The Crunchbase connector tools in Optimizely Opal provide AI-powered access to the world's most comprehensive dataset of companies, investors, funding rounds, and key business personnel. This integration lets you discover insights, track market trends, and identify opportunities through natural language queries in Opal.
After you install and configure the Crunchbase Opal Tool in Optimizely Connect Platform (OCP), the tools become available in Opal Chat, agents, and workflows.
Complete the following steps to enable the Crunchbase Opal tools.
Obtain your Crunchbase API key
Go to Crunchbase, and complete the following steps:
- Log in to your Crunchbase account.
- Go to Account Settings > API Keys.
- Generate a new API key or copy an existing one.
Add the Crunchbase Opal Tool in OCP
In the OCP App Directory, complete the following:
- Click on the Crunchbase Opal Tool connector tool.
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Click Install App.
Add your API key in OCP
From the Crunchbase Opal Tool in OCP, complete the following:
- Go to Settings > Authentication.
- Enter your Crunchbase API key.
- (Optional) Toggle Advanced Endpoints on if you have access to premium features.
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Click Save to validate credentials.
Connect the Crunchbase Opal Tool to Opal
From the Crunchbase Opal Tool in OCP, complete the following:
- Expand the Add to Opal section.
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Click Add to Opal to register the Crunchbase Opal Tool to the corresponding Opal instance.
Crunchbase rate limits
Note the following rate limits when calling the Crunchbase Opal Tool:
- The standard rate limit is 200 API calls per minute.
- The tool automatically handles rate limiting.
- You should consider batching requests for large operations.
Crunchbase connector tools
After you add and register the Crunchbase Opal Tool in OCP, you can call the following tools in Opal. Click on a tool's name to expand it and learn more about when to use the tool, required and optional parameters, and example prompts on how to call the tool. If you do not provide a required parameter, Opal prompts you for it.
crunchbase_autocomplete – Get quick autocomplete suggestions for organizations and people in Crunchbase.
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When to use
- To find the exact UUID for an organization or person before calling the
crunchbase_get_organizationorcrunchbase_get_persontools. - To verify spelling of company or person names.
- To get quick suggestions for partial names.
- To discover related entities.
- To find the exact UUID for an organization or person before calling the
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Parameters
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query– The search text to autocomplete. - (Optional)
collection_ids– JSON string array of entity types to search. For example, "['organizations']" or "['people']". - (Optional)
limit– Maximum number of suggestions. Default: 10, max: 25.
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Example prompts
- Autocomplete "Open" for organizations.
- Suggest people named "Elon".
- Find suggestions for "Optimizely".
crunchbase_get_funding_round – Get detailed information about a specific funding round from Crunchbase.
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When to use
- To get full details about a specific funding event.
- To identify all investors in a round.
- To understand deal terms and structure.
- To research investment patterns.
- To analyze comparable funding rounds.
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Parameters
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uuid– Unique Crunchbase identifier for the funding round. - (Optional)
card_ids– JSON string array of specific data cards to retrieve. For example, "['investors', 'press_references']".
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Example prompts
- Get all data for funding round UUID "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-g7h8-i9j0-k1l2m3n4o5p6".
- Show me the investors and press coverage for funding round UUID "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-g7h8-i9j0-k1l2m3n4o5p6".
crunchbase_get_organization – Get detailed information about a specific organization from Crunchbase.
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When to use
- To get full details about a specific company.
- To research a company's funding history.
- To identify key decision-makers and contacts.
- To understand a company's competitive position.
- To prepare for sales calls or investment meetings.
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Parameters
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uuid– Unique Crunchbase identifier for the organization. - (Optional)
card_ids– JSON string array of specific data cards to retrieve. For example, "['raised_funding_rounds', 'investors']".
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Example prompts
- Get all data for organization UUID "df6628e5-330c-4de4-b2b4-6b3a7f0e3c2a".
- Show me the founders and acquisitions of organization UUID "df6628e5-330c-4de4-b2b4-6b3a7f0e3c2a".
crunchbase_get_person – Get detailed information about a specific person from Crunchbase.
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When to use
- To research key decision-makers before outreach.
- To understand a person's background and experience.
- To identify investment portfolio (for investors).
- To find contact and social media information.
- To map professional networks and connections.
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Parameters
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uuid– Unique Crunchbase identifier for the person. - (Optional)
card_ids– JSON string array of specific data cards to retrieve. For example, "['jobs', 'degrees']".
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Example prompts
- Get all data for person UUID "p1q2r3s4-t5u6-v7w8-x9y0-z1a2b3c4d5e6".
- Show me the job history and education of person UUID "p1q2r3s4-t5u6-v7w8-x9y0-z1a2b3c4d5e6".
crunchbase_search_funding_predictions – Search for companies with specific funding characteristics and growth signals.
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When to use
- To identify companies with specific funding profiles.
- To find companies at particular funding stages.
- To prioritize sales prospects based on funding history.
- To scout investment opportunities.
- To analyze funding trends and patterns.
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Parameters
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query– JSON string array of predicate objects for predicted funding events. - (Optional)
after– Pagination cursor for next page of results. - (Optional)
limit– Maximum number of results to return. Default: 25, max: 100.
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Example prompts
- Find companies predicted to raise Series B funding with high confidence.
- Search for AI companies likely to raise funding.
- List companies with a prediction score greater than 0.6.
crunchbase_search_funding_rounds – Search for funding rounds and investment events in the Crunchbase database.
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When to use
- To track recent funding activity in specific sectors.
- To identify companies that recently raised capital.
- To research investor activity and preferences.
- To find co-investment opportunities.
- To analyze funding trends over time.
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Parameters
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query– JSON string array of predicate objects with search criteria. - (Optional)
after– Pagination cursor for next page of results. - (Optional)
limit– Maximum number of results to return. Default: 25, max: 100.
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Example prompts
- Search for Series A funding rounds.
- Find recent funding rounds over $10M.
- List seed rounds in the last 6 months.
crunchbase_search_organizations – Search for companies and organizations in the Crunchbase database.
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When to use
- To discover startups and companies in specific industries.
- To find companies that match specific criteria for sales prospecting.
- To research competitors in a market segment.
- To identify companies by size, location, or funding status.
- To generate lists of potential customers or partners.
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Parameters
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query– JSON string array of predicate objects with search criteria. - (Optional)
after– Pagination cursor for next page of results. - (Optional)
limit– Maximum number of results to return. Default: 25, max: 100.
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Example prompts
- Search for "OpenAI".
- Find AI companies in San Francisco.
- List fintech companies with pagination.
crunchbase_search_people – Search for people (executives, founders, investors) in the Crunchbase database.
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When to use
- To find key decision-makers at target companies.
- To identify executives in specific roles.
- To research founders and entrepreneurs.
- To locate investors and board members.
- To build contact lists for outreach.
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Parameters
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query– JSON string array of predicate objects with search criteria. - (Optional)
after– Pagination cursor for next page of results. - (Optional)
limit– Maximum number of results to return. Default: 25, max: 100.
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Example prompts
- Search for CEOs.
- Find founders in San Francisco.
- List people with the last name "Musk".
Tips for best results
Keep the following tips in mind when calling Crunchbase connector tools:
- Be specific – Include relevant criteria like location, industry, funding stage, or employee count.
- Use filters – Leverage date ranges, amounts, and categories to narrow results.
- Iterate – Start broad, then refine based on initial results.
- Combine searches – Use organization search followed by funding round search for deeper analysis.
- Check data freshness – Crunchbase data is regularly updated but may have delays for recent events.
Troubleshoot
Invalid API key
- Verify your API key is correct in the OCP tool settings.
- Ensure your Crunchbase subscription is active.
- Check that you have not exceeded your account limits.
Rate limit exceeded
- Wait 60 seconds before retrying.
- Reduce the frequency of requests.
- Consider implementing delays between large batch operations.
403 forbidden errors
- This endpoint may require a higher-tier subscription.
- Enable Advanced Endpoints in the OCP tool settings if you have access.
- Contact Crunchbase to upgrade your data package.
No results found
- Try broader search criteria.
- Check spelling and formatting.
- Verify the entity exists in Crunchbase's database.
Additional resources
See the following Crunchbase documentation for additional information:
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