CB Insights is the gold standard for sector intelligence. But its deal-flow data arrives post-round. Here are 6 alternatives for investors who need to know which startups are accelerating RIGHT NOW.
| Tool | Best for | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| GitDealFlow | Real-time engineering momentum | Free tier available |
| Crunchbase | Round-history database | From $29/mo |
| PitchBook | Deal terms + fund performance | From $20K+/yr |
| Tracxn | Emerging market startup sourcing | From $15K/yr |
| Dealroom | European ecosystem mapping | From $10K/yr |
| Grata | B2B company search + sourcing | From $12K/yr |
Best for: Real-time engineering momentum | Price: Free tier available
Daily-refreshed GitHub signals. Commits, contributors, stars — tracked across 400+ startups. No waiting for quarterly reports.
Best for: Round-history database | Price: From $29/mo
Largest funding database. Good for 'who raised what' lookups. Same lag as CBI: data enters after rounds close.
Best for: Deal terms + fund performance | Price: From $20K+/yr
Deeper deal-terms data than CBI. Strong LP/fund coverage. Heavier, slower, more expensive.
Best for: Emerging market startup sourcing | Price: From $15K/yr
Excellent taxonomy. Multi-signal approach (hiring, news, engineering). Good complement to CBI for specific geographies.
Best for: European ecosystem mapping | Price: From $10K/yr
Strongest European coverage. Good for understanding ecosystem-level trends. Round-based, not pre-round.
Best for: B2B company search + sourcing | Price: From $12K/yr
Massive B2B graph. Good for finding companies that don't appear in CBI. Not a signal tool.
CB Insights excels at structured market intelligence — sector reports, patent analysis, earnings-call transcripts. But it does not track real-time code velocity or contributor growth on GitHub. Those signals are what predict a fundraise, and CBI only picks up the story after the round closes.
Far from it. For board-ready market sizing, competitive landscape mapping, and industry thesis development, CBI is best-in-class. The gap is in speed-to-signal — and that's where GitDealFlow fits.
This is the ideal stack. CBI for quarterly research and board decks. GitDealFlow for the weekly 'what should I look at' question. The two tools answer different time horizons.
Free tier available — get the top 20 trending startups across all 20 sectors, no credit card required.
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