bellingcat-companies-finance

name	bellingcat-companies-finance
description	Research companies, business registries, financial records, and sanctions. Search corporate registers (UK, EU, US), offshore databases, trade data, and blockchain explorers. Use when the user mentions a company name, business registration, financial record, sanction, or offshore entity, even if they don't mention "OSINT" or "finance."
compatibility	Requires internet access to fetch tool detail pages from bellingcat.gitbook.io

Bellingcat Companies & Finance Investigation Tools

Tools for researching companies, business registries, financial records, sanctions lists, and trade data.

Choosing Tools

• Start with official registries and filings for a company or officer; use sanctions, ownership, trade, and blockchain sources to extend the picture.
• Match entities by jurisdiction, registration number, and dates rather than name alone.

Tools

Tool	Best for	Cost	Description	Guide
527 Explorer	ProPublica's 527 Explorer is a database that allows users to examine the finances of…	Free	ProPublica's 527 Explorer is a database that allows users to examine the finances of organizations known as 527s in t...	Details
BlockExplorer	Following a bitcoin trail or following a bitcoin account?	Free	Following a bitcoin trail or following a bitcoin account?
China-related resources	Resources for research on companies in China.		Resources for research on companies in China.
Companies House	Search companies and individuals in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.	Free	Search companies and individuals in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.	Details
EDGAR	Database of corporate filings for the US	Free	Database of corporate filings for the US	Details
EDGAR Command Line Interface (edgar-tool)	Tool for the retrieval of corporate and financial data from SEC's EDGAR (Electronic Data…	Free	Tool for the retrieval of corporate and financial data from SEC's EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Ret...	Details
Etherscan	An explorer that allows researchers to track wallets, transactions and more on the…	Free	An explorer that allows researchers to track wallets, transactions and more on the Ethereum blockchain.	Details
EU consolidated corporate registers	Consolidated company registers covering most of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.	Free	Consolidated company registers covering most of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.	Details
EU Sanctions Map	Database of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Nations	Free	Database of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Nations	Details
Global Suppliers Online	A site dedicated to connect suppliers and buyers of goods from all over the world.	Partially Free	A site dedicated to connect suppliers and buyers of goods from all over the world.	Details
ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database	Find out who’s behind more than 810k offshore companies, foundations and trusts from the…	Free	Find out who’s behind more than 810k offshore companies, foundations and trusts from the Panama Papers, the Offshore ...	Details
ImportGenius	Commercial supplier of trade data for 23 countries.	Paid	Commercial supplier of trade data for 23 countries. Paid service but journalists can ask for free access.	Details
ImportYeti	Search 60 million US customs sea shipment records, find company suppliers.	Free	Search 60 million US customs sea shipment records, find company suppliers.	Details
LittleSis	Connects the dots between influential / wealthy individuals in (mostly US) politics and…	Free	Connects the dots between influential / wealthy individuals in (mostly US) politics and business.	Details
Lumen	A research project collecting and publishing legal takedown notices for online content…	Free	A research project collecting and publishing legal takedown notices for online content transparency	Details
North Data	Search for people and companies in EU corporate and trade registers + visualize…	Partially Free	Search for people and companies in EU corporate and trade registers + visualize relationships	Details
OCCRP Aleph	Aleph offers a way to research sanctions lists, corporate registries, leaks, and more	Free	Aleph offers a way to research sanctions lists, corporate registries, leaks, and more	Details
Open Ownership	Links to beneficial ownership registers.	Free	Links to beneficial ownership registers.	Details
OpenCorporates	Comprehensive repository of company registries around the world	Partially Free	Comprehensive repository of company registries around the world	Details
OpenSanctions	Open-source international database of sanctions data, persons of interest and politically…	Partially Free	Open-source international database of sanctions data, persons of interest and politically exposed persons.	Details
OpenSecrets	Data on campaign finance, lobbying, and spending in U.S.	Free	Data on campaign finance, lobbying, and spending in U.S. politics	Details
Osint Tools Map	An interactive map serving as a curated archive of country-specific OSINT resources,…	Free	An interactive map serving as a curated archive of country-specific OSINT resources, including business registries, c...	Details
RuPEP	Online database of politically exposed persons in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and…	Free	Online database of politically exposed persons in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.	Details
SanctionsExplorer	A comprehensive database of current and historical OFAC/UN/EU sanctions	Free	A comprehensive database of current and historical OFAC/UN/EU sanctions	Details
UN Comtrade Database	United Nations free database of global trade.	Free	United Nations free database of global trade.	Details
Wikipedia list of registers	Wikipedia list of official business registers around the world.	Free	Wikipedia list of official business registers around the world.	Details

Investigation Tips

• Start with OpenCorporates for the most comprehensive global company registry lookup
• Search offshore databases (ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database, OCCRP Aleph) for hidden ownership
• Use EDGAR for US company filings and financial disclosures
• Cross-reference sanctions lists (EU Sanctions Map, OpenSanctions, SanctionsExplorer)
• Check trade data (ImportYeti, UN Comtrade) to trace supply chains and business relationships
• For EU companies, use the EU consolidated corporate registers and North Data