CB Insights
CB Insights, founded in 2008 by Anand Sanwal and Jonathan Sherry, provides a subscription-based platform that aggregates and analyzes data on private companies, startups, and emerging technology markets.
Profile
CB Insights provides a data and analytics platform that tracks private companies, venture capital activity, and emerging technology trends, helping corporate strategy and deal teams identify investment and partnership opportunities.
CB Insights, founded in 2008 by Anand Sanwal and Jonathan Sherry, provides a subscription-based platform that aggregates and analyzes data on private companies, startups, and emerging technology markets. The company's core product is a database covering over 10 million private and public companies, supplemented by proprietary analytics like the Mosaic score, which predicts a company's health and likelihood of success. CB Insights also publishes widely-cited research reports on venture capital trends, AI, and other tech sectors.
As of Q1 2026, the company reported that global venture funding reached $285.5 billion in the quarter, driven largely by mega-rounds in AI, a data point it tracks and analyzes. The company's customer base includes 10 of the largest Fortune 500 businesses, all of the Big 4 accounting firms, 86% of software companies, and 26 of the 30 largest banks. CB Insights has raised at least $1 million in disclosed funding as of 2015, but its current ownership structure and valuation are not publicly disclosed.
The company has expanded beyond venture capital intelligence into sales and corporate strategy tools, and in 2026 launched a product update focused on sourcing and screening for fundraising. CB Insights faces risks including reliance on a concentrated customer base of large enterprises, the competitive threat from other data providers like PitchBook and Crunchbase, and the challenge of maintaining data accuracy and timeliness across millions of companies.
Who buys this
- Corporate strategy and M&A teams at large enterprises
- Venture capital and private equity firms
- Professional services firms (consulting, accounting, legal)
- Investment banks and financial institutions
- Sales and business development teams targeting private companies
Publicly disclosed clients
- Microsoft
- Wells Fargo
- ADP
- Cedars-Sinai
- 3M
- Haleon
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- Proprietary Mosaic score provides a predictive measure of private company health, with 4.7x the hit rate for future unicorns compared to smart money VC.
- Widely cited research reports on venture capital and AI trends, establishing the company as a credible source of market intelligence.
- Customer base includes a high concentration of Fortune 500 and blue-chip clients, indicating strong enterprise adoption and retention.
Watch for
- CB Insights has not publicly disclosed recent funding rounds or revenue, making its financial health and valuation opaque.
- The company faces intense competition from well-funded rivals like PitchBook, Crunchbase, and S&P Global Market Intelligence, which could erode market share.
- Data accuracy and timeliness are critical for a platform covering millions of companies; any degradation in data quality could damage its reputation with enterprise clients.
Recent moves
Key Information
- Industry
- Financial & Market Data
- Founded
- 2008
- Employees
- 271
- Headquarters
- New York City
- Country
- United States
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CB Insights and what does it do?
CB Insights is a subscription-based data and analytics platform that tracks private companies, venture capital activity, and emerging technology trends. It helps corporate strategy and deal teams identify investment and partnership opportunities by aggregating data on over 10 million companies.
What is the CB Insights Mosaic score?
The Mosaic score is a proprietary predictive measure from CB Insights that assesses a private company's health and likelihood of success. It claims a 4.7 times higher hit rate for identifying future unicorns compared to smart money venture capital firms.
Who are CB Insights main customers?
CB Insights serves corporate strategy and M&A teams, venture capital and private equity firms, professional services firms, investment banks, and sales teams. Notable clients include Microsoft, Wells Fargo, ADP, and 3M, with 10 of the largest Fortune 500 businesses as customers.
How does CB Insights compare to PitchBook and Crunchbase?
CB Insights faces intense competition from well-funded rivals like PitchBook, Crunchbase, and S&P Global Market Intelligence. Its strengths include the proprietary Mosaic score and widely cited research reports, but data accuracy and timeliness remain critical challenges against these competitors.
What venture funding data did CB Insights report for Q1 2026?
CB Insights reported that global venture funding reached $285.5 billion in Q1 2026, driven largely by mega-rounds in AI. The company tracks and analyzes this data, publishing reports like the State of Venture Q1’26 and State of AI Q1’26.
What are the risks facing CB Insights as a company?
CB Insights faces risks from reliance on a concentrated customer base of large enterprises, competition from PitchBook and Crunchbase, and the challenge of maintaining data accuracy across millions of companies. Its financial health is also opaque due to undisclosed recent funding and revenue.
Sources
- www.cbinsights.com — Company homepage with customer logos, product claims, and trust statements.
- www.cbinsights.com — Q1 2026 venture funding data: $285.5B quarterly total, deal count decline, and concentration in AI mega-rounds.
- www.cbinsights.com — Q1 2026 AI funding data: $226B raised, OpenAI's $122B round, and physical AI trends.
- techcrunch.com — 2015 funding round of $1M and launch of sales-focused product.