Altss vs Preqin vs Dakota: The Best LP Databases for Emerging Managers in 2025

Overview: Why LP Intelligence Tools Matter in 2025

In 2025, the fundraising landscape for emerging venture and private equity managers is more complex than ever. With institutional LPs tightening allocations and fundraising timelines stretching longer, many GPs are turning to alternative sources of capital—especially family offices, fund-of-funds, and HNWIs. To succeed, managers must move beyond outdated spreadsheets and generic contact lists. They need precise, verified, real-time data on which LPs are actively deploying capital, what strategies they back, and how to get in front of the right decision-makers.

That's where LP databases come in. Today, three tools dominate the conversation: Altss, Preqin, and Dakota. Each approaches LP discovery differently. This post compares their strengths, limitations, pricing, and use cases to help you choose the best platform for your 2025 raise.

1. Altss: Real-Time, OSINT-Powered LP Intelligence

Altss is a next-generation LP database built specifically for emerging fund managers. It’s powered by open-source intelligence (OSINT), enabling real-time tracking of LP mandates, allocator movements, and verified contact data. Unlike legacy databases, Altss updates its data continuously—with a full re-verification every 30 days. The result: 99.7%+ email deliverability and unmatched freshness.

Key Strengths

• Verified LP Contacts: Over 1.5 million LP profiles, including 6,000+ family offices and 150,000+ HNWIs/angels. All contacts are verified for deliverability, with zero bounces guaranteed.
• Real-Time Mandate Tracking: OSINT algorithms detect changes in LP strategy, hiring, geography, and interest areas. Users get alerts when LPs become active in new sectors or fund sizes.
• Family Office & Angel Visibility: Altss specializes in hard-to-find capital sources. Emerging managers can filter by check size, sector, ticket style (direct vs fund), and more.
• Relationship Mapping (Q4 2025): A coming feature that shows how LPs, GPs, and co-investors are connected—giving you warm intro paths.
• Built for Fundraising: Fast UI, clear filters, and a workflow designed around one goal: shortening the fundraising cycle.

Best For

Altss is purpose-built for emerging managers, solo GPs, and fund-of-one operators. If you’re targeting family offices, venture studios, or direct investors, Altss is the platform to beat.

2. Preqin: Legacy Institutional Intelligence at a Price

Preqin is the best-known name in alternatives data. It offers deep coverage of institutional LPs, fund performance benchmarks, and broad global allocator profiles. For large firms or data-heavy users, it remains a valuable resource—but it comes with trade-offs.

Key Strengths

• Extensive Historical Data: Fund-level IRRs, benchmarking tools, LP commitment history, and portfolio breakdowns.
• Institutional Focus: Broad coverage of pensions, endowments, sovereign funds, and insurers.
• Global Reach: Strong international dataset with thousands of allocator profiles across asset classes.

Key Limitations

• High Cost: Typical annual contracts range from $25,000–$50,000+, with per-seat fees and data restrictions.
• Outdated Contacts: Contact info is often stale or missing; many users supplement it manually or via other tools.
• Weak Outreach Workflow: Preqin is a research platform, not an outreach system—no verified email system or CRM-like interface.

Best For

Preqin is best suited to institutional IR teams, fund strategists, or analysts benchmarking performance. For emerging GPs, it's often too expensive and outdated for real-time use.

3. Dakota: CRM-Like LP Contact Tool with U.S. Focus

Dakota Marketplace takes a sales-enablement approach to LP sourcing. It's designed to help IR teams quickly build call lists and manage outreach—especially within the U.S. public plan and consultant ecosystem.

Key Strengths

• CRM-Style Workflow: Easy-to-use interface for contact discovery, meeting tracking, and outreach notes.
• Regular Updates: Contact data updated manually by in-house researchers; users get regular refreshes.
• U.S.-Focused Accuracy: Strong in U.S. pensions, foundations, endowments, and RIAs.

Key Limitations

• Limited Family Office Visibility: Only around 4,100 family offices, many with shallow profiles.
• No Mandate Tracking: Users must research investment strategy shifts separately.
• Add-On Costs: Additional fees per seat and for global or family office modules.

Best For

Dakota fits best for mid-sized PE and real estate IR teams doing high-volume outreach to U.S. allocators. It’s practical and fast, but lacks predictive or strategic depth.

4. Pricing Comparison (Narrative Format)

Altss offers a flat-rate pricing model at $15,500 per year, with unlimited user seats and access to all features. This includes mandate tracking, verified contacts, and deep family office coverage—making it particularly accessible to emerging managers and small teams.

Preqin, by contrast, operates on a tiered pricing structure that typically ranges from $25,000 to over $50,000 annually. It limits user access based on licensing, and many features are gated behind additional fees. For emerging GPs, this often places Preqin out of reach.

Dakota starts at $15,500 per year for the first user, with approximately $1,000 added per additional user. Certain modules—like global allocator data or detailed family office profiles—may require additional subscriptions, making costs less predictable as your team scales.

5. Verdict: Altss Is Built for the 2025 Fundraising Reality

Preqin and Dakota still serve valuable use cases—but neither is optimized for today’s emerging GP. Preqin is too expensive and static. Dakota is quick but shallow.

Altss combines the strengths of both—verified contact data, predictive allocation signals, and a modern UX—into one platform. It’s the only solution built from the ground up to help emerging managers:

• Find investors that are ready to commit
• Reach out with live, accurate contacts
• Build relationships through network intelligence (via Q4 graph feature)
• Track shifts in LP strategy and personnel

For U.S.-based fund managers targeting LPs in 2025, Altss is the only platform that shortens fundraising cycles while increasing your hit rate.

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