Researching various aspects of private companies, and even subsidiaries/divisions of public companies, can be a challenging task.
Since private companies generally do not have to report their financials or any aspects of their businesses and because they may be small or in industries that don't get much press coverage, you may have to dig deeper and employ some creative methods to create a profile of the entity.
Also, public parent companies generally do not have to break out information on their subsidiaries/divisions. Sales/revenue figures may be self-reported and could differ greatly from one source to another. It is a good idea to use more than one resource for such figures to see if they match somewhat.
This page will suggest the GGU databases that may help in your search, and then a variety of strategies you could try utilizing to piece together useful information. You should still first search the GGU databases found under the other tabs of this Company Research guide.
For international private companies
Is your company a Certified B Corporation? (Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.)
Many financial institutions are privately-owned. Some basic financial information may be obtained at FDIC, if they are insured by them.
(requires subscription)
An SBA database of companies registered to receive benefits or to qualify for contracts.
Very basic information may be available on the websites for each states' department that registers companies. Also Secretary of State’s offices may make available certain financing statements and other lien documents provided for in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), e.g., for California: https://uccconnect.sos.ca.gov/acct/acct-login.asp (see non-subscriber button).
County records for (fictitious) company name filings may also yield a bit of information.
Occupational licensing boards govern many industries/occupations. Clues to possible issues with a small company may be gleaned by reviewing state licensing requirements.
Many insurance companies are private. State insurance departments have financial information on these companies.
Need to know the political campaign expenditures or lobbyists of a company?
Violation Tracker is the first national search engine on corporate misconduct. It covers banking, consumer protection, false claims, environmental, wage & hour, unfair labor practice, health, safety, employment discrimination, price-fixing, bribery and other cases initiated by 43 federal regulatory agencies and the Justice Department since 2000.
California's WARN website.
Search cases and settlements by company name.
Search by company name to see what their patents are.
Private companies going public file Form S-1 with the SEC which can include many details.