Benchmarking Methodology
6 KPIs. Defined weights. Transparent measurement. Our methodology is fully documented because we believe benchmarking should be reproducible, not opaque.
Composite Score Calculation
Each company receives a composite score from 0 to 100, calculated as the weighted sum of percentile scores across 6 KPIs. Percentiles are computed within stage cohorts (seed, early growth, growth, mature) to ensure fair comparisons. The weights reflect the relative importance of each KPI for evaluating startup performance.
| KPI | Weight |
|---|---|
| Growth Rate (YoY ARR) | 25% |
| Capital Efficiency (ARR/$1 Raised) | 20% |
| Detection Rate (True Positive Rate) | 20% |
| Time to Value (MTTR) | 15% |
| Customer Retention | 10% |
| Innovation Score | 10% |
KPI Definitions
Growth Rate (YoY ARR)
25%Year-over-year annual recurring revenue growth. The single most important KPI for early-stage companies — it captures market demand, product-market fit, and go-to-market execution in a single metric.
Measurement Approach
Trailing 12-month ARR compared to prior 12-month period. Data sourced from financial filings, verified investor reports, and proprietary data partnerships. Self-reported figures are cross-referenced with independent sources.
Example
A company growing from $2M ARR to $7M ARR in 12 months = 250% YoY growth.
Capital Efficiency (ARR/$1 Raised)
20%Annual recurring revenue divided by total capital raised. Measures how effectively a startup converts investor dollars into recurring revenue. High capital efficiency signals strong product-market fit and efficient operations.
Measurement Approach
Current ARR divided by total equity funding raised (including seed, angel, and venture rounds). Funding data from Crunchbase, PitchBook, and direct verification. Debt and non-dilutive funding excluded.
Example
A company with $2.8M ARR on $5M total funding = $0.56 ARR per $1 raised.
Detection Rate (True Positive Rate)
20%The percentage of genuine threats correctly identified by the platform. Core product efficacy metric — measures whether the technology actually works. Independent research lab benchmarks align with our KPI measurements.
Measurement Approach
TPR calculated from standardized threat datasets. Where available, third-party testing results (MITRE ATT&CK evaluations, independent lab testing) are used. Self-reported rates are validated against customer-reported incident data.
Example
A platform that correctly identifies 972 out of 1,000 genuine threats = 97.2% TPR.
Time to Value (MTTR)
15%Mean time to remediate — how quickly the platform identifies and provides actionable remediation after threat detection. Speed matters in security — faster remediation directly reduces risk exposure.
Measurement Approach
Median time from threat detection to actionable remediation recommendation, measured across the customer base. Data from platform telemetry and customer surveys. Excludes setup/onboarding time.
Example
A platform with median 87-second detection-to-remediation time = sub-90s MTTR.
Customer Retention
10%Annual gross revenue retention rate. Measures customer satisfaction and product stickiness. Lower weight for early-stage companies because the customer base is small and retention metrics stabilize later.
Measurement Approach
Gross revenue retention calculated as (beginning ARR - churned ARR) / beginning ARR. Measured over trailing 12 months. Expansion revenue excluded to isolate retention from upselling.
Example
A company starting with $2M ARR and losing $80K to churn = 96% retention.
Innovation Score
10%Composite metric evaluating technical differentiation. Captures patent filings, novel architecture approaches, published research, and technical uniqueness. Early-stage companies often score higher due to novel approaches.
Measurement Approach
Scored 0-100 based on: patent applications (20%), architectural novelty assessment (30%), published research and conference presentations (20%), and technical differentiation vs. incumbents (30%). Assessed by our research team quarterly.
Example
A company with 3 patents, novel AI-native architecture, 2 Blackhat talks, and clear technical differentiation = 95/100.
Data Sources
Our benchmark data is compiled from multiple sources to ensure accuracy and reduce reliance on self-reported metrics:
- Financial filings and verified investor reports
- Crunchbase and PitchBook funding data
- MITRE ATT&CK evaluation results
- Independent security testing lab reports
- Platform telemetry data (anonymized, aggregated)
- Customer surveys and interviews
- Patent database searches (USPTO, WIPO)
- Conference presentation records and published research
All data is refreshed quarterly. Self-reported metrics are cross-referenced with at least two independent sources before inclusion. Where discrepancies exist, the more conservative figure is used.