We beforehand introduced the milestone of our Perception Innovation Trade (IIEX) convention sequence’ 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of figuring out the improvements which have remodeled the insights trade.  This straightforward concept of gathering the very best and the brightest within the insights trade to disclose, showcase, debate, problem and champion new applied sciences and approaches has been a game-changer. And, we’ve the tangible proof to show it.

Earlier than launching IIEX, we had been experimenting with the thought of surfacing probably the most progressive MRX startups in order that brand-side insights groups and full-service companies might have a channel during which to discover the following ‘new factor’. 

After some experiments on-line, we formally launched the Insights Innovation Competitors on the first IIEX occasion in 2013. Extra welcoming than a “shark tank”, we gave early-stage innovators a literal stage to current to a dwell viewers of potential early adopters and, to make it fascinating, compete for some modest prize cash.

“This straightforward concept of gathering the very best and the brightest within the insights trade to disclose, showcase, debate, problem and champion new applied sciences and approaches has been a game-changer.”

The foundations have been easy: You needed to be a bona fide firm providing a product, service or tech answer on the market — and also you already needed to be in market together with your services or products, underneath a sure threshold of exterior funding and gross sales quantity, so you may legitimately declare start-up standing.  Upon assembly the standards, the submissions have been winnowed down by a crowdsourced course of to a handful of finalists who took the stage dwell to make their “pitch” earlier than an trade physique of judges.   

That yr, a scrappy start-up referred to as Zappistore entered the competitors, offered a radical proposition for making use of automation to analysis at scale, and gained! 

Their innovation set in movement a brand new class making use of standardization to analysis platforms. They’ve since achieved a market chief standing that conjures up many rivals who’re bringing their very own worth to the market. Quick ahead to December of 2022, and Zappi, as they’re now referred to as, introduced a spherical of personal fairness development funding of $170million! 

Clearly, innovation will not be over but for Zappi — and we couldn’t be happier that they’ve stepped as much as sponsor this yr’s competitors. (Extra about that in days to come back.)

Innovation has made a distinction . . . and we will measure it!

We’re a bit geeky about information so we determined to take a look on the firms who’ve participated within the competitors within the final 10 years to see how far they’ve come since. 

Anecdotally, let’s imagine that these are the businesses who launched improvements which have grow to be most well-liked methodologies, broadly adopted options, and finest practices. Making use of a “observe the cash” mindset, it’s fascinating to see what the cohort of winners has truly contributed to the trade by way of valuation. 

Over 163 firms have participated within the Insights Innovation Competitors, making it to judging rounds and affirming what we had been predicting by the GRIT Report for a while — the trade was shifting from companies to tech, or minimally tech-enabled consultancy. The competitors individuals, in nice measure, have been tech innovators who’ve been driving that transformation.

Really, you’ve possible seen the vast majority of these innovators first at IIEX, and sure within the context of this Competitors. However, what’s extra vital, is that the Perception Innovation Competitors supplied a platform for these firms to develop and actively redefine the trade as an entire.

The Perception Innovation Competitors didn’t simply expose our trade to those innovators and their concepts — it has actively facilitated quantifiable transformation!  

OK, the place’s the proof, you say.

4 of the winners have been acquired, and to the diploma of which we will confirm, have generated an estimated $80 million in shareholder worth.   

Collectively, fourteen of the winners have raised over $860 million in capital and created an estimated $3.3 billion in enterprise worth. Moreover, the previous winners make use of over 1500 folks and contribute $445 million in international turnover to the trade. 

Alongside Zappi, winners who’ve redefined how and what analysis can accomplish embrace:

• Remesh created scalable “macro-qual” by way of AI, an early precursor to many instruments as we speak leveraging AI and machine studying.
• Veylinx utilized rules of betting markets as an answer for pricing analysis. 
• RIWI launched a proprietary methodology for international random microsurveys. 
• Decooda, Heartbeat.AI, Glimpzit, Pixoneye, and Phebi furthered evaluation of unstructured information (textual content, voice and picture/video), paving the way in which for present advances in these applied sciences. 
• Mindprober and CoolTool (in addition to runner ups like Neurons, Forbes, Protobrand, and so forth..), have all helped drive improvement and adoption of nonconscious measurement options, which have established themselves as very important new instruments for insights. 

“IIEX is greater than a convention sequence – it’s a mindset and a catalyst for considering transformatively about the way forward for client insights.”

Evidently, that is fairly an illustrious cohort of innovators. And what’s extra, there may be a powerful array of manufacturers who’ve adopted their progressive options to be able to uncover essential insights that inform their enterprise choices and drive model development. 

We joke internally that if we have been a VC agency and had taken fairness in these firms, we’d be thought of probably the greatest funds on the planet! Oh, properly…

Who would be the Innovators of the following 10 years?

This yr’s Perception Innovation Competitors will open within the coming weeks — finalists will as soon as once more take the stage at IIEX North America in Austin, Could 24th-25th.  You may join our weekly publication to get updates.

There are going to be dozens of classes at our international IIEX occasions this yr that may tackle all the things from the intersection of UX and MRX, the alternatives for analysis using AR/VR and immersive experiences within the metaverse, the position of analytical and generative AI in insights, and the increasing position of cellular for partaking voice of the patron. 

At IIEX occasions we’ll hear from the latest GreenBook Future Checklist honorees representing the perception operate of tomorrow. There will probably be debate and undoubtedly surprises, none extra possible than by the massive reveal of who will be a part of the cohort of winners from the final 10 years by the Perception Innovation Competitors. IIEX is greater than a convention sequence – it’s a mindset and a catalyst for considering transformatively about the way forward for client insights. 

So, as we head into the following decade of the Perception Innovation Competitors, who will get the possibility to remodel the trade subsequent by utilizing IIEX as a launchpad? I can’t wait to search out out!  

Greatest regards,