New: our AI Agent is live — 140+ live registry connections, KYB without an integration. Try it →

Company Data API

A company data API returns structured data about a company through a programmatic interface: its identifiers, legal status, addresses, officers, ownership, and the underlying source documents. The Know Your Customer Limited company data API returns this data live from the official company registries in 150+ jurisdictions, covers 100% of legally registered entities in each connected jurisdiction, and delivers it as one consistent entity model through a single REST API. This page is about the data itself, the fields you get back and how you consume them; for the sourcing story (which registers we read, registration-number lookup, and document retrieval) see the complementary company registry API.

What is a company data API?

A company data API is an interface that returns machine-readable data about companies: instead of a person searching a register and reading a page, your systems request a company and receive a structured record they can store, index, and act on. A company data API (also called a company information API, company database API, or business data API) is what turns “look this business up” into a repeatable call that returns the same fields, in the same shape, for every jurisdiction it covers.

Company data APIs differ in what sits behind them. Some serve a bulk company database compiled earlier; this one returns data read from the official register at request time, normalised into one entity model so a company in Singapore and a company in the United Kingdom come back in the same shape.

What company data can I retrieve?

When you create a company case, the API returns a structured entity record:

  • Legal name and any registered trading names
  • Registration number and the jurisdiction (ISO 3166-2) it belongs to
  • Legal status (active, dissolved, struck off, in liquidation, and so on)
  • Registered and business addresses
  • Officers (directors, secretaries) and their roles
  • Incorporation date and entity type where the register publishes them
  • The controlling entities and individuals, and the recursive ownership org-chart

The ownership data is returned both as a flat member list and as a recursive org-chart, so you can consume it as data rather than reading a document. Beneficial-ownership resolution is covered in detail on the UBO API page.

Live company data vs aggregated databases

The distinction that matters most for a company data API is whether the data is read live or served from an aggregated copy. Live company data is fetched from the official register at the moment you request it; aggregated data is harvested into a database on some earlier schedule and served from that copy.

Company facts change: a business can be struck off, change directors, file new accounts, or be dissolved between the time a dataset was last refreshed and the moment you check. Aggregated databases are excellent for research, discovery, and enrichment at scale, where breadth matters more than the state of any single record. A live company data API is built for the cases where the current, defensible state of one company is the point, such as onboarding and compliance. This API reads the official register at request time, so the record reflects the register as it stands now.

Company data fields and documents

The company record is normalised into one consistent set of fields across jurisdictions, so you integrate once and read the same structure everywhere, even though each register publishes a different native subset. Where a register does not publish a field, it comes back absent rather than guessed, so your data stays honest. The field-by-field reference, including which fields each jurisdiction supplies, is in the Guide and on the per-country coverage pages.

Alongside the structured fields, the original source documents (registry extracts, certificates of incorporation, annual returns, and other filings) are attached to the case, so your record keeps the primary evidence next to the parsed data rather than only a vendor’s interpretation of it. Document retrieval, provenance, and the registration-number lookup are documented on the company registry API page, which is the companion to this one: the registry API is the provenance and document view of the same data, and this page is the data-model and fields view.

Which jurisdictions and registries?

The API returns company data from the official registries in 150+ jurisdictions, with deep APAC coverage (including Hong Kong, Singapore, and China) and global breadth across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and offshore financial centres such as the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. You select a jurisdiction with its ISO 3166-2 country code, for example GB, SG, or HK. See the coverage hub for per-jurisdiction detail on the register, the fields available, and typical latency.

How do I integrate the company data API?

You retrieve company data in a short sequence:

  1. Authenticate with the OAuth2 client-credentials grant: exchange a client_id and client_secret for a short-lived bearer token.
  2. Search for the company: POST /v2/Companies/search with the ISO 3166-2 code and the company name or number.
  3. Create the case: POST /v2/Companies, optionally passing the registration number in externalCode for an exact registry match.
  4. Poll until ready: GET /v2/Companies/{caseCommonId} until statusId is 3 (Ready).
  5. Read the data: the structured entity fields, the member list, and the ownership org-chart.

The full sequence, with runnable examples, is in the Guide, and you can build and test the whole flow for free against the sandbox at https://api.knowyourcustomer.dev, pre-loaded with over 980 sample companies and individuals. If you also need identity verification and screening on the people behind the company, see the KYC API.

Frequently asked questions

What is a company data API? An interface that returns structured company data (identifiers, status, addresses, officers, and ownership) as a machine-readable record, so your systems can request a company and receive the same fields in the same shape across jurisdictions.

How is this different from the company registry API? They are two views of the same live data. The company registry API page covers sourcing: which registers are read, registration-number lookup, and original document retrieval. This page covers the data model: the fields you get back and how you consume them. Use them together.

Is the company data live or aggregated? Live. The register is read at request time and normalised into one entity model, not served from a periodically harvested bulk database.

What company data fields are returned? Legal name and trading names, registration number, status, addresses, officers, incorporation date and entity type where published, and the controlling parties and ownership org-chart.

How many jurisdictions does the company data API cover? 150+, covering 100% of legally registered entities in each connected jurisdiction. See the coverage hub.

Is there a free way to try the company data API? Yes. The sandbox is free and self-serve, pre-loaded with over 980 sample companies and individuals, and contract-faithful to production.