Key Takeaways
- • Dakota.com's guide argues that fundraising teams need two data streams: fund launches (competitive set) and new institutional mandates (where to focus outreach), and that most single databases cover one side well and the other poorly.
- • The article positions Dakota Marketplace as the only platform on its list covering both fund launches (via Form D coverage) and new mandates (via Dakota Searches and Public Plan Minutes) in one workflow.
- • Preqin and PitchBook are presented as strong launch-tracking databases, with PitchBook strongest in PE and VC and Preqin spanning PE, VC, private debt, real estate and infrastructure.
- • HFR is described as the most complete source for hedge fund launches, while SEC EDGAR is the free, unstructured primary record of Form D filings.
- • Mandatewire and eVestment are cited for mandate and RFP tracking, with eVestment strongest on institutional and consultant-driven searches and thinner on family offices, RIAs and private banks.
- • The article concludes that most investment sales teams layer a core platform with one or two specialty sources.
Summary
A guide published on dakota.com examines the databases investment sales professionals use to track fund launches and new mandates, two linked signals that determine a firm's competitive set and outreach priorities. The article argues that most databases cover one side well and the other poorly: platforms built on Form D aggregation are strong on launches but thin on RFP tracking, while mandate-alert platforms are strong on demand-side signal but rarely reveal competing fundraisers.
The article groups its recommendations into three categories. Among platforms covering both sides, it highlights Dakota Marketplace, which it describes as tracking firms currently fundraising through Form D coverage, filterable by strategy, asset class and target raise, alongside Dakota Searches (institutional search alerts) and Public Plan Minutes (daily reports of public pension investment committee notes covering hires, RFPs and allocation changes). The article also cites 167,000+ curated allocator accounts and 600,000+ contacts, and states that Dakota integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Backstop and DealCloud. Note that this is the publisher's own platform and the claims are promotional.
For launch-focused research, the article presents Preqin as a broad private capital database built on Form D aggregation plus proprietary research, and PitchBook as strongest on PE and VC fundraising landscapes, with LP composition and prior fund performance where disclosed. It notes PitchBook's mandate tracking and RFP coverage are not core. HFR is characterized as the most complete hedge fund launch source, though narrowly scoped. SEC EDGAR is described as the free public repository of Form D filings, offering no strategy tagging, alerts or contact data.
On mandates and RFPs, the article describes Mandatewire as a long-running alert service covering pensions, insurers and other institutional allocators, with less depth on allocator profiles, and eVestment as a core institutional database for consultant relationships and public and corporate pension searches, with thinner coverage of family offices, RIAs and private banks. The article concludes that no single database covers all needs and recommends layering a core platform with specialty sources.
The article groups its recommendations into three categories. Among platforms covering both sides, it highlights Dakota Marketplace, which it describes as tracking firms currently fundraising through Form D coverage, filterable by strategy, asset class and target raise, alongside Dakota Searches (institutional search alerts) and Public Plan Minutes (daily reports of public pension investment committee notes covering hires, RFPs and allocation changes). The article also cites 167,000+ curated allocator accounts and 600,000+ contacts, and states that Dakota integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Backstop and DealCloud. Note that this is the publisher's own platform and the claims are promotional.
For launch-focused research, the article presents Preqin as a broad private capital database built on Form D aggregation plus proprietary research, and PitchBook as strongest on PE and VC fundraising landscapes, with LP composition and prior fund performance where disclosed. It notes PitchBook's mandate tracking and RFP coverage are not core. HFR is characterized as the most complete hedge fund launch source, though narrowly scoped. SEC EDGAR is described as the free public repository of Form D filings, offering no strategy tagging, alerts or contact data.
On mandates and RFPs, the article describes Mandatewire as a long-running alert service covering pensions, insurers and other institutional allocators, with less depth on allocator profiles, and eVestment as a core institutional database for consultant relationships and public and corporate pension searches, with thinner coverage of family offices, RIAs and private banks. The article concludes that no single database covers all needs and recommends layering a core platform with specialty sources.
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