If you’ve ever tried to build a lead list from scratch, you know how quickly things can spiral out of control. Endless spreadsheets, random LinkedIn searches, and half-baked data exports. Sound familiar? If you need a smarter way to zero in on the right companies and contacts—without wasting days on cleanup—this guide is for you.
This walkthrough is aimed at anyone tasked with sales prospecting, partnerships, or just trying to get a handle on who’s who in an industry. We’ll focus specifically on using Crunchbase, a popular database for company and deal info, and how to get the most out of its advanced filters. I’ll call out what actually works, what to skip, and how to avoid common time-sinks.
Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Ideal Targets
Before you log in and start clicking filters, pause for a second. The biggest mistake people make is trying to be too broad (“any tech company in the US”) or too narrow (“AI startups with exactly 14 employees, Series B, founded on a Tuesday”). Both lead to crummy results.
Ask yourself: - What industry or industries matter? - What company sizes are realistic for you? - Are you looking for certain funding stages? - Geography—does it matter for you? - Any tech stacks, business models, or other must-haves?
Pro tip: Write down your must-haves and nice-to-haves. This keeps you honest when you’re tempted to add “just one more filter.”
Step 2: Access Crunchbase’s Advanced Search
Assuming you’ve got a Crunchbase account (the paid plans unlock the good stuff), head to the main dashboard. Click on “Advanced Search” or “Companies.” This is where the magic happens.
A quick reality check: - The free version is pretty limited. You’ll hit export/view limits fast. - Paid plans like “Pro” or “Enterprise” give you more filters and data. If you’re serious, it’s worth it—just don’t expect miracles. Crunchbase is good, but not infallible.
Step 3: Set Up Your Core Filters
Here’s where most people get lost in the weeds. Don’t overthink it—start with these basics:
1. Industry
- Use broad categories first (e.g., “Software,” “Healthcare”), then narrow as needed.
- Crunchbase’s industry tags aren’t always perfect. Double-check your sample results.
2. Location
- Filter by country, region, or city.
- Beware: Some companies fudge their “headquarters” for tax or PR reasons.
3. Company Size
- Choose by number of employees (ranges).
- Crunchbase relies on self-reported or scraped data, so treat this as a ballpark.
4. Funding Stage or Amount
- Filter by last funding round (e.g., Seed, Series A, Series B, etc.).
- You can also filter by total funding raised.
- Caution: Not all companies report every round, and some “bootstrapped” firms won’t appear at all.
5. Founded Date
- Good for targeting startups (e.g., founded in the last 5 years).
- Ignore this if you don’t care about company age.
Example filter setup:
- Industry: Fintech
- Location: United States
- Company Size: 11–50 employees
- Last Funding Round: Series A or B
- Founded: After 2019
This will give you a manageable, relevant list—without getting so picky that you miss good fits.
Step 4: Layer On Advanced or Niche Filters
Once you’ve got a feel for the basics, you can get fancier. But only if it makes sense for your use case.
Advanced filters worth trying: - Keyword search: Find companies mentioning “blockchain,” “remote,” or any tech you care about. - Revenue range: If you have access to this data. Don’t trust it blindly—it’s often estimated. - Ownership type: Filter for private, public, or subsidiary companies. - Number of acquisitions: If you want active acquirers or those likely to buy.
Stuff to ignore (usually): - Social followers: Irrelevant for most B2B leads. - Website traffic estimates: These are wild guesses, not gospel. - “Recent news” filters: News doesn’t always mean opportunity.
Honest take: If you add more than 5-6 filters, you’re probably over-engineering. Crunchbase’s data isn’t precise enough to support hyper-specific queries.
Step 5: Review and Clean Your Results
Crunchbase will show you a list that matches your filters. Here’s where you separate the signal from the noise.
What to look for: - Are the companies really in your ideal industry? - Any obvious junk—shell companies, holding firms, or companies that don’t fit? - Are there companies you recognize? If not, maybe your filters are off.
How to spot bad data: - Weird company names (e.g., “TEST COMPANY” or “Stealth Startup”). - Employee counts of “1–10” for companies claiming tens of millions in funding. - Duplicate or near-duplicate entries.
Pro tip: Don’t try to clean everything in Crunchbase. Export the results and do a quick scan in Excel or Google Sheets. Sort by company name, funding, or employee count to spot outliers fast.
Step 6: Export and Organize Your List
Once you’ve got a solid list, export it via Crunchbase (usually CSV format). Here’s what matters:
- Columns to keep: Company name, website, location, industry, employee count, last funding date, LinkedIn URL, and any key contacts (if available).
- Ditch: Crunchbase’s internal IDs, weird codes, or anything you don’t need.
Reality check: Crunchbase often has limited or outdated contact info. For B2B leads, you’ll probably need to track down emails or direct LinkedIn profiles yourself.
Suggested workflow: 1. Export your list. 2. Clean up duplicates and obvious junk. 3. Add columns for your own notes or lead status. 4. Use tools like LinkedIn, Apollo.io, or Hunter.io to fill in missing contact details.
Step 7: Validate and Prioritize Your Leads
Don’t just dump your exported list into your CRM and call it a day. Quality beats quantity every single time.
How to validate: - Spot-check company websites. Are they alive? Do they fit your criteria? - Check recent news or press releases—Crunchbase won’t always have the latest. - Use LinkedIn to confirm employee counts and leadership.
How to prioritize: - Tag “A-list” prospects (best fit, highest value). - Move “B-list” or “maybe” leads to a separate tab—these are backup options. - Ignore anything that feels off, incomplete, or just plain weird.
Pro tip: If you’re building lead lists for others (like a sales team), include a few notes on why each company made the cut. Saves a ton of back-and-forth later.
Step 8: Keep It Fresh (But Don’t Obsess)
Lead lists go stale fast—people move jobs, companies pivot, data changes. But honestly, you don’t need to update your list every week.
What works: - Refresh your Crunchbase filters and re-export every few months. - Set Google Alerts for your top targets to catch major news. - Re-check contact info if you haven’t reached out in a while.
What doesn’t: - Relying on Crunchbase as your only data source. - Thinking you’ll ever have a “perfect” list. You won’t. And that’s fine.
Wrapping Up
Building a targeted lead list with Crunchbase advanced filters isn’t rocket science—but it does take a bit of common sense and patience. Focus on clarity over complexity, double-check your results, and don’t be afraid to tweak your process as you go. Remember: a smaller, well-curated list beats a giant, messy one every time.
Start simple, iterate, and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Good luck out there.