Factiva vs. PitchBook

A large part of our work depends on the ability to source quality media content from a breadth of dependable sources globally. This is Factiva's bread and butter: it has a very comprehensive list of 'quality' media sources such as nationals, dailies, business journals and magazines from around the world that are easily mined for the content they hold. If you're thinking about anything other than these 'traditional' media sources then Factiva probably isn't your thing. It doesn't do social media.

Incentivized

If you are a company or an individual that needs reliable information about SMEs or startups, this is the best platform for you to get this information in a very efficient way. If you are just doing a basic due diligence to see active VC funds, figuring out valuations or companies in one industry, or just getting general information about an industry, it is probably better to get it from somewhere else on the internet. The reasoning behind it is that PitchBook is very expensive as opposed to other options out there.

Incentivized

• Factiva offers excellent search builders so that I am able to narrow my search to specific companies or topics very easily.
• Factiva combines a large number of credible sources into one place and allows me to search all of these sources.
• Factiva's use of timestamps helps me understand when the news was known by the market which allows me to analyze how (if at all) that particular piece of news impacted the company's stock price.
• Provides an excellent starting place for learning about a company and/or industry.

Incentivized

• Tools for data analysis, idea generation, and workflow management.
• Easy access to trusted news, data, analytics and insights.
• Industry sector specific metrics and analytics to inform decision-making.

Incentivized

• The UX leaves room to be desired
• There are often repetitive entries
• The functionality can be confusing

Incentivized

• Can be glitchy when loading
• Contact information can be inaccurate
• Typically a day or two late to real time news and deals

Incentivized

The overall support for PitchBook is about average. It is not excellent for two primary reasons. First, PitchBook can run slow from time to time, and I cannot copy and paste from the Chrome extension. I have found neither of those issues to be a function of the computer I am using. However, the PitchBook support team has proved helpful on several occasions.

Incentivized

At the time, Factiva was already being used by the company I worked for - they had developed procedures specifically for using Factiva, so there wasn't really an option. I've used Lexis, Westlaw and Bloomberg exclusively for legal research, so there wasn't really an overlap with Factiva.

Incentivized

We actually use both. CBInsights we use more regularly for market capture, and PitchBook when we are actively seeking acquisitions.

Incentivized

• Saved us from investing with an incorrect valuation (multiple times)
• You need to pay per license per user. It is definitely expensive for a small accelerator.

Incentivized