About Us
With our research platform SurveyCircle, we help students, researchers, and founders find participants for their online surveys. We rely on a completely new concept: On SurveyCircle, survey participations are not purchased but generated through mutual support within an international community.
We are the pioneer in this market and, since our founding in 2016, have built and operated the world's largest and most active community of its kind with SurveyCircle. Every day, thousands of dedicated members help make sample sizes larger and research findings more meaningful. This benefits not only academic research, such as studies conducted as part of bachelor's, master's, or doctoral theses, but also market research surveys by aspiring founders and startups.
High-quality research should be accessible to everyone. Your commitment to your project should determine whether you achieve a large sample size–not the size of your wallet.
Mutual Support
On SurveyCircle, all community members interact as equals. The platform is built on a fair system that encourages helpfulness and ensures that the most helpful members receive the greatest support from the community.
Fairness
With clear and simple rules, we foster a respectful community and ensure high data quality for survey participations.
Privacy First
We rely on a strict physical separation between the data collected within a questionnaire and the recruitment of participants on the SurveyCircle platform. The actual survey participations deliberately do not take place on SurveyCircle but in an external survey tool (e.g. Qualtrics or Google Forms). SurveyCircle has no access to the data collected by our members.
During my master's studies at the University of Mannheim, I was desperately looking for participants for my online study. I asked friends and family for support and, of course, shared my study on social media. That brought in a number of survey participations, but it did not even get me close to the sample size I had hoped for. Later, I even had small giveaways produced with the link to my study printed on them and distributed them throughout the libraries of the University of Mannheim–with a personal note asking people to participate in my study.
We are the pioneer in this market and, since our founding in 2016, have built and operated the world's largest and most active community of its kind with SurveyCircle. Every day, thousands of dedicated members help make sample sizes larger and research findings more meaningful. This benefits not only academic research, such as studies conducted as part of bachelor's, master's, or doctoral theses, but also market research surveys by aspiring founders and startups.
What Drives Us
Research and Market Research for EveryoneHigh-quality research should be accessible to everyone. Your commitment to your project should determine whether you achieve a large sample size–not the size of your wallet.
Mutual Support
On SurveyCircle, all community members interact as equals. The platform is built on a fair system that encourages helpfulness and ensures that the most helpful members receive the greatest support from the community.
Fairness
With clear and simple rules, we foster a respectful community and ensure high data quality for survey participations.
Privacy First
We rely on a strict physical separation between the data collected within a questionnaire and the recruitment of participants on the SurveyCircle platform. The actual survey participations deliberately do not take place on SurveyCircle but in an external survey tool (e.g. Qualtrics or Google Forms). SurveyCircle has no access to the data collected by our members.
Jonas' Founding Story
How It All BeganDuring my master's studies at the University of Mannheim, I was desperately looking for participants for my online study. I asked friends and family for support and, of course, shared my study on social media. That brought in a number of survey participations, but it did not even get me close to the sample size I had hoped for. Later, I even had small giveaways produced with the link to my study printed on them and distributed them throughout the libraries of the University of Mannheim–with a personal note asking people to participate in my study.
Giveaway Used as an Incentive for Study Participation (Incl. the Reveal of the SurveyCircle Idea)
A Personal Problem Turned Into a Startup Idea
I kept thinking: “It can't be right that students all over the world struggle to find enough participants for their research projects and end up submitting theses with little meaningful value simply because their sample size is too small.”
I couldn't let go of the fact that so many students around the world were facing the same problem–yet nobody had a solution. During a short break from writing in the university library, I came up with the idea for what is now the SurveyCircle platform, the Survey Ranking, and SmartRank®, the points-based system that makes fair, efficient, and anonymous mutual support on the platform possible.
Instead of handing out giveaways in the library, there is now a better principle: Those who help the community receive help from the community in return–in the form of study participants.
From an Idea to an International Research Platform
While I was still a student, I began working on the concept for the SurveyCircle website in 2015, and it went live in 2016.
What started as a solution for a single master's thesis has since grown into an international research community for academic studies and market research surveys. Today, SurveyCircle is used by students, researchers, and founders around the world to find participants for their studies and achieve meaningful research results.
I kept thinking: “It can't be right that students all over the world struggle to find enough participants for their research projects and end up submitting theses with little meaningful value simply because their sample size is too small.”
I couldn't let go of the fact that so many students around the world were facing the same problem–yet nobody had a solution. During a short break from writing in the university library, I came up with the idea for what is now the SurveyCircle platform, the Survey Ranking, and SmartRank®, the points-based system that makes fair, efficient, and anonymous mutual support on the platform possible.
Instead of handing out giveaways in the library, there is now a better principle: Those who help the community receive help from the community in return–in the form of study participants.
From an Idea to an International Research Platform
While I was still a student, I began working on the concept for the SurveyCircle website in 2015, and it went live in 2016.
What started as a solution for a single master's thesis has since grown into an international research community for academic studies and market research surveys. Today, SurveyCircle is used by students, researchers, and founders around the world to find participants for their studies and achieve meaningful research results.
Jonas Johé, Founder of SurveyCircle
The Journey So Far
2015The Idea Is Born
No, the idea for SurveyCircle didn't come about during a trip around the world, and the website wasn't built on Steve Jobs' old Mac in his parents' garage. The idea was born in the Schneckenhof Library at the University of Mannheim, and the website was developed in the Neckarstadt-Ost district on a Windows laptop.Powered by Club Mate, of course :)
First Sketch of the Survey Ranking
2016
2016
2017
SurveyCircle.com Goes Live
SurveyCircle launches in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The first students begin posting their surveys and finding their first study participants.2016
SurveyCircle Launches in English
SurveyCircle is now available in both German and English, making the platform increasingly international.2017
The First Office
Until now, most of the work had taken place in the university libraries of Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Now it's time to move into the Next Mannheim co-working space. Better for our backs–and yes, this startup cliché is true–also great for the team's table tennis skills.
The official SurveyCircle mug becomes a permanent companion in the office
2019
2021
2023
2024
2025
2025
2025
Are you ready for your first study in the SurveyCircle community? Join now!
More English-Language Than German-Language Studies
For the first time, the Survey Ranking features more studies in English than in German.2021
The Team Grows
Our team continues to grow, and we move from the co-working space into our very own office.2023
3,500+ Studies Simultaneously Listed in the Survey Ranking
More than 3,500 studies are listed in the Survey Ranking at the same time.2024
SurveyCircle Is Used at Universities Worldwide
Our platform is used at more than 10,000 universities across over 100 countries to help researchers achieve larger sample sizes and more meaningful research results.2025
SurveyCircle.com Available in Six Languages
Over the years, we have translated our research platform into additional languages and launched regional Survey Rankings. SurveyCircle is now available in German, English, Dutch, Spanish, French, and Italian.2025
150,000+ Research Projects Since Our Founding
More than 150,000 academic studies and market research projects have recruited survey participants through SurveyCircle.2025