In addition to researching the specific company you're interested in, it's also important to research the industry in which the company is situated. This will help you build a holistic knowledge about the company and put it into a larger context. Is it an established major player that is fending off scrappy upstarts or a newer company trying to gain a foothold in the industry or something in between?
The industry resources listed below format their research on a given industry in a report, which are often very detailed. Just keep in mind that your company may be part of more than one industry!
IBISWorld is an easy-to-use industry research resource that provides detailed reports on hundred of industries.
Contains detailed reports on over 700 industries in the United States. Also includes company and segment benchmarking metrics. Reports are based on the NAICS code.
To get started, search for an industry. The search tool is pretty powerful, so you can also try searching for a company and see what industry it’s included in.
Using the navigation panel on the left, scroll through the following sections to gain a solid understanding of the industry you’re interested in working for:
First Research provides analysis to over 1,000 industries. It can be particularly helpful if you’re looking for information on an industry related federal, state or municipal government, which may not be covered in IBISWorld.
To get started, search for an industry.
Using the navigation panel on the left, scroll through the following sections to gain a solid understanding of the industry you’re interested in working for:
Pitchbook tracks the private and public equity markets. It provides data on the venture capital, private equity and M&A landscape, including information about funds, limited partners, service providers, founders, investors and buyers. Since these markets often invest in emerging tech, PitchBook can be helpful for learning more about the emerging tech industry and various start-ups.
The first time you visit the link to PitchBook, below, you will be prompted to set a password and set your preferences. Once that is completed, you’ll be on the PitchBook landing page, where you can select Research Center, to learn about various emerging technology sectors, among others.
PitchBook tracks the private and public equity markets. It provides data on the venture capital, private equity and M&A landscape, including information about funds, limited partners, service providers, founders, investors and buyers.
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When you select a technological sector to research, you’ll find comprehensive quarterly and annual reports that provide the following information: