How startups can uncover hidden industries for their core technology
Anybrain co-founder André Pimenta Ribeiro explains how startups can identify unexpected verticals for their technology by separating its core capability from the original niche it was built for. The approach relies on spotting shared problems across industries and testing them through low-risk pilots before committing resources.
Startups often stay locked into the single sector their technology was originally built for, but significant growth potential in the European tech ecosystem can come from applying the same solution across seemingly unrelated industries. This is according to André Pimenta Ribeiro, CEO and co-founder of Anybrain, a company that uses behavioral AI to improve security and fair play in games.
Focus on core capability, not the sector
Ribeiro suggests startups strip away branding and industry context to understand what their product truly does on a technical level. As an example, he describes software that tracks keyboard and mouse activity to detect workplace fatigue. The same underlying technology, however, can identify unusual human behavior patterns more broadly — meaning it could also apply to online security, fraud prevention in fintech, or catching cheaters in video games.
Shared traits across industries
To find new applications, companies should look for sectors with similar data inputs, comparable risk levels, and a financial incentive to solve the same problem. For instance, a dashboard built to fix a logistics bottleneck for a distributor could also solve workflow issues in healthcare, while anti-fraud tools used in online gambling might translate into compliance solutions for retail banking.
Testing before major changes
According to Ribeiro, entering a new vertical shouldn't require rebuilding the core product — if the fit is right, adaptation should require minimal changes. He recommends running small, low-risk pilot programs and lightweight integrations with at least one business in the target sector to gather real operational data and validate the approach for both the company and potential investors.
Weighing commercial viability
Before shifting resources into a new vertical, startups need to assess the market's commercial realities, including sales cycle length, required certifications, and existing competition. Ribeiro notes that moving from standard software sales into complex healthcare or government contracts, for example, could be too large a leap for an early-stage company's resources, regardless of how well the technology itself fits.
