How to Build Market Intelligence Maps with the Pounce API
Traditional market maps are built on VC deal databases, press releases, and LinkedIn profiles. They look impressive in pitch decks but miss the majority of the market: bootstrapped companies, stealth startups, foreign subsidiaries, and companies that simply do not care about PR.
Registry data captures all of them. If a company is legally registered, it exists in the trade register. And Pounce has indexed it from 20 countries worldwide.
This guide shows you how to build comprehensive market intelligence maps using the Pounce API.
Why Registry-Based Market Maps Are Better
| Approach | Companies Found | Bias |
|---|---|---|
| Crunchbase | VC-funded only | Survivorship bias |
| Self-reported | Optimism bias | |
| Google scraping | SEO-active only | Visibility bias |
| Trade register | Every legal entity | None |
A registry-based map gives you the complete picture: every registered company in your target market, regardless of whether they have raised funding, have a LinkedIn page, or rank on Google.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Define Your Market Scope
Choose your filters:
- Geography: Which countries? (Pounce covers 20 countries including FR, GB, CH, BE, NO, and more)
- Business purpose keywords: What do companies in this market register as?
- Technology signals: What technologies indicate relevance?
- Registration period: Recent entrants vs. established players?
Step 2: Query the Market
import requests
headers = {"X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY"}
BASE = "https://api.pounce.ch/api/v1"
def scan_market(query: str, countries: list[str]) -> list[dict]:
all_results = []
for country in countries:
resp = requests.get(
f"{BASE}/v2/entities/search",
headers=headers,
params={
"q": query,
"country": country,
"has_domain": True,
"sort": "relevance",
"limit": 100
}
)
all_results.extend(resp.json().get("items", []))
return all_results
# Example: map the European HR-Tech market
hrtech_companies = scan_market(
query="human resources OR recruiting OR talent OR HR software",
countries=["CH", "FR", "GB", "BE", "NO", "DK"]
)Step 3: Enrich and Segment
def enrich_and_segment(companies: list[dict]) -> dict:
segments = {}
for company in companies:
enriched = requests.get(
f"{BASE}/v2/entities/{company['id']}",
headers=headers
).json()
tech = enriched.get("categories", {})
employee_estimate = enriched.get("employee_estimate", 0)
# Segment by company size
if employee_estimate and employee_estimate > 200:
segment = "enterprise"
elif employee_estimate and employee_estimate > 20:
segment = "scaleup"
else:
segment = "startup"
segments.setdefault(segment, []).append({
"canonical_name": enriched.get("legal_name"),
"country": enriched.get("country"),
"website": enriched.get("domains", [{}])[0].get("domain", ""),
"categories": tech,
"employees": employee_estimate,
"registered": enriched["registrations"][0]["registered_at"] if enriched.get("registrations") else None,
})
return segmentsStep 4: Monitor Market Changes
Set up webhooks to keep your market map current:
requests.post(
f"{BASE}/v2/webhooks",
headers=headers,
json={
"url": "https://your-app.com/market-update",
"events": ["entity.created"],
"filters": {
"q": "human resources OR recruiting OR HR software",
"country": "CH"
}
}
)New market entrants are added to your map automatically.
Example Output: European HR-Tech Segments
A registry-based market map reveals patterns that VC-focused maps miss:
- Bootstrapped players that dominate regional markets without VC funding
- Corporate spin-offs from consulting firms and staffing agencies building tech products
- Academic spin-offs from universities commercializing HR research
- Niche specialists focused on specific verticals (healthcare recruiting, construction staffing)
Practical Applications
- Competitive Analysis: Complete view of your competitive landscape, not just the funded players
- M&A Target Identification: Discover acquisition targets that are not on anyone else's radar
- Market Sizing: Count actual registered companies, not estimated TAM numbers
- Partnership Scouting: Find complementary companies in adjacent segments
- Investment Research: Identify emerging trends from company formation patterns
Start building your market map with 100 free API calls at pounce.ch.