Private Companies
Consult sources below for information about private companies:
- Data Axle (US companies only)
- Hoover’s Academic Pro
- PrivCo
Also, check article databases:
Company Research Chart
Sometimes it's challenging to choose a right database to start your search among so many available resources, and it's often hard to remember all features for various databases. This chart includes subscribed key databases and their various features. Click on the database name to directly go to the database. You will need your NetID and password to login.
If you're having trouble accessing a database or getting an error code, try opening the link in an incognito or private window. For further assistance, contact bis@library.illinois.edu.
| Database | Company Information | Revenue/ Financials | Industry Codes | New Products Announcements | Competitors | Investment Analysis | SWOT Analysis | Comparisons | News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Source Ultimate | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Data Axle | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Hoovers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Nexis Uni | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| PrivCo | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| ProQuest One Business | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Statista | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Database Overview
Provides bibliographic and full text content, including indexing and abstracts for scholarly business journals back as far as 1886 and full text journal articles in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. The database full text content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.
To search for a company, type in the company name in the search box. Click on All Fields and scroll to Company Entity - CO.
Scroll down and you can search for SWOT Analysis under Publication Type.
Or search for NAICS/Industry Code, Product Name, and Company/Entity.
How To Create Company Lists Using Data Axle - Tutorial Video
250 companies can be downloaded in a batch.
This resource connects users to over 60 million individual business records and over 298 million consumer records and 329 million historical business records. A variety of demographic factors can be used to create custom lists that can be downloaded directly to Excel or rendered within graphs, charts and heat maps. This database is ideal for entrepreneurial planning, market research, GIS mapping projects, job-seeking activities, gauging economic trends and more.
Click on US Businesses.
Do a quick search in the database:
You can also do an advanced search, which allows you to filter by keyword/SIC/NAICS, geography, financial data, ownership, etc.
Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS)
How to Use EMIS - Tutorial Video
This resource delivers hard-to-get information on more than 80 emerging markets. It aggregates and produces unique content including full-text news articles, financial statements, company information, industry analyses, equity quotes, macroeconomic statistics, and market-specific information, which are derived directly from more than 13,000 local and global publications.
To find information: first click the menu on the left of the screen.
Click on Markets.
Here you can search for industry and/or country profiles by category or by entering keywords.
Scroll down to see profiles organized by country and region.
To search for company information, go to the menu and click Companies.
Search for a company by typing in the search bar.
How to Build A Company List in Hoovers - Tutorial Video
Note that content from Hoovers cannot be downloaded.
Use this database to build a company list and search for company, industry and people profiles. Hoover's gives you access to best in class data made up of approximately 84 million private and public companies, including subsidiaries. Below is a screenshot of the company list builder and its criteria.
Search for a company in the search box or click on Build a Company List.
Features more than 15,000 news, business and legal sources, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790. Includes current news, business information, company directories, federal and state laws, regulations, legal cases, and more.
"Business and financial data on major, non-publicly traded corporations, including family owned, private equity owned, venture backed, and international unlisted companies." Contains data on over 650,000 U.S. private companies, over 100,000 private market deals and venture capital fundings, and over 18,000 private market market investors. May search by keyword as well as by industry.
Access is free for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign users, but you must create an account. Sign up with your university e-mail address from the main page.
Search by typing a company name at the top of the page or click on Company in the dropdown menu under Search on the right of the screen.
Database of financial data on major privately-held companies. Includes private financials and revenues; private M&A deals and deal multiples, private firm valuations, VC funding, private equity deal history; and private and family ownership data.
Note that all users must create an account using their University of Illinois email address to access this database.
Provides access to statistics and studies gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources on over 600 industries.
Insider Information
Glassdoor (FREE)
Great insider information including salaries, employee reviews, interviews (many real interview questions).
Image source: https://media.glassdoor.com/brand-logo/green-stacked-logo/glassdoor-logo.png
Firsthand (formerly Vault)
Over 10,000 companies. Insider information about a company's culture and reputation. Subscription required for access and available through Gies and Engineering Career Services.