Private investments have exploded in recent years, and with that growth comes a new challenge: how to make sense of an increasingly crowded and complex private market.
For due diligence analysts, sourcing, evaluating, and tracking private companies isn’t just a task — it’s a constant balancing act.
Between digging through fragmented data sources, tracking down accurate contact information, and staying on top of market movements, it’s easy to lose valuable time.
What analysts and investment teams need is a single platform… one that brings together financial data, competitive intelligence, funding histories, key contacts, and market insights all in one place.
The good news?
There are several databases designed to do just that. From well-established players to newer tech-driven platforms, today’s private company databases are more powerful and user-friendly than ever.
In this article, we’ll explore ten of the top private company databases. By the end of this, you’ll have a better understanding of what each one offers and how they can help you and your investment team work more efficiently.
One of the most recognized names in private markets, PitchBook is known for its deep coverage of venture capital, private equity, and M&A. It’s a go-to source for valuations, investor networks, and exit data.
- Strengths: Comprehensive deal coverage, valuations, investor mapping, benchmarking tools.
- Limitations: High cost; coverage of mid-market or non-tech sectors can be inconsistent.
- Best for: PE/VC deal teams, corporate development, and investor relations.
Crunchbase remains a favorite for startup and early-stage company coverage. Its community-driven model and user-friendly design make it a valuable tool for tracking innovation.
- Strengths: Intuitive interface, strong startup and investor coverage, detailed funding round data.
- Limitations: Limited depth on mature companies and global industrials.
- Best for: Startup investors, sales teams, and innovation-focused deal sourcing.
PrivCo specializes in uncovering financials on U.S.-based private companies – particularly those not backed by venture capital.
- Strengths: In-depth financials, ownership structures, contact information.
- Limitations: Primarily U.S.-focused; limited international reach.
- Best for: Analysts researching mature private companies outside the VC ecosystem.
Dakota Marketplace began as an allocator and fundraising intelligence platform and has steadily expanded into private company data. What sets it apart is the integration of allocator intelligence, fundraising activity, and company insights in one platform.
- Strengths: Built by fundraisers for fundraisers; strong allocator and contact intelligence; growing private company module.
- Limitations: Coverage breadth is still expanding compared to legacy platforms.
- Best for: Capital raising teams, asset managers, and business development professionals looking for both company and allocator data.
A cornerstone for many institutions, S&P’s Market Intelligence platform offers global company data with a private company module that includes financials, ownership, and risk metrics.
- Strengths: Global scale, integrated credit ratings, detailed financials.
- Limitations: Smaller firms may lag in coverage; pricing favors enterprise accounts.
- Best for: Global institutions, credit analysts, and risk teams.
Grata has emerged as a standout for sourcing middle-market companies, especially in fragmented or overlooked industries.
- Strengths: Strong search capabilities, excellent for finding SMBs and mid-market firms.
- Limitations: Less coverage of large enterprises or very early-stage startups.
- Best for: Private equity firms targeting the lower and middle market.
Best known for powering M&A deal rooms, Datasite also provides valuable transaction intelligence, especially when integrated into deal workflows.
- Strengths: Embedded in the M&A lifecycle, strong due diligence and transaction insights.
- Limitations: Less focused on standalone company coverage; often complements other platforms.
- Best for: M&A advisors, legal teams, and corporate development groups.
Formerly InfoGroup, Data Axle is a leader in firmographic and contact data across U.S. companies. While not a financial database, it's widely used for outreach.
- Strengths: Broad U.S. company coverage, high-quality contact data.
- Limitations: Limited financials; primarily U.S.-centric.
- Best for: Sales and marketing teams targeting private companies.
DealStats and comparable databases provide valuation multiples from private transactions, critical for M&A, fairness opinions, and financial modeling.
- Strengths: Strong transaction comps, excellent for valuation work.
- Limitations: Not designed for sourcing or company research.
- Best for: Valuation professionals, M&A advisors, and fairness opinion committees.
Orbis is one of the most comprehensive global private company databases, especially valuable for multinational research, compliance, and ownership structures.
- Strengths: Global breadth, corporate linkage, standardized data across countries.
- Limitations: Data depth and freshness vary by market.
- Best for: Compliance teams, transfer pricing, and international deal research.
Which Private Company Database is Best for You?
No single database offers full coverage of the private company universe. The most effective teams build a data stack, pairing global platforms like PitchBook or S&P with focused tools like Grata or dakota marketplace.
Dakota’s differentiated approach, blending allocator intelligence with private company data, positions it as both a sourcing engine and relationship-building platform. In 2025, staying competitive means not just accessing data, but choosing the right combination of tools to support your workflow.
To explore dakota marketplace’s expansive private company data, book a demo!
