Sources inform ''Globes'' that social media monitoring and analysis start-up Buzzilla Ltd. has raised $1 million at a company value of $20 million, after money, in its first financing round, from veteran investor Jack Lahav. The company said that it will use the proceeds to improve its content scanning and analysis technology and to expand to international markets.
Buzzilla co-CEO Yoav Pridor, co-CEO Yaron Mor, VP product development Guy Mor, and CTO Ran Geva founded the company. The company is based on search technology developed by Omgili Ltd. Until 18 months ago, Buzzilla was a subsidiary of interactive ad agency of TBWA Digital Israel, which Yaron and Guy Mor co-founded. Buzzilla severed its ties with TBWA when Rami Yehoshua acquired it in September 2009.
Buzzilla's customers including 012 Smile Telecom Ltd., satellite TV broadcaster DBS Satellite Services (1998) Ltd. (YES), Central Bottling Company Ltd. (Coca-Cola Israel), mobile carrier Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL), Israel Credit Cards-Cal Ltd. (ICC-Cal) (Visa), and Maccabi Healthcare Services.
Buzzilla's technology scans websites and social content sites to find in real time messages and responses on forums, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and talkbacks. It analyzes the information to learn about consumer conduct, which can help advertisers analyze the status of their brands, improve their services, and measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
Lahav is a well-known investor in Israeli high tech. Investments include Quigo Ltd. (sold to AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) for $363 million in 2007) and he was one of the first investors in VoIP pioneer VocalTec Communications Inc/ (Nasdaq: CALL). He is currently invested in 15 Israeli companies.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 27, 2011
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011