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Case Studies / BHTC: Trend Tracking
Startup Intelligence

How BHTC Tracks Emerging Technologies Across 30 Active Topics

Behr-Hella Thermocontrol uses SwitchPitch to give a single innovation liaison the reach of an entire team, systematically surfacing relevant startups for internal product groups.

Company BHTC (Behr-Hella Thermocontrol)
Industry Automotive Technology
Use Case Trend Tracking & Startup Scouting
30
active technology trackers running simultaneously
The Challenge

One person. An entire landscape to monitor.

BHTC's innovation function sits with a single SwitchPitch liaison responsible for collecting startup intelligence and distributing relevant findings across multiple internal product teams. The challenge is structural: staying on top of dozens of fast-moving technology areas while also synthesizing what matters for each group.

Without a systematic approach, keeping current with emerging technologies, tracking the startup landscape, and communicating the right findings to the right teams becomes unmanageable for any single person.

The Solution

SwitchPitch trackers as an always-on radar

SwitchPitch's tracker system allows the BHTC liaison to define areas of strategic interest and receive a continuous, curated feed of startups operating in those spaces. Rather than manually researching each topic, the platform surfaces relevant companies as they emerge, match tracker criteria, or gain new traction.

BHTC currently maintains 30 active trackers, giving the liaison comprehensive coverage of the technology landscape that would otherwise require a dedicated research team.

How It Works

A five-step process from signal to startup pairing

1
Trend Tracking
The SwitchPitch liaison selects specific technology areas they want to monitor. BHTC currently maintains 30 active trackers spanning automotive, thermal management, and adjacent innovation domains.
2
Save Tracker
Once a topic is defined, the liaison saves the tracker with specific criteria. SwitchPitch then continuously monitors the startup landscape against those preferences.
3
Curated Email Digest
The liaison receives regular emails from SwitchPitch with suggested startups that match their saved tracker topics, prioritized by relevance and Innovation Readiness Level.
4
Preliminary Screening
The liaison reviews the suggested startups from each email and applies a first-pass filter, eliminating companies that do not meet BHTC's basic criteria before passing findings to product teams.
5
Startup Pairing
When a startup clears the initial screen, the liaison recommends it to the relevant product team, kicking off the internal vetting and engagement process.
The Outcome

Systematic intelligence, zero overhead

The BHTC liaison and their product teams can now effectively monitor emerging trends, technologies, and startups across 30 distinct areas without manual research overhead. SwitchPitch acts as an always-on research layer, ensuring no relevant startup slips through the cracks and that each product team receives timely, pre-screened intelligence.

Key Outcome
A single innovation liaison can now systematically cover the entire relevant startup landscape and route qualified findings to multiple product teams, creating organizational leverage that would otherwise require a full research team.