Less Than 1%: Massive Investor Intelligence Spending Gap Identified Versus Customer and Employee Stakeholder Groups

Posted on May 26th, 2026 | Filed under Press Releases

New white paper published by Answir Inc. argues public companies spend 10-100x more understanding customers and employees than investors, despite investors funding long-term growth

Globally, organizations collectively spend an estimated $1.6-$2.5 trillion annually on customer and employee insight, compared to only approximately $5-$10 billion on investor relations (“IR”)
On a per public company basis, spending is approximately $5-$100+ million annually on customer targeting initiatives and $1-$20+ million on employee insight systems, as compared to only approximately $50,000-$500,000+ on IR platforms and insight services
Approximately 10-20% higher market capitalizations have been associated with strong IR over time, despite the function representing only a fraction of broader stakeholder intelligence spending, according to prior studies referenced in the white paper

CALGARY, AB – TheNewswire – May 26, 2026 – Answir Inc. (“Answir”), an artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology company focused on investor relations (“IR”), today announced the publication of its new four-page white paper titled “The Investor Intelligence Gap: Why Public Companies Underinvest in Understanding Shareholders.” The report highlights what Answir describes as a significant and underappreciated disparity across public companies. While organizations collectively spend an estimated $1.3-$2.0 trillion annually on customer insight and an additional $300-$500 billion on employee insight, the white paper estimates that investor insight tooling represents only approximately $5-$10 billion globally, less than 1% of total stakeholder intelligence spend.

At the individual company level, the disparity is similarly pronounced. According to the white paper, many public companies invest between $5-$100+ million annually on customer insight initiatives and $1-$20+ million on employee insight systems, but only approximately $50,000-$500,000+ on investor insight tooling and infrastructure. The white paper examines the imbalance in how organizations allocate stakeholder intelligence spending and positions investor understanding as one of the most overlooked opportunities in modern capital markets.

The publication argues that this imbalance creates operational inefficiencies for IR teams while simultaneously increasing friction for investors attempting to perform due diligence and access verified company information.

“As capital markets become increasingly competitive and information moves faster than ever, companies cannot afford to underinvest in understanding the investors who provide their capital,” said Nick Kuzyk, MBA, Founder of Answir Inc. “The white paper identifies a meaningful blind spot in how organizations think about stakeholder intelligence and highlights why investor understanding deserves significantly more attention.”

The white paper also outlines two key challenges facing public companies and investors today:

IR teams remain resource-constrained despite increasing demands for responsiveness, transparency, and engagement; and
Investors continue to face fragmented workflows, difficult-to-navigate disclosure systems, inconsistent access to timely verified information, and increasing uncertainty regarding whether information encountered online about public companies is factual, speculative, or entirely inaccurate.

According to the report, these challenges may contribute to weaker investor understanding, slower market recognition, reduced liquidity, and a potentially higher cost of capital. The paper further references research suggesting that strong IR practices are associated with approximately 10-20% higher market capitalization outcomes over time, reinforcing the potential value of improving investor communication and engagement infrastructure.

The publication also introduces Answir’s positioning within what it describes as a new “front-facing investor intelligence” category. Unlike traditional issuer-services platforms that primarily support internal workflow and compliance functions, Answir is designed to interact directly with investors through AI-powered question-and-answer functionality embedded on a company’s website.

Operating within a ring-fenced knowledge base of verified company disclosures and integrated market data, the platform enables investors and analysts to receive fast, cited, and compliant responses drawn from authorized company information sources, including SEDAR+/EDGAR filings, press releases, presentations, and other public disclosures.

In addition to automated investor responses, the platform provides analytics designed to help companies better understand stakeholder engagement patterns, trending investor interests, and conversation activity across investor audiences.

The white paper is intended to contribute to broader industry discussion surrounding the evolution of investor communications, stakeholder engagement, and AI adoption within the public markets ecosystem. The full white paper is available through Answir Inc.

About Answir

Answir is an AI-powered investor relations (“IR”) intelligence platform developed by Answir Inc. As a subsidiary of Meadowbank Strategic Partners Inc., Answir is designed to help public and private companies better engage with and understand their investors and other stakeholders. Embedded directly on a company’s website, Answir enables users to ask natural-language questions and receive instant responses drawn exclusively from a company’s verified disclosures and integrated stock data feeds, including regulatory filings, press releases, investor presentations, and other authorized materials.

Unlike general-purpose AI tools that rely on broad internet data, Answir operates within a ring-fenced knowledge base of authorized company information, helping organizations maintain compliance and avoid speculative or unverified responses. The platform provides automated responses to investor inquiries, analytics on stakeholder engagement, and tools for capturing investor leads, enabling companies to modernize investor communications while allowing IR teams to focus on higher-value strategic activities.

Based on analysis of typical IR workflows and costs, companies using the platform can expect an average return of approximately $3.20 for every $1.00 spent on Answir, driven by a combination of cost savings, efficiency gains, and improved investor engagement.

Learn more at www.answir.ai

About Meadowbank Strategic Partners

Meadowbank Strategic Partners Inc. is a Calgary-based investor relations and capital markets advisory firm providing strategic communications, disclosure support, and market-facing advisory services to public and growth-stage companies. Meadowbank combines deep capital markets experience with modern technology to help issuers improve transparency, strengthen investor engagement, and navigate the public markets more effectively.

Learn more at www.mdwbnk.com

Media Contact

Nick Kuzyk, MBA

Founder, Answir Inc.

Principal & Owner, Meadowbank Strategic Partners Inc.

[email protected]

Sales Contact

Andrew Moncur

Head of Sales, Answir Inc.

[email protected]

SOURCE: ANSWIR INC.