Horizontals describe the go-to-market model or customer type of a business rather than its sector. They are 'horizontal' in the sense that the same model can apply across many industries: a B2B SaaS company might operate in HR tech, legal tech, or supply chain — the horizontal (B2B SaaS) is consistent even when the industry varies. Common horizontals include B2B, B2C, B2B2C, Marketplace, Platform, SaaS, Consumer, Enterprise, and SME-focused.
On Alternatives.pe, Horizontals complement Industry and Themes to give a multi-dimensional view of a company's model. An investor specialising in B2B SaaS companies, for example, can filter across all industries to find companies that match their model preference. Horizontals are particularly useful for investors who have deep expertise in a business model regardless of the specific sector.