Proof of Usefulness Report

Forward Networks

Analysis completed on 1/22/2026

+645
Proof of Usefulness Score
Category Standard

Forward Networks is a mature, Series D funded enterprise software company (founded 2013) with significant verifiable traction, including Fortune 500 customers and over $110M in funding. The solution offers high real-world utility by creating 'digital twins' for complex networks to prevent outages. However, the submission quality is extremely poor, containing false claims (e.g., 'most people have used my product') and generic descriptions. The score reflects the high intrinsic value and proven market position of the company, heavily penalized by the low quality and inaccuracy of the submission text.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+225.0
Audience Reach Impact+150.0
Technical Innovation+162.0
Evidence Of Traction+127.5
Market Timing Relevance+85.0
Functional Completeness+2.5
Subtotal+752
Usefulness Multiplierx0.86
Final Score+647

Project Details

Description
The software used to manage networks hasn’t kept up with the dramatic expansion of networks themselves.\n\nThe Forward Networks solution is designed to help network teams eliminate network outages and reduce time to remediate errors. Its platform enables engineers and operators to visualize and search complex networks, debug configuration problems, verify network-wide policy implementations, and predict network behavior prior to deploying changes. Forward Networks builds a software replica of an entire network to analyze its behavior. Using the network copy, the software traces, indexes, and stores the collected data, monitoring things like end-to-end behavior, verification of the network’s forwarding behavior and security posture, and close monitoring of configuration changes.

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline