[notahacker]

Wouldn't it also be the case that well funded startups and super angels are much more likely to disclose sources and levels of funding to TechCrunch at an early stage for the PR than they were back when TC was a popular blog rather than a big-name publisher?

Presumably there are also some sort of editorial policies over what sort of startups merit inclusion in CrunchBase? The 2010 drop in startups covered by could easily be a reflection of reduced interest in covering smaller startups that don't effectively court TC and don't disclose relevant funding data.

[daniel_levine]

I'm not sure the amount or willingness of sources has changed that much since the AOL acquisition though it is possible.

But there is definitely a huge selection bias of contributors. People love to disclose when they invested in the hot startup and neglect to mention their big mistakes retroactively.

I suspect the biggest reason for the drop is just a smaller team and less commitment like the OP said. There has been a lot of headcount flux at TC for awhile and even more so since the AOL deal.