About Us

What is ZEF?

We at ZEF believe that data alone is not enough – only understanding makes the difference. That is why we combine customer and employee experiences with business data, so that management can make better decisions with confidence.

We are a Finnish software company that helps leaders see more clearly what is happening next in their organization. Traditional reports usually only tell you about the past, but ZEF also reveals weak signals, root causes and trends before they appear in conventional metrics.

We call this approach People Intelligence (PI). We transform fragmented feedback, experiences and human understanding into clear observations and concrete actions for leaders and managers in their daily work. This way, risks can be identified early and growth opportunities can be seen sooner.

ZEF helps measure and understand customer (NPS) and employee (eNPS) experiences more deeply. Our tool identifies the real root causes behind responses, so you can focus on developing exactly those things that have the greatest impact on people and the business.

Based on responses (PI), business data (BI) and market data (MI), you get a clear step-by-step action plan to support decision-making. ZEF combines the patented ZEF method, a scientific foundation and modern AI into one easy-to-use package.

ZEF surveys get started quickly and are pleasant to use. The visual design and tips from our experts improve response rates, AI automatically highlights the most important findings, and real-time reports immediately show where you succeed and what you should develop next.

Our Values

Our identity is guided by core values that are visible in all our decision-making. We believe that love, passion and courage are the foundation of innovation and success. These are not just words, but the core of our culture and the engine of everything we do.

Our Story

We have decades of experience in collecting, analyzing and utilizing customer and employee feedback to develop organizational performance and support business growth.

Where did it all begin?

ZEF Oy was founded in 1997 by emeritus professor Esko Alasaarela with a clear goal: to transform human understanding into better decisions. From the very beginning, ZEF combined academic rigor with practical impact — an approach that still defines us today.

Over the years, ZEF has built a unique legacy. We created election compass culture — the voting advisors we developed were used in over 40 countries across Europe, Asia and North America, shaping the way millions of people engage with democracy. We are proud to have made complex political choices more accessible, transparent and data-driven. We also created Finland's first live chat software, Livezhat — years ahead of its time — which was later acquired by Elisa. This laid the groundwork for what we now know as chatbots.

In 2004, Esko passed leadership to his son, Jaakko Alasaarela, who saw an opportunity to take the company further. Under Jaakko's leadership, ZEF evolved from a survey tool into a new kind of strategic management instrument. Jaakko is also a speaker and author, which makes him an exceptional leader and CEO — he is outstanding at making people feel heard, seen and valued. Jaakko personally shares the same mission as ZEF: to help the world make better decisions and to build the best place in the world to be and to work.

Today, ZEF combines people, market and business intelligence data into clear understanding and foresight. By transforming siloed data into actionable understanding, we help management not only interpret the present but also anticipate what will happen next — and lead with clarity and confidence.