EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL

To make venues safer and more welcoming, creating a world where people can gather without fear of violence.

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL SWOT Analysis

Updated: October 4, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

How to Use This Analysis

This analysis for EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL was created using Alignment.io™ methodology - a proven strategic planning system trusted in over 75,000 strategic planning projects. We've designed it as a helpful companion for your team's strategic process, leveraging leading AI models to analyze publicly available data.

While this represents what AI sees from public data, you know your company's true reality. That's why we recommend using Alignment.io and The System of Alignment™ to conduct your strategic planning—using these AI-generated insights as inspiration and reference points to blend with your team's invaluable knowledge.

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The Evolv Technologies SWOT analysis reveals a classic growth-stage dilemma: explosive market adoption clashing with substantial financial burn. The company's strengths—powerful brand, high retention, and a massive data moat—confirm profound product-market fit. However, persistent net losses, legal headwinds, and emerging low-cost competition represent significant weaknesses and threats. The key priorities correctly identify the strategic imperative: Evolv must translate its market leadership into a sustainable business model. The path forward requires disciplined execution focused on achieving profitability through margin improvement, while strategically expanding into high-growth education and international markets. Successfully navigating this transition from hyper-growth to profitable growth will define its long-term success and ability to fulfill its ambitious mission.

CEIA Garrett Metal Detectors Metrasens Liberty Defense Holdings Xtract One Technologies

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To make venues safer and more welcoming, creating a world where people can gather without fear of violence.

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Strengths

ARR GROWTH: Sustained 50%+ YoY ARR growth shows strong market demand.
BRAND: Premier brand with iconic customers like SoFi Stadium & Six Flags.
DATASET: Massive proprietary data from >1B scans creates a competitive moat.
RETENTION: High logo retention (~95%) proves strong product-market fit.
LEADERSHIP: Experienced executive team with public company scaling history.

Weaknesses

PROFITABILITY: Significant GAAP net losses and cash burn are unsustainable.
SALES CYCLE: Long, complex sales cycles for large venues slow revenue.
GROSS MARGINS: Hardware component and services cap gross margin potential.
LEGAL: Ongoing SEC inquiry and lawsuits create investor uncertainty/distraction.
PERCEPTION: Media scrutiny on detection capabilities requires careful PR.

Opportunities

INTERNATIONAL: Untapped global markets in Europe/APAC with high demand.
EDUCATION: K-12 and university markets are a massive, funded growth area.
PLATFORM: Upsell analytics, integrations, and software beyond screening.
PARTNERSHIPS: Integrate with VMS, access control for a unified solution.
LEGISLATION: Government funding (e.g., STOP Act) accelerates school sales.

Threats

COMPETITION: Lower-cost competitors challenge pricing and market share.
RECESSION: Economic downturn could delay or cancel large capital projects.
REGULATION: Potential government regulation on AI-based security screening.
PUBLIC TRUST: A high-profile failure could severely damage brand reputation.
TECHNOLOGY: A rival developing a disruptive, superior detection technology.

Key Priorities

PROFITABILITY: Drive toward profitability by improving margins & sales efficiency.
MARKET EXPANSION: Aggressively capture education & international markets.
PLATFORM EVOLUTION: Accelerate platform development to increase ARR per customer.
RISK MITIGATION: Proactively manage legal, regulatory, and public perception risks.

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EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL OKR

Updated: October 4, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

The Evolv Technologies OKR plan is a masterclass in strategic focus, directly translating critical business challenges into actionable objectives. It rightly prioritizes the 'PATH TO PROFIT,' tackling the core weakness of cash burn head-on. The objectives to 'WIN EDUCATION' and 'GO GLOBAL' are sharp, targeted attacks on the largest growth opportunities. Finally, 'LEAD WITH AI' reinforces the company's primary competitive advantage. This plan provides the clarity and alignment needed to navigate from a high-growth, cash-burning phase to a sustainable, profitable market leader, ensuring the mission's long-term viability.

CEIA Garrett Metal Detectors Metrasens Liberty Defense Holdings Xtract One Technologies

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To make venues safer and more welcoming, creating a world where people can gather without fear of violence.

PATH TO PROFIT

Achieve financial sustainability and operational excellence.

MARGINS: Increase non-GAAP gross margins from 45% to 55% by optimizing supply chain and service delivery.
EFFICIENCY: Reduce Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) payback period by 20% through targeted marketing and sales plays.
OPEX: Decrease non-R&D operating expenses as a percentage of revenue from 90% to 70% through disciplined spending.
CASH BURN: Lower quarterly operating cash burn by 25% without sacrificing critical growth investments in R&D.

WIN EDUCATION

Become the undisputed security standard in the K-12 market.

PIPELINE: Generate $100M in new K-12 pipeline by leveraging state and federal grant funding programs.
DEPLOYMENTS: Secure contracts with 10 of the top 50 largest school districts in the United States by year-end.
PARTNERSHIPS: Launch a certified partner program for education security consultants, influencing 50 new deals.
AWARENESS: Achieve a 75% brand awareness score among school superintendents and safety directors via targeted campaigns.

LEAD WITH AI

Extend our AI leadership and evolve into a data platform.

ROADMAP: Launch two new subscription software modules focused on operational analytics and threat intelligence.
ACCURACY: Reduce the false alarm rate on non-threat personal items by 30% through targeted model retraining.
UPSELL: Increase ARR per customer by 15% in our top 100 accounts by selling in new AI-driven software tiers.
DATASET: Ingest and label data from an additional 1 billion visitor screenings to further train our AI models.

GO GLOBAL

Establish a strong foothold in key international markets.

EMEA: Secure first 20 production customers in the UK, Germany, and France, focusing on sports and entertainment.
APAC: Sign distribution agreements with the top 3 security integrators in Japan, Australia, and Singapore.
CERTIFICATION: Achieve all necessary regulatory compliance and certifications for sales in our top 5 target countries.
PIPELINE: Build a qualified international sales pipeline equivalent to 20% of our domestic pipeline by EOY.

METRICS

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): $150M
Net Revenue Retention (NRR): 115%
CAC Payback Period: < 24 Months

VALUES

Innovate with Purpose
Commit to the Mission
Act with Integrity
Win as a Team
Embrace Diversity

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EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Retrospective

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Evolv Technology Q1 2024 Earnings Report & 10-Q Filing
Evolv Technology Investor Relations Website
Evolv Technology 2023 10-K Annual Report
Public financial data from Yahoo Finance for EVLV
Competitor websites and press releases

CEIA Garrett Metal Detectors Metrasens Liberty Defense Holdings Xtract One Technologies

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To make venues safer and more welcoming, creating a world where people can gather without fear of violence.

Toggle Theme

What Went Well

REVENUE: ARR and Total Revenue growth continues to exceed 50% year-over-year.
DEPLOYMENTS: Strong system deployments in the education and healthcare verticals.
RETENTION: Maintained excellent logo retention rates, validating customer value.
CUSTOMER WINS: Secured multiple new high-profile logos in professional sports.
PIPELINE: Healthy pipeline growth provides visibility for future quarters.

Not So Well

PROFITABILITY: GAAP Net Loss remains high, with continued significant cash burn.
MARGINS: Gross margins have not expanded as quickly as investor expectations.
GUIDANCE: Future guidance has been conservative, reflecting macro uncertainty.
STOCK PERFORMANCE: Share price remains volatile due to profitability concerns.
SALES EFFICIENCY: Customer acquisition costs are high due to long sales cycles.

Learnings

MARKET: The demand for frictionless security solutions remains robust.
PRICING: Opportunity to increase ARR per customer through platform upsells.
EFFICIENCY: Must focus on operational leverage to improve unit economics.
COMMUNICATION: Need to clearly articulate path to profitability to investors.
VERTICALS: The education market is a key growth driver requiring focused effort.

Action Items

COSTS: Implement cost control measures to reduce operating cash burn rate.
SALES: Refine sales process to shorten deal cycles and improve efficiency.
PRODUCT: Accelerate launch of new software modules to drive expansion ARR.
INVESTORS: Enhance investor communications with clear profitability milestones.
PARTNERS: Expand channel partner program to accelerate market penetration.

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Organization	SWOT Analysis	OKR Plan	Top 6	Retrospective

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EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Market

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Evolv Technology Q1 2024 Earnings Report & 10-Q Filing
Evolv Technology Investor Relations Website
Evolv Technology 2023 10-K Annual Report
Public financial data from Yahoo Finance for EVLV
Competitor websites and press releases

Founded: 2013
Market Share: Leading share in AI-based weapons screening, overall market share small.
Customer Base: Stadiums, theme parks, schools, hospitals, entertainment venues.
Category:
Security Technology
SIC Code: 7382 Security Systems Services
NAICS Code: 561621 Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths)
Location: Waltham, Massachusetts
Zip Code: 02451
Congressional District: MA-5 FRAMINGHAM
Employees: 450

Competitors

CEIA Request Analysis

Garrett Metal Detectors Request Analysis

Metrasens Request Analysis

Liberty Defense Holdings Request Analysis

Xtract One Technologies Request Analysis

Products & Services

No products or services data available

Distribution Channels

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Business Model Analysis

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Evolv Technology Q1 2024 Earnings Report & 10-Q Filing
Evolv Technology Investor Relations Website
Evolv Technology 2023 10-K Annual Report
Public financial data from Yahoo Finance for EVLV
Competitor websites and press releases

Problem

Venues need effective security
Traditional methods are slow & intrusive
High operational cost of manual security

Solution

AI-powered, walk-through weapons detection
Frictionless guest experience
Data analytics for security operations

Key Metrics

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Payback

Unique

Superior AI reduces false alarms vs rivals
Focus on dignified guest experience
Massive proprietary data moat

Advantage

Proprietary dataset from >1B scans
Leading brand in key verticals (sports)
Network effects from widespread deployment

Channels

Direct enterprise sales force
Value-added resellers and channel partners
Digital marketing and industry events

Customer Segments

Pro Sports Stadiums & Arenas
Theme Parks & Tourist Attractions
K-12 Schools and Universities
Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities

Costs

R&D for AI and hardware development
Sales & Marketing (high CAC)
Hardware COGS and deployment services
General & Administrative (public company)

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Product Market Fit Analysis

Updated: October 4, 2025

Evolv Technologies provides AI-powered security screening that transforms venue safety. It creates a seamless, respectful guest experience by eliminating long lines and intrusive checks, while its advanced AI precisely detects threats that metal detectors miss. This enhances security, boosts operational efficiency, and improves the bottom line for the world's most iconic venues, schools, and hospitals.

Dramatically improve guest experience

Enhance security posture with AI precision

Optimize operational efficiency and costs

Before State

Intrusive, slow manual bag checks
Long lines, negative guest experience
High operational staffing costs

After State

Seamless, respectful walk-through entry
Dignified and fast guest experience
Data-driven security operations

Negative Impacts

Guest frustration and venue avoidance
Inconsistent security enforcement
Vulnerability to modern threats

Positive Outcomes

Increased guest satisfaction and attendance
Improved security posture and deterrence
Reduced labor costs, efficient throughput

Key Metrics

Customer Retention Rates

~95% logo retention

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Not publicly disclosed, est. 40-50

User Growth Rate

ARR growth >50% YoY

Customer Feedback/Reviews

4.6 stars on G2 (40+ reviews)

Repeat Purchase Rates)

High expansion within existing customers

Requirements

Seamless integration with venue operations
Clear communication on technology use
Proven reliability and accuracy

Why EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL

AI models trained on billions of scans
Subscription model for continuous updates
Dedicated customer success management

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Competitive Advantage

Superior AI reduces false positives vs. rivals
Massive proprietary screening data moat
Focus on experience, not just security

Proof Points

Over 1 billion people scanned globally
Trusted by hundreds of iconic venues
Case study: 10x faster than metal detectors

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Market Positioning

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Evolv Technology Q1 2024 Earnings Report & 10-Q Filing
Evolv Technology Investor Relations Website
Evolv Technology 2023 10-K Annual Report
Public financial data from Yahoo Finance for EVLV
Competitor websites and press releases

Strategic pillars derived from our vision-focused SWOT analysis

Advance threat detection AI to maintain decisive tech edge.

Integrate analytics & workflow beyond screening.

Secure leadership in key verticals like education/sports.

Proactively lead on ethics, privacy, and transparency.

What You Do

AI-powered weapons detection for seamless, high-throughput security.

Target Market

Large venues and facilities requiring safety without visitor friction.

Differentiation

AI-driven precision reduces false alarms
Frictionless walk-through experience

Revenue Streams

Hardware-enabled SaaS subscriptions
Professional and managed services

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Operations and Technology

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Evolv Technology Q1 2024 Earnings Report & 10-Q Filing
Evolv Technology Investor Relations Website
Evolv Technology 2023 10-K Annual Report
Public financial data from Yahoo Finance for EVLV
Competitor websites and press releases

Company Operations

Organizational Structure: Functional structure with C-level execs leading key departments.
Supply Chain: Asset-light; partners with contract manufacturers for hardware.
Tech Patents: Portfolio of patents covering AI, sensors, and screening methods.
Website: https://www.evolvtechnology.com

Top Clients

Board Members

EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Competitive Forces

Threat of New Entry

Moderate: High R&D costs and the need for a massive training dataset create significant barriers, but a well-funded tech player could enter.

Supplier Power

Moderate: Key electronic components (sensors, chips) can face supply constraints, but Evolv is not reliant on a single supplier.

Buyer Power

High: Buyers are often large organizations (stadiums, school districts) with significant negotiating power and long procurement cycles.

Threat of Substitution

Moderate: Substitutes include traditional metal detectors (lower cost) or increased security personnel (less efficient, more intrusive).

Competitive Rivalry

High: Incumbents like CEIA and Garrett compete on price, while new AI startups like Xtract One challenge on technology.

Analysis of AI Strategy

Updated: October 4, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

The Evolv Technologies AI SWOT analysis confirms that artificial intelligence is not just a feature, but the company's foundational pillar and most defensible asset. Its unparalleled proprietary dataset provides a formidable competitive moat, fueling a powerful feedback loop that strengthens its models with every person scanned. The strategic path is clear: Evolv must leverage this data supremacy to expand beyond detection into predictive analytics and workflow automation, transforming its offering into an indispensable security intelligence platform. However, it must vigilantly address the inherent risks of AI, including potential bias, adversarial attacks, and regulatory headwinds. By championing ethical, transparent AI, Evolv can build the trust necessary to not only lead the market but also define the future of public safety technology.

CEIA Garrett Metal Detectors Metrasens Liberty Defense Holdings Xtract One Technologies

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To make venues safer and more welcoming, creating a world where people can gather without fear of violence.

Strengths

DATASET: Largest real-world, dual-mode sensor data for weapons detection.
EXPERIENCE: Years of deploying and iterating on AI models in live environments.
INTEGRATION: AI is core to the product, not a bolt-on feature like rivals.
FEEDBACK LOOP: Every scan from every system continuously improves the AI.
TALENT: Core team of specialized AI/ML engineers focused on this problem.

Weaknesses

EDGE COMPUTE: High computational cost of running complex AI on-device.
EXPLAINABILITY: Difficulty in explaining AI decisions to non-technical users.
TALENT ATTRITION: Risk of losing key AI talent to larger tech companies.
MODEL BIAS: Potential for undetected bias in training data or algorithms.
DATA LABELING: Scaling the costly, human-intensive data labeling process.

Opportunities

ANALYTICS: Offer predictive insights on crowd flow and security trends.
BEHAVIORAL: Use AI to detect threatening behavior, not just objects.
AUTOMATION: AI-driven triage and automated security workflow management.
API ECOSYSTEM: Allow third parties to build on Evolv's detection AI.
PERSONALIZATION: AI-tuned screening sensitivity based on venue risk profile.

Threats

ADVERSARIAL ATTACKS: Malicious actors attempting to fool the AI detection.
OPEN SOURCE: Powerful open-source models enabling low-cost competitors.
REGULATION: Government restrictions on AI use in public safety (AI Act).
DATA PRIVACY: Stricter laws (GDPR, CCPA) governing training data usage.
PUBLIC BACKLASH: Fear of autonomous AI decision-making in security.

Key Priorities

AI SUPERIORITY: Double down on R&D to widen the AI performance gap vs. rivals.
DATA-TO-VALUE: Monetize the data moat with new AI-powered analytics products.
TRUSTED AI: Lead the industry in ethical AI, transparency, and bias mitigation.
ECOSYSTEM: Build an AI platform, not just a product, via APIs and integrations.

Create professional SWOT analyses in minutes with our AI template. Get insights that drive real results.

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EVOLV TECHNOLOGIES CL Financial Performance

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Evolv Technology Q1 2024 Earnings Report & 10-Q Filing
Evolv Technology Investor Relations Website
Evolv Technology 2023 10-K Annual Report
Public financial data from Yahoo Finance for EVLV
Competitor websites and press releases

Profit: Net Loss: ($112.5M) TTM Q1 2024

Market Cap: $750M (approx. mid-2024)

Stock Performance

Annual Report: Available on Evolv's investor relations website.

Debt: Minimal long-term debt; primarily operating leases.

ROI Impact: High cash burn rate impacts path to profitability & investor confidence.

SWOT Index

Composite strategic assessment with 10-year outlook

/ 100

Market Shaper

ICM Index

STRATEGIC ADVISOR ASSESSMENT

Evolv's societal-level ambition is potent but constrained by significant execution risks, primarily its path to profitability. The SWOT is balanced, with strong market pull offset by high cash burn and legal threats. The OKRs are well-formed and target the right issues. AI leverage is extremely high due to its proprietary data moat. The final index score reflects a company with category-defining potential that must first prove its financial sustainability before it can be considered truly iconic.

SWOT Factors

Upside: 83.3 Risk: 86.7

OKR Impact

AI Leverage

Top 3 Strategic Levers

Achieve operating profitability to ensure long-term viability

Scale the K-12 vertical to accelerate ARR growth

Expand the platform with high-margin analytics software

AI Disclosure

This report was created using the Alignment Method—our proprietary process for guiding AI to reveal how it interprets your business and industry. These insights are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.

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