The firm said its sales figures and its underlying pre-tax profits of at least £7m are ahead of expectations for the year, thanks to a “strong performance in all territories with significant progress in North America and Europe”.

The integration of Greenfield Online, which was acquired in July last year, has been “faster than predicted” and resulted in significant synergies ahead of management expectations, Toluna said.

Full results are due in April and the board said the performance in 2009 gave it confidence to expect continued growth this year.

Toluna founder and chief executive Frederic-Charles Petit (pictured) said: “We have made significant progress in a short time since the acquisition of Greenfield Online in establishing the enlarged Toluna as a major force in global market research services. We are pleased with our rapid progress in integrating the Greenfield Online/Ciao Surveys team, and with our excellent performance against a challenging economic background.”