Opinion Leader Tracking Firm Pursway Nabs $7.2m

Big data firm Pursway, which tracks the influence of opinion leaders on purchasing habits, has raised $7.2m in funding, earmarked for expansion and for speeding up product innovation.

Pursway's patent-pending technology enables companies to identify and measure how opinion leaders shape their followers' purchasing decisions. The firm currently has a database mapping the social relationships of more than 100 million US consumers, and Pursway assigns opinion leaders with a 'PIVO score', which it claims is more accurate than metrics derived purely from social media or from other means.

The latest investment has been led by Battery Ventures and Globescan Capital Partners, and Pursway CEO Dave Ellenberger (pictured) comments: 'This new round of funding reflects our investors' confidence in our ability to transform the way marketing is being done. It gives us the capital to reach more organizations that are realizing the power big data has in converting prospects and retaining customers.'

The firm, which has offices in Israel, the US and the UK, is online at: www.pursway.com .