If you need to map out who’s partnering with whom—and why—it’s easy to get stuck in a mess of press releases and half-baked databases. Whether you’re hunting for new partners, checking competitors, or just trying to make sense of the noise, you want clarity and speed. This guide is for anyone who actually needs to understand strategic partnerships (not just talk about them in meetings), and wants to use CB Insights’ company connections feature to do it without wasting a week.
Let’s break down how to get the most out of it, what to ignore, and where it can trip you up.
Why partnerships matter (and why they’re so hard to track)
Companies talk a big game about partnerships, but it’s rarely clear what’s real and what’s fluff. A true strategic partnership can mean access to new markets, tech, or customers. But not every “collaboration” is worth your time. The problem? Announcements are vague, and websites bury the details.
That’s where CB Insights comes in. Their company connections feature tries to map out who’s working together, in what capacity, and (sometimes) why. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid starting point—if you know how to use it.
Step 1: Get your data house in order
Before you jump into any tool—CB Insights or otherwise—get clear on what you actually want:
- What’s your goal? Are you looking for partners for a specific solution, monitoring competitors, or trying to spot market trends?
- Who are your “must-watch” companies? Make a list. It’ll save you a ton of time.
- What counts as a strategic partnership for you? Sales deals? Joint R&D? Distribution? Be specific, or you’ll drown in irrelevant results.
Pro tip: Write down your criteria before you log in. It’ll keep you honest when the search results get noisy.
Step 2: Getting started in CB Insights
Assuming you’ve got access (not cheap, but that’s another topic), log in and head for the company search. Here’s how to get situated:
- Find your target company: Use the search bar. Double-check you’re looking at the right entity—some names are nearly identical.
- Locate the “Connections” tab: It’s usually in the company profile, near funding and news.
- What you’ll see: A web of lines and nodes representing partnerships, investments, joint ventures, and sometimes even less formal collaborations.
Don’t get overwhelmed by the spaghetti diagram. The real value is in the details—so click through on individual connections.
Step 3: Dig into the partnership details
The connections feature tries to show not just that two companies are linked, but how they’re linked. Here’s what to look for:
- Type of relationship: Is it a formal partnership, a reseller agreement, an investment, or just a “collaboration” (marketing speak for “we had coffee once”)?
- Date and duration: When did it start? Still active? This matters more than you’d think—so much gets announced and then quietly dies.
- Deal scope: If available, check what the partnership actually covers. Some will have a summary or even link to a press release or filing.
- Overlap: Are there multiple connections between the same players? That’s usually a hint there’s more going on beneath the surface.
Watch out: Not everything labeled a “partnership” is worth your attention. CB Insights tries to filter out fluff, but some marketing noise gets through. Always check the source.
Step 4: Filter and sort—don’t get lost in the weeds
By default, you’ll see all connections, which can be overwhelming. The filters are your friend:
- Type: Narrow to “strategic partnership” or whatever fits your use case, ignoring investments or mergers if they’re not relevant.
- Date range: Set this to the past year or two unless you want to see ancient history.
- Geography: If you care about regional plays, filter accordingly.
- Industry: Focus on your sector, or you’ll be sifting through unrelated deals.
CB Insights’ filters aren’t always perfect, so double-check the results. If you spot oddball connections (like two companies with zero business overlap), dig into the details—they’re often just noise.
Step 5: Build your own map—don’t just trust the visualization
The built-in web diagram looks cool, but it rarely tells the whole story. Real partnership mapping means pulling out what matters and building a view that fits your needs. Here’s how:
- Export what you need: Use the export feature to pull data into Excel or your tool of choice.
- Add context: Tag connections by type, importance, or risk—for example, “major joint product,” “low-impact co-marketing,” etc.
- Look for patterns: Are there clusters of partnerships in one tech area? Is your competitor doubling down in a region?
- Note gaps: Sometimes the absence of partnerships is as telling as their presence.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to throw out irrelevant connections. Keep your map focused, or it’ll just become another pretty-but-useless chart.
Step 6: Cross-check with outside sources
CB Insights is handy, but it’s not gospel. Here’s why you should sanity-check the data:
- Lag time: Some partnerships get announced late, or never make it into the database.
- Overhyped news: Just because CB Insights has a press release doesn’t mean the partnership mattered (or lasted).
- Missing context: Details like deal size, exclusivity, or actual product launches are often missing.
Where to double-check:
- Company press releases (but take them with a grain of salt)
- SEC filings or regulatory documents for big deals
- Trade press and industry news
- LinkedIn (sometimes employees talk about real projects before the company does)
If you spot a big disconnect between what’s in CB Insights and what’s out there, trust the primary source.
Step 7: Share findings, not just screenshots
It’s tempting to drop a chart into a slide and call it a day, but mapping partnerships is only useful if people actually understand what you found. Make your insights actionable:
- Summarize the “so what”: Don’t just show who’s partnered—explain what it could mean for your company or clients.
- Highlight surprises: Call out anything that clashes with the conventional wisdom.
- Update regularly: Partnerships shift fast. Set a reminder to refresh your map every few months.
- Get feedback: Share your draft map with folks who know the space—they’ll spot what you missed.
What works (and what doesn’t) in CB Insights’ connections feature
What works:
- Quick, broad view of who’s connected in your market
- Better detail than most free databases
- Decent filtering and export tools
What doesn’t:
- Not all “partnerships” are strategic—some are just noise
- Details can be thin or outdated
- Visualization looks nice but isn’t always actionable
What to ignore:
- Any connection without a solid source or real business impact
- Overly complicated webs—focus on the partnerships that actually move the needle for you
Keep it simple—and iterate
Mapping strategic partnerships isn’t about having the fanciest chart. It’s about getting a clear, honest view of who’s working together, and what that means for your business. Start with CB Insights’ connections feature to get the lay of the land, but don’t stop there. Stay skeptical, cross-check often, and keep your map focused on what matters.
Most importantly, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Set up a basic process, update it regularly, and you’ll be miles ahead of anyone relying on gut feel (or just reading press releases).