As of 2025, the private equity space has accumulated a record-high $2.5T in dry powder, and competition has never been fiercer.
To capitalize on the massive opportunity, dealmakers need full market visibility, which requires the right data coverage and depth.
But investment-grade private market data has to be cultivated using:
- Years of experience and expertise in the private equity world
- A deep understanding of the best proxies for company size
- Data acquisition tools that capture the raw material
- Data science that mimics the decision-making and data verification methods used by successful dealmakers
So what does that look like in practice? We break down how Grata does it below.
Why Purpose-Built AI Is Crucial for Accurate Private Market Data
Private market data is notoriously hard to find, especially when it comes to middle-market companies. Different countries have different financial reporting requirements and systems, resulting in fragmented, outdated, or inaccurate data.
Solving this problem requires the right technology.
Data quality and accuracy are largely dependent on frequent updates. Private market platforms need to make use of AI and multiple proprietary sources to keep their data fresh.
Platforms must be able to constantly scrape and sift through new data sources. The more input they have to use as points of comparison and verification, the more accurate their data triangulation will be.
But even the best technology can’t solve the problem on its own. The other key component of cultivating investment-grade private market data is a team of human experts.
You need industry experts and data scientists to validate the data and make it meaningful.
At Grata, we have both.
Grata’s AI & Data Science Engine
Grata’s AI reads and synthesizes public and proprietary sources just like a human analyst would to provide investment-grade data. The process is broken down into three layers.
Layer 1: Foundational Intelligence
The first layer is Foundational Intelligence, Grata’s proprietary synthesis. This is where we combine public data with purpose-built, verticalized AI and validation from our best-in-class research team.
Grata's suite of AI agents read millions of company websites in the same analytical way that an M&A professional would. Because our AI is backed by deep in-house human expertise and exclusive training data, it’s able to analyze frequency, patterns, navigation flows, word combinations, and conceptual signals.
All of this is synthesized with expert research and consistently verified by our data scientists to provide proprietary and opinionated perspectives on which data is accurate.
The result is comprehensive, precise coverage across:
- Industry classification
- Similar companies
- Employee count
- Growth
- Ownership
- Funding
- Reviews
Layer 2: Private Access
The next layer is Private Access. The data we capture here would be extremely difficult for dealmakers to find on their own, because it comes from non-public sources, such as web pages that are not indexed and materials hidden behind registrations.
Grata’s AI agents comb through proprietary and offline sources to aggregate data that dealmakers need to make decisions, including:
- Private company financials
- Valuations and deal dynamics
- Executive contact information
- Trade show conference exhibitor lists
In cases where precise data doesn’t exist in any single source — like estimated revenue, industry classification, or business model — our AI agents generate it through inference, triangulation, and validation from our data scientists.
Because our AI engine is constantly running, it synthesizes the most current sources to ensure accuracy.
Layer 3: Exclusive Data
The final layer is Exclusive Data. This is data dealmakers can’t find anywhere else because it comes from our exclusive contributory network, the Grata Deal Network.
Vetted sell-side advisors share their active mandates with the Grata team. We then vet the deals to ensure the financials meet our investment-grade standards. Once they pass the test, we share deal teasers on the Grata platform so that our network of highly qualified buyers can find them.
This is a huge competitive edge for dealmakers. Not only does it give them access to deals before they hit the market, but it also gives them an extra “in” to the middle market. Where platforms like Axial and BizBuySell cater to small business acquisitions, the Grata Deal Network is specifically built for the middle market.
Unlock the Private Market with Grata
Grata has the coverage, data depth, and comprehensive workflows that private market dealmakers need — all in one sleek, user-friendly platform. Learn about how we’re changing the game for dealmakers around the world here.
Ready to unlock the private market? Schedule a demo to get started.
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