LP Database API: Source Limited Partners with AI Agents (2026)
The first self-serve LP database API under $1,500/year — built for Claude, ChatGPT, n8n, and your CRM
Quick Answer
Search 19,000+ verified LPs via REST API. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, n8n, or your CRM. Included with the $1,495/yr Annual plan — no enterprise contract.
Every major LP database has an API. Almost none let you actually use one without a $25K+ enterprise contract. PitchBook, Preqin, FINTRX, Dakota, CB Insights — all gate their REST APIs behind sales calls and custom pricing. Meanwhile 85% of private-capital dealmakers now use AI to automate sourcing (Affinity 2026 survey), and AI agents need API access to be useful. This is the gap LPbacked's API fills: 19,000+ verified LPs, included in the $1,495/year Annual plan, self-serve key generation, no enterprise contract.
Why no one ships an affordable LP API
PitchBook, Preqin, FINTRX, Dakota, CB Insights all have APIs — but pricing is "Contact sales," and the API is a separate contract on top of $20-80K platform fees
Crunchbase killed its free-tier API in 2026; full access is Enterprise-only (typically $50K+/yr)
S&P Capital IQ Xpressfeed and Bloomberg SAPI start in the same range, with multi-month procurement
CRMs like Affinity and DealCloud expose APIs but don't come with LP data — you still need to source contacts elsewhere
Emerging managers and solo GPs end up scraping LinkedIn or paying VAs $5/hr to copy-paste contacts into spreadsheets — VC Lab calls this "100 hours per fundraise"
AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, n8n, Zapier, MCP servers) need HTTP access to LP data, and the legacy databases offer no path that's priced for an individual fund
Which LP databases actually offer a usable API
We surveyed every major investor data platform. Here's who has an API, what tier you need, and what it costs:
PitchBook
$30K+/yr platform + custom API contractREST v2 API exists, marketed as "Direct Access Data." Sold as a separate contract via PitchBook's data team — not bundled with the platform UI. No public pricing.
Pros
- Comprehensive deal + LP coverage
- Established vendor
Cons
- Sales-led only
- API is a separate line item
- Contract minimums
Preqin (LSEG)
$25K–$250K+/yrOperational API and Data Feeds API available as add-ons to Preqin Pro. No published pricing; third-party data (Vendr) puts total ACV at $25K–$250K+/year.
Pros
- Strong LP allocation data
- Mandate intelligence
Cons
- API priced as upsell on top of platform
- Annual contracts only
FINTRX
$10K–$20K/yr platform + custom APIFamily-office-focused. API feed and Salesforce integration available. Pricing not public; reported at $10K–$20K/year per seat for the platform; API feed is a custom quote.
Pros
- Deep family office coverage
- Salesforce-native
Cons
- Sales call required
- Per-seat pricing
Dakota Marketplace
$15K+/yr; API undisclosedDakota API Hub offers LP, advisor, 13F, and private company feeds. "Book a demo" only — no published API pricing or self-serve signup.
Pros
- Strong institutional/consultant coverage
- Packaged feeds
Cons
- No self-serve
- Feeds not REST-native
Crunchbase
Enterprise (~$50K+/yr)REST API exists but the free and Pro-tier API was discontinued in 2026. Full access is now Enterprise-only.
Pros
- Broad startup/company coverage
Cons
- LP coverage is shallow
- Enterprise gate only
LPbacked
$1,495/yr (API included)REST API included with the Annual plan. Self-serve key generation in settings. 50 results per search call, 1,000 contact reveals per 30-day rolling window, 60 req/min. Idempotent reveals — re-fetching the same LP within 30 days is free.
Pros
- Self-serve, publicly priced
- AI-native search-then-reveal pattern
- JSON over HTTPS, no SDK
- Included — not an upsell
Cons
- 19,000 verified LPs vs 100K+ at enterprise vendors
- 1,000 reveals/mo cap
Honest positioning: where LPbacked's API fits
LPbacked is not the only LP database with an API — PitchBook, Preqin, FINTRX, and Dakota all have them. LPbacked's niche is narrower and clearer: it's the only LP-focused database in the sub-$1,500/year tier that ships a self-serve, publicly priced REST API as part of the standard plan. If you're a $500M PE fund with a procurement team, Preqin's API may still be the right call. If you're an emerging manager, solo GP, or a developer building a fundraising agent who wants a working API key in 60 seconds and a flat annual price, this gap is where we live.
What you can build with a programmatic LP feed
Once LP data is accessible via HTTP with a bearer token, the workflows AI-forward fundraising teams have been hacking together with screen-scrapers become first-class:
AI sourcing agent (Claude, ChatGPT, MCP)
Give Claude your fund thesis. It iterates filtered searches against the API ("find Family Offices in Switzerland investing in climate tech with >$500M AUM"), narrows on relevance, and reveals contact details only for the prospects you confirm. Search-then-reveal mirrors how AI agents naturally reason about exploration vs. commitment.
CRM enrichment via n8n / Zapier
Sync LPs into HubSpot, Attio, Salesforce, or Affinity nightly. Trigger a contact reveal only when a prospect moves into your warm pipeline so you stay within your monthly reveal cap — meaningful budget control vs. unmetered enterprise feeds.
Slack / Discord LP-research bot
A teammate types `/lp endowment renewable energy` and gets 10 matching LPs inline. The team triages sourcing in the tool they already use instead of opening a separate database tab.
Mandate-watch alerts
Poll the API for new LPs matching your filters; pipe matches into email, Slack, or a Notion database. Stop checking the platform manually — let the alerts come to you.
Custom GPT for partners
Expose the API to a ChatGPT custom GPT for the rest of your investment team. Junior associates self-serve LP research without a separate dashboard login.
Investor list automation
Replace VA scraping. A weekly script pulls fresh matches into your fundraising tracker, deduped against contacts you've already revealed.
How the LPbacked API works in practice
Two endpoints, bearer-token authentication, JSON responses. Search calls are free — only fetching a specific LP's full profile counts against your monthly reveal quota, and re-fetching the same LP within the 30-day rolling window is always free (deduped by LP id across all your keys).
GET /api-search
Filter by country, city, firm type, investment type, sector, preferred geography, AUM bucket, or year founded. Free-text search across firm name and mandate fields. Returns up to 50 lightweight records per call (no contacts). 60 requests/min, 1,000/day.
GET /api-get-lp/<id>
Pull the full record — HQ email, HQ phone, address, family name, contact array. Costs 1 reveal per distinct LP per 30-day window. Idempotent: same id fetched twice is free. Response includes reveals_used and reveals_limit headers.
POST /api-keys
JWT-authed CRUD for managing your own keys from the Profile → API tab in the app. Generate a key, copy it once, revoke when needed. Plaintext is never stored on our end — only a SHA-256 hash.
Pricing: API access by vendor
Side-by-side comparison of what it costs to call an LP database programmatically:
LPbacked
$1,495/year (API included)API included with the Annual plan. No additional fees, no per-call charges, no separate contract. Self-serve key generation. Public pricing on the site.
Preqin
$25K–$250K+/yearAPI is an add-on to Preqin Pro. Pricing requires sales conversation; third-party ACV estimates start around $25K and run to $250K+/year.
PitchBook
$30K+/year (custom)Direct Access Data API contract separate from platform seats. Custom pricing through sales.
FINTRX
$10K–$20K/year + API customAPI feed sold as a custom quote alongside platform seats. Family-office focus.
Crunchbase Enterprise
~$50K+/yearEnterprise license required for API access since the 2026 free-tier shutdown.
S&P Capital IQ
$25K–$100K+/yearXpressfeed and other API products via separate licensing.
How AI fundraising actually plays out
The shift to AI-assisted sourcing is real. Affinity's 2026 survey found 85% of private-capital dealmakers now use AI to automate parts of their daily work, up from 76% the year prior. Climate Insiders documented an emerging-manager $2M raise run primarily through Claude. The blocker, repeatedly, has been data access — not model capability. Substack posts and fundraising forums describe the same pattern: AI agents are excellent at synthesizing LP profiles, drafting outreach, scoring relevance — but the LP data they need to operate on is either trapped behind expensive UIs or scraped from public sources of dubious quality.
Common objections (and honest answers)
If you're evaluating whether an LP API makes sense for your fund, here's what people actually worry about:
CAN-SPAM, CASL, GDPR exposure
LPbacked supplies verified business contacts. You as the sender are responsible for compliant cold outreach: clear sender identity, unsubscribe link, SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment, and respect for jurisdiction-specific opt-in rules (CASL Canada, GDPR EU). The API doesn't change your legal posture — manual export from any LP database carries the same obligations.
Bounce rates and domain reputation
Bounce >2% and inbox providers start throttling you for weeks. LPbacked's reveal cap (1,000/30d) is partly a feature here — it forces you to qualify before revealing, which keeps your send list cleaner than the dump-and-blast workflow.
Data freshness
Industry research suggests ~8% of investment team members change roles every 4 months; business emails deactivate in 30–90 days. LPbacked refreshes the database monthly. Re-fetching a revealed LP is free, so you can verify a record before reaching out without spending another credit.
API key security
Keys are generated server-side via CSPRNG, stored only as SHA-256 hashes (never plaintext), and shown to you once at creation. Subscription status is checked on every request. Revoked keys stop working immediately. Reveal accounting uses a per-user atomic lock so concurrent requests can't burst past your cap.
Is this scraped LinkedIn data?
No. LPbacked's dataset is verified by our research team — firm registrations, regulatory filings, public mandate disclosures, and verified contact records. We don't rebroadcast LinkedIn profiles.
Rate limits in production
60 requests/min, 1,000/day. For most agentic workflows (Claude sourcing run, n8n nightly enrichment, periodic CRM sync) this is more than enough. If you need higher throughput, reach out — we can discuss enterprise terms.
Stop scraping. Start querying.
The Annual plan ($1,495/year) includes the REST API, CSV export up to 2,500 records, and unlimited contact reveals in the UI. The API specifically gives you 1,000 reveals/30 days, 60 requests/minute, and a self-serve key you can generate in two clicks. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, n8n, Zapier, or your own scripts and start automating LP sourcing today.
REST API included with the $1,495/year Annual plan — no enterprise contract
Self-serve key generation at Profile → API (sign up to manage)
19,000+ verified LPs across 133 countries: family offices, endowments, pension funds, foundations, asset managers
Search-then-reveal pattern designed for AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, MCP)
JSON over HTTPS, bearer-token auth, no SDK required
50 results per search, 1,000 reveals per 30-day rolling window
Idempotent reveals — re-fetching the same LP within 30 days is free
Atomic reveal accounting prevents burst overrun at your cap
X-Request-Id headers on every response for support correlation
Cancel anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Is the LPbacked API really included in the $1,495 plan, or is it an upsell?
Included. There is no separate API tier, no per-call billing, and no overage charges. Every Annual subscriber can generate keys at Profile → API in the app and start calling the API immediately. The limits (50 results/search, 1,000 reveals/30 days, 60 req/min) are the same for every Annual user.
Does the API work with Claude, Claude Code, or MCP servers?
Yes. The API is plain JSON over HTTPS with bearer-token auth, so any HTTP-capable runtime can use it. Claude Desktop users can wrap the two endpoints (api-search, api-get-lp) as MCP tools; Claude Code users can call the API directly from agentic scripts. A community MCP wrapper is on the roadmap.
Can I use it with ChatGPT custom GPTs?
Yes. Configure the GPT with two HTTP actions pointing at /api-search and /api-get-lp, set your API key as a bearer-token authentication header in the GPT's privacy settings, and define the OpenAPI schema for each endpoint. The GPT can then search and reveal LPs in conversation.
What's the difference between the API and the CSV export?
CSV export pulls up to 2,500 records at a time — designed for one-shot bulk exports into a spreadsheet or CRM. The API is designed for incremental, programmatic access: filtered searches that return matches you can iterate on, plus reveal-on-demand for prospects you want to actually contact. Both are included in Annual.
Why is there a 1,000-reveal/month cap if I'm paying $1,495/year?
To keep the dataset useful for everyone. Without a cap, a single high-volume scraper could clone the contact set in days, which would devalue the dataset for every subscriber. The cap is meant to be generous for legitimate workflows: 1,000 unique LP contact reveals per 30-day rolling window, plus unlimited search calls and unlimited free re-fetches of already-revealed LPs. If you need more, contact us about enterprise terms.
How does LPbacked compare to PitchBook API or Preqin Operational API?
PitchBook and Preqin both have REST APIs, but access requires a sales-led enterprise contract typically starting at $25K-$30K+/year on top of base platform fees. Both have broader coverage (M&A data, deal history, etc.) than LPbacked. LPbacked focuses specifically on LP contact data, ships a self-serve API on a publicly priced annual plan, and costs roughly 1/20th as much.
Can I use the API for cold outreach? What about CAN-SPAM/GDPR?
Yes, with the same compliance obligations as any cold B2B email program. You are the sender of record. That means you need a clear unsubscribe path, accurate identification, valid SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment, and respect for opt-in rules in restrictive jurisdictions (CASL Canada, certain GDPR contexts). The API doesn't change those obligations — but the verified contact quality means lower bounces, which helps your sender reputation.
How fresh is the LP data?
The database is refreshed monthly. We track firm registrations, regulatory filings, public mandate disclosures, and verified contact updates. About 8% of investment team contacts change roles every 4 months industry-wide, so we strongly recommend re-fetching a revealed LP before reaching out — re-fetches are free (deduped by id across all your keys within 30 days).
What happens if my API key leaks?
Revoke it immediately at Profile → API (one click, takes effect on the next request). Generate a new key, swap it into your env vars / secrets manager, and you're back up. We store only the SHA-256 hash of your key, so even if our database were compromised, the plaintext key cannot be recovered.
Is there a free trial of the API?
The Monthly plan ($245/mo) and 7-day free trial do not include API access — API is gated to the Annual plan. If you want to evaluate the data quality first, the 7-day trial gives you full UI access including search and filter (no contact reveals on trial). Most teams evaluate via the UI for a week, then upgrade to Annual when ready to wire up the API.
Can I build a commercial product on top of the API?
For your own internal fundraising or sourcing workflow — yes, that's exactly what it's for. For redistributing the data or building a commercial product that exposes LPbacked records to third parties, please contact us for an enterprise/commercial license.
Will the limits change?
Our intent is to keep the published limits stable. If we adjust, we'll only raise them or grandfather existing keys. We don't plan to introduce per-call charges or split the API into tiers within the Annual plan.
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