FlareSight

FlareSight is a web and API service for finding startup funding activity through SEC filings. It is best suited to investors tracking deal flow and teams prospecting around recent raises. Its filing-linked records and targeted filters are useful, but contact reveals and API access come with paid plans.

Overview

FlareSight says it follows more than 127,000 startups, refreshing its coverage daily. Most companies appear within 24 hours of filing, after the prior day’s filings are processed at 6am UTC. Funding amounts and filing details are drawn from SEC filings, and each record links to the Form D, giving users a direct reference for the funding signal. That makes the service useful for spotting newly filed activity, but a filing-based view is not a guarantee of a complete picture of startup funding.

Profiles can include founder names, roles and LinkedIn profiles. Sector, description and founder information is enriched from other sources and verified where possible, adding context for research and outreach while leaving the filing as the basis for funding details.

Key features

Search and monitoring

Filters for sector, stage and geography let users narrow a large company set to a relevant market or prospect pool. The free plan includes all search filters, but caps profile views at five per day and limits users to one view-only watchlist. That is enough for occasional checks, not sustained company-by-company research or active pipeline management.

Contacts and outreach

Paid plans provide monthly contact reveal credits, and revealed contacts can be exported to CSV from the dashboard. Starter adds daily email digests and AI-drafted email openers, which may help outbound teams move from discovery to initial outreach. Free users receive a weekly digest instead. Pro adds API access, making it the relevant tier for users who need programmatic access rather than dashboard-only discovery.

Pricing

Free is a useful way to search the database, but the five-view daily ceiling makes deeper review slow, and it has no contact reveals. Starter is the practical fit for an individual or small team doing regular outreach: it adds 30 reveals and active watchlists, though top-ups cost extra. Pro is for higher-volume contact work or API use; its larger credit allowance and discounted top-ups matter more than its extra watchlists for teams with heavier needs. Both paid prices are shown with annual billing, so the stated monthly rate is tied to a yearly commitment.

Platforms

FlareSight is available on the web, with API access for Pro subscribers. The API is not part of the free or Starter plans.

Who it's for

Outbound sales representatives, recruiters and agency founders can use the filters and founder profiles to identify companies relevant to their prospecting. VCs can monitor filing activity for deal flow, while founders can use the company set to benchmark a raise. The service is less suitable for users who need extensive contact discovery without credit limits or broad funding coverage beyond SEC filings.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Funding details link back to Form D filings, giving users a clear reference for the core funding record.
• Pros: Sector, stage and geography filters are included on Free, so users can assess search relevance before paying.
• Pros: Starter combines contact reveals with daily digests, drafted openers and status notes for outreach workflows.
• Cons: Free permits only five profile views per day and one view-only watchlist, limiting serious research.
• Cons: Contact reveals require a paid plan and are quota-based; Starter top-ups cost $0.50 per credit.
• Cons: API access is reserved for Pro, so Starter users cannot integrate the data programmatically.

Alternatives

Browse Startup Databases for more options in this category.

• Tracxn is worth considering for users seeking a freemium service with a free trial and a Premium tier described as offering unrestricted access, taxonomy and custom reports.
• StartupDB is a better fit for users who want a free database and MCP server or REST API without an account or API key, with 120 requests per minute per IP and no daily cap.
• FirstGlance is another free option for users who prefer an app spanning Android, iOS and web.
• ITjuzi may suit users looking for a freemium service with paid monthly and quarterly membership options.
• StartupList Africa is an alternative for users focused on startup profiles and funding data through a paid annual Starter plan.
• Beauhurst is an option for buyers seeking a bespoke paid subscription priced around their data, user, integration and commitment requirements.
• CB Insights is worth a look for users seeking a paid platform with a free trial, AI-powered insights and a stated base of 12M companies and 1B data points.
• Techboard is another freemium option for users interested in funding data underlying its reports.

Verdict

FlareSight is a strong fit for investors and prospecting teams who value recent SEC filing activity, focused filters and founder context. Its clearest reason to choose it is the combination of filing-linked funding records and outreach tools; its main limitation is that meaningful contact discovery and API use require paid, quota-based plans. Look elsewhere if you need unrestricted contact access or funding intelligence not centered on SEC filings.