Looking for new business partners but tired of spinning your wheels on cold emails and bad-fit companies? This guide’s for anyone who wants practical, no-nonsense methods to find real partnership leads—whether you’re in sales, biz dev, or running your own startup. We’ll dig into how to get the most out of Crunchbase, using its advanced search—not just the surface-level filters everyone else is using.
No hype, no “growth hacks,” just clear steps that help you cut through the noise.
Step 1: Know What You’re Really Looking For
Before you even touch Crunchbase, get painfully honest about what you want in a partner. “Companies with lots of users” is vague. “US-based SaaS startups with 10-200 employees, Series A/B, targeting HR tech, that don’t compete with us” is specific—and makes your search far easier.
Ask yourself: - What type of partner do you want? (Tech integrations? Channel? Co-marketing?) - What size and stage fits your goals? - Any industries you need to include—or avoid? - Geography? Funding stage? - Who’s a definite “no” (direct competitors, wrong revenue model, etc.)?
Pro tip: Write this out before you search. It’ll save you hours mucking around with useless query results.
Step 2: Get Out of “Basic Search” Land
Crunchbase’s homepage search works for quick looks, but you’ll hit a wall fast. For partnerships, you need Crunchbase Pro or a team license to unlock advanced query filters. If you’re stuck on the free plan, you’ll still get value, but your results will be limited.
Here’s what advanced search lets you filter by: - Industry/vertical (and sub-industries) - Location (down to city or region) - Funding rounds and dates - Employee count (sometimes headcount range) - Revenue range (rough estimates, don’t take these as gospel) - Keywords in descriptions, tags, or tech stack - Recently added or updated companies - Investor lists (for matching on shared backers)
Reality check: Crunchbase data is only as good as what’s been reported. Some companies are stealthy, others exaggerate. The filters get you close, but you’ll still need to sanity-check by hand.
Step 3: Build Laser-Focused Queries
Start with your must-haves. You can always loosen up later, but it’s a waste of time to sift through 5,000 companies when only 50 are a half-decent fit.
Example: Let’s say you want… - B2B SaaS companies in North America - 20-200 employees - Series A or B funding in the last 24 months - Focused on HR or recruiting
Set up your query: - Organization Type: Company - Location: United States, Canada (add major cities if you want) - Industry: SaaS, HR Tech, Recruiting - Employee Range: 20–200 - Last Funding Date: after [two years ago] - Funding Stage: Series A, Series B
Add more filters if you like (e.g., exclude companies with “Direct Competitor” tag, or filter by tech stack if relevant).
Tips: - Use “AND” and “OR” logic to combine or widen filters. - Don’t trust self-reported employee counts—use a range, not an exact number. - If you’re after new players, sort by “Founded Date” or “Last Updated.”
Step 4: Go Beyond Industry Labels (Get Creative with Keywords)
Industry tags are a starting point, but a lot of companies tag themselves with whatever’s trendy. Use the “Description” or “Keywords” search to unearth hidden gems.
How to do it: - In advanced query, use the “Description” or “Keywords” field. - Search for terms your ideal partners actually use: “API integration,” “white-label,” “reseller,” “workforce analytics,” etc. - Try combinations: “payroll automation” AND “mobile app” for a narrower slice.
Why bother?
You’ll catch companies that don’t fit neatly into Crunchbase’s official categories but might be exactly what you want.
Watch out:
Don’t go overboard with jargon—most companies write in plain English, not marketing-speak.
Step 5: Use Funding and Growth Signals (But Don’t Obsess)
Funding rounds get a lot of attention, but they’re just one signal. New funding can mean a company is ready to partner…or that they’re about to compete with you.
What’s useful: - Companies with fresh Series A/B/C funding are often expanding and open to new deals. - Look for companies with “lead investors” you already know, or that back similar types of startups. - Use “Last Funding Date” to weed out companies that haven’t raised in years.
What’s less useful: - Chasing unicorns. The biggest companies rarely do small partnerships, and you’ll get lost in the noise. - Obsessed with valuation. It’s a guessing game—focus on momentum and fit, not hype.
Pro tip: Combine funding data with hiring data (Crunchbase sometimes shows recent hires or job postings) to spot companies in active growth mode.
Step 6: Build and Save Lists—But Don’t Let Them Collect Dust
Once you’ve got a solid query, save it—Crunchbase lets you save searches and lists. Update them every month or so. Export your lists to CSV if you want to work in Excel or Google Sheets.
Why bother? - Saved searches help you track new entrants, not just static lists. - You can share with teammates or set reminders to check back.
But:
Don’t just build lists for the sake of it. Research the companies. Visit their sites. Check LinkedIn for actual decision-makers. Narrow your list to people you can realistically reach—and who might actually care.
Step 7: Sanity-Check and Prioritize Your Targets
Crunchbase gets you 80% of the way, but don’t trust the filters blindly.
Sanity-check steps: - Visit company websites—does their messaging match what you want? - Peek at their job boards: are they hiring for roles that signal growth or new verticals? - Check recent press releases or LinkedIn posts: are they launching new products or expanding markets? - Look for existing partnerships. If they already have a deal with your direct competitor, move on.
Prioritize by: - Actual fit (not just “well, they sort of match…”) - Openness to partnership (look for “partners” or “alliances” pages, or relevant job titles) - Realistic likelihood you can get a response (mutual connections, investor overlap, etc.)
Pro tip:
You’ll get better results by reaching out to 20 well-researched companies than blasting 200 generic emails.
Step 8: Ignore the Hype, Focus on Real-World Signals
A lot of people chase “hot” companies they see in the news. The reality? Most good partnership opportunities aren’t the unicorns—they’re the hungry, up-and-coming teams looking for leverage.
What to ignore: - Hype cycles (last year’s AI darling is this year’s pivot-to-anything-else) - Vanity metrics (follower counts, press mentions) - Out-of-date info (always double-check funding and location)
What matters: - Are they actually growing? - Do they have a real pain point you can solve—or a gap you can fill? - Can you reach a decision-maker, or are you stuck in the “contact us” void?
Step 9: Track What Works (and What Doesn’t)
Don’t just run queries and hope for the best. Use a spreadsheet or CRM to track: - Who you reached out to - What your pitch was - Who replied (and why) - Which queries actually surfaced good leads
After a few rounds, you’ll see patterns—certain filters get better results, some company sizes are a waste of time, and so on.
Reality check:
You’ll have to tweak your search as you go. Nobody gets it perfect the first try.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Crunchbase is a powerful tool, but it won’t magically hand you perfect partnerships. The real work is in defining your target, building focused queries, and—most of all—doing the homework after you export your list.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with a tight focus. Run a few searches. Reach out to 10-20 companies. Learn what works, then adjust. The fancy query tricks matter a lot less than the follow-through.
And remember: most people give up after the first vague search. If you stick with it and keep refining, you’ll find opportunities others miss.