Expert Network · Silverlight Research
Get paid to share what
you already know.
Investors and consulting firms pay experienced professionals for short, structured calls about their field. You set your rate. You choose which calls to take. We handle everything else.
Apply to join the network →Takes 3 minutes. No fees, ever. Decline any call with one click.
An introduction for experts
$175–$800
Typical expert hourly rate
45 min
Standard call length
30 days
Payment after each call
Zero
Fees or commitment
New to this? Here's how it works
An expert network connects experienced professionals with investors, consultants, and companies who want to understand an industry better before making a decision.
If a private equity fund is evaluating a company in your sector, or a consultancy is researching a market you know well, they pay to speak with someone who has real experience in it — for an hour, on the phone. That someone is you. You're compensated for your time and insight.
This is a long-established part of how institutional research works. Firms like GLG, AlphaSights, and Third Bridge operate the same model. Calls are about your general industry expertise — the practitioner's view of the sector — and our compliance team briefs you on the topic beforehand.
Wondering if this is legitimate?
A fair question. Here's the honest answer.
Being contacted out of the blue about paid consulting can feel unusual if you haven't encountered an expert network before. That reaction is reasonable. So here is exactly who we are and how to verify it.
Founder & CEO James Cartwright (previously Morgan Stanley, Investment Management and Investment Banking) founded Silverlight Research in 2017. The company is on the UK public register — Companies House entry 11124869 →.
We never charge you
Silverlight charges institutional clients, not experts. We will never ask you for an upfront payment, a fee, or your financial details beyond the bank account we pay into.
A registered UK company
Silverlight Research Ltd, incorporated 27 December 2017, Company Registration 11124869, England and Wales. Verifiable on the public Companies House register.
Professionally run, properly governed
We are not a survey site, recruitment agency, or payment scheme. Every engagement runs under formal expert terms with a written brief and a pre-agreed topic, the same approach used across the established expert-network industry.
You can verify our outreach
Legitimate contact comes from a Silverlight corporate email, references a specific research brief, and never requests payment. Full detail at silverlightresearch.com.
What an engagement looks like
Recent project — European EV charging market
A private equity team wanted to understand a market before a major investment decision.
They briefed experts across infrastructure, utilities, and automotive sectors. Each call was a structured 45-minute conversation about how the market actually works — competitive dynamics, operational realities, where the business models hold up and where they don't.
The experts shared their professional perspective on the sector. They were paid for their time within 30 days. That is a typical engagement.
45 min
Per call
You set it
Your hourly rate
Phone / video
However suits you
30 days
To payment
How it works for you
01
Register in 3 minutes
Paste your LinkedIn URL — we pre-fill the rest automatically. You set your own hourly rate and tell us how available you are.
02
Receive briefs, accept what fits
When a client project matches your background, we email you a brief. Decline any request with one click — no quota, no minimum, no consequence for saying no. Experts who respond within 24 hours are selected significantly more often — clients are working to tight research deadlines.
03
Take the call, get paid
A 45-minute call by phone or video. You request payment through our secure portal afterwards and we pay your bank account within 30 days. No invoicing software, no chasing.
Ways to engage
Calls are the most common engagement. As your relationship with the network develops, other formats become available.
Expert Calls
A 45-minute phone or video conversation. You share your professional perspective on a market, sector, or topic the client is researching. The most frequent engagement type.
Research Studies
Structured written surveys or questionnaires on specific topics. Shorter time commitment than a call. Compensated at a per-study rate agreed in advance.
Advisory Engagements
For experts with deep specialist knowledge, longer-term advisory relationships are available on a project basis. Scope and terms agreed before any commitment.
All engagements run under formal written terms. You receive a written brief before accepting anything.
You set your rate
When you register, you set your own hourly consulting rate. That rate is what we use when presenting you to clients. You are never asked to accept less — if a client's budget does not match your rate, we simply do not put the project to you.
Typical rates in our network run from £150 to £800 per hour depending on seniority, sector, and specialism. There is no right answer — set the rate that reflects the value of your time.
Compliance and conflicts
Conflict management
Before every call, our compliance team reviews the topic against your current and recent employers. If there is any conflict of interest, we do not proceed. You never have to make that judgement yourself.
Pre-call briefing
You receive a written brief before accepting any engagement. It sets out the topic, the client type, and the scope of the conversation. You always know exactly what you are agreeing to before you say yes.
What calls cover
Calls draw on your general professional knowledge and sector perspective — the kind of insight you would share at an industry conference. You are never asked to share anything confidential, proprietary, or non-public. Our expert terms set this out in writing.
Watch: how to become an expert
How calls work
You're always in control
You choose which calls to accept, and there's never any obligation. We agree the topic and timing with you in advance, we never share your identity with a client until you've accepted, and we never contact your employer.
Clear, simple scope
Calls are about your general industry knowledge and professional perspective — the kind of insight you'd share at a conference. We brief you on the topic beforehand so you always know exactly what the conversation covers.
Professionally run, properly governed
Every engagement runs under formal terms governed by English law, and our compliance team prepares each brief. It's the same structured approach used across the established expert-network industry.
Who typically participates
Experts in our network commonly include:
- Current or former executives
- Senior managers and functional leaders
- Technical specialists and operators
- Professionals with deep sector expertise
Participation is generally suited to professionals with significant first-hand experience in their industry.
Who we work with
Sectors
Every sector. Financial services, healthcare, technology, industrials, energy, consumer, real estate, public sector, and beyond
Experience
Senior practitioners and deep specialists at any level. We value real, first-hand operating knowledge — not titles
Call topics
How a market works, competitive landscape, operational context, technology assessment, the regulatory environment
Who asks
Private equity, hedge funds, asset managers, investment banks, sovereign wealth funds, and strategy consultancies
Already spoken with our team?
If you've replied to a message from one of our network managers, your application link pre-fills most of this form. Takes under 90 seconds.
Common questions
Why have I been contacted?
Because your professional background matches the kind of experience our clients want to learn from. Expert networks reach out to industry professionals by email or LinkedIn — it is the normal way the industry works. If the outreach came from a Silverlight corporate email and referenced a research topic, it is genuine.
Is there any catch? Do I pay anything?
No. You never pay Silverlight anything — no fees, no subscription, nothing upfront. We are paid by our institutional clients and we pay you. If anyone ever asks you for money in our name, it is not us.
How and when do I get paid?
After a call, you request payment through a secure portal and provide your bank details. Silverlight pays the agreed fee within 30 days of a valid payment request. Payment is always through formal banking channels.
What if I get a call request I don't want?
Decline it with one click. No explanation needed, no penalty, no effect on future requests. Participation is entirely at your discretion — most experts decline more than they accept.
What will a call actually cover?
Each call has a written brief from our compliance team — you know the topic before you accept. Calls focus on your general industry knowledge and professional perspective: how the sector works, market trends, the practitioner's view. The detailed terms are set out in the Expert Terms.
Is participation discreet?
Yes. We keep your participation discreet — we never share your identity with a client until you've accepted a specific call, and we never contact your employer. Many professionals consult independently in their own time; you're welcome to check your own arrangements first.
How many calls will I get?
It varies by sector, geography, and how specific your expertise is. Some experts receive several requests a month, others fewer. There is no minimum — you stay on the network whether you take one call a year or one a week.
Who is Silverlight Research?
A UK-registered expert network and primary research firm, incorporated 27 December 2017, Company Registration 11124869, with offices in London, New York, Valencia, Lisbon, Islamabad, and Manila. We connect institutional clients with industry experts for paid research calls. Full detail at silverlightresearch.com.
Independent references
Expert networks are a well-documented part of institutional research. These independent sources explain the industry for context — they are not endorsements of Silverlight specifically.
Forbes · 2020
The Global Expert Network Business Is Growing Fast
Industry coverage of how expert networks support investment and research, referencing Silverlight among several providers.
Wikipedia
Expert network
A neutral overview of what expert networks are, how they operate, and the major providers in the industry.