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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.