Where can I find information about private companies?
Answer
Directories with limited, generally voluntarily reported, financial information on private companies:
- Select private companies worldwide are covered in databases like Orbis, NetAdvantage and Pitchbook. Pitchbook data comes from venture capital/private equity firms and largely covers high tech startups and companies.
- Reference USA/Data Axle is a directory of most US businesses, large and small, with some company details.
- ThomasNet is a directory of US manufacturing companies. Directory data is freely available but may require registration to access.
Business and Industry News with company coverage:
- For the San Francisco/Silicon Valley business region, the Library subscribes to Business Times which has weekly coverage of business trends and larger companies in the area, including private companies.
- Factiva covers breaking business news internationally and thus has information on specific companies.
- Business Source Complete covers business magazines and trade publications which generally report on specific companies, many private. (Trade publications cover specific industries and report on news, statistics, trends, company events, and other industry specific information.)