Interested in Airbnb’s funding data? Want to know who invested in Uber? Whether you’re looking to learn about growing companies or active investors, a free Crunchbase account lets you browse firmographic data at no cost and conduct searches on companies of interest. Here are 5 ways to make the most of your free account:

1. Follow companies you care about by setting up custom alerts

With a free Crunchbase account, you can keep track of companies you care about by creating a custom list and setting up alerts. Add this to your everyday workflow to keep an eye on recent company activity and key firmographic highlights, like funding data and acquisitions.

To follow a company, click Add to List on the right-hand side of their profile and select My First List. Then, set email alerts to learn when these companies raise money, get acquired or go public.

Crunchbase create list and email alerts sign up feature

2. View a unique list of companies with advanced search filters

A free account on Crunchbase also lets you filter searches based on the factors that are important to you. Leveraging Crunchbase’s large company database, your free account will display the top five search results based on your criteria.

To start your search, click the appropriate search type on the top navigation bar, whether it’s companies, investors or funding rounds. From there, add filters like geographic location, industry and size. You’ll get additional insights with special filters like the Diversity Spotlight, which highlights U.S. companies with diverse leadership and investors. For example, if you’re interested in medium-sized, women-led companies based in a particular region, click Companies in the top search bar and then add relevant filters in the left-hand navigation bar.

3. Unlock best-in-class data

When you register for a free Crunchbase account, you’ll gain limited access to best-in-class Crunchbase data, including information about funding rounds, investors, website and mobile analytics, and company employment signals like hiring and layoffs data. You can leverage this information to understand if and how companies are growing.

View this data directly on company profiles or search to learn whether they’re raising money, getting web traffic, or recruiting new hires. In particular, leadership hire data, as well as employment signals such as hiring trends and layoffs, give you valuable insight into whether a company has buying power. You’ll also get buyer intent data from Bombora, which shows you which businesses are actively researching certain topics so you can fine-tune your research even further.

Crunchbase Acme company profile recent news and activity highlighted

4. Get industry updates with the Crunchbase Daily

A free Crunchbase account also gives you a free subscription to the Crunchbase Daily. Compiled by our in-house editorial team, the Crunchbase Daily gives you regular updates on important headlines, funding rounds and trends in tech. This is an effective way to keep tabs on company funding, performance and more.

5. Make yourself known on Crunchbase

Sign up for a free account to build your publicity, strengthen your SEO and spread the word about your business to millions of Crunchbase visitors. Join our network of 1.3 million Crunchbase venture partners and contributors, and directly edit your information to keep people in the know about your company.

To update your profile, click the Account icon in the upper right-hand corner, and then click  Account Settings. You’ll be able to register by authenticating with a social media profile. If your company or personal profile isn’t already in Crunchbase, add a new profile using the Create Profile button on the Shortcut menu on the homepage. If you’d like to edit an existing profile, click the three-dot icon and select Edit in the upper right corner.

If you’d like to get full access to company firmographic data, growth signals and verified contact data, upgrade to Crunchbase Pro.

Crunchbase technology tab with G2 company tech stack data

Drive revenue with even more insights from Crunchbase

Want to unlock full access to company profiles and search results? Upgrade to Crunchbase Pro.

Crunchbase Pro automates prospecting with verified contacts, personalized insights and key sales integrations so that you can connect with companies you care about. Go beyond browsing by using Crunchbase to find and close the right deals.

  • Originally published April 10, 2018, updated March 20, 2023