Return Path Secures $35m for Expansion

In New York, e-mail data analytics firm Return Path has secured a $35m investment, which it will use to expand its sales and marketing capabilities and accelerate product development plans.

Return Path's analytical products pull transactional trends from digital consumer data to give brands insights into their marketing ROI and customer behavior. The latter includes how consumers interact with competitors' campaigns, and how they spend their time and money.

New funding has been led by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners, which joins a syndicate of investors including Union Square Ventures, Costanoa Venture Capital, Foundry Group, Sapphire Ventures (formerly SAP Ventures), and Industry Ventures.

CEO Matt Blumberg (pictured) comments: 'As demand continues to expand for our security and consumer intelligence offerings, this investment enables us to accelerate our roadmap and ramp up our sales power. Return Path has a history of creating new opportunity through innovation, and we're grateful to find in Vista Equity Partners a team with the vision and experience to help us capitalize on it given their impressive track record of investing in B2B software and data companies.'

Last month, Return Path acquired rival company Motley Bunch for an undisclosed sum, adding to its analysis of shopper behaviour; and appointed former Nielsen exec Eric Weinberg as COO.

Web site: www.returnpath.com .