We’re excited to share that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has given ThoughtExchange a patent for a new Cohort Analysis algorithm and provided a Notice of Allowance for a second patent in Interest Analysis.

“At ThoughtExchange, we’re committed to offering leaders actionable insights into how people are thinking,” says ThoughtExchange Director of Special Projects, Mark Jeffery. “These inventions allow us to identify groups of people with different ideas and interests, as well as the thoughts that bring those people together. Knowing this common ground gives leaders a way forward even in very divisive situations. For the last four years, we’ve been working towards patent protection for these algorithms, allowing us to deliver powerful insights that no one else offers.”

Traditional surveys and engagement software tools tend to introduce confirmation bias, accentuate blind spots in leadership perspectives, and produce results that are neither compelling nor actionable. And typical machine learning falls short by assuming repetitive, frequent thoughts are the most important ones. 

By applying mathematical modeling and AI to qualitative data, ThoughtExchange gives leaders unique insights about what their people truly value. Both of these patents cut through the blind spots, bias and the biggest voices, to crowdsource perspectives in a way that creates deep understanding of common ground and areas of disagreement. 

No other online tool offers this capability: to bring people together, break down silos and gently expose participants to different perspectives. 

“These breakthrough innovations are a testament to our relentless pursuit of getting to the heart of what really matters—to people, to businesses and to the world,” says ThoughtExchange Director of Product, Eolo Parusel. “More importantly, we’re already seeing the impact these algorithms are creating for the organizations we serve. They’re using our platform to solve real business problems by learning what truly matters to their employees, customers and communities. That’s what drives us to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the engagement space.”