Startup API for Sales
& Lead Generation
Programmatic access to recently funded startup data. Pull fresh leads into Clay, Instantly, Smartlead, and any tool with API support. Set it up once, get new leads automatically.
Built for Automated Lead Generation
Everything you need to build a pipeline of recently funded startup leads that refreshes automatically.
90-Day Window
Access companies that raised funding in the last 90 days. Always fresh, always relevant.
Powerful Filters
Filter by industry, location, funding stage, amount, and more. Get exactly the leads you need.
Founder Contacts
Every response includes founder names, emails, roles, and LinkedIn profiles.
Secure & Reliable
SHA-256 hashed API keys, real-time subscription validation, and rate limiting.
Simple REST API
Single GET endpoint. JSON responses. Works with any language or tool.
20,000+ Companies
Growing database updated monthly with 500+ new funded startups.
How It Works
Three steps to automated startup lead generation.
Generate an API Key
Sign up for the Annual Plan and generate your API key from Account Settings. Keys are prefixed with vcb_ for easy identification.
Set Up Your Filters
Filter by industry, location, funding stage, and amount. Pull only the leads that match your ideal customer profile.
Connect Your Tools
Pipe leads into Clay, Instantly, Smartlead, or your CRM. Set up a daily schedule and new leads flow in automatically.
Simple to Use
One endpoint. Bearer token auth. JSON responses. Works with any language or tool.
Request
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer vcb_your_api_key" \
"https://fdkccvhadagxxzituuze.supabase.co/functions/v1/api-companies?funded_within=30d&industry=AI&per_page=10"Response
{
"data": [
{
"company_name": "Nexus AI",
"description": "Enterprise AI platform for automating complex workflows",
"website": "https://nexusai.com",
"industries": "Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, SaaS",
"headquarters": "San Francisco, California, United States",
"last_funding_type": "Series B",
"last_funding_amount_usd": 48000000,
"last_funding_date": "2026-03-15",
"total_funding_amount_usd": 62000000,
"top_investors": "Sequoia Capital, a16z, Founders Fund",
"founders": "Sarah Chen, Mike Rodriguez",
"contact_email": "[email protected]",
"contact_first_name": "Sarah",
"contact_last_name": "Chen",
"contact_role": "CEO & Co-Founder",
"linkedin": "https://linkedin.com/company/nexusai"
}
],
"meta": {
"page": 1,
"per_page": 10,
"total_results": 142,
"total_pages": 5,
"date_range": { "from": "2026-01-06", "to": "2026-04-07" }
}
}API Parameters
Filter and paginate results to get exactly the leads you need.
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| funded_within | string | 90d | Time window: 7d, 14d, 30d, 60d, 90d |
| industry | string | optional | Filter by industry (partial match). E.g. "AI", "Healthcare" |
| location | string | optional | Filter by headquarters location. E.g. "San Francisco" |
| funding_type | string | optional | Exact match: Seed, Series A, Series B, etc. |
| min_funding | number | optional | Minimum last funding amount in USD |
| max_funding | number | optional | Maximum last funding amount in USD |
| search | string | optional | Search company name and description |
| page | number | 1 | Page number (1-5) |
| per_page | number | 25 | Results per page (1-100) |
Works With Your Sales Stack
Connect VCBacked to the tools you already use. Pull leads automatically and keep your pipeline fresh.
Clay
Pull recently funded companies into Clay tables. Use HTTP Request enrichment to add VCBacked data to any table, then build targeted outreach sequences with enriched lead data.
Instantly
Automatically add new leads matching your criteria to Instantly campaigns. Connect via Zapier or Make to push fresh leads every day on autopilot.
Smartlead
Feed warm leads from recent funding rounds directly into Smartlead sequences. Use webhooks to sync new companies as soon as they appear in the API.
HubSpot & Salesforce
Sync recently funded companies to your CRM via custom API integration or workflow automation tools. Keep your pipeline fresh with the latest funded startups.
Zapier, Make & n8n
Connect VCBacked to 5,000+ apps. Schedule daily pulls, filter by criteria, and route leads to any tool in your stack without writing code.
Custom Scripts
Use Python, JavaScript, or any language to build custom lead pipelines. Pull data, transform it, and push to wherever you need it.
Who Uses the Startup API?
Teams that need a steady stream of recently funded startup leads.
Sales & SDR Teams
Automatically feed your outreach sequences with companies that just raised funding. These companies are actively hiring, buying tools, and scaling — the perfect time to reach out.
- Daily lead imports via API + Zapier/Make
- Filter by industry and funding stage for ICP targeting
- Founder emails included for direct outreach
Agencies & Consultants
Build automated pipelines for your clients. Funded startups need marketing, design, legal, accounting, and recruiting services immediately after raising.
- White-label lead sourcing for clients
- Multi-client setups with separate API keys
- Integrate into existing Clay/n8n workflows
Investors & VCs
Monitor funding activity in your target sectors. Get alerts on new rounds and track emerging companies before your competitors.
- Filter by industry and funding amount for deal sourcing
- Track co-investment opportunities
- Build custom dashboards and reports
Recruiters
Funded startups are hiring. Get in front of founders before they post job listings. Offer recruiting services at the moment they need them most.
- Founder contact info for direct outreach
- Filter by location for local market focus
- Funding amount signals headcount growth
API Access on the Annual Plan
Get full API access, unlimited search, CSV exports, and everything in VCBacked for one price.
- Full API access (90-day data window)
- 100 requests/hour, 1,000/day
- Up to 3 API keys
- Founder contact emails included
- Unlimited search & CSV exports
- 20,000+ companies and growing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VCBacked Startup API?
The VCBacked Startup API gives you programmatic access to recently funded startup data. You can pull company details, funding information, and founder contact information for companies that raised funding in the last 90 days. It's designed for sales teams and tools that need fresh leads from recent funding rounds.
What data does the API return?
Each API response includes company name, description, website, industry, headquarters, funding type, funding amount, funding date, total funding raised, top investors, founder names, founder emails, founder roles, and LinkedIn profiles. Over 20 data points per company.
How far back does the funding data go?
The API returns companies that raised funding within the last 90 days. You can narrow this window to 7, 14, 30, or 60 days using the funded_within parameter. This ensures you're always working with the freshest leads.
What tools can I integrate the API with?
The VCBacked API works with any tool that supports custom API integrations. Popular integrations include Clay (HTTP request enrichment), Instantly (lead import via Zapier/Make), Smartlead (webhook-based lead feeding), HubSpot, Salesforce, and automation platforms like Zapier, Make, and n8n.
How do I authenticate with the API?
Authentication uses API keys. Generate a key from your VCBacked account settings, then include it in your requests as a Bearer token: Authorization: Bearer vcb_your_api_key. Keys are prefixed with vcb_ for easy identification.
What are the rate limits?
The API allows 100 requests per hour and 1,000 requests per day per API key. Each request can return up to 100 results. These limits are designed to support legitimate integrations including daily automated lead pulls.
Which plan includes API access?
API access is available exclusively on the Annual Plan ($299/year). Monthly plan subscribers can view the API documentation but need to upgrade to the Annual Plan to generate API keys and make requests.
Can I filter the API results?
Yes. The API supports filtering by industry, location, funding type (Seed, Series A, etc.), minimum and maximum funding amount, and text search across company names and descriptions. You can combine multiple filters to target exactly the leads you need.
How many results can I get per request?
Each API request returns up to 100 results, with pagination support for up to 5 pages (500 results total). For most use cases, setting funded_within=7d or funded_within=14d and filtering by industry returns a manageable set of highly targeted leads.
Is the API suitable for building automated lead pipelines?
Absolutely. The most common use case is a daily or weekly cron job that pulls funded_within=1d or funded_within=7d to get new leads, then pipes them into your outreach tool. Set it up once and get fresh leads automatically as new companies raise funding.
Start Building Your Lead Pipeline
Get API access today and start pulling recently funded startup leads into your sales stack.