UncommonX - Blog

Crain’s Adds UncommonX to its list of Chicago's Most Innovative Companies

Written by Rich Pasewark - CEO, Board Director | Oct 22, 2025 5:55:23 PM

We are proud to share that Crain’s Chicago Business has named UncommonX one of 2025’s Most Innovative Companies.

This recognition reflects the strength of our patented technology, our focus on delivering measurable outcomes, and our customers’ success in navigating an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape.

 

What Crain’s Highlighted

In the article, Crain’s outlines a core issue facing nearly every organization today: despite significant investment in cybersecurity tools, many still don’t have confidence that they’re truly safer.

“I hear all the time from CEOs: ‘We’ve invested millions in our cybersecurity, but I can’t quantify whether we’re any safer,’” said our founder, Ray Hicks.

That insight has shaped the foundation of our platform — giving organizations the ability to integrate existing tools and gain full visibility into what's really happening across their networks.

The article also highlights how UncommonX creates a digital fingerprint of all devices in an environment, inventories what data they access, and uses algorithms to assess and rank risks.

“There’s been an explosion of devices, and they’re all connected,” I shared with Crain’s. That includes on-prem, cloud, OT, IoT, and more — all of which must be accounted for, understood, and prioritized.

Solving Real-World Problems for Our Customers

One of the most rewarding parts of the Crain’s article was seeing our customers’ success stories featured.

BJ Gray, Director of Network Security at Indian Prairie School District 204, described the UncommonX platform as a one-stop shop.

“I can ingest all my information and have one screen to look at,” he told Crain’s. “I’ve been able to eliminate three other products.”

This is exactly the kind of impact we strive for: not just more alerts or more data, but simplification, cost reduction, and clear insight for the people responsible for securing their organizations.

 

Built with Purpose

UncommonX holds 25 patents, including 10 issued in the last year — the basis for our inclusion on Crain’s list. But these aren’t just ideas filed away. They are core to how our platform helps customers achieve clarity, prioritize risk, and build resilience.

We built this company to solve problems with precision and purpose. Every decision we make — from platform architecture to how we support our customers — is grounded in real-world impact.

This recognition is a moment of pride, but it’s also a shared achievement.

To our customers: thank you. Your partnership and input continue to shape our direction.

To our team: thank you for staying focused, solving hard problems, and building something that truly matters.

To Crain’s: thank you for recognizing innovation that is practical, purposeful, and focused on results.

 

 

You can read the Crain’s Chicago Business article here: Read the full article (subscription may be required).

If you’d like to learn more about how our patented Exposure Management platform can help your organization gain clarity and reduce risk, we’d be glad to connect. Contact us today.