mrweb.com/drno/news37424.htm","date":"2024","title":"Rapid Growth for Ad Testing Firm System1","publisher":"MrWeb / Daily Research News Online"},{"url":"https://www.investormeetcompany.com/companies/system1-group-plc/rns/4852253/view","date":"2026-08-27","title":"System1 launches Test Your Ad Screen, 27 August 2026","publisher":"Investor Meet Company (regulatory news)"},{"url":"https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcement/rns/system1-group--sys1/final-results/8969920","date":"2025-07-09","title":"System1 Group PLC – Final Results FY2025","publisher":"Investegate (regulatory news)"},{"url":"https://www.behaviolabs.com/blog/the-5-best-ad-testing-tools-in-2026","date":"2026","title":"The 5 Best Ad Testing Tools in 2026","publisher":"Behavio Labs"},{"url":"https://www.behaviolabs.com/blog/what-is-the-best-market-research-software-for-consumer-insights-in-2026","date":"2026","title":"Best Market Research Software for Consumer Insights 2026","publisher":"Behavio Labs"},{"url":"https://getminds.ai/blog/ai-ad-creative-testing-tools-2026","date":"2026","title":"Best Ad Testing Tools 2026: 15 Creative Testing Platforms","publisher":"Minds"}],"additionalLinks":[{"url":"https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcement/rns/system1-group--sys1/5m-fy27-trading-update/9764270%3Cbr%3E","date":"2026","title":"System1 Group PLC – 5M FY27 Trading Update","publisher":"Investegate (regulatory news)"},{"url":"https://www.research-live.com/article/news/brainjuicer-seeks-to-rebrand-as-system1/id/5018982","date":"2017-02-24","title":"BrainJuicer seeks to rebrand as System1","publisher":"Research Live (MRS trade press)"},{"url":"https://lbbonline.com/news/System1-Introduces-Test-Your-Ad-Competitive-Edge","date":"2025-11-03","title":"System1 Introduces Test Your Ad Competitive Edge","publisher":"Little Black Book (LBB Online – advertising trade press)"},{"url":"https://maynardpaton.com/2025/06/17/system1-ominous-q4-2025-update-revealing-downside-risk-to-client-budgets-overshadows-record-h1-2025-showcasing-upgraded-illustrative-growth-scenario-and-tantalising-20-30-platform-revenue-cag/","date":"2025-06-17","title":"System1: Ominous Q4 2025 Update – investor analysis","publisher":"Maynard Paton (independent investor analysis blog)"},{"url":"https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SYS1.L/","date":null,"title":"System1 Group PLC (SYS1.L) Stock Quote & Company Description","publisher":"Yahoo Finance"},{"url":"https://diginsights.com/resources/top-10-market-research-companies-for-concept-testing-in-2025/","date":"2026","title":"Top 13 Market Research Companies for Concept Testing in 2026","publisher":"Dig Insights"}],"confidence":"high","unverifiedNotes":"Crunchbase lists Unilever Ventures and Brave Bison as investors but the funding amounts and dates for these rounds are obfuscated in the Crunchbase record and were not independently confirmed from a Tier 1 source; they are therefore omitted from the key_facts. Employee headcount estimates from third-party sources (Glassdoor, RocketReach, ZoomInfo, Stock Analysis) range from 64 to 200 depending on source and date; no single authoritative figure was available from official filings during this session and so a specific employee count was not included. The FY2025 annual report references John Kearon transitioning to a non-executive role 'from September' without specifying a year; contextually this appears to refer to September 2025.","model":"claude-sonnet-4-6","generatedAt":"2026-10-26T09:27:52.376Z","fieldCitations":[{"id":"f4167ad4-5365-4b01-b756-ce93970ae4ff","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"employeeRange","url":"https://www.zoominfo.com/pic/system1-group-plc/435139861","domain":"zoominfo.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:46:54.282Z"},{"id":"a22a4b7c-29c1-41db-a319-a06f3b37f762","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"employeeRange","url":"https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-System1-Group-EI_IE425822.11,24.htm","domain":"glassdoor.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:46:54.282Z"},{"id":"d02c4e9d-e31e-4592-b66e-92bebe676f02","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"foundedYear","url":"https://lbbonline.com/news/bossing-it-john-kearon-on-keeping-it-real-leading-from-the-front-and-admitting-mistakes","domain":"lbbonline.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:00.090Z"},{"id":"12307ea8-e442-4ff2-80fc-2899a7247b5e","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"foundedYear","url":"https://system1group.com/investors-old/company-info","domain":"system1group.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":false,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:00.090Z"},{"id":"0e662a02-c8d7-4d3d-a45d-338c03beba91","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"foundedYear","url":"https://lbbonline.com/companies/system1-group-plc/about","domain":"lbbonline.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:00.090Z"},{"id":"14b8c44a-fe87-43df-af66-5fddd912c484","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"headquartersLocation","url":"https://system1group.com/offices","domain":"system1group.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":false,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:05.238Z"},{"id":"1c96ed92-3484-4905-b90e-c7a878b27a0e","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"headquartersLocation","url":"https://system1group.com/offices/london","domain":"system1group.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":false,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:05.238Z"},{"id":"2962693c-e961-40f5-9c56-bd4f7c84de96","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"headquartersLocation","url":"https://system1group.com/contact","domain":"system1group.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":false,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:05.238Z"},{"id":"64ef124a-d701-4333-b654-c714ca004a57","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"headquartersLocation","url":"https://www.investormeetcompany.com/companies/system1-group-plc","domain":"investormeetcompany.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:05.238Z"},{"id":"2eb9185a-4dab-479d-adb8-9c025cb1e5d2","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"headquartersLocation","url":"https://lbbonline.com/companies/system1-group-plc/about","domain":"lbbonline.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:05.238Z"},{"id":"69c9ebc7-62b8-4330-86bb-a25c11fb58d3","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"revenueRange","url":"https://system1group.com/financial-info","domain":"system1group.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":false,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:19.769Z"},{"id":"3bbb0104-3226-464a-8ab1-d418b6c679e3","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"revenueRange","url":"https://system1group.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/S1_ARA_-FY2025-9-July-2025.pdf","domain":"system1group.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":false,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:19.769Z"},{"id":"97eabc96-7314-4e0c-a785-373c04bee8a5","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"revenueRange","url":"https://www.londonstockexchange.com/en/quote/equity/SYS1/system1-group-plc","domain":"londonstockexchange.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:19.769Z"},{"id":"429ebec2-255b-429e-82cd-f7a0a7bd9781","companyId":"13ffb951-fe04-4081-85d2-1e7efddcc227","field":"revenueRange","url":"https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1323-16549532-0DGHE30H8EIFS4H007FJIUOAU2","domain":"markets.ft.com","title":null,"publisher":null,"isOffDomain":true,"retrievedAt":"2026-10-26T09:47:19.769Z"}]}