SignalFire (Beacon) vs ScoutedByTed
SignalFire built Beacon as a proprietary data platform for their own fund. ScoutedByTed delivers thesis-scored signals to any VC's inbox. Here is how they compare.
Feature-by-Feature
| Feature | SignalFire (Beacon) | ScoutedByTed |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Proprietary data platform built for SignalFire's internal use | AI agent delivering thesis-personalized scored deal flow to any VC |
| Availability | Not available to external firms — SignalFire portfolio companies get limited access | Available to any VC fund, from solo GPs to large platforms |
| Data approach | Massive data lake (hiring, code commits, web traffic, patents, etc.) | Six signal categories scored and interpreted against your thesis |
| Delivery model | Internal platform accessed by SignalFire team | Daily email with scored companies — no platform login required |
| Thesis alignment | Tuned to SignalFire's investment thesis | Tuned to YOUR specific investment thesis |
| Team requirement | 50+ person data engineering team maintains the platform | Zero internal team required — Ted is the team |
| Pricing | Not available (internal tool, estimated $10M+/yr to build) | $999-$2,999/mo |
Where SignalFire (Beacon) Wins
Data scale
Beacon ingests an enormous breadth of data sources — GitHub commits, patent filings, hiring across millions of companies — at a scale that requires a dedicated engineering org.
Deep integration with investment process
Because Beacon is built for one firm, it is deeply integrated into SignalFire's entire workflow from sourcing through portfolio management.
Proprietary signals
SignalFire has built proprietary data pipelines and signals that are not available on any external platform.
Where ScoutedByTed Wins
Actually available to you
Beacon is not a product you can buy. ScoutedByTed is available to any VC fund today, starting at $999/mo.
Your thesis, not theirs
Beacon is tuned to SignalFire's thesis. Ted is tuned to yours. Every score reflects what matters to your fund.
Email-first delivery
No platform to build, maintain, or train your team on. Scored deal flow arrives in your inbox every morning.
Cost efficiency
Building a Beacon equivalent costs millions per year in engineering and data costs. Ted delivers comparable signal monitoring for $12K-$36K/yr.
Cost Comparison
SignalFire (Beacon)
ScoutedByTed
Choose SignalFire (Beacon) If...
- You are SignalFire (you already have Beacon)
- You have $10M+ per year to invest in a proprietary data platform
- You want to build data infrastructure as a core competitive advantage for a large fund
Choose ScoutedByTed If...
- You want Beacon-quality signal monitoring without building a data engineering team
- You are a fund that cannot justify millions in data infrastructure
- You want thesis-personalized scoring delivered to your inbox, not a platform to manage
- You are an emerging or mid-size fund that wants to compete on signal quality with larger firms
See the difference for yourself.
Book a call and we will walk through your specific thesis.