How to Find New Companies

Whether you’re looking for startups to invest in, SMEs to share with clients, or businesses to showcase at a university open day, where do you start? There are plenty of ways you could find companies and sometimes this choice can make things harder.

You could crawl through directories, hit up some local events, or even search through LinkedIn. But to save you time, we’ve put together this handy guide to help you find new companies — and hopefully help you find them in the quickest and easiest way possible.

How to find startups

When looking for new companies, many of us start with startups. Why? Well, some are drawn to the potential investment opportunities, seeing startups as high-risk, high-reward ventures. Others are captivated by the innovation they often bring, leading the way with new technologies and solutions.

For entrepreneurs, startups offer a dynamic environment where they can make a significant impact. Career opportunities in startups often provide more responsibility and a chance to work on diverse projects.

Startups often prioritise social or environmental causes, making them appealing options for those looking to make a long term difference.

Overall, whether for investment, innovation, career advancement, or social impact, startups appeal to individuals with diverse goals and interests.

But how do you find those startups?

Startup directories

Exploring startup directories can be a great place to start especially if you’re new to company research. These websites provide databases of startups from around the world. But it’s worth bearing in mind that websites like this can just give you a long list of startups to sift through and might not offer extensive filtering options — meaning you’ll have to build lists manually.

Startup events and pitch competitions

Attending startup events, pitch competitions, and demo days in your area can also be a great way to find early-stage companies. These events bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals, and can offer opportunities to discover new startups and hear pitches from founders.

Check out The Startup Events site for more information.

Startup hubs and incubators

You can research startup hubs, innovation centres, and incubators in your city or region. These organisations support early-stage startups and provide resources such as workspace, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

University entrepreneurship programs

Connect with entrepreneurship programs and technology transfer offices at local universities and research institutions. Universities often foster startup creation through initiatives such as accelerators, entrepreneurship competitions, and commercialisation programs.

Online communities and forums

Join online communities, forums, and social media groups dedicated to startups and entrepreneurship. Platforms like Reddit (e.g., r/startups), LinkedIn groups, and industry-specific forums provide spaces for networking and sharing information about startups.

Startup news and business newsletters

Follow startup-focused news websites, blogs, and podcasts to stay informed about the latest developments in the startup world.

In fact, we offer a weekly newsletter which can keep you up to date with the economic landscape with weekly deals and startups news.

These strategies can help you actively discover startups and stay informed about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in your area and beyond — and engaging with startups through networking and events can provide valuable opportunities for collaboration, investment, or mentorship. However, these processes can be time consuming, and resource heavy.

Whereas with Beauhurst it’s easy to find new and exciting startups. In the video below, we’ll show you how easy it is to find startups in your local area, or specified field.

How to find new companies to invest in

Discovering new investment opportunities is crucial for expanding your portfolio and maximising returns.

Identifying promising companies early on can lead to significant financial gains as these businesses grow and thrive. But one of the challenges with finding new companies to invest in is working out which companies have growth potential.

Here’s how you can find new and innovative companies that align with your investment goals and have the potential for substantial growth.

Financial news and websites

Take time to look on trusted finance and business websites like the Financial Times. They often feature articles and segments highlighting promising companies or sectors.

You can also take a look at our blog. We’re always keeping on top of the latest industry trends, and creating informative articles on emerging and high-growth industries, for example digging into the UK’s construction landscape, or highlighting mental health companies.

Startup news and business newsletters

Utilise stock screeners to filter stocks based on specific criteria such as market capitalisation, industry, P/E ratio, revenue growth, and profitability metrics. Many websites offer customisable stock screening tools. Check out Forbes’ Best Stock Screeners 2024.

Read annual reports and financial statements

Dive deep into companies’ annual reports, quarterly earnings reports, and financial statements to understand their financial health, growth prospects, competitive positioning, and risks.

You can also find more generalised annual reports on the UK’s economic landscape to help you make better informed investment decisions. Every year, we bring out our coveted equity market update, The Deal — detailing all the past years equity investment, and our predictions for the future.

Consult with financial advisors

Consider consulting with a financial advisor or investment professional who can provide personalised investment advice based on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment preferences.

You can also use our platform to find companies to invest in. In the handy video below, we show you how you can search using our ‘Innovation’ signal, and narrow down by what the company does, its location, and its employee headcount (plus much more).

Remember to conduct thorough research and due diligence before investing in any company, and consider seeking advice from financial professionals if needed. And keep in mind that a diversified portfolio can help mitigate risk.

How to find new companies in your local economy

If you’re a council or a university, you may need to focus your searches on local businesses — but we know even in bigger cities, finding what you’re looking for can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.

We’ve listed a few ways you can find local businesses and support your local economy.

Local business directories

You can still check the Yellow Pages, well kind of… local business directories are normally online now but they still exist. Websites like this often categorise companies by industry and provide contact information.

Networking events

Attending networking events, business meetups, and industry conferences in your area can be a great way to find local businesses. These gatherings offer opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals who can introduce you to new companies or provide insights about emerging trends — and can be a great space to create partnerships.

Websites like eventbrite and Find Networking Events can help you find networking opportunities in your area.

Local news and media outlets

Follow local newspapers, business journals, and online news outlets that cover your region’s business community. For example, Brighton and Hove’s local newspaper is The Argus. Sources like these often feature stories about new businesses, expansions, funding rounds, and notable entrepreneurs.

Community events and festivals

Attend community events, fairs, and festivals where local businesses showcase their products or services. These events provide opportunities to discover new businesses and interact with entrepreneurs directly. They’ll also give you a chance to find more diverse and niche businesses particularly if you’re attending cultural events.

It also gives you the opportunity to find businesses that align with your values. For example, attending green events such as an eco forum can help you find local companies upholding ESG values. If you want to know more about ESG data specifically, see How Councils use ESG data and How Universities use ESG data.

Local social media groups

If you can’t get out in person then joining local business-focused social media groups, such as LinkedIn or Facebook groups, can also be an option.

You can find LinkedIn groups here by doing a quick search.

Word of mouth

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth. Ask friends, family members, colleagues, and acquaintances if they know of any new or interesting businesses in the area. Personal recommendations can lead you to hidden gems.

By leveraging these strategies, you can stay informed about the latest developments in your local economy and identify promising new companies to potentially invest in or support.

But by using the Beauhurst platform, you can narrow down your search specifically. Let’s imagine you’re a University looking to partner with local businesses for a career fair but you need to find local companies that would relate to the university courses that you offer. On the Beauhurst platform, you can pinpoint locations and then filter by industry and buzzword. See the video below to find out how.

Finding companies with Beauhurst

We’ve dived into the number of ways you can find new companies — and we might be biased, but we think using the Beauhurst platform is the quickest and easiest way to find what you’re looking for. With its comprehensive database and advanced search functionalities, Beauhurst streamlines the process of identifying promising businesses tailored to your specific criteria.

To find out more, speak to one of our experts for a demo of the platform.