Introduction: Why CRM Enrichment Quality Matters More Than Ever
In the world of B2B sales, marketing, and compliance, the quality of your CRM data is directly tied to your ability to generate revenue, reduce risk, and scale operations. Yet despite the proliferation of enrichment tools, many businesses unknowingly rely on outdated or incomplete company data—leading to poor targeting, failed outreach, and compliance blind spots.
In fact, research Validity reports that poor data quality costs companies an average of $12.9 million annually. With these figures in mind, it's no surprise that CRM enrichment has become a critical investment for forward-thinking teams.
Among the most visible enrichment options for HubSpot users are HubSpot Breeze—a native feature that automatically adds basic firmographic data—and Global Database Enrichment, which integrates directly into CRMs but delivers verified, first-party data sourced from government registries across 100+ countries.
On the surface, both promise to “enrich” your CRM. But what does that really mean?
This article provides a side-by-side comparison of HubSpot Breeze and Global Database, using a real company profile—Arup—to show exactly what each tool delivers. From legal verification and financial data to ownership structure and contact intelligence, we’ll break down what’s included, what’s missing, and which solution offers the most value for companies that can’t afford to rely on guesswork.
What HubSpot Breeze Actually Provides
HubSpot Breeze is a built-in data enrichment feature designed to automatically populate company records within the HubSpot CRM. Its goal is to save time by filling in basic business information, helping teams avoid manual data entry and enabling quicker lead qualification.
For many users, it provides:
- Company name and domain
- Industry category (e.g., “Architecture Planning”)
- Estimated employee range
- Estimated annual revenue
- Auto-generated tags and keywords
- Linked social media accounts
- Short company descriptions
However, when evaluating a real example—Arup, a global engineering and design consultancy—it becomes clear that Breeze provides only surface-level context. Here are the key gaps:
- The company was incorrectly labeled as “Public,” despite being privately held.
- No registration number, legal form, or incorporation date was provided.
- Financials were limited to estimated revenue, with no access to filed data or supporting breakdowns.
- Shareholder, UBO, and group structure information were entirely missing.
- No indication of data sources, update frequency, or legal verification was available.
While this level of enrichment may be acceptable for early-stage outreach or high-level segmentation, it falls short for teams needing reliable data for compliance, risk assessment, or enterprise sales.
In essence, HubSpot Breeze is fast—but not forensic.
What Global Database Enrichment Provides
Global Database takes a fundamentally different approach to enrichment. Rather than relying on aggregated estimates from third parties, it sources its data directly from official government registries in over 100 countries. This first-party data ensures accuracy, traceability, and legal compliance—making it suitable not only for sales and marketing, but also for compliance, procurement, onboarding, and risk management use cases.
When enriching a company like Arup, Global Database provides:
Official company name as registered
Company registration number
Incorporation dat
Legal form and status (e.g., Private Limited Company, Active)
Registered country and address
✅ Filed Financial Information
Multi-year history of:
Turnover / Revenue
EBITDA
Income statement
Cashflow
Balance Sheet
Capital & Reserves
All financials are sourced from official business registries or national company filing portals, not estimates. This gives users confidence in the accuracy and audit trail of the data, especially when assessing creditworthiness, financial stability, or funding eligibility.
✅ Shareholders and UBOs
Global Database provides detailed ownership information, including:
Direct shareholders: Listed with percentage ownership where available
Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs): Individuals or entities that ultimately control the company
Ownership chain visibility: Understand indirect ownership and controlling interests
This level of transparency is critical for Know Your Business (KYB), anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, and onboarding of suppliers, customers, or partners in regulated industries.
✅ Group Structure
One of the key differentiators of Global Database is its ability to map a company’s full corporate structure, including:
Parent companies
Subsidiaries and sister entities
Cross-border legal entity connections
Global entity IDs where applicable
This allows users to assess risk exposure at the group level, identify hidden ownership relationships, or consolidate outreach across corporate families. For large multinational groups like Arup, this context is essential for compliance, supplier due diligence, or account-based selling.
✅ Industry Classification from Official Filings
Unlike auto-generated tags, Global Database assigns official SIC and NAICS codes as registered with the company’s local authorities. This makes segmentation, market analysis, and benchmarking significantly more accurate—especially across international markets where classification standards vary.
✅ Data Transparency and Control
Every data point is linked to an authoritative source
Update frequency is daily, not quarterly or annually
Delivered via API, bulk files, or integrated directly into HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and other platforms
In short, Global Database turns CRM enrichment into a trustworthy foundation for strategic growth, compliance, and data-driven decisions—far beyond what convenience-driven tools can offer.
Who Should Use What?
Choosing between HubSpot Breeze and Global Database Enrichment ultimately comes down to your company’s goals, regulatory environment, and data expectations. While both tools serve the purpose of enriching company records, they’re designed for very different use cases.
🟠 Use HubSpot Breeze if you need:
- Quick, lightweight enrichment for early-stage outreach
- Basic firmographics to segment leads or auto-fill CRM fields
- A no-effort, native solution directly within HubSpot
- You’re a startup or small business working with lower-risk clients
- Cost efficiency outweighs accuracy or compliance needs
Breeze is best for teams that are just getting started and need a fast way to enrich leads without implementing external systems or verifying every detail.
🔵 Use Global Database if you need:
- Verified data for due diligence, KYB, onboarding, or compliance
- A clear view into a company’s legal standing, ownership, or financial health
- Reliable data for credit checks, procurement vetting, or risk assessment
- To identify UBOs and parent-subsidiary relationships across jurisdictions
- To enrich large volumes of data via API, CRM integration, or bulk files
- You operate in regulated sectors (finance, fintech, legal, supply chain) or deal with enterprise clients
Global Database is purpose-built for teams that can’t afford blind spots—whether in compliance, sales strategy, or strategic partnerships.
