VENTURE INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
A common language for the global venture ecosystem.
VICS™ organizes fragmented startup and venture data into one structured classification framework—connecting industries, technologies, stages, business models, revenue models, company characteristics, fundraising activity, and performance indicators.
1,415 detailed industry classifications · Multi-dimensional company records · Built for global venture intelligenceWebsitePitch deckData roomFounder updates
VICS™NORMALIZATION LAYER
Industry codeBusiness modelFinancing stageComparable KPIs
Public demonstration notice
Purchase Passport Company examples, benchmark metrics, and performance visualizations on this page are synthetic. The real private-market data is behind the StartupFuel platform.
THE CLASSIFICATION PROBLEM
Private markets lack a consistent data language.
Broad tags hide meaningful differences. Stages are confused, taxonomies rarely align, and company descriptions change faster than conventional classifications. AI analysis is only as useful as the structure beneath it.
“AI healthcare startup”
“Clinical workflow software”
“Hospital automation”
“Digital-health SaaS”
Primary + secondary industry
Detailed sub-industry code
Business + revenue model
Company + financing stage
EIGHT MONTHS OF TAXONOMY DEVELOPMENT
Built from broad market research, not a single inherited framework.
StartupFuel developed VICS™ after reviewing more than 300 startup, venture, business, government, intellectual-property, innovation, research, technology, and data classification systems and platforms—including work by StartupFuel with the Vector Institute. The Vector Institute was co-founded by Geoffrey Hinton, its Chief Scientific Advisor and a pioneering researcher in artificial intelligence.
MORE THAN AN INDUSTRY CODE
One structured identity for every venture-backed company.
Official imported records stay distinct from proposed extensions, preserving both integrity and room for future taxonomy development.
Industry
Official imported taxonomy
Business model
Official imported taxonomy
Revenue model
Official imported taxonomy
Financing stage
Official imported taxonomy
Company stage
Proposed VICS™ extension
Company dimensions
Proposed structured extensions
Business models
B2BB2CB2B2CC2CC2BD2CB2PRevenue models
Add-onAffiliationAikidoAuctionBarterCash MachineCross SellingFinancing stages
Pre-SeedSeedSeries ASeries BSeries CSeries C+IPOEXPLORE THE TAXONOMY
Search 1,415 detailed venture-industry classifications.
Every result below comes directly from the supplied official taxonomy source. Search by code, name, technology, product, or description.
| VICS™ code | Industry classification | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drilling Technology | Companies developing advanced technologies, including hardware, software, and materials, to improve the efficiency, safety, and performance of oil and gas drilling operations. | View | |
| Drilling Automation | Development of robotic systems and automated controls for drilling rigs to reduce manual labor, increase precision, and enhance operational safety. | View | |
| Wellbore Technology | Innovations in downhole tools, sensors, drilling fluids, and casing technologies that optimize the drilling process and well integrity. | View | |
| Digital Oilfield Software | Software platforms that use data analytics, AI, and IoT to monitor, model, and manage drilling operations in real-time for optimized performance and predictive maintenance. | View | |
| Oil & Gas IoT | Deployment of connected sensors and devices on drilling equipment and sites to gather real-time data for monitoring, control, and analysis. | View | |
| Energy Sector Emissions Monitoring | Technologies specifically designed to detect, measure, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (like methane) from drilling sites and related infrastructure. | View | |
| Oil & Gas Equipment Tech | Companies developing and manufacturing advanced equipment, including smart drilling rigs, sensors, and machinery for the oil and gas industry. | View | |
| Well Services Tech | Technology-driven services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, and production phases of oil and gas wells, including innovations in hydraulic fracturing and well intervention. | View | |
| Seismic & Exploration Tech | Companies providing advanced technology for seismic data acquisition, processing, and AI-driven interpretation to discover and manage hydrocarbon reserves. | View | |
| Digital Oilfield | Software, IoT, and data analytics platforms that optimize oil and gas exploration, drilling, and production operations for increased efficiency, safety, and predictive maintenance. | View | |
| O&G Robotics & Automation | Development and deployment of robotic systems, drones, and automation technologies for hazardous or repetitive tasks in the oil and gas sector, such as drilling, inspection, and maintenance. | View | |
| Energy Supply Chain Tech | Technology platforms for managing the supply chain and logistics of equipment, materials (like proppants), and services within the oil and gas industry. | View |
Page 1 of 118
FROM CLASSIFICATION TO INTELLIGENCE
Standardized records make private-market benchmarks possible.
This demonstration shows how consistently classified records can support aggregate comparisons and moving averages across markets and time.
SYNTHETIC DEMONSTRATION DATASETNot actual StartupFuel company data
Real private-market records and intelligence are available behind the StartupFuel platform.
Purchase PassportMedian75th percentile
Start1Y
MACHINE-READABLE BY DESIGN
Built for people, platforms, and AI systems.
A consistent schema supports taxonomy browsers, CSV and JSON exports, authenticated APIs, DiligenceGPT™, Raiseboards, portfolio reporting, and ecosystem dashboards.
{
"vics_code": "1010101001",
"industry_name": "Drilling Technology",
"business_model": "B2B",
"revenue_model": "Subscription",
"financing_stage": "Seed",
"company_stage": "Early commercialization",
"data_freshness": "Current",
"confidence": "High"
}ILLUSTRATIVE RECORDAPPLICATIONS
A shared standard for the entire ecosystem.
Founders
Create a consistent identity, improve discovery, compare relevant peers, and maintain a reusable fundraising profile.
Investors
Search consistently, create thesis filters, build peer groups, and benchmark portfolios.
Programs
Classify cohorts, compare composition, build Raiseboards, and report ecosystem outcomes.
Governments
Map startup activity, monitor sector formation, and support evidence-based programs.
Researchers
Create comparable samples and study company formation, growth, and commercialization.
Corporations
Structure innovation scouting, identify emerging technology, and connect ventures to business units.
METHODOLOGY & GOVERNANCE
Transparent, versioned, and designed to evolve.
- Specific enough for venture nuance
- Consistent enough for comparison
- Extensible as technologies emerge
- Multi-label where companies span industries
- Source-aware and geography-neutral
- Collect approved information
- Extract descriptions and attributes
- Identify candidate classifications
- Assign primary and secondary codes
- Record source and confidence
- Flag ambiguity for review
- Refresh and preserve history
Changes, deprecated codes, replacement codes, and definition corrections remain traceable. Taxonomy feedback enters administrative review and never modifies official data automatically.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
VICS™, clearly defined.
What does VICS™ stand for?
The Venture Industry Classification System—StartupFuel’s proprietary framework for organizing startup, venture, innovation, and private-market data.
Is VICS™ only an industry taxonomy?
No. Industry is one layer connected with business models, revenue models, stages, geography, company characteristics, fundraising activity, provenance, and freshness.
How is VICS™ different from NAICS or GICS?
Those systems serve established economic and public-market purposes. VICS™ is designed around startups, venture investors, accelerators, innovation programs, and private-market intelligence; it is not affiliated with or a replacement for either system.
Can a company have multiple classifications?
Yes. A company may have one primary classification and multiple secondary classifications when its products, technologies, or markets span categories.
Are the benchmark values real?
No. This public demonstration uses synthetic values solely to illustrate analytical capabilities. Real data is available inside the StartupFuel platform.
Is VICS™ a financial rating?
No. Classification does not represent verification, investment quality, creditworthiness, endorsement, or a recommendation.
BUILD ON A SHARED DATA LANGUAGE
Bring structure to the global venture ecosystem.
Explore the official taxonomy here. Purchase a Passport to access StartupFuel’s platform experience and real private-market data.
VICS™ is a proprietary classification system of StartupFuel. Classification under VICS™ does not constitute verification, endorsement, investment advice, solicitation, credit assessment, or a guarantee of funding or performance.