Transparency & Trust

Our Methodology

How PSM Index scores, verifies, and ranks 500+ alternative protein startups. Built for investors, founders, and industry leaders who demand data-driven intelligence.

PSM Index Score (0–100)

The PSM Index Score is a composite intelligence score ranging from 0 to 100, calculated from six weighted dimensions. Each startup is evaluated using a hybrid AI + manual review pipeline that combines publicly available data, self-reported information, and third-party verification sources.

Formula

PSM Score = (Innovation × 0.20) + (Market × 0.20) + (Team × 0.20) + (Sustainability × 0.15) + (Technology × 0.15) + (Data × 0.10)

AI-Powered Analysis

Machine learning models process structured and unstructured data from 50+ signal sources.

Manual Expert Review

Gold Elite tier and anomaly cases receive manual review from PSM domain analysts.

Scoring Dimensions

Innovation

20%

Measures novelty of technology, IP portfolio, patent filings, and differentiation from existing solutions in the alternative protein space.

Patent count & qualityTechnology uniquenessR&D investment ratioScientific publication citations

Market Potential

20%

Evaluates addressable market size, commercial traction, revenue indicators, partnership quality, and go-to-market strategy.

TAM/SAM analysisRevenue or pre-revenue tractionStrategic partnershipsMarket timing & regulatory readiness

Team & Execution

20%

Assesses founder-market fit, team depth, advisory board quality, operational milestones, and ability to deliver on roadmap.

Founder experience & track recordTeam size & diversityAdvisory board strengthMilestone completion rate

Sustainability Impact

15%

Quantifies environmental impact potential: carbon reduction, water savings, land use efficiency, and alignment with ESG standards.

Carbon footprint reduction potentialWater & land use efficiencyCircular economy practicesESG alignment score

Technology Readiness

15%

Evaluates technology maturity level (TRL), scalability potential, production readiness, and cost trajectory towards price parity.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)Scale-up progressProduction cost trajectorySupply chain maturity

Data Confidence

10%

Meta-score measuring the completeness, recency, and reliability of data available for scoring. Higher confidence = more accurate overall score.

Data completeness (% of fields filled)Data recency (last update)Source diversity (multiple references)Self-reported vs. verified data ratio

Data Quality & Confidence

Not all data is created equal. The Data Confidence score reflects how complete, recent, and verified the underlying data is. A high confidence score means the PSM Score is highly reliable. A lower confidence indicates estimated or incomplete data.

80–100
High Confidence

Verified from multiple sources. Recent data. High completeness.

50–79
Moderate

Partially verified. Some estimates used. Reasonably complete.

0–49
Low Confidence

Limited data. Heavily estimated. May not reflect current reality.

Verification Badge Tiers

PSM Verified badges signal trust to investors, partners, and the ecosystem. Each tier represents a different level of verification depth.

PSM Verified

Min Score: 40

Core verification confirming data accuracy, active operations, and legitimate market presence. The baseline trust signal.

Company registration confirmed
Core data verified (team, funding, product)
Active website & digital presence
PSM Score ≥ 40
At least 3 months of operations

Gold Elite

Min Score: 75

Premium verification with comprehensive due diligence. Reserved for established, high-performing startups with verified financials.

All Standard criteria met
Financial data independently verified
Executive credentials confirmed
PSM Score ≥ 75 (top 10th percentile)
Active partnerships or revenue confirmed
Manual review by PSM analyst

Rising Star

Min Score: 50

Awarded to startups showing exceptional growth momentum, innovation potential, and breakthrough metrics.

Standard verification met
Week-over-week score growth > 5% for 4+ weeks
Notable recent milestone
High Innovation + Sustainability scores
Positive analyst outlook

AI Review vs Manual Review

AI Review

Automated analysis applied to all startups in the index.

  • Web scraping & NLP data extraction
  • Financial signal analysis
  • Social media & news sentiment
  • Patent & publication tracking
  • Peer comparison algorithms
  • Weekly score recalculation

Manual Review

Human analyst verification for Gold Elite tier and edge cases.

  • Direct founder/team interviews
  • Financial document verification
  • Reference checks with investors
  • Product demonstration review
  • On-site or virtual facility visits
  • Quarterly re-evaluation cycle

Update Frequency

Weekly

AI scores recalculated every Monday for all indexed startups.

Monthly

Full data refresh including new signals, partnerships, and funding updates.

Quarterly

Manual re-evaluation of Gold Elite tier and major index rebalancing.

Data Ethics & Privacy

PSM Index is committed to ethical data practices. We use only publicly available data and self-reported information with explicit consent. Startups can claim their profiles to update data and request corrections at any time.

Investors and users receive aggregated intelligence — we never share raw proprietary data between competitors. Badge verification does not involve sharing confidential financial details publicly.

Disclaimer: PSM Index scores are intelligence signals for informational purposes. They do not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own due diligence.

Ready to Explore?

Browse our indexed startups or submit your own for verification.

Browse Startups Submit a Startup