$180m Funding Win for Audience Insight Platform GWI

London-based GWI, whose software platform provides data about consumers' demographics, preferences and behavioural attitudes across 48 countries, has raised more than $180m in Series B funding, valuing the company at over $850 million.

The firm, originally known as GlobalWebIndex, was founded in 2009 by CEO Tom Smith, and since winning $40m in Series A funding from the New York-based growth fund Stripes in 2018 says it has tripled recurring revenue and grown to nearly 400 employees, with offices in London, New York, Prague and Athens.

The new financing was led by the growth fund of Permira, which already invests in Carta, FullStory and Klarna among others. The money will help to extend the platform's reach, capturing 'more data points from more consumers, in even more countries - particularly from underserved markets and segments'.

Offering big company clients such as Google, Spotify, Red Bull and WPP an understanding of their audiences, GWI combines survey and other data, and allows analysis of harmonised data sets across geographies through a platform promising simplicity and speed. Sector-specific offerings include GWI Gaming, GWI Kids and GWI Sports, all launched last year.

Smith (pictured) comments, 'Companies today need an instantaneous view of their audience everywhere in the world. The traditional approach of market research is not fit for purpose - too slow, incredibly expensive, and lacks the scale and detail needed. Our technology has solved this problem and the result has been incredible growth over the last three years. We can't wait to work with Permira on our five-year goal to put audience insights in the workflow of every professional'.

Web site: www.gwi.com .