[LONDON, UK] - MarketClusters Limited, developer of the 'StrategyWire' intelligence platform enabling corporate and financial clients to accurately filter - and put into context - expert opinions created in Blogs or News feeds, is pleased to announce that it has closed its first round expansion funding. MarketClusters has raised a total of $3m and is using the funds to enhance its core StrategyWire product, expand its sales team and add further analysts to move into new sectors beyond Digital Media, such as Clean Technologies.
Participants in this round included NewMedia SPARK, a venture capital group with significant experience successfully investing in the online information market. They join other investors including a well-known group of individuals active in both technology investment and managing online information businesses.
The explosion of end-user content in blogs and other online sources is starting to dramatically change the way professionals research and interpret opinions on industry events - particularly as selected blog authors are now often absolute authorities on their subjects. MarketClusters' flagship product, StrategyWire, continuously and intelligently filters this expert commentary and presents it to clients through a highly intuitive interface that allows rapid and easy identification of new trends and potential investment themes.
MarketClusters client base includes global Corporates, Investment Banks, Venture Capitalists and other advisory professionals. Current enterprise subscribers to StrategyWire include AOL, Ask.com, BSkyB, Chrysalis, Disney, Flextech, HBO, ITV, Liberty Media, MTV, NTL, QVC, Rogers Communications, Virgin Mobile, Yahoo, Benchmark Capital, Atlas Venture, Wellington Partners and Close Brothers.
Jay Patel, Director at NewMedia SPARK commented on his firm's investment, saying:
"We believe MarketClusters' platforms for filtering Internet opinion and putting this into industry-wide context has put it at the forefront of a new wave of research and publishing firms. We expect its services to be applicable to corporate and advisory organisations across multiple sectors globally and we are delighted to be backing the firm at this exciting stage of expansion."
Jay will be joining MarketClusters' board.
Nick Gregg, CEO and founder of MarketClusters, adds:
"We are extremely pleased to be supported by such a strong base of successful investors, particularly given the background of many of them in developing online information businesses. We very much look forward to working closely with our new shareholders as we build out our sales teams into both new sectors and territories."
For more information, please contact:
MarketClusters
Nick Gregg, founder and CEO / Jeremy Phillips, co-founder and COO
020 7376 5829
NewMedia SPARK
Jay Patel
020 7851 7777