1World Online Raises Funds for Indian Expansion

US polling and data analytics company 1World Online has raised $4.9m in a round of funding, which it will use to expand the reach of its online polls and quiz tools to digital publishers and brands in India.

Launched in 2013, the San Jose, CA-based company has developed a crowdsourced research platform called the Social Research Engine, through which it presents consumers with a variety of issues as single-question polls. Questions are submitted by both the 1World team and its service users, with poll choices supported by at least two 'expert opinions'. Site members can then vote on the polls they like, rate experts, see how others voted, watch how polls trend over time, and also suggest topics for their own polls.

New funding has been led by Brand Capital, the strategic investment arm of Indian media firm Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd (commonly known as The Times Group). 1World polls are currently deployed on The Economic Times and Huffington Post in India, and will be deployed on several more Times Group properties in the future. Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO of Brand Capital, says the partnership will provide better insights for the group's readers, better understanding of the audience, and increased engagement leading to better ad monetization.

Alex Fedosseev (pictured), CEO of 1World Online, adds: 'India has become the crown jewel in our international strategy. As our name hints, our plan has always been to create and nurture an international network of publisher partners. Working with The Times Group means we have the best foothold in the India market one could hope for'.

Web site: www.1worldonline.com .