The rubric
Each evaluator scores a startup using the 5-Level Qualitative Scorecard. Every pillar gets one of:
L1 Decline
L2 Weak Signal
L3 Moderate
L4 Strong Signal
L5 Elite / Horizon
Pillars are grouped into three weighted sections:
| Section | Weight |
|---|
| 1. Core Foundational Criteria (team, market, product) | 50% |
| 2. Scalability, Traction & Founder Signals | 30% |
| 3. Sector-Specific Criteria (one line matching the startup's field) | 20% |
How a startup's score is calculated
-
Per evaluator, per section — average the pillar levels in that section.
section_avg = mean(pillar levels)
-
Per evaluator, weighted score — combine sections by their weight.
weighted = (S1 × 0.50) + (S2 × 0.30) + (S3 × 0.20)
-
Across all evaluators — simple mean of each evaluator's weighted score.
overall = mean(weighted scores)
Score range is 1.00–5.00. If a section has no pillars filled, it's dropped from the weighted sum and the remaining weights are normalized so the score stays on the same scale.
Worked example
Two evaluators score the same startup. Each fills out pillars in three sections.
Evaluator A
| Section | Pillars | Section avg |
|---|
| 1 (50%) | 4, 3, 4 | 3.67 |
| 2 (30%) | 3, 3, 4, 4 | 3.50 |
| 3 (20%) | 4 | 4.00 |
3.67 × 0.50 + 3.50 × 0.30 + 4.00 × 0.20
= 1.84 + 1.05 + 0.80
= 3.69
Evaluator B
| Section | Pillars | Section avg |
|---|
| 1 (50%) | 3, 3, 3 | 3.00 |
| 2 (30%) | 4, 4, 4, 4 | 4.00 |
| 3 (20%) | 4 | 4.00 |
3.00 × 0.50 + 4.00 × 0.30 + 4.00 × 0.20
= 1.50 + 1.20 + 0.80
= 3.50
Startup overall
mean(3.69, 3.50) = 3.60
What the leaderboard shows
- Avg score — the startup's overall score (rounded to 2 decimals).
- Evaluators — how many evaluators have submitted a sheet for this startup. If this is lower than your total evaluator pool, one or more evaluators skipped this startup or named it differently in their file.
- Drill-down — click any startup row on the leaderboard to see every evaluator's pillar-by-pillar levels and comments.