Company Research

Company Research

Core Rules

• Prefer Exa advanced web search when available. In Claude this is commonly mcp__exa__web_search_advanced_exa; in Codex/OpenClaw use the configured Exa MCP search tool or the host's web-search tool.
• Do not use weaker/basic Exa search tools when an advanced Exa search tool is available.
• Keep raw search noise out of the final answer. Work from distilled notes, merged entities, and citations.
• Use independent research passes only when the host supports them and the user/task policy allows them; otherwise run compact searches sequentially and summarize after each batch.
• Cite primary or high-quality sources for factual claims, especially current facts such as funding, revenue, executives, headcount, product launches, and pricing.

Research Workflow

1. Clarify scope if needed

   • Identify target company, geography, sector, time horizon, and requested depth.
   • If the user gives an ambiguous quantity, ask for the desired number of companies or choose a reasonable default and state it.

2. Plan query variants

   • Generate 2-3 phrasings per topic to improve coverage.
   • Include local-language terms for non-English markets.
   • Mix source intents: official company pages, news, databases, social profiles, and analyst/industry sources.

3. Run focused searches

   • Use company category for homepages and metadata when Exa supports categories.
   • Use news for press coverage, launches, funding, earnings, partnerships, and recent events.
   • Use people for public LinkedIn-style profiles and leadership discovery.
   • Use tweet or social search only for brand/social presence when relevant.

4. Merge and deduplicate

   • Normalize company names, domains, subsidiaries, and brands.
   • Separate confirmed facts from inference.
   • Flag uncertain or conflicting data instead of silently choosing one source.

5. Synthesize output

   • Produce the format the user asked for: brief, table, competitor map, JSON, or full report.
   • Include citations next to key claims.
   • End with gaps, assumptions, and recommended follow-up searches when evidence is incomplete.

Dynamic Search Depth

• "A few" / quick scan: 10-20 results total.
• Standard competitor/company brief: 20-50 results total.
• Comprehensive landscape: 50-100 results total across variants.
• User-specified number: match the requested number.
• If the search budget is constrained, prioritize official sites and recent reputable sources.

Output Patterns

Company Brief

Use this structure for single-company research:

markdownCopy code
## Company Snapshot
| Field | Finding | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Legal/brand name | ... | ... |
| Website | ... | ... |
| HQ / locations | ... | ... |
| Employees / scale | ... | ... |
| Funding / revenue | ... | ... |
| Products | ... | ... |

## Recent Signals
- ...

## Competitors
| Company | Why comparable | Differentiator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|

## Risks / Unknowns
- ...

Competitor List

Use this structure for market discovery:

markdownCopy code
| # | Company | Website | Category | Geography | Evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Confidence levels:

• High: official website plus an independent source.
• Medium: one strong source or multiple weaker sources.
• Low: partial match, outdated page, or inferred relevance.

Browser / Direct Page Fallback

Use Chrome MCP as the preferred browser fallback when the user has configured and sanitized it. Use browser or direct page access when:

• Search snippets are insufficient.
• Pages require JavaScript rendering.
• Pricing, product catalogs, or reviews must be verified directly.
• A source appears contradictory and needs manual inspection.

When using Chrome MCP, behave like a careful human browser user: record only distilled facts, page title, URL, publisher, accessed date, and confidence; do not persist cookies, credentials, private account data, or unrelated browsing history.