Sales teams waste hours hunting for basic company intel. The right research tools fix that. They surface decision-makers, flag buying signals, and deliver the data you need to prioritize accounts and personalize outreach at scale.
What Are Company Research Tools?
Company research tools are B2B intelligence platforms that give sales teams instant access to contact data, firmographic details, technographic insights, and buyer intent signals in one workspace. These platforms replace the need to toggle between LinkedIn, Google, and CRM records. Sales teams use them to identify target accounts, find decision-makers, and track buying committee changes in real time.
Modern platforms go beyond basic contact lookup. They combine verified email addresses and direct-dial phone numbers with account-level intelligence like tech stack, employee count, revenue estimates, and recent funding activity.
The best tools layer in intent data to surface which accounts are actively researching solutions like yours.
Core capabilities include:
Contact and company databases: Access to millions of verified B2B contacts with direct dials, email addresses, and job titles
Firmographic and technographic data: Company size, revenue, industry, tech stack, and organizational structure
Buyer intent signals: Real-time alerts when target accounts research relevant topics or visit competitor sites
CRM enrichment and integration: Automatic data sync to keep Salesforce, HubSpot, and other systems current
Organizational charts: Visibility into reporting structures and buying committee composition
These platforms turn hours of manual research into minutes of targeted prospecting.
What to Look for in a Company Research Tool
Not all company research platforms deliver the same value. Data accuracy separates tools that accelerate pipeline from those that burn rep time on bad numbers and outdated contacts.
Coverage matters too. A platform with strong North American data but weak EMEA presence won't support global GTM teams.
Integration depth determines whether a tool fits into existing workflows or creates another tab to check. Native CRM sync, sales engagement platform compatibility, and API access keep data flowing where reps actually work.
Enrichment frequency is critical. Contacts change jobs. Companies get acquired. Platforms that refresh data quarterly leave you prospecting into the void.
Key evaluation criteria:
Data accuracy and verification: Email deliverability rates, phone number accuracy, and data refresh frequency
Coverage and breadth: Contact count, company profiles, geographic reach, and industry depth
CRM and tech stack integration: Native connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and other GTM tools
Intent data and buying signals: Real-time alerts on account activity, topic surge data, and trigger events
Compliance and security: GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2 Type II certification, and data governance controls
Organizational intelligence: Access to org charts, reporting structures, and buying committee mapping
15 Best Company Research Tools for B2B Sales
Here's how the top company research platforms compare across database coverage, core differentiators, and ideal customer fit:
Platform | Database Focus | Key Strength | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
ZoomInfo | 500M+ contacts, 100M+ companies | AI-powered insights and intent data | Mid-market to enterprise B2B teams |
LinkedIn Sales Navigator | LinkedIn professional network | Relationship mapping and InMail | Social selling and warm introductions |
Apollo | 265M+ contacts | Integrated engagement platform | SMB to mid-market prospecting |
Cognism | EMEA-focused B2B data | GDPR compliance and phone-verified mobiles | European and global sales teams |
Crunchbase | Startup and funding data | Investment and acquisition intelligence | Startup-focused sales and BD teams |
Lusha | B2B contact data | Browser extension for LinkedIn | Individual reps and SMB teams |
Seamless | Real-time contact search | AI-powered verification | High-volume prospecting teams |
UpLead | B2B prospecting database | Real-time email verification | Budget-conscious teams |
6sense | Account-level intent data | Predictive analytics and ABM | Enterprise ABM programs |
Bombora | Intent data provider | Topic surge signals | Marketing and sales alignment |
SalesIntel | Human-verified B2B data | Direct dial accuracy | Teams prioritizing phone outreach |
Clearbit | Firmographic enrichment | Real-time visitor identification | HubSpot users and marketing teams |
LeadIQ | Prospecting workflow platform | One-click LinkedIn capture | SDR and BDR teams |
Dun & Bradstreet | Enterprise business data | D-U-N-S number system and credit data | Enterprise and global organizations |
Gartner | Analyst research and market intelligence | Vendor comparisons and strategic insights | Strategic planning and vendor evaluation |
1. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo delivers the most comprehensive B2B intelligence platform built for revenue teams. With access to over 500 million contact profiles, 100 million company records, and more than 1 billion buying signals, ZoomInfo combines verified contact data with firmographic details, technographic insights, and real-time intent data. The platform integrates directly into Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and other GTM tools to keep data flowing where reps work. Custom signals let teams track specific triggers like funding events, leadership changes, or technology adoption patterns.
GTM Workspace centralizes prospecting, engagement, and pipeline management into a unified environment. Copilot, ZoomInfo's AI-powered assistant, surfaces actionable insights and automates repetitive workflows. It identifies high-priority accounts based on intent signals, recommends next-best actions, and drafts personalized outreach at scale. Native CRM synchronization ensures contact records, account details, and activity history stay current without manual data entry.
ZoomInfo serves over 35,000 customers and maintains GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 Type II compliance. The platform is recognized by Gartner and Forrester as a category leader in sales intelligence.
Teams using ZoomInfo report reducing prospecting time by up to 50% while increasing engagement rates through better targeting and personalization.
Key Features:
500M+ verified contact profiles with direct-dial phone numbers and email addresses
100M+ company profiles with firmographic, technographic, and organizational data
Real-time buyer intent signals and custom trigger alerts for account prioritization
Copilot AI assistant for automated insights, workflow recommendations, and outreach drafting
Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and 300+ other platforms
Advanced search filters including tech stack, employee count, revenue, funding, and job changes
Organizational charts showing reporting structures and buying committee composition
2. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator provides access to LinkedIn's professional network of 1+ billion members. The platform offers advanced search filters to identify decision-makers by job title, company, industry, seniority, and geography.
Relationship mapping surfaces shared connections and warm introduction paths. InMail credits allow direct outreach to prospects outside your network. Sales Navigator integrates with CRM systems to sync lead and account data.
The platform tracks account and lead updates in real time. Alerts notify users when prospects change jobs, share content, or engage with your company's LinkedIn presence. TeamLink extends your network visibility by showing connections across your entire sales organization. Saved searches and lead lists help organize prospecting efforts and monitor target accounts over time.
Sales Navigator offers mobile apps for iOS and Android to support prospecting on the go. Integration with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and other CRMs keeps LinkedIn activity synced with existing sales workflows.
Key Features:
Advanced search filters for job title, company size, industry, geography, and seniority level
InMail messaging to reach prospects outside your direct network
Real-time alerts for job changes, company news, and prospect engagement
TeamLink to surface connections across your sales organization
Lead and account lists with saved searches and custom tags
CRM integration with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and other platforms
Learn More About LinkedIn Sales Navigator
3. Apollo
Apollo combines a B2B contact database with sales engagement tools in a single platform. The database includes over 265 million contacts across companies worldwide. Users can search by job title, company size, industry, technology usage, and other firmographic criteria. Apollo provides email addresses, phone numbers, and social profiles for identified contacts.
The platform includes email sequencing, call tracking, and task automation. Users can build multi-step outreach campaigns that combine email, phone, and LinkedIn touches. Apollo tracks email opens, link clicks, and reply rates to measure engagement.
The dialer connects directly to prospect phone numbers from within the platform. Conversation intelligence records and transcribes calls for later review.
Apollo integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRM systems to sync contact data and activity history. The platform offers Chrome extensions for prospecting directly from LinkedIn and company websites. Apollo includes analytics dashboards to track team performance, conversion rates, and pipeline generation across campaigns.
Key Features:
265M+ contact database with email addresses and phone numbers
Email sequencing and automation for multi-touch campaigns
Built-in dialer with call recording and transcription
Chrome extension for prospecting from LinkedIn and company websites
CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms
Analytics dashboards for campaign performance and pipeline tracking
Technographic filters to search by company tech stack
4. Cognism
Cognism provides GDPR-compliant B2B contact data with a focus on European markets. The platform includes phone-verified mobile numbers for decision-makers across EMEA, NAM, and APAC regions. Cognism maintains compliance with data privacy regulations including GDPR, CCPA, and local data protection laws.
The platform offers Diamond Data, a premium tier of phone-verified mobile numbers for C-level executives and senior decision-makers. Cognism's research team manually verifies contact details to improve accuracy.
The platform integrates intent data from Bombora to identify accounts actively researching relevant topics. Users can filter searches by job title, seniority, department, company size, industry, and technology usage.
Cognism integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and other sales tools. The platform includes Chrome extensions for prospecting from LinkedIn and company websites. Users can export contact lists or sync data directly to CRM systems. Cognism provides API access for custom integrations and data workflows.
Key Features:
GDPR-compliant B2B contact data collection
Phone-verified mobile numbers for C-level and senior executives
Intent data integration from Bombora for account prioritization
European market coverage with strong EMEA data quality
CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and sales engagement platforms
Chrome extension for LinkedIn and web prospecting
API access for custom data workflows
5. Crunchbase
Crunchbase specializes in startup and private company intelligence. The platform tracks funding rounds, acquisitions, investor relationships, and company growth trajectories. Users can search by funding stage, investor, valuation, employee count, and industry vertical. Crunchbase includes data on over 4 million companies with detailed funding history.
The platform provides company profiles with founding date, headquarters location, employee count estimates, and technology stack details. Funding history shows investment amounts, lead investors, and valuation data.
Acquisition records track M&A activity across industries. News feeds aggregate company announcements, press releases, and media coverage.
Crunchbase offers saved searches and custom alerts to monitor target companies and market segments. Users can track competitor funding, identify potential acquisition targets, or find companies entering new markets. The platform integrates with Salesforce and other CRM systems. API access supports custom data pulls and workflow automation.
Key Features:
4M+ company profiles with funding and acquisition data
Funding round details including amounts, investors, and valuations
Investor profiles and portfolio company tracking
Company news feeds and press release aggregation
Saved searches and alerts for funding events and company changes
CRM integration with Salesforce and other platforms
API access for custom data workflows
6. Lusha
Lusha provides B2B contact data through a browser extension and web platform. The Chrome extension surfaces email addresses and phone numbers while browsing LinkedIn profiles or company websites. Lusha maintains GDPR and CCPA compliance with data collection and storage practices. The database includes contact information for professionals across North America, Europe, and other regions.
The platform offers direct-dial phone numbers and verified email addresses for decision-makers. Users can save contacts to lists within Lusha or export to CRM systems. The browser extension integrates with LinkedIn, allowing users to capture contact details without leaving the platform. Lusha includes company-level data such as employee count, industry, and location.
Lusha integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRM platforms to sync contact data. The platform offers API access for custom integrations. Users can search the Lusha database directly or use the extension for on-demand prospecting. Credits determine how many contacts users can access per month.
Key Features:
Browser extension for LinkedIn and web prospecting
Direct-dial phone numbers and verified email addresses
GDPR and CCPA compliant data collection
CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms
Contact list management and export functionality
Company-level firmographic data
API access for custom integrations
7. Seamless
Seamless provides real-time B2B contact search with AI-powered data verification. The platform uses machine learning to validate email addresses and phone numbers before delivery. Users can search by job title, company, industry, location, and other criteria. Seamless includes a Chrome extension for prospecting from LinkedIn and company websites.
The platform offers unlimited search capabilities with subscription plans. Contact data includes email addresses, direct-dial phone numbers, and social profiles. Seamless integrates with CRM systems to sync contact information and activity data. The platform includes list-building tools to organize prospects and export contact lists.
Seamless provides a writer tool to generate email templates and outreach messaging. The platform tracks email deliverability and engagement metrics. Users can access Seamless through web browser or Chrome extension. API access supports custom integrations and automated data workflows.
Key Features:
Real-time contact search with AI-powered verification
Unlimited search with subscription plans
Chrome extension for LinkedIn and web prospecting
CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms
Email template writer and outreach messaging tools
List-building and contact organization features
8. UpLead
UpLead offers a B2B prospecting database with real-time email verification. The platform provides access to verified B2B contacts with comprehensive coverage across global markets. Users can search by job title, company size, industry, revenue, technology usage, and location. UpLead verifies email addresses in real time before delivery to reduce bounce rates.
The platform uses a credit-based pricing model where users pay per contact accessed. Technographic filters allow searches based on company tech stack and software usage. UpLead includes company-level data such as employee count, revenue estimates, and industry classification. Users can build contact lists and export to CSV or integrate directly with CRM systems.
UpLead integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, and other CRM platforms. The platform offers Chrome extensions for prospecting from LinkedIn and company websites. API access supports custom integrations and automated data workflows. UpLead provides data enrichment services to append missing contact and company details to existing records.
Key Features:
B2B contact database with real-time email verification
Technographic filters for tech stack and software usage
Credit-based pricing model
CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms
Chrome extension for LinkedIn and web prospecting
Data enrichment services for existing contact records
API access for custom integrations
9. 6sense
6sense provides account-based marketing and sales intelligence with predictive analytics. The platform uses AI to identify accounts showing buying intent based on web activity, content consumption, and research behavior. 6sense aggregates intent signals from across the web to score accounts by likelihood to purchase. The platform integrates with marketing automation and CRM systems to orchestrate account-based campaigns.
The platform includes account identification to reveal anonymous website visitors and match them to company records.
6sense provides advertising capabilities to target high-intent accounts with display ads across programmatic networks. Campaign orchestration tools coordinate outreach across email, ads, and sales touches based on account engagement stage.
6sense integrates with Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua, and other marketing and sales platforms. The platform provides dashboards showing account engagement, pipeline influence, and revenue attribution. Predictive models forecast which accounts are most likely to convert and when they'll enter active buying cycles. API access supports custom integrations and data workflows.
Key Features:
Predictive analytics and AI-powered account scoring
Intent data from web activity and content consumption
Anonymous visitor identification and account matching
Advertising platform for account-based display campaigns
Campaign orchestration across email, ads, and sales touches
Integration with Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua, and other platforms
Pipeline influence and revenue attribution reporting
10. Bombora
Bombora specializes in B2B intent data derived from content consumption behavior. The platform tracks which companies are researching specific topics across a network of business websites. Topic surge data identifies when accounts show increased interest in relevant subjects. Bombora provides intent signals for thousands of topics across industries and business functions.
The platform aggregates data from the Bombora Company Surge Data Co-op, a network of business media sites and B2B publishers. Intent scores indicate the intensity and recency of account research activity. Users can filter accounts by topic, surge intensity, company size, and other criteria. Bombora data integrates with marketing automation platforms, CRM systems, and advertising platforms.
Bombora provides API access for custom integrations and data workflows. The platform integrates with Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua, 6sense, Demandbase, and other ABM platforms. Intent data can trigger automated workflows, prioritize sales outreach, or target advertising campaigns. Bombora includes dashboards showing trending topics and account engagement patterns.
Key Features:
Intent data from B2B content consumption behavior
Topic surge signals for thousands of business topics
Company Surge Data Co-op network of business publishers
Intent scoring by surge intensity and recency
Integration with Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua, and ABM platforms
API access for custom data workflows
Dashboards for trending topics and account engagement
11. SalesIntel
SalesIntel provides B2B contact data with human-verified accuracy. The platform employs a research team to manually verify contact details including phone numbers, email addresses, and job titles. SalesIntel focuses on direct-dial phone number accuracy for decision-makers.
The platform offers research-on-demand services where users can request verification of specific contacts or companies. SalesIntel includes technographic data showing company tech stack and software usage. Intent data integration identifies accounts actively researching relevant topics. Users can search by job title, company size, industry, revenue, and technology filters.
SalesIntel integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and other sales platforms. The platform includes Chrome extensions for prospecting from LinkedIn and company websites. Users can export contact lists or sync data directly to CRM systems. SalesIntel provides data enrichment services to append missing details to existing contact records.
Key Features:
Human-verified contact data with manual accuracy checks
Direct-dial phone numbers for decision-makers
Research-on-demand service for custom contact verification
Technographic data for company tech stack
Intent data integration for account prioritization
CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and sales platforms
Chrome extension for LinkedIn and web prospecting
12. Clearbit
Clearbit provides data enrichment and firmographic intelligence, now part of HubSpot. The platform appends company and contact details to existing records in CRM and marketing automation systems. Clearbit identifies anonymous website visitors and matches them to company records. Real-time enrichment updates contact and account data as users interact with your website or marketing campaigns.
The platform includes Reveal for website visitor identification and Forms for progressive profiling that reduces form friction. Clearbit enriches records with job title, company size, industry, technology usage, and other firmographic attributes. The platform integrates natively with HubSpot and connects to Salesforce, Marketo, and other systems through API.
Clearbit provides prospecting capabilities to search for companies and contacts matching specific criteria. Data enrichment runs automatically in the background to keep CRM records current. The platform offers webhook support for real-time data updates and custom workflow triggers. Clearbit maintains compliance with GDPR and CCPA data regulations.
Key Features:
Real-time data enrichment for CRM and marketing automation
Website visitor identification and company matching
Progressive form profiling to reduce form friction
Firmographic data including company size, industry, and tech stack
Native HubSpot integration with API access for other platforms
Prospecting database for company and contact search
Webhook support for real-time data updates
13. LeadIQ
LeadIQ focuses on prospecting workflow efficiency with one-click contact capture from LinkedIn. The Chrome extension allows users to save contact details directly to CRM systems or LeadIQ lists while browsing LinkedIn profiles. The platform syncs data to Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRM platforms in real time. LeadIQ tracks job changes and company moves for saved contacts.
The platform includes email sequencing and cadence management integrated with Outreach, Salesloft, and other sales engagement tools. Users can trigger automated workflows when prospects change jobs or companies. LeadIQ provides email verification to reduce bounce rates. The platform includes team collaboration features to share prospect lists and coordinate outreach.
LeadIQ offers prospecting analytics showing capture rates, CRM sync status, and team activity. The platform integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and other sales tools. Mobile apps for iOS and Android support prospecting on the go. LeadIQ includes data enrichment to append missing contact and company details.
Key Features:
One-click contact capture from LinkedIn profiles
Real-time CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms
Job change tracking and alerts for saved contacts
Email sequencing integration with Outreach and Salesloft
Email verification to reduce bounce rates
Team collaboration and prospect list sharing
Mobile apps for iOS and Android
14. Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet provides enterprise business data and credit intelligence with global coverage. The D-U-N-S Number system assigns unique identifiers to over 400 million businesses worldwide. The platform includes firmographic data, credit reports, risk assessments, and company hierarchies. Dun & Bradstreet tracks corporate family trees showing parent companies, subsidiaries, and branch locations.
The platform offers data enrichment services to append missing company details to CRM records. Credit and risk data help assess customer financial stability before extending terms.
Dun & Bradstreet includes supply chain intelligence showing supplier and customer relationships. The platform provides market research and industry benchmarking data.
Dun & Bradstreet integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, and other enterprise systems. The platform offers API access for custom integrations and data workflows. Data quality tools standardize and deduplicate company records across systems. Dun & Bradstreet maintains compliance with global data regulations including GDPR.
Key Features:
D-U-N-S Number system with 400M+ business identifiers
Global firmographic data and company hierarchies
Credit reports and financial risk assessments
Supply chain intelligence and relationship mapping
Data enrichment and quality management tools
Integration with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and enterprise systems
API access for custom data workflows
Learn More About Dun & Bradstreet
15. Gartner
Gartner provides analyst research, market intelligence, and strategic advisory services for technology and business leaders. The platform includes research reports on software categories, vendor comparisons, and market trends. Magic Quadrant reports position vendors by completeness of vision and ability to execute. Gartner Peer Insights aggregates user reviews and ratings for enterprise software.
The platform offers advisory services connecting clients with Gartner analysts for custom research and strategic guidance. Market forecasts predict technology adoption trends and spending patterns. Gartner conferences bring together technology vendors, buyers, and analysts for networking and education. The platform includes tools for vendor selection and RFP management.
Gartner research covers categories including sales intelligence, CRM, marketing automation, data management, and hundreds of other technology domains. The platform provides benchmark data comparing technology adoption and spending across industries. Gartner maintains independence from vendors to provide objective analysis. Subscription access includes unlimited research downloads and analyst inquiry time.
Key Features:
Analyst research reports on technology categories and vendors
Magic Quadrant vendor positioning and comparisons
Gartner Peer Insights user reviews and ratings
Advisory services with direct analyst access
Market forecasts and technology adoption trends
Vendor selection tools and RFP management
Industry benchmark data and spending analysis
How to Choose the Right Company Research Tool
Selecting a company research platform starts with understanding your team's workflow and data requirements. Before evaluating vendors, complete these steps:
Audit current research time: Track how reps spend hours prospecting today
Identify data gaps: Pinpoint which missing information causes the most friction
Map integrations: List every CRM, sales engagement platform, and GTM tool that needs to connect
Check geographic coverage: Confirm the platform covers your target regions
Verify compliance: Ensure GDPR, CCPA, and industry-specific requirements are met
Data Quality and Coverage
Data accuracy determines whether your outreach lands or bounces. Before committing to a platform, evaluate these critical factors:
Email deliverability: Test bounce rates and verification methods
Phone accuracy: Confirm direct-dial numbers are current and correct
Refresh frequency: Ask how often the vendor updates contact records
Database relevance: Match contact count to your target market coverage needs
Verification process: Understand whether data is human-verified or algorithmically sourced