Founders’ Reflections: David Rowe on Building Deltabase

From the moment I was a kid making homemade comics to sell to friends over the summer holidays, I dreamed of running my own business. That spark stayed with me through every step of my corporate tech career, and eventually, I made the leap into the startup world.

What I’ve learned is that having the idea—a real, meaningful gap in the market—is often the hardest part. For us, that idea was rooted in a simple but powerful belief: companies need faster, deeper, and more actionable intelligence on their competitors to make better strategic decisions. But turning that belief into a real business? That takes more than vision—it takes the right people around you. Having co-founders who believed in the same mission and brought different skills and perspectives was absolutely essential.

Six years on, Deltabase has evolved into something that, even at the start, we could only partly imagine. We’ve built a suite of competitor intelligence products—from our Culture Intelligence and Leadership Analysis modules to full-spectrum Organisational Benchmarking and Transformation Tracking—each designed to give our clients a clearer lens on their rivals’ strategic moves, capabilities, and culture.

What’s been particularly rewarding is seeing how our automation and AI-driven analysis have enabled us to move beyond static reports. The Deltabase platform now allows teams to interact dynamically with the intelligence—whether they’re an analyst deep in due diligence, a transformation lead mapping risk, or a consultant shaping strategy for a global client. Seeing those use cases emerge organically has been one of the big surprises.

I’ve found deep motivation in customer feedback—when we hear how our insights helped drive an M&A decision, shaped a boardroom conversation, or enabled faster pivots in go-to-market plans. That tells me we’re not just building tools; we’re building something that matters.

Looking ahead, I’m excited about where we go next. With generative AI and machine learning continuing to unlock new potential, the Deltabase platform is still only scratching the surface. We set out to define the future of competitor intelligence. I believe we’re well on the way.

To all our partners, customers and teammates—thank you for taking the leap with us. What matters most isn’t the intelligence we deliver, but how you’ve turned it into action.

– David Rowe, Co-Founder