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Methodology

The IndustryLens Velocity Index is a transparent, reproducible score. We do not accept vendor payment to rank, and the underlying data comes from public sources only (no NDAs, no surveys, no analyst calls). Every ranked vendor is one we continuously monitor as part of our paid competitive-intelligence platform.

The three dimensions

1. Signal Velocity (weight 45%) : count of distinct dated competitive signals attributed to the vendor in the last 90 days. A “signal” is a classified, sourced event IndustryLens has captured (product page change, paid ad, hiring move, G2 / Capterra review burst, LinkedIn post, Reddit thread, YouTube mention, press article). Proxy for the rate of competitive moves a vendor is making in-market.
2. Surface Breadth (weight 30%) : number of distinct data sources (out of 17) the vendor was active in during the last 90 days. Captures whether a vendor is concentrated in one channel (e.g. only product changes) or showing up across the full surface (product + ads + reviews + social + community + press + hiring).
3. Threat Density (weight 25%) : share of last-90d signals our classifier labelledcompetitive_threat, positioning_shift, orcustomer_risk, rather than low-stakes tactical activity. Captures the strategic intensity of a vendor’s moves vs. noise.

How the composite is computed

1. For each dimension, raw values are min-max normalised to a 0–100 score across the cohort.
2. The IL Velocity Index is a weighted sum: 0.45 × velocity + 0.30 × breadth + 0.25 × threat.
3. Ties broken by raw 90-day signal count.
4. Vendors with zero activity in the window are excluded from the cohort.

What this does and does not measure

It does measure: how active and how strategically intense each vendor has been in the public competitive surface over the last quarter. It is a momentum and visibility index, refreshed monthly.

It does not measure: revenue, profitability, customer satisfaction, NPS, product quality, or who you should buy from. A high index score means the vendor is moving fast and broadly, not that they are the best fit for any specific buyer.