💰 Startup Investors API: VC and Investor Firm Data in Clean JSON

The efficient, reliable, and developer-friendly way to use the Startup Investors API.

Actor page: apify.com/johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper Input schema: apify.com/johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper/input-schema

The Startup Investors API searches a curated database of over 10,000 investor firms, including venture capital, angel, accelerator, private equity, and family-office investors. Filter by firm type, focus industry, investment stage, country, or a free-text keyword, then optionally pull verified investor contacts (partners and principals) at each firm. Results come back as clean, structured JSON, ready for prospecting, fundraising research, or market analysis.

Video Walkthrough

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11 or higher
• An Apify account and API key (get a free key here)

1. Clone the repository

   bash

   git clone https://github.com/johnisanerd/Apify-Startup-Investors-Data-Scraper.git
   cd Apify-Startup-Investors-Data-Scraper
   

2. Install dependencies with UV

   bash

   # Install UV if you do not have it:
   curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
   
   # Install project dependencies:
   uv sync
   

3. Configure your API key

   bash

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env and add your Apify API key
   # Get your free API key at: https://apify.com?fpr=9n7kx3
   

4. Run the example

   bash

   uv run python fetch-startup-investors-scraper.py
   

Alternative: set the API key directly

export APIFY_API_TOKEN="your_api_key_here"
uv run python fetch-startup-investors-scraper.py

Why Use This Startup Investors API?

A curated investor database. Over 10,000 investor firms across venture capital, angel, accelerator, private equity, and family-office categories, in one structured source.

Precise filtering. Narrow by firm type, focus industry, investment stage, and country, or run a free-text keyword search across firm names, descriptions, and theses.

Verified contacts on demand. Enable Include_Contacts to add an investor_contacts array to every firm, with each contact's name, job title, email (when available), and LinkedIn URL.

Pagination built in. Combine Max_Results and Offset to page through large result sets across runs, and Order_By for stable ordering.

Predictable, pay-per-use pricing. Billing is per firm returned, plus a per-contact fee when contacts are enabled, with a small per-run start fee and no subscription. Use filters and a low Max_Results to control cost.

Easy to automate. Call it from Python in a few lines, or load it as an MCP tool so assistants like Claude and Cursor can pull investor data for you on demand.

Features

Core Capabilities

• Firm-type filtering across venture capital, angel, accelerator, private equity, family office, and more
• Industry focus filtering by target sector
• Investment-stage filtering from pre-seed through growth
• Country filtering by headquarters location
• Keyword search across firm names, descriptions, and theses
• Optional investor contacts with name, title, email, and LinkedIn

Data Quality

• Structured firm records with a stable field set
• Profile links including firm website and social profiles
• Stage and focus arrays for each firm
• Search metadata echoed on every record
• Pagination support with Max_Results and Offset

Usage Examples

Keyword search, small result set

{
  "Keyword": "Sequoia",
  "Max_Results": 5
}

Filter by type, focus, stage, and country

{
  "Firm_Types": ["Venture Capital Investor", "Angel Investor"],
  "Focus_Areas": ["Artificial Intelligence"],
  "Investment_Stages": ["Seed", "Series A"],
  "Countries": ["United States"],
  "Max_Results": 25,
  "Include_Contacts": true
}

Input Parameters

Output Format

A real result for the keyword Sequoia (one item per firm; reference profile fields and timestamps are present but trimmed here for readability).

{
  "firm_id": 3466,
  "firm_type_id": "VC",
  "firm_name": "AI Fund",
  "firm_city": "Palo Alto",
  "firm_state": "California",
  "firm_country": "United States",
  "firm_zip": "94306",
  "firm_website": "https://aifund.ai/",
  "firm_linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/aifund",
  "twitter_url": "https://www.twitter.com/ai_fund",
  "firm_description": "AI Fund is a VC firm made up of AI pioneers, operators, entrepreneurs, and investors, supported by LPs such as NEA, Sequoia and Greylock.",
  "firm_stages": ["Pre-Seed", "Seed"],
  "firm_focus": ["Software & Internet", "Information Technology"],
  "firm_aum": 0,
  "last_checked": "2025-05-03T08:14:46Z",
  "created_at": "2025-06-12T07:14:44Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-06-12T07:14:44Z",
  "search_metadata": {
    "keyword": "Sequoia",
    "max_results": 3,
    "total_results_found": 3,
    "include_contacts": false
  }
}

Each firm record also includes additional reference and profile fields. When Include_Contacts is true, every firm gains an investor_contacts array, where each contact carries name, job title, email (when available), and LinkedIn URL.

Use as an MCP tool

You can load the Startup Investors API as an MCP tool so assistants call it for you. The MCP server URL preloads just this one Actor:

https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper

Authenticate with OAuth in the browser when offered, or with your Apify API token (the same APIFY_API_TOKEN used by the Python example). Get a token at https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations and a free Apify account at https://apify.com?fpr=9n7kx3 .

Install in Claude Cowork Desktop

Cowork is the desktop app's automation mode. To give it the Startup Investors API as a tool, add the Apify MCP server as a connector.

1. Open the Claude desktop app and go to Settings → Connectors (or Settings → Developer → Edit Config to edit claude_desktop_config.json directly).
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
2. Add the Apify MCP server, preloaded with only this Actor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Restart the app. When Cowork first calls the tool, complete the OAuth prompt in your browser, or add your Apify API token in the connector settings to skip OAuth.
4. In a Cowork chat, confirm the tool is available and ask it to run the Startup Investors API.

Download the desktop app and start a free trial: https://claude.ai/referral/uIlpa7nPLg More help: https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/claude-desktop

Install in Claude Code

Claude Code is the command-line tool. Add the Actor's MCP server with one command:

claude mcp add --transport http apify \
  "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper"

To use a token instead of browser OAuth:

claude mcp add --transport http apify \
  "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN"

Then verify with claude mcp list, or run /mcp inside a session. Ask Claude Code to call the Startup Investors API.

Try Claude Code free: https://claude.ai/referral/uIlpa7nPLg Claude Code MCP docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp

Install in Claude (website)

On claude.ai you add Apify as a connector, then enable just this Actor's tool.

1. Go to Settings → Connectors → Browse connectors and search for Apify MCP server. Install it (enable or update if prompted).
2. When connecting, authenticate with your Apify API token, and enable the tool johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper.
3. In any chat, open + → Connectors and turn on Apify.
4. Alternatively, choose Add custom connector and paste the full MCP URL https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper, using OAuth when prompted.
5. Ask Claude to run the Startup Investors API.

Open Claude on the web: https://claude.ai/referral/uIlpa7nPLg

Install in Cursor

Cursor reads MCP servers from a project file at .cursor/mcp.json.

1. In your project, create .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper"
    }
  }
}

2. If you prefer token auth over browser OAuth, add a header:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

3. Open Cursor → Settings → MCP and confirm the apify server is connected (green dot).
4. In Composer or Chat, ask Cursor to call the Startup Investors API.

New to Cursor? Get it here: https://cursor.com/referral?code=XQP4VBLI3NNX

Install in ChatGPT

ChatGPT connects to the Apify MCP server through Developer mode (available on ChatGPT Pro, Plus, Business, Enterprise, and Education plans).

1. Click your profile icon, then go to Settings > Apps. If you do not see a Create app button, open Advanced settings and enable Developer mode.
2. Click Create app and fill out the form:
   • Name: Apify
   • MCP Server URL: https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/startup-investors-data-scraper
   • Authentication: OAuth
3. Click Create and authorize the connection with Apify.
4. To use the app in a conversation, click + in the chat, choose Developer mode, and select Apify.

More help: https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp

Made with care

Use the Startup Investors API to power fundraising research, investor prospecting, and market analysis with reliable, structured data.

🤖 Ask an AI assistant about this Actor

Open a ready-to-send prompt about the Startup Investor Database in the AI of your choice:

• 💬 ChatGPT
• 🧠 Claude
• 🔍 Perplexity
• 🅒 Copilot

Last Updated: 2026.09.22