Crowd Factory Secures $6.5m Investment

US firm Crowd Factory - which develops applications to embed, analyse and optimise social media elements - has secured $6.5m in equity financing.

Crowd Factory's social marketing applications enable marketers to integrate social engagement across all online programs - including e-mail, videos, web pages, microsites, and ads - and its technology tracks results from interaction to conversion.

Users can measure social activity and influence down to the individual level, with the ability to see who is promoting their products and programs and who bought or responded as a result.

San Francisco-based Crowd Factory says the funds will help develop and market its social marketing suite.

'Last year, companies were focused on creating a presence on social networks; this year, they're looking at ways to make all of their programs more social,' states CEO Sanjay Dholakia (pictured). 'Crowd Factory helps companies not only to amplify their marketing messages through the crowd on social networks, but also provides the data and analytics they need to measure and monetize their social marketing spend.'

The financing was led by new investor Storm Ventures, with participation from existing investors Hummer Winblad, Peninsula Ventures and several angel investors. As a result, Ryan Floyd from Storm Ventures will join the Crowd Factory Board.

Web site: www.crowdfactory.com .