diff --git a/startupintel/config.py b/startupintel/config.py
index 9b4016e..e38037c 100644
--- a/startupintel/config.py
+++ b/startupintel/config.py
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     producthunt_token: str | None = None
     sec_edgar_user_agent: str = "StartupIntel contact@startupintel.io"
     app_store_api_key: str | None = None
+    linkedin_email: str | None = None
+    linkedin_password: str | None = None
 
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def _reject_insecure_defaults(self) -> "Settings":
diff --git a/startupintel/ingestion/linkedin.py b/startupintel/ingestion/linkedin.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e054cd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/startupintel/ingestion/linkedin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+"""LinkedIn connector for headcount and hiring data using Playwright."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from datetime import datetime
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from startupintel.config import get_settings
+from startupintel.ingestion.base import BaseConnector
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from playwright.async_api import Page, Browser
+
+
+class LinkedInConnector(BaseConnector):
+    """Connector for LinkedIn to fetch headcount and hiring signals."""
+
+    source_name = "linkedin"
+
+    def __init__(self, email: str | None = None, password: str | None = None):
+        self.email = email or get_settings().linkedin_email
+        self.password = password or get_settings().linkedin_password
+        self._browser: Browser | None = None
+
+    async def _get_browser(self):
+        """Get or create browser instance."""
+        if self._browser is None:
+            from playwright.async_api import async_playwright
+
+            playwright = await async_playwright().start()
+            self._browser = await playwright.chromium.launch(headless=True)
+        return self._browser
+
+    async def fetch(self, company_name: str) -> dict:
+        """Fetch company headcount data from LinkedIn."""
+        if not self.email or not self.password:
+            return {"found": False, "source": self.source_name, "error": "LinkedIn credentials not configured"}
+
+        browser = await self._get_browser()
+        context = await browser.new_context()
+        page = await context.new_page()
+
+        try:
+            # Login
+            await self._login(page)
+
+            # Search for company
+            company_data = await self._get_company_data(page, company_name)
+
+            await context.close()
+            return company_data
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            await context.close()
+            return {"found": False, "source": self.source_name, "error": str(e)}
+
+    async def _login(self, page: Page) -> None:
+        """Login to LinkedIn."""
+        await page.goto("https://www.linkedin.com/login")
+        await page.fill("#username", self.email)
+        await page.fill("#password", self.password)
+        await page.click("button[type='submit']")
+        await page.wait_for_load_state("networkidle")
+
+    async def _get_company_data(self, page: Page, company_name: str) -> dict:
+        """Get company data from LinkedIn."""
+        # Search for company
+        search_url = f"https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/companies/?keywords={company_name.replace(' ', '%20')}"
+        await page.goto(search_url)
+        await page.wait_for_load_state("networkidle")
+
+        # Try to find company link
+        try:
+            company_link = await page.locator(".search-results-container a[href*='/company/']").first.get_attribute("href")
+            if not company_link:
+                return {"found": False, "source": self.source_name}
+
+            # Navigate to company page
+            await page.goto(f"https://www.linkedin.com{company_link}")
+            await page.wait_for_load_state("networkidle")
+
+            # Extract data
+            headcount_text = await self._extract_headcount(page)
+            hiring_text = await self._extract_hiring_info(page)
+
+            # Parse headcount
+            headcount = self._parse_headcount(headcount_text)
+
+            return {
+                "found": True,
+                "source": self.source_name,
+                "company_name": company_name,
+                "headcount": headcount,
+                "headcount_text": headcount_text,
+                "hiring_text": hiring_text,
+                "scraped_at": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
+            }
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            return {"found": False, "source": self.source_name, "error": str(e)}
+
+    async def _extract_headcount(self, page: Page) -> str:
+        """Extract headcount information."""
+        try:
+            # Look for company size in the about section
+            about_link = await page.locator("a[href*='about']").first
+            if about_link:
+                await about_link.click()
+                await page.wait_for_load_state("networkidle")
+
+            # Try to find company size text
+            size_selectors = [
+                "text=/\\d+.*employees/i",
+                "[data-test-id='about-company-size']",
+                ".company-size-text",
+            ]
+
+            for selector in size_selectors:
+                try:
+                    element = await page.locator(selector).first
+                    text = await element.text_content()
+                    if text:
+                        return text.strip()
+                except Exception:
+                    continue
+
+            return ""
+        except Exception:
+            return ""
+
+    async def _extract_hiring_info(self, page: Page) -> str:
+        """Extract hiring information."""
+        try:
+            # Look for jobs link
+            jobs_link = await page.locator("a[href*='jobs']").first
+            if jobs_link:
+                # Get job count if available
+                text = await jobs_link.text_content()
+                return text.strip() if text else ""
+            return ""
+        except Exception:
+            return ""
+
+    def _parse_headcount(self, text: str) -> dict:
+        """Parse headcount text into structured data."""
+        import re
+
+        result = {"min": None, "max": None, "exact": None}
+
+        if not text:
+            return result
+
+        # Look for ranges like "51-200 employees"
+        range_match = re.search(r'(\d+)[-–]\s*(\d+)', text)
+        if range_match:
+            result["min"] = int(range_match.group(1))
+            result["max"] = int(range_match.group(2))
+            return result
+
+        # Look for "10,000+ employees"
+        plus_match = re.search(r'(\d{1,3}(?:,\d{3})*)\+', text)
+        if plus_match:
+            num = int(plus_match.group(1).replace(',', ''))
+            result["min"] = num
+            return result
+
+        # Look for single number
+        single_match = re.search(r'(\d+)', text)
+        if single_match:
+            result["exact"] = int(single_match.group(1))
+
+        return result
+
+    async def fetch_job_postings(self, company_name: str) -> list[dict]:
+        """Fetch job postings for a company."""
+        browser = await self._get_browser()
+        context = await browser.new_context()
+        page = await context.new_page()
+
+        try:
+            await self._login(page)
+
+            # Navigate to company jobs
+            jobs_url = f"https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?f_C={company_name.replace(' ', '%20')}"
+            await page.goto(jobs_url)
+            await page.wait_for_load_state("networkidle")
+
+            # Extract job listings
+            jobs = []
+            job_cards = await page.locator(".jobs-search-results__list-item").all()
+
+            for card in job_cards[:20]:  # Limit to 20 jobs
+                try:
+                    title = await card.locator(".job-card-list__title").text_content()
+                    location = await card.locator(".job-card-container__metadata-item").text_content()
+                    jobs.append({
+                        "title": title.strip() if title else None,
+                        "location": location.strip() if location else None,
+                    })
+                except Exception:
+                    continue
+
+            await context.close()
+            return jobs
+
+        except Exception:
+            await context.close()
+            return []
+
+    async def close(self):
+        """Close browser instance."""
+        if self._browser:
+            await self._browser.close()
+            self._browser = None
diff --git a/tests/test_ingestion/test_linkedin.py b/tests/test_ingestion/test_linkedin.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c009f19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_ingestion/test_linkedin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+"""Tests for the LinkedIn connector.
+
+Playwright is only imported lazily inside ``_get_browser``, so these tests
+exercise the dependency-light surface: connector identity, credential handling,
+graceful degradation when credentials are missing, and the pure headcount
+parser. No browser is launched and no network access is required.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+
+from startupintel.ingestion.base import BaseConnector
+from startupintel.ingestion.linkedin import LinkedInConnector
+
+
+def test_linkedin_is_a_base_connector():
+    connector = LinkedInConnector(email="a@b.co", password="pw")
+    assert isinstance(connector, BaseConnector)
+    assert connector.source_name == "linkedin"
+
+
+def test_credentials_fall_back_to_settings():
+    with_explicit = LinkedInConnector(email="x@y.co", password="secret")
+    assert with_explicit.email == "x@y.co"
+    assert with_explicit.password == "secret"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_fetch_without_credentials_degrades_gracefully(monkeypatch):
+    # ensure settings provide no creds either
+    connector = LinkedInConnector(email=None, password=None)
+    connector.email = None
+    connector.password = None
+
+    result = await connector.fetch("Acme")
+    assert result["found"] is False
+    assert result["source"] == "linkedin"
+    assert "credentials" in result["error"].lower()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("text", "expected"),
+    [
+        ("51-200 employees", {"min": 51, "max": 200, "exact": None}),
+        ("10,000+ employees", {"min": 10000, "max": None, "exact": None}),
+        ("42 employees", {"min": None, "max": None, "exact": 42}),
+        ("", {"min": None, "max": None, "exact": None}),
+        ("no numbers here", {"min": None, "max": None, "exact": None}),
+    ],
+)
+def test_parse_headcount(text, expected):
+    connector = LinkedInConnector(email="a@b.co", password="pw")
+    assert connector._parse_headcount(text) == expected