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Getting Started
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Connecting AI Tools

Set up the Crunchbase MCP server in your AI tool of choice.

Every section below follows the same pattern: add the connector, sign in with your Crunchbase account, and run a test prompt to verify.

Before you start, you'll need a Crunchbase account with MCP access. See Getting Started with MCP if you're not sure whether you have it.

The server details are the same for every client:

  • Name: Crunchbase
  • Remote MCP server URL: https://mcp.crunchbase.com

Claude (web and desktop)

You can add the Crunchbase MCP server even if you are on a free Claude plan.

  1. Add the connector. In Claude, open Customize → Connectors, click Add, then choose Add custom connector. Enter the following:

    • Name: Crunchbase
    • Remote MCP server URL: https://mcp.crunchbase.com

  2. Sign in. Click Connect in Claude. Your browser will open a Crunchbase sign-in page. Sign in and choose Allow to approve the connection.

  3. Always allow read-only tools. Once the Crunchbase MCP server is connected, choose Always allow next to Read-only tools. This ensures you don't have to manually approve each time Claude wants to use Crunchbase data.

  4. Run a test prompt. Start a new chat and ask:

    What is Anthropic's total funding to date, and who led their most recent round?

    You should get an answer with specific figures drawn from Crunchbase, and Claude will show that it called Crunchbase tools to get them.

The connector is tied to your Claude account, so once added it is available in Claude on the web, the desktop app, and the mobile apps.

Claude Team and Enterprise: workspace admins may need to enable custom connectors before members can add them, or may add the Crunchbase connector organization-wide so individual users skip step 1. If you don't see the option to add a connector, contact your Claude workspace admin.

Claude Code

Claude Code connects to remote MCP servers from the command line.

  1. Add the server. In your terminal, run:

    claude mcp add --transport http crunchbase https://mcp.crunchbase.com

    By default this makes the server available to you in the current project. Add --scope user to make it available across all your projects, or --scope project to share it with your team via a committed .mcp.json file.

  2. Sign in. Start a Claude Code session and run /mcp. Select crunchbase and follow the authentication prompt. Your browser opens the Crunchbase sign-in page; sign in and choose Allow.

  3. Run a test prompt. In the session, ask:

    What is Anthropic's total funding to date, and who led their most recent round?

If the Crunchbase tools don't appear after connecting, run /mcp inside the session to reconnect, or claude mcp get crunchbase to check the connection status.

ChatGPT

Custom MCP servers in ChatGPT are called plugins and require Developer Mode, which is available on paid plans.

  1. Enable Developer Mode. In ChatGPT on the web, open Settings → Plugins, click Developer mode, and turn on Developer mode.

  2. Add the plugin. Go to Plugins and click the + icon next to the search bar. Enter the following:

    • Name: Crunchbase
    • MCP server URL: https://mcp.crunchbase.com
    • Authentication: OAuth

    Acknowledge the third-party app notice and click Create.

  3. Sign in. Click "Sign in with Crunchbase". ChatGPT opens a Crunchbase sign-in window. Make sure popups aren't blocked. Sign in and choose Allow to approve the connection. ChatGPT scans the available Crunchbase tools and completes the setup.

  4. Run a test prompt. Start a new chat, confirm the Crunchbase app is enabled for the conversation, and ask:

    What is Anthropic's total funding to date, and who led their most recent round?

    You should get an answer with specific figures drawn from Crunchbase, and ChatGPT will show that it called Crunchbase tools to get them.

The app is scoped to your ChatGPT account.

ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Edu: a workspace admin must enable Developer Mode under Workspace Settings → Permissions & Roles before members can create apps. Admins can also create the Crunchbase app once and publish it to the workspace so individual users skip steps 1 and 2.

VS Code (GitHub Copilot Chat)

VS Code connects to remote MCP servers and makes their tools available in Copilot Chat's Agent mode. You'll need VS Code with the GitHub Copilot extension installed and signed in.

  1. Add the server. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux) and run MCP: Add Server. Then:

    • Select HTTP as the server type.
    • Enter the server URL: https://mcp.crunchbase.com
    • Enter a name: Crunchbase
    • Choose Global to make the server available in all your projects, or Workspace to share it with your team via a committed .vscode/mcp.json file.

    When prompted, confirm that you trust the server to start it.

  2. Sign in. When VS Code prompts that the server wants to authenticate, click Allow. Your browser opens the Crunchbase sign-in page; sign in and choose Allow to approve the connection.

  3. Run a test prompt. Open the Chat view, switch to Agent mode in the mode picker, and ask:

    What is Anthropic's total funding to date, and who led their most recent round?

    Copilot shows a confirmation dialog before its first Crunchbase tool call. Use the Allow dropdown to approve it for the session or for all future invocations, so you don't have to approve each call manually.

If the Crunchbase tools don't appear, confirm Copilot Chat is in Agent mode (tool calling only works there), then run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette, select crunchbase, and choose Show Output to check the connection logs.

If you prefer to configure the server by hand, add this to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace:

{
  "servers": {
    "crunchbase": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.crunchbase.com"
    }
  }
}

Note: VS Code uses a root key of servers. Configs copied from other tools that use mcpServers will fail silently.

Other MCP clients

Any client that implements the current MCP specification can connect:

  • Endpoint: https://mcp.crunchbase.com
  • Transport: Streamable HTTP
  • Authentication: OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. Sign-in uses your Crunchbase account, and your account must have MCP access.

Clients that support Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD) connect directly, with no registration required. Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) is not supported.

Pre-registered OAuth clients

If your client does not support CIMD, or you are building a custom integration, Crunchbase can register OAuth clients for your workspace. You can have multiple registered clients.

  1. Contact your Customer Success Manager to request an OAuth client registration.
  2. Provide your callback URL. This is the redirect URL your client or platform uses to complete the OAuth flow; you'll find it in your client's MCP or connection settings.
  3. Retrieve your credentials. Once your CSM confirms the registration, your client_id and client_secret are available in Crunchbase under Settings → Integrations → MCP.
  4. Configure your client. Enter the client_id and client_secret into your client's connection settings, along with the endpoint above.

Treat the client_secret like a password: don't share it or commit it to source control. If a secret is compromised, contact your CSM to rotate it.

If your client connects but tool calls fail with an authorization error, complete the OAuth flow in a browser when prompted; the server does not accept unauthenticated requests.

Perplexity

Perplexity connects to the Crunchbase MCP server using pre-registered OAuth credentials, so setup has two parts: obtaining credentials from Crunchbase, then adding the connector in Perplexity.

  1. Get your OAuth credentials. Contact your Crunchbase Customer Success Manager to request an OAuth client registration (see Pre-registered OAuth clients). Provide this callback URL:

    https://www.perplexity.ai/rest/connections/oauth_callback

    If your organization uses the Perplexity Enterprise subdomain, provide this one instead:

    https://enterprise.perplexity.ai/rest/connections/oauth_callback

    Once your CSM confirms the registration, retrieve your client_id and client_secret from Crunchbase under Settings → Integrations → MCP.

  2. Add the connector. In Perplexity, open Account settings → Connectors, click + Custom connector in the top-right corner, and select Remote. Enter the following:

    • Name: Crunchbase
    • MCP Server URL: https://mcp.crunchbase.com
    • Authentication: OAuth, then enter your Client ID and Client Secret
    • Transport: Streamable HTTP

    Check the acknowledgement box and click Add.

  3. Sign in. On the Connectors screen, click the Crunchbase connector card to start the authentication flow. Sign in with your Crunchbase account and choose Allow to approve the connection.

  4. Run a test prompt. Start a new thread, click the + icon in the composer, confirm Crunchbase is selected under Connectors and sources, and ask:

    What is Anthropic's total funding to date, and who led their most recent round?

    You should get an answer with specific figures drawn from Crunchbase, cited as coming from the connector.

Perplexity Enterprise: members can add custom connectors only if an admin has enabled Allow members to add custom connectors under Enterprise settings → Connectors (it is off by default). Admins can instead add the Crunchbase connector organization-wide and either authenticate once on behalf of the organization or require each member to sign in individually.

Mistral Vibe

Vibe connects to the Crunchbase MCP server using pre-registered OAuth credentials, so setup has two parts: obtaining credentials from Crunchbase, then adding the connector in Vibe. Custom connectors in Vibe require administrator privileges; on Free, Pro, and Student plans, the account owner is the administrator by default.

  1. Get your OAuth credentials. Contact your Crunchbase Customer Success Manager to request an OAuth client registration (see Pre-registered OAuth clients). Provide Vibe's callback URL.

  2. Once your CSM confirms the registration, retrieve your client_id and client_secret from Crunchbase under Settings → Integrations → MCP.

  3. Add the connector. In Vibe, open the side panel, expand Context, and click Connectors. Click + Add Connector and switch to the Custom MCP Connector tab. Enter the following:

    • Connector name: Crunchbase
    • Server URL: https://mcp.crunchbase.com

  4. Enter your credentials. Vibe will auto-detect OAuth 2.1 as the authentication method, then prompt you for OAuth client credentials. Enter your Client ID and Client Secret.

  5. Sign in. Complete the sign-in flow with your Crunchbase account and choose Allow to approve the connection. The connector appears in your organization's connector list, ready to be enabled by your team; each user signs in with their own Crunchbase account on first use.

  6. Pre-authorize read functions. Open Connectors → My Connectors, click the Crunchbase connector card, and open the Functions tab. Toggle Always Allow for the read functions so you don't have to approve each call manually.

  7. Run a test prompt. Start a new chat, open the Connectors menu, confirm Crunchbase is enabled, and ask:

    What is Anthropic's total funding to date, and who led their most recent round?

    You should get an answer with specific figures drawn from Crunchbase, and Vibe will show that it called Crunchbase tools to get them.

Next steps


Updated about 6 hours ago

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