diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-schema.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-schema.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..155ad89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-schema.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+name: Validate Data Against Schema
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - develop
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - develop
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  validate:
+    name: Validate YAML files against schema
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: '20'
+
+      - name: Install ajv-cli
+        run: npm install -g ajv-cli
+
+      - name: Convert YAML files to JSON for validation
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y python3 python3-pip python3-yaml
+          python3 << 'EOF'
+          import yaml
+          import json
+          import os
+          from pathlib import Path
+
+          def convert_yaml_to_json(source_dir, output_dir):
+            """Recursively convert YAML files to JSON."""
+            source_path = Path(source_dir)
+            output_path = Path(output_dir)
+            output_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+            yaml_files = list(source_path.rglob('*.yaml')) + list(source_path.rglob('*.yml'))
+
+            for yaml_file in yaml_files:
+              try:
+                with open(yaml_file, 'r') as f:
+                  data = yaml.safe_load(f)
+
+                # Preserve directory structure
+                relative_path = yaml_file.relative_to(source_path)
+                json_file = output_path / relative_path.with_suffix('.json')
+
+                json_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+                with open(json_file, 'w') as f:
+                  json.dump(data, f, indent=2)
+
+                print(f"Converted: {relative_path}")
+              except Exception as e:
+                print(f"Error converting {yaml_file}: {e}")
+                raise
+
+          convert_yaml_to_json('index', '.validation-temp')
+
+          # Also convert schema.yaml if it exists
+          if os.path.exists('schema.yaml'):
+            import yaml
+            with open('schema.yaml', 'r') as f:
+              schema_data = yaml.safe_load(f)
+            with open('.validation-temp/schema-from-yaml.json', 'w') as f:
+              json.dump({'yaml': schema_data}, f, indent=2)
+
+          print("Conversion complete!")
+          EOF
+
+      - name: Validate JSON files against schema
+        run: |
+          # Find all JSON files and validate them
+          find .validation-temp/index -name '*.json' -type f | while read -r file; do
+            echo "Validating: $file"
+            ajv validate \
+              -s schemas/startup.schema.json \
+              -d "$file" \
+              --errors=text || {
+              echo "::error file=$file::Validation failed for $file"
+              exit 1
+            }
+          done
+          echo "All files validated successfully!"
+
+      - name: Cleanup
+        if: always()
+        run: rm -rf .validation-temp
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41d286a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,350 @@
+# Contributing to Open Intelligence Index
+
+Thank you for your interest in contributing to the Open Intelligence Index! This document provides guidelines and instructions for contributing.
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Code of Conduct](#code-of-conduct)
+- [Getting Started](#getting-started)
+- [How to Contribute](#how-to-contribute)
+- [Adding a New Entry](#adding-a-new-entry)
+- [Updating Existing Entries](#updating-existing-entries)
+- [Schema Guidelines](#schema-guidelines)
+- [Data Quality Standards](#data-quality-standards)
+- [Pull Request Process](#pull-request-process)
+- [Developer Setup](#developer-setup)
+
+## Code of Conduct
+
+- Be respectful and inclusive
+- Provide constructive feedback
+- Assume good intentions
+- Focus on what is best for the community
+
+## Getting Started
+
+1. **Fork the repository** on GitHub
+2. **Clone your fork** locally:
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/open-intelligence-index.git
+   cd open-intelligence-index
+   ```
+3. **Add the upstream remote**:
+   ```bash
+   git remote add upstream https://github.com/shaharia-lab/open-intelligence-index.git
+   ```
+4. **Create a new branch** for your contribution:
+   ```bash
+   git checkout -b feature/add-company-name
+   ```
+
+## How to Contribute
+
+### Types of Contributions
+
+| Type | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| **New Entries** | Add new startups, companies, or entities to the index |
+| **Updates** | Correct or enhance existing entries |
+| **Bug Fixes** | Fix data errors or validation issues |
+| **Documentation** | Improve README, schemas, or guides |
+| **Schema** | Propose new schemas or schema improvements |
+
+### What We're Looking For
+
+- Accurate, verifiable information
+- Properly formatted entries following the schema
+- Descriptions that are neutral and factual
+- Coverage of underrepresented regions/sectors
+
+## Adding a New Entry
+
+### Step 1: Verify the Company Doesn't Exist
+
+Search the repository to avoid duplicates:
+```bash
+grep -r "Company Name" index/
+```
+
+### Step 2: Determine the Entry Type
+
+Currently supported:
+- **Startups/Companies** → `index/startups/`
+
+### Step 3: Create the File
+
+1. **Navigate to the appropriate country directory**:
+   ```
+   index/startups/<country-code>/
+   ```
+
+2. **Create the YAML file**:
+   - Filename: `company-name.yaml` (lowercase, hyphenated)
+   - Must match the `id` field in the file
+
+### Step 4: Fill in the Entry
+
+```yaml
+# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shaharia-lab/open-intelligence-index/main/schemas/startup.schema.json
+
+id: company-name
+name: "Company Name"
+website: "https://example.com"
+logo_url: "https://example.com/logo.png"
+founded_year: 2020
+description: "A short, one-sentence pitch."
+long_description: |
+  A longer paragraph explaining what they do, their unique selling point,
+  and their core technology.
+
+industries:
+  - "Industry Category"
+  - "Another Category"
+
+technologies:
+  - "AI Technology"
+  - "Another Technology"
+
+headquarters:
+  city: "City Name"
+  country_code: "US"  # ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
+  region: "California"
+
+funding:
+  total_raised_usd: 10000000
+  last_round: "Series A"
+  investors:
+    - "Investor Name"
+    - "Another Investor"
+
+open_source:
+  active: true
+  github_org: "https://github.com/company"
+  huggingface_org: "https://huggingface.co/company"
+
+socials:
+  linkedin: "https://linkedin.com/company/company"
+  twitter: "https://twitter.com/company"
+```
+
+### Step 5: Required Fields
+
+| Field | Type | Required |
+|-------|------|----------|
+| `id` | string | Yes |
+| `name` | string | Yes |
+| `website` | URL | Yes |
+| `founded_year` | integer | Yes |
+| `description` | string | Yes |
+| `industries` | array | Yes |
+| `technologies` | array | Yes |
+| `headquarters.city` | string | Yes |
+| `headquarters.country_code` | string | Yes |
+
+### Step 6: Validation
+
+The CI pipeline will automatically validate your entry. You can also validate locally:
+
+```bash
+# Using Python
+pip install pyyaml jsonschema
+
+python3 << 'EOF'
+import yaml
+import jsonschema
+import json
+
+# Load schema
+with open('schemas/startup.schema.json', 'r') as f:
+    schema = json.load(f)
+
+# Load your entry
+with open('index/startups/us/company.yaml', 'r') as f:
+    entry = yaml.safe_load(f)
+
+# Validate
+jsonschema.validate(instance=entry, schema=schema)
+print("Validation passed!")
+EOF
+```
+
+## Updating Existing Entries
+
+1. Find the file you want to update
+2. Make your changes
+3. Ensure the schema still validates
+4. Submit a PR with a clear description of what changed
+
+### Example Update PR Title
+
+```
+Update funding information for OpenAI (2024 Series D)
+Fix website URL for Anthropic
+Add technologies field to DeepMind entry
+```
+
+## Schema Guidelines
+
+### Field Guidelines
+
+| Field | Best Practice |
+|-------|---------------|
+| `id` | Use lowercase, hyphenated format; must match filename |
+| `name` | Use official legal or trading name |
+| `country_code` | Use ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 (e.g., DE, GB, US, JP) |
+| `total_raised_usd` | Use integer, convert from other currencies |
+| `description` | Keep to one sentence; neutral and factual |
+| `industries` | Use standard industry categories |
+| `technologies` | Use recognized technology terms |
+
+### Common Country Codes
+
+| Country | Code |
+|---------|------|
+| United States | US |
+| United Kingdom | GB |
+| Germany | DE |
+| France | FR |
+| Japan | JP |
+| China | CN |
+| Canada | CA |
+| India | IN |
+| Brazil | BR |
+| Australia | AU |
+
+### Industry Categories
+
+Suggested industry categories (not exhaustive):
+- Artificial Intelligence
+- Enterprise Software
+- Healthcare
+- Finance
+- Manufacturing
+- Robotics
+- Automotive
+- E-commerce
+- Cybersecurity
+- Education
+
+## Data Quality Standards
+
+### Accuracy
+
+- Verify information from official sources
+- Provide accurate funding amounts (convert to USD)
+- Use official company names and URLs
+
+### Neutrality
+
+- Write neutral, factual descriptions
+- Avoid marketing language or hype
+- Don't include subjective assessments
+
+### Completeness
+
+- Fill all required fields
+- Include optional fields when available
+- Add sources for significant claims
+
+### Timeliness
+
+- Update outdated information
+- Add recent funding rounds
+- Correct changed URLs or status
+
+## Pull Request Process
+
+### 1. Create Your Branch
+
+Use a descriptive branch name:
+```bash
+git checkout -b add/openai-us
+git checkout -b update/anthropic-funding
+git checkout -b fix/deepmind-url
+```
+
+### 2. Commit Your Changes
+
+Use clear commit messages:
+```bash
+git commit -m "Add OpenAI (United States)"
+git commit -m "Update Anthropic funding to $4B"
+git commit -m "Fix broken URL in DeepMind entry"
+```
+
+### 3. Push and Create PR
+
+```bash
+git push origin add/openai-us
+```
+
+Then create a Pull Request on GitHub with:
+- **Title**: Clear and descriptive
+- **Description**: What you changed and why
+- **References**: Sources for new information (optional but helpful)
+
+### 4. Review Process
+
+- The CI pipeline will run validation
+- Maintainers will review your PR
+- Address any feedback requested
+- Once approved, your PR will be merged
+
+### PR Checklist
+
+Before submitting, ensure:
+
+- [ ] Entry follows the schema
+- [ ] No merge conflicts with upstream
+- [ ] Commit messages are clear
+- [ ] PR title and description are informative
+- [ ] You've tested validation (if applicable)
+
+## Developer Setup
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- Python 3.8+
+- Git
+- A text editor with YAML support
+
+### Validation Script (Optional)
+
+Create a local validation script:
+
+```bash
+# scripts/validate.py
+import sys
+import yaml
+import json
+import jsonschema
+from pathlib import Path
+
+def validate_file(yaml_file, schema_file):
+    with open(schema_file, 'r') as f:
+        schema = json.load(f)
+    with open(yaml_file, 'r') as f:
+        data = yaml.safe_load(f)
+    jsonschema.validate(instance=data, schema=schema)
+    print(f"✓ {yaml_file} is valid")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+        print("Usage: python scripts/validate.py <yaml-file>")
+        sys.exit(1)
+    validate_file(sys.argv[1], "schemas/startup.schema.json")
+```
+
+## Getting Help
+
+- **Issues**: Open a GitHub issue for bugs or questions
+- **Discussions**: Use GitHub Discussions for general questions
+- **Existing PRs**: Review and comment on open PRs
+
+## Recognition
+
+Contributors are recognized in:
+- The project's contributor list
+- Release notes (for significant contributions)
+
+Thank you for contributing to the Open Intelligence Index!
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41f1d82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2025 Open Intelligence Index Contributors
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ab874a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,206 @@
+# Open Intelligence Index
+
+<div align="center">
+
+**A comprehensive, open-source index of AI products, services, startups, businesses, and more.**
+
+[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
+[![GitHub](https://img.shields.io/badge-GitHub-Open%20Source-blue.svg)](https://github.com/shaharia-lab/open-intelligence-index)
+[![Contributions Welcome](https://img.shields.io/badge/Contributions-Welcome-brightgreen.svg)](CONTRIBUTING.md)
+
+[Features](#-features) &bull; [Directory Structure](#-directory-structure) &bull; [Contributing](#-contributing) &bull; [License](#-license)
+
+</div>
+
+---
+
+## About
+
+The **Open Intelligence Index** is a crowdsourced, centralized repository documenting the global AI landscape. Our mission is to create the most comprehensive, accessible, and well-structured index of AI companies, products, services, and startups worldwide.
+
+Unlike proprietary databases, this index is:
+- **Free** - Completely open source under the MIT License
+- **Collaborative** - Anyone can contribute and improve the data
+- **Structured** - All entries follow defined schemas for consistency
+- **Accessible** - Human-readable YAML format, machine-parsable JSON Schema
+
+## Features
+
+- Structured data with JSON Schema validation
+- GitHub Actions CI for automatic validation
+- IDE auto-completion via YAML Language Server
+- Geographic and categorical organization
+- Open source and developer-friendly
+
+## Directory Structure
+
+```
+open-intelligence-index/
+├── schemas/                  # JSON Schema definitions
+│   └── startup.schema.json   # Schema for startup entries
+├── index/                    # Main data directory
+│   └── startups/             # Startup/company index
+│       └── germany/          # Country-based organization
+│           └── aleph-alpha.yaml
+├── .github/
+│   └── workflows/
+│       └── validate-schema.yml  # CI validation pipeline
+├── schema.yaml               # Human-readable schema reference
+├── CONTRIBUTING.md           # Contribution guidelines
+├── LICENSE                   # MIT License
+└── README.md                 # This file
+```
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### For Contributors
+
+1. **Fork and clone** the repository
+2. **Create a new branch** for your addition
+3. **Add your entry** following the schema (see [Adding a New Entry](#adding-a-new-entry))
+4. **Submit a Pull Request**
+
+### For Users
+
+You can use this index in your projects by:
+- Parsing the YAML files directly
+- Converting to JSON for API usage
+- Building custom queries and filters
+
+## Adding a New Entry
+
+### Adding a Startup Entry
+
+1. **Navigate to the appropriate directory** based on the company's location:
+   ```bash
+   cd index/startups/<country-code>/
+   ```
+
+2. **Create a new YAML file** named after the company (use lowercase, hyphenated):
+   ```bash
+   # Example: For "DeepMind" in the UK
+   touch index/startups/gb/deepmind.yaml
+   ```
+
+3. **Add the schema reference** at the top (enables IDE validation):
+   ```yaml
+   # yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shaharia-lab/open-intelligence-index/main/schemas/startup.schema.json
+   ```
+
+4. **Fill in the required fields**:
+   ```yaml
+   id: deepmind
+   name: "DeepMind"
+   website: "https://deepmind.com"
+   founded_year: 2010
+   description: "A leading AI research company focused on solving intelligence."
+   industries:
+     - "Artificial Intelligence"
+     - "Research"
+   technologies:
+     - "Deep Learning"
+     - "Reinforcement Learning"
+   headquarters:
+     city: "London"
+     country_code: "GB"
+   ```
+
+5. **Optional fields** include `logo_url`, `long_description`, `funding`, `open_source`, and `socials`.
+
+6. **Validate locally** (optional):
+   ```bash
+   # Install Python dependencies
+   pip install pyyaml jsonschema
+
+   # Validate your file
+   python scripts/validate.py index/startups/gb/deepmind.yaml
+   ```
+
+7. **Commit and create a PR**:
+   ```bash
+   git add index/startups/gb/deepmind.yaml
+   git commit -m "Add DeepMind (UK)"
+   git push origin add-deepmind
+   ```
+
+### Schema Validation
+
+All entries are automatically validated against the schema when you submit a PR. The CI pipeline will:
+- Convert YAML to JSON
+- Validate against `schemas/startup.schema.json`
+- Report any validation errors
+
+## Schemas
+
+Each index type has its own schema definition in the `schemas/` directory:
+
+| Schema | Description | Status |
+|--------|-------------|--------|
+| `startup.schema.json` | Startup/Company entries | Active |
+| `product.schema.json` | AI Product entries | Planned |
+| `service.schema.json` | AI Service entries | Planned |
+
+## Contributing
+
+We welcome contributions from everyone! Please read our [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for detailed guidelines.
+
+### Types of Contributions
+
+- Add new startup/company entries
+- Update existing entries with new information
+- Fix errors or outdated data
+- Improve documentation
+- Propose new schemas for additional index types
+- Report bugs or suggest improvements
+
+### Code of Conduct
+
+Be respectful, constructive, and inclusive. We aim to maintain a welcoming community for all contributors.
+
+## Disclaimer
+
+**THE DATA IN THIS INDEX IS PROVIDED "AS IS" FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.**
+
+- **Accuracy**: While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee the completeness or correctness of all information. Companies change frequently, and data may become outdated.
+- **Not Investment Advice**: This index should not be used as the basis for investment decisions. Always conduct your own due diligence.
+- **Not Endorsement**: Inclusion in this index does not constitute an endorsement of any company, product, or service.
+- **No Affiliation**: This project is not affiliated with any company listed herein.
+
+## Data Sources
+
+Data is crowdsourced from:
+- Community contributions
+- Publicly available information
+- Company websites and press releases
+- Public databases and news sources
+
+## Roadmap
+
+- [ ] Add product index schema
+- [ ] Add service index schema
+- [ ] Add investor/VC index schema
+- [ ] Add search API/web interface
+- [ ] Add data freshness indicators
+- [ ] Add automated data enrichment
+
+## License
+
+This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
+
+## Acknowledgments
+
+- All contributors who help build and maintain this index
+- The open-source community for tools and inspiration
+- Companies making the AI landscape more transparent
+
+---
+
+<div align="center">
+
+**Got questions?** Open an issue or start a discussion.
+
+**Ready to contribute?** Check out [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md)
+
+Made with by the Open Intelligence Index community
+
+</div>
diff --git a/index/startups/germany/aleph-alpha.yaml b/index/startups/germany/aleph-alpha.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1e506e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/index/startups/germany/aleph-alpha.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shaharia-lab/open-intelligence-index/main/schemas/startup.schema.json
+
+id: aleph-alpha
+name: "Aleph Alpha"
+website: "https://aleph-alpha.de"
+logo_url: "https://aleph-alpha.de/assets/logo.png"
+founded_year: 2019
+description: "Developing sovereign, industrial-grade Large Language Models and Generative AI for the European market."
+long_description: |
+  Aleph Alpha researches and operationalizes large-scale AI models for language, 
+  image data, and strategy. They focus on data sovereignty and explainability, 
+  serving the B2B and government sectors as a European alternative to US-based models. 
+  Their "Luminous" family of models is designed for critical enterprise environments.
+
+industries:
+  - "Enterprise Software"
+  - "Government"
+technologies:
+  - "Generative AI"
+  - "LLM"
+  - "Multimodal"
+
+headquarters:
+  city: "Heidelberg"
+  country_code: "DE"
+  region: "Baden-Württemberg"
+
+funding:
+  total_raised_usd: 533000000
+  last_round: "Series B"
+  investors:
+    - "Earlybird"
+    - "UVC Partners"
+    - "Bosch"
+    - "SAP"
+
+open_source:
+  active: true
+  github_org: "https://github.com/Aleph-Alpha"
+  huggingface_org: "https://huggingface.co/Aleph-Alpha"
+
+socials:
+  linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-alpha/"
+  twitter: "https://twitter.com/Aleph__Alpha"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/schema.yaml b/schema.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 258f224..0000000
--- a/schema.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-id: unique_slug_name          # e.g., aleph-alpha (matches filename)
-name: "Company Name"          # Legal or Trading Name
-website: "https://..."        # Homepage URL
-logo_url: "https://..."       # Path to logo (remote or local)
-founded_year: 2019            # YYYY
-description: "A short, one-sentence pitch."
-long_description: | # Multi-line description
-  A longer paragraph explaining what they do, their unique selling point,
-  and their core technology.
-
-# Classification for Filtering
-industries:                   # Primary vertical focus
-  - "Enterprise Software"
-  - "Manufacturing"
-technologies:                 # Core AI tech used
-  - "LLM"
-  - "Computer Vision"
-  - "Robotics"
-
-# Location Details
-headquarters:
-  city: "Heidelberg"
-  country_code: "DE"
-  region: "Baden-Württemberg" # Helpful for regional analysis (e.g. Cyber Valley)
-
-# Financials (Optional but valuable)
-funding:
-  total_raised_usd: 533000000 # Integers are easier to sort than strings
-  last_round: "Series B"
-  investors:                  # Key backers
-    - "Earlybird"
-    - "UVC Partners"
-    - "Schwarz Gruppe"
-
-# Open Source / Developer Angle (Since you are building an Open Index)
-open_source:
-  active: true                # do they have open source repos?
-  github_org: "https://github.com/xxx"
-  huggingface_org: "https://huggingface.co/xxxx"
-
-# Socials
-socials:
-  linkedin: "https://..."
-  twitter: "https://..."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/schemas/startup.schema.json b/schemas/startup.schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3dbeb48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/schemas/startup.schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "$id": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shaharia-lab/open-intelligence-index/main/schemas/startup.schema.json",
+  "title": "Open Intelligence Index - Startup Schema",
+  "description": "Schema for indexing AI products, services, startups, and businesses. This schema defines the structure for company profile entries in the Open Intelligence Index.",
+  "type": "object",
+  "required": ["id", "name", "website", "founded_year", "description", "industries", "technologies", "headquarters"],
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "Unique slug identifier (e.g., 'aleph-alpha'). Should match the filename.",
+      "pattern": "^[a-z0-9-]+$"
+    },
+    "name": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "Legal or Trading Name of the company."
+    },
+    "website": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "Homepage URL.",
+      "format": "uri",
+      "pattern": "^https?://"
+    },
+    "logo_url": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "Path to logo (remote or local).",
+      "format": "uri"
+    },
+    "founded_year": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "description": "Year the company was founded (YYYY format).",
+      "minimum": 1900,
+      "maximum": 2100
+    },
+    "description": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "A short, one-sentence pitch describing the company."
+    },
+    "long_description": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "A longer paragraph explaining what they do, their unique selling point, and their core technology."
+    },
+    "industries": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "Primary vertical focus areas for filtering and categorization.",
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "minItems": 1
+    },
+    "technologies": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "Core AI technologies used or developed.",
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "minItems": 1
+    },
+    "headquarters": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "description": "Location details of company headquarters.",
+      "required": ["city", "country_code"],
+      "properties": {
+        "city": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "City where the company is headquartered."
+        },
+        "country_code": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g., 'DE' for Germany, 'US' for United States).",
+          "pattern": "^[A-Z]{2}$"
+        },
+        "region": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "State, province, or region (helpful for regional analysis, e.g., 'Baden-Württemberg', 'California')."
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "funding": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "description": "Financial information about the company.",
+      "properties": {
+        "total_raised_usd": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "description": "Total funding raised in USD (use integers for easier sorting).",
+          "minimum": 0
+        },
+        "last_round": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "Last funding round (e.g., 'Series B', 'Seed')."
+        },
+        "investors": {
+          "type": "array",
+          "description": "Key backers and investors.",
+          "items": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "open_source": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "description": "Open source presence and activity.",
+      "properties": {
+        "active": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "description": "Whether the company has open source repositories."
+        },
+        "github_org": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "GitHub organization URL.",
+          "format": "uri",
+          "pattern": "^https://github\\.com/"
+        },
+        "huggingface_org": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "HuggingFace organization URL.",
+          "format": "uri",
+          "pattern": "^https://huggingface\\.co/"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "socials": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "description": "Social media links.",
+      "properties": {
+        "linkedin": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "LinkedIn company page URL.",
+          "format": "uri",
+          "pattern": "^https://"
+        },
+        "twitter": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "Twitter/X profile URL.",
+          "format": "uri",
+          "pattern": "^https://"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}