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Dakota Marketplace PE & Private Credit Deal Teams · 2026

Every Company. Every Owner. Every Deal. All in One Place.

Deal origination is a research problem. The team that finds the right company, at the right point in its ownership cycle, before it comes to market, wins. Dakota Marketplace gives PE and private credit deal teams 640,000+ private companies, 20,000+ verified transactions, full C-suite contacts, and real-time sponsor cycle signals.

Buyout Growth Equity Private Credit / Direct Lending Venture Capital Real Estate Infrastructure Sponsor Coverage Business Development
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640,000+
Private Companies
20,000+
Verified Transactions
~2,000
New Deals/Month
220K+
CEO & Exec Contacts
57,000+
Private Funds Tracked
The Problem Deal Teams Face Without Dakota

The Best Deals Don't Come from Bankers. They Come from Knowing the Market Before Anyone Else Does.

The most valuable deals are the ones nobody else has seen yet, the sponsor portco approaching the end of its hold period, the founder-owned business in a niche sector nobody tracks, the add-on target a competitor hasn't identified. Most deal teams are working from banker networks, stale databases, and internal CRMs that reflect relationships rather than market coverage.

Dakota Marketplace changes this. 640,000+ private companies, sponsor-backed and independent, with verified CEO contacts, GP attribution, transaction histories, hold period signals, and sector-level market maps. The entire private company universe, updated daily.

The difference between proprietary deal flow and auction processes is information timing. Dakota gives our deal team the ability to know which sponsors are nearing exit windows, which companies in our target sectors have never been in a process, and who to call at each of them, before anyone else has even identified the opportunity.
Dakota Marketplace, PE Deal Team Client
01
640,000+ Companies, The Entire Private Market
Not a curated list of branded portfolio companies. The entire private company universe, sponsor-backed and independent, across all 11 GICS sectors, all company sizes, and all US geographies. Your deal team's addressable market expands from a few hundred names in a CRM to hundreds of thousands of qualified targets on day one.
02
Sponsor Hold Period Signals, Know Before the Process Starts
Dakota tracks when every sponsor acquired every portfolio company, and signals when hold periods are approaching typical exit windows. Your deal team reaches out to a sponsor's portco CEO directly, eighteen months before the banker gets the mandate, and builds a relationship before the auction opens.
03
20,000+ Transactions, Full Participant Visibility
Every verified private market transaction, with buyer, seller, lender, investment bank, law firm, and deal advisor, growing at approximately 2,000 new deals every month. Your deal team tracks which banks are running processes in your target sectors and which advisors have relationships with your target sponsors.
04
Direct CEO Contacts, Reach the Decision Maker Directly
Over 220,000+ verified executive contacts at private companies, CEOs, CFOs, and C-suite decision makers, with direct contact information maintained by the Dakota research team. Your deal team calls the CEO of a target company directly, not through a banker who controls the process and the information flow.
Industry Coverage

640,000+ Companies Across Every Sector Your Team Targets.

All 11 GICS sectors, with sub-industry and segment tagging that lets deal teams build sector-specific market maps in minutes, not months.

237,000+
Industrials
Manufacturing, distribution, aerospace & defense, transportation, construction, commercial services
100,000+
Information Technology
Software, IT services, semiconductors, hardware, tech infrastructure, sponsor-backed and bootstrapped
81,000+
Healthcare
Healthcare services, providers, med devices, pharma, life sciences, full sub-sector coverage
73,000+
Consumer Discretionary
Retail, restaurants, apparel, automotive, leisure, media, entertainment, all company types
37,000+
Real Estate
REITs, operators, developers, property management, private real estate company intelligence
28,000+
Materials
Chemicals, metals & mining, paper, packaging, full materials sector coverage
25,000+
Financials
Banks, insurance, diversified financials, capital markets, private financial company profiles
22,000+
Communication Services
Telecom, media, entertainment tech, interactive media, full communications sector
17,000+
Consumer Staples
Food & beverage, household products, personal care, tobacco, retail staples
17,000+
Energy & Utilities
Energy equipment & services, oil & gas, renewables, electric & gas utilities, water
640,000+
Total Private Companies
20,000+
Verified Transactions
~2,000
New Transactions Added Monthly
Sample Transaction Intelligence

What Deal Teams See in Dakota's Transaction Feed.

A representative example of the transaction and company intelligence in Dakota Marketplace, the participant detail that lets deal teams spot proprietary opportunities before they reach a process.

Platform Buyout, PE
Midwest Industrial Services Co.
Industrials · Commercial Services · Chicago, IL
Buyer
Apollo Global Management
Seller
Founder / Management
Investment Bank
William Blair
Legal Advisor
Kirkland & Ellis
Revenue Est.
$85M–$120M
Employees
620
Deal Signal: 3 identified add-on targets in the same subsector now flagged for follow-up outreach to CEOs
Direct Lending, Private Credit
Southeast Healthcare Services Group
Healthcare · Physician Practice Management · Atlanta, GA
Sponsor
Warburg Pincus
Lender
Golub Capital
Deal Type
LBO Financing
Hold Period
Acquired 2021 (3 yrs)
Revenue Est.
$200M+
CEO Contact
Verified in Dakota
Credit Signal: Sponsor at 3-year hold, refinancing or exit likely within 18 months. Approaching refi window.
Sponsor Exit, Sale to Strategic
Pacific Northwest Software Holdings
Information Technology · B2B SaaS · Seattle, WA
Seller (Sponsor)
Vista Equity Partners
Buyer (Strategic)
Salesforce
Hold Period
5 years (2018–2023)
Exit Type
Strategic Sale
Investment Bank
Goldman Sachs
Legal
Latham & Watkins
Pipeline Signal: Vista has 4 other SaaS portcos in the 3–5 year hold window, flagged as likely next exits for proactive outreach.
Add-On Acquisition
Great Lakes Distribution Partners
Industrials · Distribution · Detroit, MI
Platform Sponsor
KKR (via platform)
Target CEO
Verified · Direct line
Sub-Sector
Industrial Distribution
Revenue Est.
$40M–$65M
Employees
180
Prior Transactions
0 (first institutional)
Add-on Signal: Platform has acquired 3 similar companies, 8 more identified bolt-on targets in the same metro. Outreach list auto-generated.

* Transaction examples above are illustrative of the Dakota Marketplace data format and participant detail. All actual transactions in Dakota include verified contacts, sponsor attribution, and real-time deal signals.

What's in Every Company Profile

Six Data Layers Per Company. Everything Your Team Needs to Make the First Call.

Every private company record contains the six data layers a deal originator needs, from ownership structure and sponsor attribution through CEO contact and competitive peer mapping.

Ownership
Sponsor & Ownership Intelligence
Which PE firm owns the company, when they acquired it, what their typical hold period is, and what the ownership structure looks like. Includes founder/management ownership, co-investors, and syndicate participants. The single most important data layer for deal sourcing timing.
GP attribution · Acquisition date · Hold period signal
Contacts
Full C-Suite & Board Contacts
CEO, CFO, COO, and board member contact information, verified by the Dakota research team, not scraped from LinkedIn. Direct phone numbers and email addresses for over 220,000+ executives at private companies. Call the decision maker directly, not through a banker who controls the process.
220,000++ exec contacts · CEO direct lines · Board members
Financials
Revenue Estimates, Employees & Growth Signals
Estimated revenue ranges, employee counts, and operational growth signals, compiled from regulatory filings, news sources, and Dakota's proprietary research process. Enough to prioritize which targets warrant initial outreach versus deeper diligence.
Revenue estimates · Employee counts · Growth signals
Transactions
Full Transaction History, Every Deal the Company Has Done
Every M&A transaction, funding round, and exit event in a company's history, with buyer, seller, valuation (where disclosed), investment bank, legal advisor, and lender. Understand a target's full ownership and capital history before the first conversation with management.
M&A · Funding rounds · Exits · Full participants
Market Maps
Dynamic Peer Lists & Competitor Mapping
Identify every company in a target sector, sub-industry, or segment, and see the full competitive landscape around any target company. Build a complete sector market map showing every player, their ownership status, and their approximate scale, in minutes rather than months.
Sector filters · Sub-industry tags · Competitor lists
Advisors
Investment Banks, Law Firms & Advisors on Every Deal
Track which investment banks are running the most processes in your target sector, which law firms have relationships with your target sponsors, and which advisors are most active in your deal geography. The relationship intelligence that tells you who to know before a mandate gets awarded.
Bank rankings · Law firm relationships · Advisor networks
For Private Credit & Direct Lending Teams

Dakota Is Not Just for PE Buyout. Private Credit Teams Use It Every Day.

Deal origination in direct lending has the same fundamental problem as PE buyout sourcing: finding the right company, at the right point in its capital cycle, before a competing lender gets the relationship. Dakota's private company data and transaction intelligence solve this for credit teams through hold period signals, competitor lender tracking, and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Refinancing Window Intelligence
Hold period data identifies when portfolio companies are approaching the 3–4 year point where initial financing packages are typically refinanced, giving your team first-mover advantage before the banker pitches the mandate.
Competitor Lender Tracking
Transaction participant data shows which companies have active relationships with Golub Capital, Ares, Blue Owl, HPS, and other competing direct lenders, so your coverage team knows exactly where to focus relationship-building efforts to create a competitive lending edge.
First-Time Borrower Identification
70,000+ non-sponsor-backed private companies represent founder-owned businesses at the scale where direct lending is the appropriate capital solution, but have never had institutional debt. The most relationship-driven lending opportunities in the market.
Portfolio Monitoring, Credit Risk Signals
For credit teams managing existing portfolios, Dakota monitors borrower companies for ownership changes, executive departures, and material operational events that may affect credit quality, delivering alerts before the company's reporting cycle catches up.
What Deal Teams Can Do With Dakota

Five Capabilities That Change How Your Team Sources Every Day.

Market Maps
Build Full Sector Market Maps in Minutes, Not Months
Filter 640,000+ companies by sector, sub-industry, segment, geography, revenue range, employee count, and ownership type. Build a complete picture of every company in your target market, sponsor-backed and independent, in the time it used to take to compile a spreadsheet from banker calls and news searches.
Sector + sub-industry filters · Geography · Company size · Ownership type
Deal Timing
Spot Likely-to-Transact Signals Before the Process Opens
Sponsor hold period tracking flags portfolio companies approaching typical exit windows. New platform acquisitions automatically generate bolt-on target lists. Refinancing cycle data identifies direct lending opportunities 12–18 months ahead of the mandate. Your deal team sources proprietary flow instead of competing in banker-run auctions.
Hold period signals · Add-on identification · Refi cycle alerts
Direct Access
Call the CEO Directly, Not Through a Banker Who Controls the Process
220,000++ verified executive contacts at private companies mean your deal team reaches decision makers directly, building relationships before any process exists. A relationship with a portco CEO established two years before the exit is the most valuable asset in deal origination. Dakota gives you the contact. The rest is your team's job.
220,000++ exec contacts · CEO direct lines · Verified daily
Monitoring
Track Every Change, Ownership, Executives, Transactions
Automatic alerts when a tracked company changes hands, when a CEO departs, when a new financing closes, or when a bolt-on acquisition occurs. Your deal team stays current on their entire pipeline without manual research. ~2,000 new transactions added monthly means the market intelligence is always moving.
Same-day alerts · Ownership changes · Executive moves · Deal flow
CRM Integration
Integrate Into Your CRM, No Separate Platform to Maintain
Dakota integrates directly with DealCloud, Salesforce, HubSpot, Altvia, Dynamo, Snowflake, and the Dakota API, pushing private company intelligence, transaction data, and deal signals into the CRM your team already uses. Deal sourcing data lives where your team works, not in a separate tab they need to remember to check.
DealCloud · Salesforce · Snowflake · Dakota API · HubSpot
Market Coverage
Benchmark Your Coverage, See the Full Market, Not Just Your CRM
Most deal team CRMs contain a few hundred target companies built over years of relationship development. Dakota shows 640,000+ private companies in the same interface, so deal teams immediately see which sectors of their market they are underpenetrated in and which competitors or sponsors they have not established contact with yet.
Market coverage gaps · Sector benchmarking · Competitor intelligence
Measurable Impact for Deal Teams

Four Claims. All Backed by How Deal Teams Actually Use the Platform.

Better deal sourcing intelligence is the difference between proprietary deals and auction processes, between building a pipeline and chasing one.

20–30
Hours of Manual Research Eliminated Every Week
The average deal origination professional spends 20–30 hours per week on research that Dakota delivers instantly, building sector maps from news searches and banker calls, tracking portfolio company ownership from press releases, finding CEO contact information from LinkedIn and assistants, and monitoring target companies for activity signals.
That is 1,000+ hours per analyst per year returned to actual relationship building and deal evaluation.
5–10×
Expansion in Market Coverage Universe
Most deal teams have a proprietary target list of a few hundred companies built over years of research and banker calls. Dakota delivers 640,000+ private companies on day one, with the sector filters, ownership data, and contact information to prioritize them immediately. The coverage expansion is immediate and permanent.
In Industrials alone, 237,000+ companies, the coverage expansion dwarfs what most deal teams have built across their entire careers.
Earlier
Deal Timing, Proprietary Flow vs. Banker Auctions
The difference between proprietary deal flow and competitive auction processes is timing. A deal team that identifies a portfolio company approaching its exit window eighteen months early, establishes a direct relationship with the CEO, and is positioned as the preferred buyer before the banker's mandate, that team gets proprietary deal flow.
Hold period tracking + CEO direct contacts = the structural advantage that converts auction processes into proprietary opportunities.
Better
Pipeline Quality, More Defensible, More Differentiated
A deal pipeline built from Dakota's market intelligence, sector maps, sponsor cycle signals, direct CEO relationships, and transaction monitoring, is fundamentally more defensible than one built from banker relationships and industry conference networks. It is broader, more systematic, and less dependent on intermediaries who serve everyone in the market equally.
The investment committee question "how did you find this?" is easier to answer when the answer is systematic market intelligence, not "a banker called us."
What Deal Teams Say

From the Teams Using Dakota to Source Deals Every Day.

PE
Buyout · Industrials Focus · $3B AUM
We used to spend two months building a sector market map that would immediately start going out of date. Dakota gives us a living market map, every company in our target sectors, with updated ownership and contacts. The quality of our inbound call list is unrecognizable compared to what we were working from before.
Credit
Direct Lending · Middle Market · $8B AUM
The hold period tracking has changed how we think about origination timing entirely. We identify refi windows 12–18 months out and call the CFO before any bank has pitched for the mandate. We have sourced three direct lending transactions in the last year from relationships that started as Dakota-sourced cold calls.
BD
Business Development · Coverage Role · Multi-Strategy
The transaction participant data is invaluable for sponsor coverage. I can see every deal a sponsor has done, which banks they use, which lawyers they trust, and which portcos are approaching their exit window, all in one place. I know more about my top 20 sponsor relationships than I ever have, and it shows in the quality of conversations.
How Dakota Compares

Dakota vs. Other Deal Sourcing Platforms, What Actually Matters to Deal Teams.

Capability Dakota Marketplace PitchBook Preqin FactSet
Private Company Universe Size ✓ 640,000+ ~3.7M (vc-heavy) Alternatives-focused Public-primary
Verified CEO Direct Contacts ✓ 220,000++ Limited verification ✗ ✗
Sponsor Hold Period Signals ✓ Native Basic ownership Fund vintage only ✗
Transaction Participants (Bank, Law, Lender) ✓ Full detail ✓ Strong Partial Partial
~2,000 New Transactions / Month ✓ ✓ Similar Slower cadence Slower cadence
Private Credit / Direct Lending Focus ✓ Purpose-built PE-primary Hedge-primary ✗
CRM Native Integration (DealCloud, SF) ✓ Native API only API only API only
LP Fundraising Data (Same Platform) ✓ 250,000+ LPs Separate module ✓ Strong LP data ✗
Non-Sponsor / Independent Companies ✓ 70,000+ VC/PE-backed focus ✗ ✗
Get Started

See Dakota's Deal Sourcing Platform for your team.

A member of the Dakota team will follow up within one business day. No lengthy procurement cycles. No six-month onboarding. Most deal teams are productive within the first week, with immediate access to 640,000+ private companies, 20,000+ verified transactions, and 220,000++ CEO contacts.

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