Find Similar Companies in Any Industry: 2026 Guide

Identifying similar companies has always been crucial for strategic business moves, from competitive analysis to investment opportunities.

Whether you're a startup seeking market insights or an investor searching for promising ventures, information about how to find similar companies can boost your success.

In this article, we will explore strategies and tools to streamline your search for similar companies.

How to find similar companies?

Finding similar companies involves a strategic approach that leverages specific criteria and advanced tools.

By understanding key factors like industry, product offerings, and geographic location, you can effectively identify companies that align with your goals and values.

Utilizing a structured process and innovative tools, such as data analytics platforms and machine learning models, streamlines this search, making it more efficient and insightful.

Let's delve into the steps and methods that can help you discover companies that are either similar to your own or those you are interested in.

Company search criteria

Establishing clear criteria is essential for finding similar companies.

Here are key factors to consider:

Industry. Target companies operating within the same industry to compare business models and market dynamics.
Product/service. Focus on companies offering similar products or services to understand competitive offerings and market saturation.
Geography. Consider geographic location, as regional economic conditions and regulations significantly impact business operations.
Shared keywords. Conduct SEO research and find businesses that offer similar products – they will likely have pages ranking on similar keywords.
Company size. Compare companies of similar sizes by revenue, employee count, or market capitalization.
Customer reviews. Analyze customer feedback to gauge business reputation and quality.
Technological capabilities. Examine the technological infrastructure and innovation of potential companies.

Process

The process is bound to differ from company to company.

However, it’s possible to outline some key aspects that will help you put together a more comprehensive and personalized process plan.

Here are some main suggestions:

Identify your goals. Determine why you need to find similar companies. This could be for benchmarking, competitive analysis, investment opportunities, or identifying potential clients.
Gather information. Utilize sources like company data, employee data, and business directories to conduct market research.
Use tools. Employ specialized tools and platforms that use advanced algorithms and data analytics to find similar companies efficiently.
Analyze and refine. Evaluate the gathered data and refine your search criteria based on the insights obtained.

Make sure to tailor these steps to your individual needs, and you will find the perfect list of companies you’re looking for.

Similar companies search use cases

Find competitors

Identifying competitors is a common reason for searching similar companies.

Understanding your competition provides insights into market positioning, product offerings, and pricing strategies, helping you formulate effective business strategies.

By analyzing your top competitors, you can identify gaps in the market, discover new opportunities, and make informed decisions about your product development and marketing strategies.

Additionally, understanding competitors' strengths and weaknesses allows you to differentiate your offerings and improve your competitive edge.

Find investment opportunities

Investors often seek similar companies to diversify their portfolios or find the next big opportunity.

By analyzing companies with similar business models and growth trajectories and evaluating overall performance, investors can make informed decisions.

This approach helps in identifying emerging trends and high-potential startups, reducing investment risks, and promoting more confident decision-making.

It also enables investors to compare the financial health, management practices, and market strategies of different companies, ensuring a balanced and more confident investment strategy.

Find companies that closely match your ideal clients

For businesses offering B2B services, finding companies resembling their ideal clients can expand market reach or discover emerging new competitors.

By understanding the needs and preferences of these lookalike companies, businesses can offer more relevant products or services, create personalized marketing campaigns, and establish stronger relationships.

This targeted approach not only improves customer acquisition but also enhances client retention and satisfaction.

Tools for similar company search

Here are several tools and platforms that assist in finding similar companies:

Coresignal. Coresignal offers advanced data enrichment capabilities, providing access to extensive company profiles and enabling the identification of similar companies using machine learning models.
SEMrush. The tool features the Organic Research Competitors tool, which identifies and analyzes websites competing for the same keywords, offering valuable insights into market positioning and organic competitors.
Crunchbase. A comprehensive platform for business information, Crunchbase offers detailed profiles of companies, including their industry, funding, and key personnel.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator. This tool allows users to filter companies based on various criteria, such as company size and location, making it easier to find similar companies.
Owler. Owler provides competitive insights, including company profiles, news, and community-driven data, helping you identify similar companies.
ZoomInfo. A powerful platform for B2B intelligence, ZoomInfo offers extensive information on companies, including firmographics, technographics, and contact details.

How to select the best tool for your business?

Choosing the right tool for finding similar companies depends on your specific needs and resources.

Here are some considerations to help you select the best tool:

Data needs. Determine the type and depth of intelligence you require. Identify what specific data points are crucial for your competitor analysis.
Budget. Assess your budget for subscription services, ensuring that the tool provides good value for the features offered.
Ease of use. Evaluate the user interface and ease of integration with your existing systems to ensure a smooth workflow.
Specific features. Identify unique features that match your search criteria, ensuring the tool can fulfill your specific requirements efficiently.

Consider these factors to choose a tool that best aligns with your goals.

Find lookalike companies with Coresignal's new dashboard tool

Do you need to find comparable companies in any sector worldwide? We have millions of enriched, AI-ready records.

Our Company API playgrounds leverage our multi-source data to find lookalike companies, competitors, and possible partners. ‍Identifying a company’s competitors or similar businesses is crucial for understanding its market position, growth opportunities, and potential risks.

Whether you're analyzing one company or conduct a broader industry research, this tool will help you uncover similar companies and benchmark them effectively.

Search competitors based on different data points and understand your market landscape.
Discover new investment opportunities with companies exhibiting similar growth potentials.
Find companies that closely match your ICP, enhancing your B2B outreach strategies.

With our dashboard, you can streamline your search process and gain actionable insights with ease.

Here is how you do it:

Step 1: Register for a free trial

Before we begin, you must create an account on our self-service. The free trial includes:

14-day access to millions of company profiles (no credit card required)
400 search and 200 collect credits
Data enrichment features for your existing database

Step 2: Choose Company API playground

Navigate to the Company APIs element on the side meniu, and open the API playground. You will see a space to write in a prompt. Write your request in your own words and press "Generate". Once you enter the prompt, the tool will create a list of companies that match your criteria.

Let's say you want to discover competitors of graphic design platform Canva. Simply enter the prompt into the tool, and you can instantly explore full company profiles:

That's it! Now you have a full list of competitors, and extensive profiles with tons of valuable information that you could use right away. Use this tool for company company search, identify possible partnerships, or build up a list of sales prospects.

‍

Find competitors easier

Start your free trial today and experience the value of enriched company intelligence firsthand. With direct access to millions of fresh, AI-ready company profiles, you can search using natural language prompts, compare entities side by side, and evaluate detailed firmographic and technographic attributes in minutes.

The trial is risk-free and ideal for exploring how our data fits into your product or research workflows, no sales call or commitment required.

Find Similar Companies: Criteria, Process, and Best Tools for Quality Search

Key takeaways