--- title: "2021 CIO Innovation Index: Reimagining the Enterprise" description: The 2021 CIO Innovation Index dives into the new pressing themes 2021 introduced, including changes to workforce strategy, the intersection of ESG and technology strategy, and new avenues for the adoption of emerging technologies. image: https://info.sapphireventures.com/hubfs/Social%20media%20images/Copy%20of%202021%20CIO%20Innovation%20Index%20-%20Social%20Promotion.png --- [![Sapphire Wordmark White](https://info.sapphireventures.com/hubfs/Sapphire%20Wordmark%20White.svg "Sapphire Wordmark White")](https://info.sapphireventures.com/?hsLang=en) ## Sapphire Ventures Partnering with expansion-stage, enterprise software companies that we believe can become category leaders. - [Home](https://sapphireventures.com/) - [Companies](https://sapphireventures.com/companies/) - [Team](https://sapphireventures.com/team/?investment-team&ventures-team) - [Portfolio Growth](https://sapphireventures.com/portfolio-growth/) - [Resource Center](https://sapphireventures.com/resources/) - - - ## Sapphire Partners Limited partner investing in exceptional early-stage venture fund managers. - [Home](https://sapphireventures.com/sapphire-partners/) - - ## Sapphire Sport Partnering with early-stage companies at the nexus of technology and culture. - [Home](https://sapphireventures.com/funds/sapphire-sport/) - [Companies](https://sapphireventures.com/companies/) - [Team](https://sapphireventures.com/team/?investment-team&sport-team) - [Resource Center](https://sapphireventures.com/resources/) - [![Mlogo](https://info.sapphireventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Header/Group%203898.png?width=343&height=40&name=Group%203898.png "Mlogo")](https://info.sapphireventures.com/?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://sapphireventures.com/contact/) # The 2021 CIO Innovation Index ### Reimagining the Enterprise ![team meeting](https://info.sapphireventures.com/hubfs/team%20meeting.png) ###### As companies of all sizes adapted to new ways of doing business over the past year, 2021 brought with it new pressing themes, including changes to workforce strategy, the intersection of ESG and technology strategy and new avenues for adoption of emerging technologies. In our 3rd annual CIO Innovation Index, we explore each of these important topics, and take a look at year-over-year trends and benchmarks. #### About our Survey Sapphire created the CIO Innovation Index in an effort to help CIOs and technology leaders benchmark innovation strategies against their peers, and to help startups understand how best to engage with large enterprises and CIOs. Last year’s report focused on “Startup Engagement Trends for the Crisis CIO,” and delved into the impact of the pandemic and economic disruption on innovation, startup adoption and technology budgets. As companies of all sizes adapted to new ways of doing business over the past year, 2021 brought with it new pressing themes, including changes to workforce strategy, the intersection of ESG and technology strategy and new avenues for adoption of emerging technologies--important topics we explore in our 3rd annual CIO Innovation Index. In addition, we provide updated year-over-year metrics on the Index’s core benchmarks. #### Key findings include - Workforce strategy is undergoing major shifts with 91% of respondents making changes to their workforce strategy. - CIOs are tapping into a number of channels for startup adoption. The VC community and professional networks continue to be important sources of startup discovery, but we’re also seeing cloud marketplaces take off. - Technology executives have a stake in ESG, and CIOs are widely adopting tools to aid ESG goals. In fact, 87% of respondents are investing in tools to support efforts in areas like sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and data privacy. - The proof-of-concept (POC) process is happening faster than ever. Our research shows that 91% of respondents are completing POCs in less than 6 months. Check out the full report for more insightful data and trends! ### Download the Report 2021 CIO Innovation Index: Reimagining the Enterprise  ### Sign up for our newsletter — #### About — - [Companies](https://sapphireventures.com/companies/) - [Team](https://sapphireventures.com/team/) - [Portfolio Growth](https://sapphireventures.com/portfolio-growth/) - [Resources](https://sapphireventures.com/newsroom/) - [Contact Us](https://sapphireventures.com/contact/) #### Strategies — - [Sapphire Ventures Investing in expansion-stage companies](https://sapphireventures.com/funds/sapphire-ventures/) - [Sapphire Partners Investing in early-stage VC funds globally](https://sapphireventures.com/funds/sapphire-partners/) - [Sapphire Sport Investing in early-stage technologies supporting the future of consumption](https://sapphireventures.com/funds/sapphire-sport/) #### Locations — ###### San Francisco, CA 439 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107 ###### Palo Alto, CA 3408 Hillview Avenue, Bldg 5, Palo Alto, CA 94304 ###### Austin, TX 801 W. 5th St., Ste 100, Austin, TX 78703 ###### London Fora, 6th Floor, 21-33 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3EJ ![Sapphire\_white\_logo\_new](https://info.sapphireventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sapphire_white_logo_new.png?width=2048&height=260&name=Sapphire_white_logo_new.png "Sapphire_white_logo_new") © 2024 Sapphire Ventures. 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