Market research
A market landscape is a dated, categorized view of the organizations in a defined market. It shows who is in your snapshot and the role each participant plays. Build a free editable first draft from companies you already know; this is not a live company database or a market-share chart.
Workspace
Start with the buyer or field, product boundary, geography, inclusion and exclusion rules, and snapshot date. Then paste the organizations you already know into the free manual map.
Step 1 of 2
These are your research rules, not verified market facts. Keep sources and checked dates for individual companies in a separate log.
This draft stays in this browser when local storage is available; it is not encrypted or shared with the map editor. Review sensitive notes before downloading or sharing the JSON.
Start with a niche. Add names you already know or let AI suggest a first set. Review every entry, then export or share the map.
Enter a niche and start a free manual map, or use credits for an AI draft.
Method
Define one market boundary and date the snapshot. The U.S. SBA recommends scoping by product or service and segment; include indirect alternatives when they matter to your question.
Group researched participants by their primary role, and keep each inclusion claim, source URL and checked date in a separate log. The current visual editor has no per-company citation field.
Review overlaps and exclusions, then export PNG or JSON. A sparse category is a research question, not proof of demand or market share.
For a hypothetical climate-software study in one geography, you might test measurement data, operational controls and reporting as role labels. These are prompts to investigate, not a verified taxonomy or a census of real companies.
Make the first draft useful
Name the buyer, product or service and segment before collecting logos. Include indirect alternatives only when they belong in the decision or field you defined; otherwise an attractive map can hide a changing boundary.
U.S. SBA: define market and competitionCensus Business Builder can compare chosen industries and geographies. Its statistical report may help frame the market, but it does not automatically decide which individual company belongs in your custom role category.
U.S. Census: customized industry and geography researchUse company sites, published accounts and conversations with customers or prospects to check participant roles. Look beyond the obvious leaders to direct and indirect, local and regional options when your scope calls for them.
UK government: competitor-research inputsChoose by the question
| Map type | Choose it when… | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Participant landscape | You need a dated, bounded view of organizations grouped by their role in a field. | Use this workspace |
| Market map | You mainly need a category visual or the broader map-making workflow. | Open the market map |
| Competitive landscape matrix | A defined buyer needs to compare specific rivals and substitutes using the same evidence fields. | Compare buyer alternatives |
Common question
They can use the same category visual. Here, “landscape” means a dated field snapshot with explicit inclusion rules; “market map” describes the broader editable visual. If a buyer must compare direct rivals and substitutes on common facts, use the competitive-landscape matrix instead.
Keep exploring
Map AI agent apps, frameworks and infrastructure for one workflow. Edit categories, verify entries and export a working landscape. AI drafting is optional.
Organize companies by buyer need, see where categories overlap, and publish an editable market map.
Define a market boundary, record companies and sources, then build a free editable category map. Learn when a two-axis map fits and why gaps need testing.
Match market questions to Census, Trends, Analytics, ITC, EDGAR or direct research. Use a free selector and export an evidence plan before mapping companies.