Working with private company data.
Start with the decision you need to make: assess a data source, verify a company, build a research list, or prepare evidence for finance AI.
Choose a data source
Decide what a private-company record can establish, what is missing, and how to assess a file before using it.
Oct 18, 2026
Buying a private company database? Test the evidence before the file
A buyer's test for a private company list: define the population, check entity and operating evidence, inspect missing fields, and confirm availability and licence terms.
Read guideOct 3, 2026
What a private company record can and cannot tell you
A company register anchors legal identity, but it cannot establish current trading. Check what each filed field proves before using a private-company record in a target list.
Read guideSep 6, 2026
Where private company data actually comes from
Every company database is built on the same handful of public sources. Knowing which source each field came from tells you exactly how far you can trust it.
Read guideSep 25, 2026
How current is private company data — and how would you tell
Three dates in every company field. Knowing which is the source date, which is the observation date, and which is the filing period tells you exactly how current the evidence is.
Read guideSep 24, 2026
What blank fields in a private company record actually mean
Blank fields in a private company database are not errors. This guide explains three types of data gap and why each one matters for AI-assisted company screening.
Read guideVerify the company
Resolve the legal entity, check evidence of trading, and keep location and contact claims tied to their sources.
Oct 22, 2026
Registry status is not enough to identify operating companies
Use the UK register to separate legal status from trading evidence, and test what an active-company list can support before using it for targeting.
Read guideSep 26, 2026
Confirming a private company is actually trading
Active registry status does not prove a business is operating. This guide covers the public sources that establish trading evidence — and what each one can and cannot confirm.
Read guideOct 19, 2026
Legal entity name vs trading name: which belongs in a company list?
Match the registered company to the name customers see before using a private-company list. Check the identifier, group relationship and operating evidence separately.
Read guideSep 22, 2026
Entity resolution for private company data
Entity resolution for private companies: matching the company number to the legal name, trading name and group structure before screening, valuation or AI-assisted research.
Read guideSep 29, 2026
Activity codes in company registers: what SIC, NACE and NAICS can and cannot tell you
How SIC, NACE, NAICS and SSIC codes are assigned at registration — and why a code filter is the right starting point but never the final answer for a target list.
Read guideOct 14, 2026
Registered office versus trading address in a private company list
Decide whether a company list can support location-based targeting by checking registered offices and trading addresses as separate, sourced fields.
Read guideOct 15, 2026
How to assess contact fields in a private company list
Check the source, purpose and date of each company contact field before using a private company list for research or outreach.
Read guideBuild a research list
Turn public evidence into an acquisition screen, market map or territory plan without implying current interest.
Oct 5, 2026
Screening acquisition targets from public company filings
Build a defensible acquisition target longlist by separating legal status, operating evidence, location and size proxies in public company records.
Read guideOct 16, 2026
How to map a market with private company data
Define the operating-business population, resolve registry entities and document unknowns before using a private-company market map for corporate development.
Read guideOct 17, 2026
How to build a commercial territory list from private company data
Assign companies to sales territories using evidenced operating locations, a defined account unit and an explicit unresolved queue—not registered offices as a proxy.
Read guideUse data with finance AI
Prepare resolved, source-dated records and keep unsupported fields blank for analyst review.
Sep 25, 2026
Why finance AI needs verified private company data
An LLM can summarize company research, but it cannot repair a weak evidence base. Learn which private-company fields need provenance before AI supports screening or valuation.
Read guideSep 19, 2026
How to prepare private company data for AI research
A practical schema and validation workflow for turning registry, website and filing evidence into private-company data an AI assistant can use without inventing facts.
Read guideSep 19, 2026
Can AI find a private company’s beneficial owners?
Public registers can reveal legal owners or people with significant control, but not a complete cap table. Learn how AI should research ownership without filling gaps.
Read guideNeed a company list for your market?
See the research standard and markets in progress, then check the one-time licence model and register interest by email.