Overview

Funding amounts and filing details come from SEC filings, with each record linking to its Form D. FlareSight says it tracks more than 127,000 startups and refreshes daily; most companies appear within 24 hours of filing, after prior-day filings are processed at 6am UTC. That cadence gives users a timely signal, but a filing-based view is not a guarantee of complete coverage of funding activity.

Profiles can include founder names, roles and LinkedIn profiles. Sector, description and founder metadata is enriched from other sources and verified where possible, adding useful context for follow-up without displacing the filing as the funding record's anchor.

Key features

Search and monitoring

Filters for sector, stage and geography help teams narrow the company set to relevant deals or prospects. Free users get all search filters, but five profile views per day; that cap makes the free tier suitable for sampling or occasional checks, not sustained company-by-company research. Its single watchlist is view-only, so users wanting active pipeline notes or status tracking need Starter.

Contacts and outreach

Paid plans include contact reveal credits. Starter adds 30 credits per month, daily email digests and AI-drafted email openers, making it the more practical option for an individual or small outbound workflow. Contacts revealed on any plan can be exported to CSV from the dashboard, but that does not make the free tier a contact-reveal plan.

API and data handling

Pro adds API access and 250 monthly contact credits, useful when a team needs to bring the data into its own workflow. The privacy policy says passwords are hashed, Stripe handles payment cards, and FlareSight does not sell personal data. Its listed subprocessors include Supabase, Vercel, Stripe, Resend, Sentry, PostHog, Google, Anthropic and Hunter. Support typically replies within one business day.

Pricing

FlareSight is freemium. Free costs 0.00 USD per free and includes browsing more than 127,000 companies, all search filters, five company profile views per day, one view-only watchlist and a weekly email digest. The daily view cap is the main trade-off: it supports exploration, not broad research.

Starter costs 24.00 USD per month, billed $288 billed annually, with a 20% saving. It includes 30 contact reveal credits per month, three watchlists, daily email digests, AI-drafted email openers, status tracking and notes. Additional credits cost $0.50 / credit. This is the sensible paid entry point for prospecting that needs contact details and follow-up organization.

Pro costs 80.00 USD per month, billed $960 billed annually, with a 20% saving. It includes 250 contact reveal credits per month, unlimited watchlists, API access and 30% off all credit top-ups. It suits teams integrating the data or making heavier use of contacts; for users who do not need the API or that larger allowance, Starter covers the core paid outreach features for less.

Platforms

FlareSight is available on the web and through an API. API access is a Pro feature, so the web product is the route for free and Starter users.

Who it's for

Outbound sales reps, recruiters and agency founders can use recent filing activity to identify companies worth contacting, while VCs can monitor deal flow and founders can benchmark a raise. The strongest fit is a team that values a fresh SEC-linked funding signal and can work within credit-based contact access. It is less suited to buyers who need unrestricted contact discovery or a broad view of funding beyond filings.

Pros and cons

Pros: Funding records link directly to Form D filings, giving users a source-linked basis for evaluating the funding signal.
Pros: Sector, stage and geography filters are available even on Free, making initial discovery possible without a subscription.
Pros: Starter combines contact credits with email tools and status notes, supporting a focused outbound workflow.
Cons: Free users are limited to five profile views per day, constraining regular research.
Cons: Contact reveals are credit-based, and API access is reserved for Pro, so integrating or scaling outreach costs more.
Cons: Filing-led coverage can miss funding activity that is not represented by the filings FlareSight tracks.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, browse Startup Databases.

Tracxn is worth considering if you want a freemium service with a free trial and mobile apps alongside web and API access; its listed Premium plan includes unrestricted access, taxonomy and custom reports and analysis.
Choose StartupDB if a free database with an MCP server and REST API, no account or API key, and 120 requests per minute per IP without a daily cap better fits your integration needs.
ITjuzi is a freemium option with web, API and mobile apps, and paid membership plans using download credits.
Beauhurst may fit buyers seeking a paid subscription tailored to data requirements, number of users, integration needs and commitment length.
Dealroom offers freemium access and paid plans with export credits, including a Premium Plus plan with business email credits.
Frontrun is a paid alternative with a free trial and web and API access.
CB Insights is a paid alternative with a free trial and a user license listing full platform access, AI-powered insights, 12M companies, 1B data points and a web terminal.
FirstGlance is a free alternative with web and mobile apps.

Verdict

FlareSight is a good fit for prospectors and investors who want a timely, filing-linked way to find and follow startup funding activity. Its best reason to choose it is the combination of focused filters, source-linked records and practical Starter outreach tools. Look elsewhere if your work depends on uncapped contact discovery, API access at a lower tier, or funding coverage beyond SEC filings.

	FirstGlance	FlareSight
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	$24/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	api, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Company profiles	Yes	Yes
Funding data	Yes	Yes
Founder profiles	Yes	Yes
Advanced search	Yes	Yes
Paid from	—	24 /mo
Export access	—	api
Company records	—	126,812
Saved alerts	—	Yes

FirstGlance vs FlareSight

FirstGlance

FlareSight