Polling Firm 1World Online Launches with $1m Funding

In the US, new polling and data analytics company 1World Online has launched with a $1m Series A round of funding, which it will use to roll out its service and hire key staff. Funds will also be used to monetize the service by providing clients with market trends, analysis and big data insights.

San Jose, CA-based 1World Online has developed a crowd-sourced research platform called the Social Research Engine - available on the web, for iPhone, and for Android devices - through which it presents consumers with a variety of issues as single-question polls. Questions are submitted by both 1World team and its service users, with poll choices supported by at least two 'expert opinions'. Site members can then vote on the polls they like, rate experts opinions, see how others voted, watch how polls trend over time, and also suggest topics for their own poll.

Aggregated responses are broken down by gender, marital status, age, education level, political affiliation, and income level, and this feedback is used to provide insights into public opinion, consumer sentiment, trends and behavioral intentions.

The firm's first round of funding was completed at the end of April, and all money previously collected via convertible debt was converted into equity.

CEO and co-founder Alex Fedosseev (pictured) comments: '1World is responding to an unmet demand from businesses to obtain accurate, quantifiable and comprehensive data on what people really think. We've got specialists dedicated to identifying the latest and most engaging topics and immediately analyzing public opinion, both as of the moment and trending over time. We're applying the quick and innovative startup approach to polling and it's paying off.'

Web site: www.1worldonline.com .