There’s an abundance of analytics tools out there that companies can use to process customer data and look for patterns. Simon Data Inc., one of the newer players in this crowded segment, hopes to set itself apart by making it easier for marketers to act on their information. 

The startup’s strategy has been working out so far. Simon Data boasts several prominent customers including Airbnb Inc. and today announced that it has raised $20 million in funding to gain more market share.

Simon Data offers a cloud-based platform for processing customer information. Marketers can collate records from their companies’ backend databases, mobile apps, websites and other sources to organize customers into segments. The platform then keeps these segments up to date by pulling in any new information that gets to the underlying data sources.

Once the records have been structured, marketers can export them to their campaign orchestration tools. Simon Data said it helps companies put the information to use by providing the ability to organize segments in accordance with different business goals. The platform lends itself to, among other things, carrying out experiments for identifying how campaign performance can be improved.

If a company wants to try out three different versions of an ad,  for example, Simon Data can break up the target customer segment into three different user lists. Then, once a campaign is launched, the platform keeps track of its performance. The startup said companies can zero in on specific metrics such as revenue or customer conversation events as part of their analytics efforts.

“The fundamental insight we’ve gained from business is that the value of big data lies in action,” Simon Data Chief Executive Officer Jason Davis said in a prepared statement. “Companies everywhere have invested tremendously in their data infrastructure, but they’re unable to capture the value held within. Simon is a new type of platform designed specifically to unlock that value by using data to inform and orchestrate the customer experience.”

Simon Data plans to invest the new capital in ramping up business and product development, with an emphasis on enhancing its data science features. The round was led by Boston-based Polaris Partners.

Image: Simon Data