What is the EDGE100 about?

The EDGE100 report is a list of 100 early-stage startups that have unique innovations ready to commercialize or have done so only recently. Our analysts have rigorously filtered and fine-tuned our 5000+ company data to present the top 100 startups, across multiple emerging industries; this list comprises the budding disruptors that have the highest potential to grow in the next 12-24 months. The focus is on the momentum of a startup—where the startups are headed, not where they are right now.

What was discussed during the webinar? 

Opening the webinar, our Chief Content Officer, Mifnaz Jawahar, explained the layers of our innovative predictive framework, our unique definitions, and how the startups were selected on several different but complementary factors, such as TAM and the history of management teams; seems island odd pairing, but not when you need a holistic view. Understanding the methodology is key when trusting the data, so we walk you through the exhaustive process.

While statistics predict patterns and directions, they don’t always have the whole story, and stories don’t always make good predictions without the data, so we paired this discussion with notable guest speaker, Amy Guarino, VP of Customer and Partner Success, Ironclad, whose sizeable experience in startup growth strategies meant her responses were anecdotal, engaging, and insightful—not without actionable tips into the depth of a startup’s success story. 

What did the Q&A session cover?

Max Lockie, our moderator,  asked the following questions—drawing some from the audience as well.

(The questions have been edited for clarity)

• Which emerging industries are you interested in now, and, based on your career, how has that changed over time?
• ‍How do you find new startups that you want to engage with?
• What are the trends in the companies you’ve worked for that you’re most proud of?
• What are some of the similarities in the startups that grow, the nuances and intangibles that you’ve noticed?
• How do you balance long-term trends and short-term trends? How do you maintain your long-term convictions and not get caught up in a fad? 
• What kind of impact are you seeing in the private startup tech world? Is it a “public markets sneeze and private markets catch the flu” kind of thing?
• The Gen-Z founders are coming into their own. What’s new and what’s the same with the young people that are starting to build their own companies? 

Watch the webinar and Q&A as Amy talks about the 5 key components she believes makes for a successful startup, how to prioritize your long-term short-term visions, the make-or-break factors in product differentiation, and specific ideas on what the future generations’ startup waves look like.