🚀 Getting Started
Three steps take you from a Compass account to your first API call. The API is in private beta; request access through your account. See Roadmap & Availability for status.
1. Create an API key
Sign in to Compass, open Settings, and go to the API tab. Generate a key and give it a label so you can recognize it later. The full key is shown once, so copy it and store it somewhere safe. See Authentication & API Keys.
2. Authenticate your request
Send the key as a bearer token on every request:
Authorization: Bearer ck_live_your_key_here
Compass checks the key on each call. No other login step is needed.
3. Make your first call
Ask the API who you are. The identity endpoint confirms your account, plan, and quota, and proves your key works end to end:
curl https://compass.mesa.so/api/v1/me \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ck_live_your_key_here"
A 200 with your account details means you are set. Walk through the response field by field in Your First Request.
What comes next
Once your key works, the same header reaches every data endpoint: people, projects, investors, and search. Those calls cost credits (5 each; /v1/me is free). Read the Endpoint Reference for the full surface and Pricing & Quotas for the credit model. Building an agent? See For AI Agents.