Insights Hub

Private equity: Find company information on the web

Written by Jimmy | 13 May 2024

There are numerous sources of information available on French companies, covering their legal structure, executives, shareholders, and financial statements. These sources play a crucial role in the field of private equity, providing valuable insights for investors.

Online sources of information

Here are some essential sources to discover reliable information about companies:

  1. INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property): The INPI provides information on registered trademarks, patents, and industrial designs. This can be valuable in assessing a company's intellectual property and its growth potential.
  2. INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies): The INSEE offers valuable insights into economic and social statistics, as well as data on French companies. It serves as a valuable resource for gaining information on the market and competition.
  3. Infogreffe is the official registry of French businesses, providing access to valuable information on registered companies in France. Here, you can find details on the legal structure, articles of association, annual accounts, and company executives.
  4. OpenData des Entreprises: The OpenData des Entreprises is a government initiative that provides free and open access to data on French companies. Here, you can discover information on the legal structure, executives, annual accounts, and much more. Explore all that is available here: https://entreprise.api.gouv.fr/catalogue.
  5. Pappers.fr is a valuable platform that provides detailed information on French companies, including their legal structure, executives, shareholders, and financial statements. It serves as a valuable resource for private equity investors seeking insights into their target companies.
  6. Private Data: In addition to public sources, private equity investors can also gather private data on companies, such as due diligence reports, competitor information, and financial evaluations.

The investor's company profile

Within a CRM, certain attributes are especially valuable for private equity investors.

Here are some essential attributes of an ideal company profile:

  1. Company Name: To easily identify each company in your CRM.

  2. Legal Structure: To understand the legal nature of the company, which can have implications on the investment structure.

  3. Executives and Shareholders: To track the key decision-makers and stakeholders of the company.

  4. Revenue and Profitability: To evaluate the financial performance of the company over time.

  5. Financial Data: To store detailed information such as financial statements, financial ratios, and forecasts.

  6. Transaction History: To record details of past transactions with the company, including funding rounds, acquisitions, and exits.

  7. Notes and Documents: To document relevant notes and documents related to the company, such as due diligence reports and pitch presentations.

Your data in HubSpot CRM

Once you have gathered information about the companies, it's time to integrate them into your HubSpot CRM for effective customer relationship management.

Here's how to proceed:

  1. Create Company Profiles: Generate a company profile in HubSpot for every business you are tracking.

  2. Import Data: Utilize HubSpot's import tools to bring in company data from the identified sources. Be sure to accurately map the fields for a seamless integration of data.

  3. Keep Your Data Up to Date: Ensure that you regularly update the information on companies in your CRM. Utilize automation tools to monitor changes and updates, guaranteeing that your team always has the latest data at their fingertips.

Limitations of web research

Using only HubSpot makes it challenging and time-consuming to gather information because:

  • You will have to juggle with copy-pasting,
  • You will have to deal with importing/exporting,
  • The data will not be easy to keep updated.

💡 It typically takes around 15 minutes to integrate a company profile into HubSpot with its complete financial data.

That's why we invite you to explore our company search solution directly within HubSpot: Charik.