Discover Startups vs FlareSight

Discover Startups is a vetted directory and matchmaking platform for early-stage, product-based founders. Its free Directory gives startups a profile, visibility to investors, media, buyers and partners, and watchlist notifications. Investors, journalists, retail buyers and brand partners can search using filters such as stage, sector and location, then contact founders directly through their inbox without per-introduction fees. Submissions are reviewed to check that a startup is real, its founder can be reached and its data is honest; revenue and stage are not acceptance gates. The paid Matchmaker plan adds AI-powered matching across press, retail, investor and event opportunities, with curated options founders can pursue or pass on. Founders can edit profiles, pause matching for audiences and add audiences they want to reach. Matchmaker also includes a founder-only WhatsApp community, events and webinars. It is an invite-only beta: applications are reviewed by hand, invitations arrive in small batches, and billing starts only after an invitation. Matchmaker costs £49.99 a month once invited. Service businesses are not accepted.

FlareSight turns SEC filings into startup funding information for investors, sales teams, recruiters and founders. The site says it tracks more than 127,000 startups and updates daily; most companies appear within 24 hours of filing, after prior-day filings are processed at 6am UTC. Funding amounts and filing details come directly from SEC filings, and each record links to its Form D. Users can filter activity by sector, stage and geography. Company profiles can include founder names, roles and LinkedIn profiles, while metadata such as sector and description is enriched from additional sources and verified where possible. Free accounts include all search filters, five profile views per day, one view-only watchlist and a weekly email digest. Starter costs $24 a month, billed $288 annually, and includes 30 monthly contact reveal credits, three watchlists, daily digests and AI-drafted email openers. Pro costs $80 a month, billed $960 annually, with 250 monthly contact reveals and API access. Contacts revealed on any plan can be exported to CSV.