Factual Raises $42m for International Expansion Plan

Location data company Factual has raised $42m from investors, for use in international expansion, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. The firm will establish its APAC HQ in Singapore, and has hired former Grapeshot (Oracle) exec Chris Pattinson to lead it.

Los Angeles-based Factual provides location data to clients including developers, publishers and advertisers. Its Geopulse Audience product helps build defined audience segments, spanning demographic, geographic, behavioral and brand affinities; while its Geopulse Proximity tool enables advertisers to use popular location-based targeting techniques - such as geofencing and 'geoconquesting' - to deliver ads to mobile users.

During the last year, Factual's revenue has increased nearly 50%, and the company now boasts a headcount of 200 at its five worldwide offices. Pattinson (pictured) joins in Singapore with twenty years' experience in media, strategic partnerships and regional expansion. At Grapeshot (acquired by Oracle in April), Pattinson led the multi-million dollar APAC business.

The new funding, which brings Factual's total to $104m, comes from new and existing investors, with participation from Upfront Ventures and Felicis Ventures, among others. Factual CEO and founder Gil Elbaz comments: 'Ten years ago, we made a bet that businesses would require accessible location data to grow and innovate, but that for most of those companies, high-quality location data would be out of reach. We are just at the beginning of this new data economy, and companies all over the world are relying on Factual. This injection of funds will help expand our reach and meet the increasing global demand for our data services'.

Web site: www.factual.com .