Monthly Archives: July 2022

Key Data Secures an Additional $5M in Funding

Key Data Dashboard, the leading provider of trusted vacation and short-term rental data, today announced that it has secured a $5 million credit facility from Signature Bank, a New York-based full-service commercial bank with a dedicated Venture Banking Group serving venture-backed startups and their investors nationwide. This new credit facility will complement a $5 million Series B round led by Ballast Point Ventures and is intended to support several key initiatives.

“We’ll use this new capital to fund Key Data’s high growth initiatives, which include our new direct-to-consumer platform, an expansion of our enterprise data offerings, and an acceleration of our growing international presence,” said Jason Sprenkle, Chief Executive Officer of Key Data.

“We’ve effectively doubled our team, revenue, and customer base over the past twelve months, and we are excited to be leaning further into the explosive growth that the short-term rental industry has been experiencing. The pandemic, the shifting economy, and the overall growth of the space have fueled tremendous demand for our data, as has the recent confluence of real estate and short-term rental data for investors, REITs, and underwriters. We’re eager to keep pace by delivering new tools, expanded offerings, and an unwavering commitment to providing the most accurate, timely, and trusted data available.”

“The hospitality industry continues to evolve as online marketplaces for vacation rentals and investment properties are on the rise. Key Data’s innovative vacation rental data products provide real-time insights and analytics to drive revenue — not only for individual investors but also large-scale property managers and tourism organizations,” explained Dhruv Patel, Senior Vice President in Signature Bank’s Venture Banking Group.

“Jason and his experienced team are no strangers to success. After two prior exits, Glad To Have You™ and 360 Blue, the team was ready to make their mark in another venture and we welcomed the opportunity to be involved. We look forward to working with Key Data and their investors, including Ballast Point Ventures, as the company continues to expand and serve this growing market,” added Patel.

Durham Based Keen Decision Systems Announces 11 Million Dollars in Series B Funding

DURHAM, N.C.–Keen Decision Systems (“Keen”) announced today that it has closed an $11 million Series B financing led by Ballast Point Ventures IV (“BPV”) to accelerate the industry’s first and only decision optimization engine rooted in predictive analytics. Brand marketers struggle to optimize marketing investments across all online and offline channels. Keen’s unified adaptive marketing mix solution empowers brand leaders to quickly and accurately plan, adjust and report on their marketing mix strategy. Marketing leaders can now account for known and unexpected complexities across their entire marketing landscape through vetted recommendations to improve performance, outpace the competition, and increase profitability.

Marketing challenges are not in short supply these days. Consumer behavior continues to evolve with increased media fragmentation and more tools for marketers to manage. Additionally, unexpected events like inflation, COVID-19, and supply chain issues make planning even more difficult. Keen’s platform analyzes a complete array of data sources, including real-time data, to generate marketing plans that empower marketers to achieve their financial targets.

“We’ve had the benefit of following Keen for a few years now and have been very impressed with Greg Dolan, Josh Busbice and their entire team,” said Sean Barkman, a Partner at Ballast Point Ventures. “Keen is bringing a much-needed solution to the marketplace, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Company to help Keen win in this large and growing market.” The investment from Ballast Point Ventures will accelerate Keen’s product development and fuel Keen’s brand awareness and continued expansion into new industry verticals. As part of the financing, Sean Barkman will join Keen’s Board of Directors.

“Keen provides best-in-class value to its clients and regularly improves marketing efficiency by 25 percent or more. The Company has been fortunate to experience a unique opportunity in the market as we’ve introduced a new paradigm for decision-making to the marketing industry. This has led to a significant growth trajectory, and we are confident that the collaboration with Ballast Point Ventures will continue to accelerate that growth. This investment represents a reciprocal opportunity for both companies, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome BPV on board,” said Greg Dolan, Co-Founder and CEO.