Interactive tool
Have a list of companies but no clear picture of the market? Turn it into an editable, category-based map. Start manually for free, or use credits for an AI first draft—then check every important entry before you share it. This is an industry landscape, not a geographic or perceptual map.
Workspace
Name the narrow market, paste companies you already know, and choose manual mode to begin without credits. Optional AI can suggest a first draft; it does not verify the facts.
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 the buyer, geography and product boundary so readers know what belongs in the map.
Paste known companies, rename the starting group and add categories based on buyer job or product layer.
Check important names, product status and websites against sources; disclose omissions and category overlap before exporting.
For a narrow climate-software study, a researcher might test accounting, procurement and reporting as tentative categories. The labels and company placements need checking; this is not a verified market taxonomy.
Make the first draft useful
Say which buyer, geography and product scope the map covers. A published CB Insights market map explicitly states that its company set is not exhaustive and categories can overlap. A polished draft should not imply otherwise.
CB Insights: scope and category exampleVisit official company sites for names, active products, audiences and URLs. Consider smaller and indirect competitors as well as obvious leaders. Keep evidence links and review dates in your own notes before sharing a map.
UK government: competitor researchThe optional AI action can suggest entries and groups, but generated information can be confidently wrong. Verify company existence and category placement before using the map for a business decision.
NIST: generative AI risk profileChoose by the question
| Map type | Choose it when… | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Company market map | You need to group businesses in a defined industry into categories. | Baker Library definition |
| Perceptual map | You need to compare brands or products on two positioning attributes. | Open the axis-based tool |
| Geographic map | You need to show places, regions, locations or routes. | Canva geographic map maker |
| Competitive landscape worksheet | You need side-by-side buyer criteria rather than a category visual. | Open comparison worksheet |
Common question
Yes. Add your company names, start manually, edit categories and cards, then export. AI drafting is optional and costs the number of credits displayed by the generator.
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.