Did you know that ninety percent of the data in the world has been created in the last two years? Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion (or 2.5¹⁸) bytes of data, according to IBM.

As corporations across all industries globally are struggling with how to retain, aggregate and analyze this mounting volume of what the industry refers to as Big Data, it also provides a unique opportunity for innovative startups that recognize the business prospects Big Data presents. Big Data is not just unlocking new information but new sources of economic and business value.

Interactivity is driving Big Data, with people and machines both consuming and creating it. Digital companies focused on becoming good at aggregating and analyzing the data created by the end users of their product, who then provide their customers with solid insights taken from that data are at a distinct competitive advantage over others in the marketplace.

The information overload of Big Data presents two distinct challenges. The first is the old "needle in the haystack" problem of uncovering the information you need among the massive amounts of data you have collected. The second is making use of the information once you discover it by developing ways to find meaning in it. The key to overcoming these challenges is to turn the data into understandable information that can be analyzed and made into knowledge that can serve as the wisdom that allows people to make better decisions.

Forward-thinking companies are turning Big Data challenges into business opportunities by helping to find and collect information to improve the quality in decisions, segment audiences and embed data into products to create new opportunities - but what's next? With all of the data out there it's clear that more innovation is needed to make sense of it all.

The next wave of opportunities is more focused around how to assess the quality and impact of the data. Take privacy, for example. Companies need to control who needs or has a right to know the data and ensure the proper protections are in place. There is also the question of rights management and who actually owns the data - the source, the company, the customer? It all begs the question of data integrity as well. Once you collect and uncover the data, how can you ensure it is accurate? Last is the question of relevance and determining what data is really worth knowing and how to filter out the noise.

It is clear that Big Data has gone mainstream and there are countless ways for those who understand the challenges it brings to seize the opportunities. We have entered into the industrial revolution of data, and entrepreneurs ready to be at the forefront must act today or risk being left behind.

• BigDataExpo New York Speaker Profile: Andreas Sundquist – DNAnexus