CompassList

What CompassList does

CompassList is a Singapore-based startup intelligence platform operating as CompassList Pte. Ltd., established in 2016 under the Potato Productions group of companies and led by founder and CEO Stephanie Wu. The company operates a web-based SaaS platform providing a searchable Research Database of technology startups, founders, and investors, supplemented by curated Insights Articles (news, interviews, trending topics, bright ideas, movers and shakers, failures and lessons) and in-depth Research & Analysis sector reports such as the Indonesia Agritech Report 2020. Coverage historically spanned multiple ecosystems including Indonesia, China, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, and the USA, positioning the platform as a "local guide" combining global perspective with on-the-ground contributors from East and West. The business runs on a freemium model: a free Basic tier with limited database access and a monthly Premium subscription offering unlimited Research Database access, PDF and audio downloads, personalized newsletters, favorite-tracking, exclusive event invitations, and social sharing features; corporate/group subscriptions are also offered as a recurring revenue stream. Distribution historically leveraged content marketing, email newsletters, social sharing, and media partnerships with marquee ecosystem events including the Singapore FinTech Festival, SWITCH, She Loves Tech, Future Food Asia, HighPitch, and New Food Invest. As of December 31, 2021, the company transitioned its website to archive status, ceased publishing new content, and ceased active platform management, though existing content remains accessible; this materially changes the investment-relevant posture of the asset.

Name

CompassList

Legal name

CompassList Pte. Ltd.

Website

https://compasslist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CompassList is a Singapore-based startup intelligence platform providing a searchable database of technology startups, founders, and investors across global ecosystems, paired with curated insights articles and sector research reports, serving investors, startup founders, and researchers. The website transitioned to archive status in December 2021 and is no longer actively managed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Freemium Subscription: Platform operates on a freemium model offering basic free access to startup, founder and investor database profiles and insights articles, with premium subscription providing unlimited access to research database and premium content
2. Group Subscriptions: Corporate or group subscription options available for teams needing coordinated access to the platform's intelligence

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CompassList is a web-based startup intelligence platform that provides a searchable Research Database of technology startups, founders and investors across global fast-growing ecosystems, combined with curated Insights Articles and in-depth Research & Analysis sector reports. The platform is delivered via a freemium model with a free Basic tier providing limited access and a Premium Subscription offering unlimited database access, PDF downloads, audio articles, personalized newsletters and event invitations.

Product overview

CompassList is a startup business intelligence platform providing a unified research database of technology startups, founders, and investors, combined with curated insights articles and sector research reports. The core offering consists of the Research Database for discovering and tracking companies, the Insights Articles section for latest news and analysis, and Research & Analysis Reports for deep-dive sector coverage. These are delivered through two subscription tiers: a free Basic Subscription with limited access and a Premium Subscription offering unlimited access, PDF downloads, audio content, personalized newsletters, and social features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Database Searchable database containing detailed profiles of startups, founders and investors across global technology ecosystems, with the ability to track sectors and technologies and save favorite entries to the user account dashboard.
• Insights Articles Editorial section of news articles, interviews and analysis covering technology startups, innovation trends and ecosystem developments across sectors including fintech, agritech, edtech, e-commerce and medtech.
• Research and Analysis Reports In-depth sector reports and research analysis providing comprehensive coverage of technology ecosystems, exemplified by the Indonesia Agritech Report 2020 and The Big Picture analytical pieces.
• Premium Subscription Paid subscription tier offering unlimited access to the Research Database and Insights Articles, PDF content downloads, audio articles, personalized newsletters, sector and technology tracking, event invitations, social sharing capabilities and commenting features.
• Basic Subscription Free tier providing limited access to the Research Database and Insights Articles, email newsletters and basic PDF download capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coverage of startups across multiple global ecosystems including Indonesia, China, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, USA, and others

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• New Food InvestminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 March 2021Virtual event in collaboration with international food advocacy non-profit ProVeg and investment platform Beyond Animal, focusing exclusively on bringing international plant-based and cultivated food startups together with investors.
• HighPitch 2020minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Indonesia's nationwide startup competition initiated by Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, in collaboration with investors UMG Idealab and ALTIRA. CompassList is the official media partner.
• She Loves TechcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational non-profit organisation committed to closing the funding gap for women entrepreneurs. Runs the world's largest startup competition for women and technology.
• Future Food Asia PlatformcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform aiming to accelerate open innovation in AgriTech and FoodTech across Asia Pacific, with the goal to catalyze and align an ecosystem to cope with the challenges of food.
• Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading platform bringing together global thought leaders in technology, innovation and enterprise ecosystem across FinTech, Health and Biomedical Sciences, Smart Cities, Trade & Connectivity, and Blockchain/AI/5G sectors. CompassList is a Media Partner.
• Singapore Week of Innovation & TeCHnology (SWITCH)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOne-stop platform where innovation meets enterprise, with access to global startups, investors, corporates and ecosystem players. Organised by Enterprise Singapore, supported by National Research Foundation, in partnership with SingEx. CompassList is a Media Partner.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• 36Kr: 36Kr is the dominant Chinese-language tech-startup media and information services platform, comparing directly to CompassList's China ecosystem coverage and insights article format. Regional overlap rather than direct cross-border competition.

Direct peers

• PitchBook: PitchBook provides institutional-grade data on private companies, investors, and deals, serving the same investor persona CompassList targets. It represents the premium end of the startup intelligence market against which CompassList competes.
• Crunchbase: Crunchbase is the most widely recognized private-company and investor database with freemium plus premium tiers, directly analogous to CompassList's Research Database + Premium Subscription model. Both target VCs, founders, and analysts seeking structured startup intelligence.
• Tracxn: Tracxn is a research-as-a-service and startup database platform serving VCs, corporates, and research analysts. It competes directly with CompassList's research database and sector reports value proposition.
• CB Insights: CB Insights provides market intelligence and analytics on private companies and emerging tech, selling subscriptions to enterprise and investor clients in the same way CompassList targets its premium tier.
• Dealroom.co: Dealroom offers global startup and investor intelligence with particular depth across European and emerging ecosystems — overlapping CompassList's coverage of Portugal, Spain, and Southeast Asia. Both are web-based SaaS databases sold on subscription.

Emerging players

• The Information: The Information is a subscription-based tech and startup intelligence publication covering private-company news and analysis. It mirrors CompassList's mix of premium subscription plus editorial insights, though with a stronger US/enterprise tech focus.

Broad incumbents

• Tech in Asia: Tech in Asia is the largest English-language media and data platform focused on Southeast Asia's tech ecosystem, overlapping CompassList's Indonesia- and Singapore-centric coverage and competing for the same founder-investor-researcher audience.
• DealStreetAsia / Alkimi: DealStreetAsia (now part of VCCEdge / Alkimi) was a regional PE/VC deal-intelligence platform covering South and Southeast Asia, squarely in CompassList's space in terms of geographic and audience overlap.
• e27 (e27.co): e27 operates an Asia-focused startup media platform, community, and datasets targeting the same Southeast Asia VC and founder audiences CompassList covers. Direct competition in regional startup intelligence content.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/compasslist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CompassList