StateUp 21 member Zencity has just announced its acquisition of US-based polling and data analysis startup Elucd. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s interesting about Zencity?

• Tel Aviv-based Zencity enables data-driven decision-making for local government through access to residents’ online feedback.
• The startup gathers data from sources including social media, local news channels, emails, CRMs, Google analytics, and 311 (non-emergency government hotlines).
• Once collected, Zencity’s proprietary AI algorithm sorts and codes the data. An online dashboard (also accessible through a mobile app) then presents this information in an easy-to-understand format.
• The company, founded in 2015, has raised £16.3 million from investors including Salesforce Ventures and Microsoft’s M12 fund.

What does the Elucd acquisition mean for Zencity?

• Elucd uses social media advertising to poll citizens on specific issues. It analyses this data and shares the responses with its clients. This complements Zencity’s offering, which analyses information collected passively through social media and local news.
• This acquisition will bolster Zencity’s ability to understand citizens’ opinions on the most pressing issues facing their communities.
• Analysts predict that acquiring Elucd will enable Zencity to better track citizen sentiment on Covid-19 vaccines. This will help governments whose supply of the vaccine is set to outpace its demand later this year.
• Elucd’s platform was originally developed to help then Senator Barack Obama better understand the opinions of Americans during his first presidential campaign. It has since been used globally in public safety and local government contexts, as well as in the private sector.

To learn more, read our full StateUp 21 profile of Zencity here.