Welcome to the CrunchBase Developer Portal

 

The CrunchBase API provides a RESTful interface to the data found on CrunchBase. The response is in JSON format.

Register

Follow the steps below to start using the CrunchBase API:

  1. Register for a user account.
  2. Apply for an API key.
  3. Browse the documentation.
  4. Join a discussion in the forums.

API Usage Terms

The CrunchBase API can currently be accessed without an API key. Going forward, we'd like to encourage developers to register and sign up for an API access key and start using it in every call made to the API. We will require usage of the access key beginning December 1, 2012.

Rate Limiting

For calls made without an API key, a rate limit of aggregate 100K calls per hour will be instituted on this bucket starting September 24, 2012. This means the sum total of all unregistered calls will be capped, not per application. This rate limit will decrease by 10K calls/hour for every week thereafter until December 1, 2012.

Essentially on 9/24, the aggregate call volume for all unregistered apps is capped at 100K/hour. On 10/1, this will be capped at 90K/hour, on 10/8 to 80K/hour, and so forth until December 1st, when this limit will effectively drop to 0. 

What happens if my app hits the rate ceiling? If a call from your unregistered app is made once the aggregate cap (across all apps) is reached for the hour, your app will receive a 403 response as shown below. 

This application has exceeded the hourly rate limit. API calls are being made without an access key. Your application must start using access keys by December 1, 2012 in order to continue using the API. Please register for free at http://developer.crunchbase.com/member/register and start using access keys to avoid being rate limited. More details at http://developer.crunchbase.com/.

If you start seeing failures in your app, please check your server logs for this message. To protect against this, simply register for a key and use it in every call. See example below:

http://api.crunchbase.com/v/1/company/facebook.js?api_key=(your_acess_key)

Questions?

Email us at api@crunchbase.com if you have any feedback. You may also ask questions in the developer forum.