Funds for Mobile Community Provider Streetbees

UK firm Streetbees, which uses mobile technology to gather rapid insights from a global community of contributors, has landed $5.1m in seed funding, which to develop its technology and double its headcount from a current total of 40, over the next year.

The funding was led by BGF Ventures, with participation from Octopus Ventures and LocalGlobe, and will also help the company to reach 10 million users globally, it says.

Streetbees was founded in 2015 by Tugce Bulut and former Morgan Stanley trader Oliver May, and taps millions of 'bees' across 87 countries with questions and observation, including photos and videos. Users are paid in cash within 24 hours.

According to Bulut, 'We use geolocation and mobile technology to engage the right person in the right place to answer brands' questions. Streetbees' grassroots research approach is providing the brands with the rich consumer insights they need at large scale at an affordable price as we connect them directly with their consumers without any intermediaries'.

The company is on the web at www.streetbees.com . Thanks to startups.co.uk for some info.