01 · Industrial Intelligence
Market and competitor research
Understand markets, competitors, technical capabilities and commercial opportunities. A report with traceable sources, findings and clear limits.
Explore the researchIndustrial research · Practical AI
Understand information. Make better decisions. Work smarter.
MelonCactus combines evidence-led market and competitor research with practical AI and automation support for everyday business work.
Evidence recordMC / DEMO
What do the sources actually support?
- Source
- Traceable
- Assessment
- Stated separately
- Unknown
- Kept visible
Illustrative format, not a research finding.
Two services, one way of working
Start with the question that matters to your business.
Choose research for an external market or competitor question, or practical AI help for work you want to organise more intelligently.
02 · AI for SMEs
Practical AI & automation
Guidance, hands-on help at your premises and support for recurring work. Start with a usable approach or a small, tested trial.
Explore practical AI help01Research competitors, markets and technology
02Apply AI to recurring business tasks
03Start with one defined question and a fixed fee
When to engage us
Start with the decision, not the search terms.
A defined business question determines which public evidence matters and where the limits of an assessment lie.
Assess a competitor or technology
Test public claims about capability, technology, projects, deliveries or market position before relying on them.
Understand a market, customer or supplier
Map relevant organisations, relationships, projects and public signals around an investment or commercial decision.
Verify an industrial claim
Establish which public records support a technical or commercial assertion—and which evidence is missing.
Review your own public profile
See what separate public sources, and their combination, might reveal about your business.
The deliverable
A decision-ready report with its evidence and limits in view.
The agreed scope determines the depth. A report separates an executive view from the source trail, contrary signals and what cannot be established.
- Executive summary
- Key findings
- Scope and decision question
- Source register and evidence trail
- Implications and next questions
MelonCactusMC-DEMO-001
Illustrative extract · entirely fictional, not a client report
Could a proposed supplier expansion justify a shorter lead-time assumption?
Evidence · a published building notice and a dated exterior image indicate physical expansion.
Assessment · preparation for expansion is plausible; operating output is not demonstrated.
Inference · additional production may follow, but timing and scale remain uncertain.
Unknown · commissioned capacity, stable output and actual delivery performance.
Confidence is stated per finding, never implied for the entire case.
Illustrative assignments
Two decisions. Two different evidence questions.
These examples show the shape of an assignment, not work performed for a client.
Fictional example · not a real client case
A fourth business pillar
- Decision question
- Which adjacent direction fits existing technology and capabilities?
- Public signals
- Published market activity, competitor positions, projects and supplier links.
- What the example can establish
- The fictional first report identifies a concept worth examining; a separate follow-up frames the competitor landscape.
- What remains open
- Technical feasibility, demand and commercial success are not proven.
- Decision use
- Choose where to investigate further before committing resources.
Fictional example · not a real client case
A company's public profile
- Decision question
- What might an outside observer infer from the company's online presence?
- Public signals
- Company-owned web pages, official public channels and selected visual material.
- What the example can establish
- The fictional example shows how combined publications may reveal more than a single item.
- What remains open
- The complete picture and any actual third-party use cannot be inferred.
- Decision use
- Prioritise a careful review of future public communications.
Both Company X scenarios are fictional. No actual client, finding or business outcome is claimed.
Why a defined assessment
More than a collection of search results.
General desk research and AI summaries can be useful starting points. A scoped assessment adds a reviewable basis for a specific decision.
A MelonCactus engagementWhat a general search or summary may lack
Relevant conclusions linked to traceable sources
Sources without a clear evidence trail
Evidence, assessment and inference kept distinct
Observation and interpretation mixed together
Technical and commercial context for the agreed question
A broader descriptive overview
Contradictions, unknowns and confidence stated
Uncertainty less visible
Defined scope and careful handling of the enquiry
An unbounded search task
Scope, fixed fee and delivery date agreed in writing
No defined research deliverable or deadline
This compares assignment formats, not the reliability of every other researcher or tool. Conclusions still depend on the quality of available public evidence.
Engagements and indicative fees
Choose the scope that fits the question.
The fixed-scope scan is for your own public profile. The three intelligence options address external decisions with increasing analytical depth.
The €499 scan reviews your own company-owned public presence. An assessment from €995 addresses a defined external intelligence question; it is not an expanded version of the scan.
Public Profile Exposure Scan
fixed fee €499 excl. VAT
A compact defensive review of what an outside observer may infer from your company-owned public presence.
Best for: Your own company's public communications.
- One company website and up to two official public channels
- Direct observations, cautious inferences and unknowns
- Prioritised recommendations for future publications
Outside this scope: No private accounts, penetration testing or external competitor assessment.
Scope, fixed fee and delivery date are agreed before work begins.
Focused Intelligence Assessment
from €995 excl. VAT
A focused assessment of a defined decision and its most material uncertainties.
Best for: One defined external intelligence question.
- Agreed question and evidence boundary
- Source-backed findings and limitations
- Concise decision-oriented deliverable
Outside this scope: Not a review of your own public profile or a broad competitor landscape.
Scope, fixed fee and delivery date are agreed before work begins.
In-depth assessment
Technical & Competitive Intelligence
typically from €1,995 excl. VAT
A deeper investigation of a company, technology or competitive position.
Best for: A more detailed technical or competitive decision.
- Multiple relevant source types
- Technical and commercial assessment
- Traceable evidence and confidence levels
Outside this scope: Subjects, sources and depth are set in the written scope; no private-system access.
Scope, fixed fee and delivery date are agreed before work begins.
Strategic Intelligence Engagement
from €3,995 excl. VAT
A broader, decision-led engagement across several evidence streams.
Best for: A strategic decision with several related questions.
- Agreed research workstreams
- Executive conclusions and detailed findings
- Evidence trail and strategic implications
Outside this scope: Workstreams and exclusions are agreed in writing; ongoing monitoring is separate unless scoped.
Scope, fixed fee and delivery date are agreed before work begins.
All listed fees exclude VAT; applicable VAT is added to the agreed project fee. Starting fees are indicative, not online order prices. Final scope, deliverables, fixed fee and delivery date are confirmed in writing before work begins. Timing and any priority request depend on scope, evidence and capacity.
Working together
A clear route from enquiry to report.
The commercial process is separate from the research method: first agree the decision and assignment, then validate the evidence.
The starting questionWhat decision are you trying to make?
- 01
Initial enquiry
Tell us the decision and any relevant timing; an enquiry is not an order.
- 02
Define the question
Discuss decision context, boundaries and what public evidence could reasonably answer.
- 03
Written scope confirmation
Confirm deliverables, fixed fee and delivery date in writing before research begins.
- 04
Research and validation
Examine lawful public sources and test material findings against their provenance and limits.
- 05
Report delivery
Receive the agreed report with findings, sources, uncertainty and decision implications.
- 06
Discussion and clarification
Review the conclusions and clarify questions within the agreed assignment.
A first conversation or form submission does not create an engagement. Any follow-up work is scoped separately.
Read the research methodologyQuestions before you enquire
Frequently asked questions
Does MelonCactus use only public sources?
Research is based on lawfully accessible public sources within the agreed scope. We do not access private systems or use information obtained unlawfully.
What is the difference between public information and confidential company information?
Public information is lawfully available without access to a private system or account. Material you provide for context may be confidential even when the research itself uses public sources; we handle it under the agreed scope and applicable privacy terms.
What information must a client provide?
Usually the decision, the subject, relevant context and any deadline. We confirm any additional materials needed before an assignment starts; do not send secrets or sensitive personal data through the initial form.
How is confidential information handled?
Enquiries and supplied context are handled discreetly and used to assess or perform the agreed work. The privacy notice explains personal-data handling; specific confidentiality requirements can be discussed before sharing sensitive materials.
Can MelonCactus work under an NDA?
An NDA can be discussed before a project is agreed. Requesting one in the form does not itself create an NDA; any terms must be accepted separately in writing.
How do you handle uncertainty or conflicting sources?
We distinguish direct evidence from assessment and inference, state confidence for material findings, and show relevant contradictions and information gaps. Weak evidence is not presented as certainty.
How does the €499 scan differ from an assessment starting at €995?
The fixed-scope scan concerns your own company website and up to two official public channels. The focused assessment addresses a separately defined external intelligence question and can require a broader evidence review.
How is the final fee determined?
We review the question, scope, required sources, deliverable and timing, then confirm a fixed fee in writing before work begins. Published starting fees are indicative for the broader assessments.
How long does research take?
Delivery depends on scope, source availability and capacity. We confirm a date in writing before work begins; selecting a requested timing in the form is not acceptance of that deadline.
Can the conclusion be that there is insufficient public evidence?
Yes. If the available evidence does not support a responsible conclusion, the report states that limit and identifies what remains unknown.
Does MelonCactus investigate people?
Our work concerns defined industrial and commercial questions, not private lives. Public references to professional roles may be considered only where relevant and lawful within the agreed scope.
What is expressly outside the service?
No unauthorised access, deception, impersonation, social engineering, private-life investigation or use of stolen information. We do not guarantee that every question can be answered from public evidence.
Business identity
One practice for research and practical improvement.
MelonCactus is operated by GFNI. We support defined business questions through evidence-led industrial research and carefully scoped practical AI work, with clear boundaries, human review and written agreements.
- Operated by GFNI
- Defined scope · fixed fee agreed upfront
Contact by emailcontact@meloncactus.com
Begin with the question
What do you need to understand or improve?
Describe the decision, task or recurring work that matters. We will discuss a responsible, clearly scoped first step.