The rise of business intelligence startups and what they mean for big data

A new wave of business intelligence startups transforms how companies use big data, making insights more accessible and precise. These agile innovators push the boundaries of data processing, visualization, and predictive analytics, creating tools that allow even non-technical teams to harness valuable information in real time. 

From user-friendly dashboards to powerful machine learning, BI startups bring data-driven decision-making into the mainstream and help businesses in every industry make smarter choices. But what does this mean for the future of big data—and how can companies benefit from these tools today?

Content: 

• Benefits of ​business intelligence and analytics services for your industry
• Top BI startups 2024
• Do you need a ​business intelligence developer for your project?
• Cost-efficient mobile business intelligence software
• How much does ​business intelligence software development cost? 
• How do you find a BI specialist? MWDN case studies

Benefits of ​business intelligence and analytics services for your industry

In 2024, business intelligence and analytics are essential for almost any industry – they use BI to transform data into actionable insights. But how exactly do different sectors benefit from BI and analytics?

Retail and E-commerce

BI tools help retailers analyze customer behavior, track sales trends, and optimize inventory. For example, a retailer can use predictive analytics to forecast which products will be in demand, reducing overstock and understock issues. Analytics also helps with personalized marketing, showing relevant products to specific customer segments, leading to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

Healthcare

In healthcare, analytics enhances patient outcomes by speeding up operations and improving diagnoses. Hospitals can use business intelligence to analyze treatment outcomes, patient demographics, and medical history, which helps identify effective treatments and streamline patient care. Analytics can also predict patient influx, allocate resources more effectively, and reduce wait times.

Finance

Banks and other financial institutions actively use BI for fraud detection and risk assessment. They do so by analyzing transaction patterns and customer behavior. Banks can detect unusual activities that might indicate fraud. Additionally, analytics assists in credit scoring and more accurate risk evaluation for loans or credit cards.

Manufacturing

​Business intelligence for manufacturing tracks production processes, monitors equipment health, and predicts maintenance needs. Predictive maintenance, for instance, uses analytics to identify patterns in equipment wear and tear. Manufacturers can optimize production schedules and supply chain logistics to minimize waste, cut costs, and increase productivity.

Telecommunications

Telecom companies use analytics to monitor network performance and improve customer service. They analyze call data records and customer interactions to identify network issues before they impact users. Furthermore, BI helps predict customer churn by identifying patterns in customer behavior.

Energy

The energy sector benefits from BI through data collected from IoT devices and smart meters. For example, utility companies use predictive analytics to anticipate peak usage times, optimize energy distribution, and reduce grid strain.

Logistics and transportation

In logistics, BI boosts and enhances fleet management. Analytics help companies optimize delivery routes, save fuel, and reduce delivery times. This enables real-time tracking and improves customer satisfaction by providing accurate delivery estimates.

Top BI startups 2024

Business intelligence startups see significant growth as companies around the globe increasingly rely on data. These startups offer solutions for data visualization, analytics, automation, and AI-driven insights, making BI a key trend for industries worldwide. 

Here’s a look at some of the prominent players:

1. Celonis specializes in process mining. It helps companies analyze their operational processes to improve efficiency. Founded in Germany, it has raised around $2.4 billion in funding.
2. Gong.io is a US-based startup that offers revenue intelligence solutions that analyze customer interactions to improve sales. It has raised $583 million.
3. Quantexa is a UK-based startup providing “Contextual Decision Intelligence,” a machine learning platform for analyzing data to identify fraud and enhance decision-making. Funding stands at $370 million.
4. Looker which is now part of Google Cloud, offers a BI platform with robust data visualization and analytics capabilities. Looker has raised $280.5 million and is popular for enterprise data solutions.
5. Sisense is a US-based tool for embedding analytics into applications, focusing on making data accessible to non-technical users. It has raised $274.7 million.
6. DataRails targets financial analytics for small and medium-sized enterprises. Israel-based DataRails has raised $103.5 million.

Many companies see BI solutions as a way to enhance competitiveness and uncover efficiency gains. Investments in BI startups are growing, as seen in the substantial funding raised by these companies, which indicates strong investor interest in the potential of data-driven technologies.

Do you need a ​business intelligence developer for your project?

You won’t always need them as a part of your staff. In some cases, though, you might drastically win from a capable specialist on your team. Here are specific situations where a BI department can be a game-changer.

Customer behavior analysis

If you’re launching a personalized marketing campaign, a BI developer can set up data tracking and analysis to understand customer preferences and predict buying behavior. By hiring a BI specialist, you can achieve targeted promotions that boost engagement and sales and make your marketing budget far more effective.

Inventory optimization

Companies managing seasonal or high-volume products can use BI to analyze historical sales data, predict future demand, and reduce stockouts or overstock situations. A BI developer can create a system that tracks and forecasts inventory needs in real-time, leading to significant cost savings.

Revenue forecasting and financial planning

Do you prepare budgets or expand to new markets? In this case, you might win from an accurate revenue projection. BI developers can build forecasting models based on current and past sales data, economic factors, and customer trends, thus offering a clear financial roadmap and minimizing risks.

Supply chain monitoring

BI can monitor supplier performance, shipment times, and logistics efficiency for businesses with complex supply chains. A BI department can create real-time dashboards that alert teams to potential delays and ensure proactive adjustments that keep operations smooth.

Customer service enhancement

BI can help identify patterns in customer service issues by analyzing support tickets, response times, and feedback. A BI developer can address key pain points and, by doing so, spot recurring issues, improve service response times, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

Product development insights

For companies testing new products, BI can track customer feedback and performance metrics to refine offerings quickly. BI developers can help product teams gather and interpret this data, thus driving successful product launches.

Cost-efficient mobile business intelligence software

If developing custom business intelligence software is beyond your budget, there are several affordable BI tools that can meet your needs without breaking the bank. Here’s a selection of solutions that provide powerful analytics capabilities at a fraction of the cost of custom software development.

• Tableau Mobile enables users to access dashboards and analyze real-time data on their devices. Pricing starts at $70 per user per month for the Tableau Creator plan.
• Microsoft Power BI Mobile is a part of the Microsoft Power BI suite, which allows users to view and interact with reports and dashboards on their mobile devices. Pricing starts at $9.99 per user per month for the Power BI Pro plan.
• Qlik Sense Mobile offers responsive, mobile-friendly data visualizations and offline functionality. Pricing starts at $30 per user per month for the Qlik Sense Business plan.
• Domo’s mobile platform provides access to real-time dashboards and integrates with various data sources. Pricing is available upon request, but it typically starts at around $83 per user per month. 
• Zoho Analytics is a user-friendly option for small to mid-sized businesses. Pricing starts at $22 per user per month for the Basic plan.
• IBM Cognos Analytics Mobile is an enterprise-grade solution that provides secure access to reports and complex data queries. Pricing starts at $15 per user per month, but enterprise pricing varies.

Is using an out-of-the-box BI tool not what you’re aiming for? How about creating personalized software?

How much does ​business intelligence software development cost? 

The cost of BI software development varies depending on the project’s complexity, the expertise required, and the region. 

Here’s a breakdown of typical costs for BI development with average salaries for BI specialists in different regions and some examples of the costs of some completed projects.

BI development costs by region

United States. BI development in the US typically costs between $100 to $250 per hour due to the high demand for skilled developers and the competitive market for BI expertise. For example, building a custom BI dashboard or integrating multiple data sources into a cohesive analytics platform can range from $100,000 to $500,000+.

Western Europe. Rates in Western Europe, particularly in the UK, Germany, and France, range from $80 to $200 per hour. Projects like a real-time analytics system for a logistics company or a customer data platform for e-commerce might cost between $80,000 and $400,000.

Israel. Israel is a strong tech hub, with BI development rates averaging around $70 to $150 per hour. Projects in Israel often emphasize innovation, like creating IoT data dashboards or using machine learning to predict customer behavior. Costs for full BI projects here typically range from $70,000 to $300,000.

Eastern Europe. Countries like Ukraine, Poland, and Romania offer BI development at lower rates, generally $40 to $80 per hour. Eastern Europe is popular for building high-quality BI solutions at affordable prices, with end-to-end project costs ranging from $40,000 to $200,000.

Asia (India and the Philippines). In Asia, BI development rates can be as low as $20 to $50 per hour. Projects can range from $20,000 to $150,000, though quality and expertise can vary widely. Companies often outsource simpler BI tasks here or use these teams to support more complex projects.

How much a finished BI project can cost IRL?

A retail analytics platform for an e-commerce company developer in the USA (main features –  tracking sales trends and customer preferences in real-time) will cost approximately $250,000. 

Another example is a healthcare data integration system developed by a BI team located in Eastern Europe. Let’s assume they created an integrated system aggregating patient data from multiple sources for a private clinic. The project cost will be around $110,000.

What if there’s a financial fraud detection software? A BI studio in Israel will develop a predictive analytics tool for a fintech company, identifying fraudulent transactions in real-time using machine learning for about $200,000.

How do you find a BI specialist? MWDN case studies

Finding a skilled BI specialist requires access to top-tier talent pools, a process that’s often time-consuming and costly. For many companies, especially startups, staff augmentation provides a cost-efficient solution to finding BI experts without the long-term commitments of traditional hiring. Through staff augmentation, you can bring in high-caliber specialists on flexible terms, scale your team as needed, and focus only on the skills required for the project.

MWDN’s approach to finding and hiring BI specialists

As an experienced staff augmentation provider, we match companies in Israel and worldwide with the BI talent they need. We source BI specialists, developers, and other technical and non-technical roles through a thorough vetting process and ensure that every applicant we offer meets specific project needs. 

One example is a startup in Israel that required an agile BI team to develop a customized data analytics platform. We quickly identified qualified candidates, handled interviews, and assembled a team in under 28 days, allowing the client to meet tight project timelines without compromising quality.

Another case involved a US-based company expanding its data operations internationally. We provided BI professionals with technical and cultural compatibility, offering payroll, tax, and compliance support to streamline the hiring process across borders.