Zencity News
26 articles
growth-positive
Zencity acquires UK’s Commonplace to expand global community engagement | CTech
Zencity, a community engagement platform for local governments, has acquired Commonplace, a British engagement software company, to enhance its presence in the UK. The acquisition, estimated to be in the millions, will integrate Commonplaces zoning and planning expertise into Zencitys platform. This strategic move is expected to double Zencitys UK activities and strengthen its relationships with existing customers, including major councils and government agencies. Zencity, which serves over 400 governments globally, leverages technology to analyze resident discourse and automate public participation activities. The company has raised $91 million from investors like StepStone Group and TLV Partners and is expanding its workforce, particularly in its Tel Aviv office.
AcquisitionCustomersExpand
growth-positive
Israeli smart city co Zencity raises $40m
Israeli smart city platform developer Zencity has raised $40 million in a Series C financing round led by StepStone Group, with participation from existing investors TLV Partners, bringing the total raised by the company to $91 million. The funds will be used to advance its AI capabilities, hire new engineering and data science staff, and enhance customer service. The company, which provides solutions for city, county, and agency teams to understand public views, recently added New York City, Dallas, LAPD, and the London Metropolitan Police as customers, as well as its first national government agency, the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
InvestmentExpandCustomers
growth-negative
Zencity cuts 20% of workforce CTech
Zencity, a community insights and analytics platform for state and local governments, has laid off 30 employees, making up around 20% of its total workforce. The company has raised over $50 million to date and has experienced rapid growth, including completing two acquisitions. Zencity uses artificial intelligence to analyze resident-generated data and provide actionable insights for decision-makers. The layoffs are part of an organizational change to set the company up for continued growth and global expansion. The company remains committed to its clients and the affected employees.
Layoffs
Zencity Accelerates Collaboration Between Communities and Local Governments by Acquiring Civil Space
Zencity Raises $30 Million to Help Local Governments Hear From Their Communities for More Data-Driven Decision-Making
Zencity Acquires Elucd to Deliver The Most Comprehensive Community Insights and Analytics Platform to State and Local Leaders
growth-positive
איזו חברה ישראלית זכתה בתחרות בינלאומית לערים חכמות בברצלונה? -
Israeli startup Zencity won a prestigious award in an international competition for smart cities held in Barcelona. Zencity, founded in 2014, provides real-time data analysis from social networks, urban channels, and various communication channels to generate insights tailored to the needs of city officials. The company recently completed a $13.5 million Series B funding round led by TLV Partners and participated by other entities, including Canaan Partners, Microsofts investment fund, and Salesforce. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award was presented to Zencity by a representative of the Smart City Congress in Israel. Zencitys CEO, Eyal Feder, expressed gratitude for the recognition and highlighted the companys work in over 200 cities worldwide.
PartnersInvestment
growth-positive
"האלגוריתם שלנו מאפשר לעיריות לקבל החלטות טובות יותר"
Zencitys CEO, Eyal Feder-Levy, spoke at the Calcalist Innovation Conference about the role of municipalities in the fight against COVID-19 and how Zencitys algorithm helps them make better decisions. The company works with around 200 authorities worldwide, collecting data from various sources to provide insights on citizen satisfaction. Feder-Levy highlighted the increased use of technology and data in local government, particularly during the pandemic. He also mentioned that Zencity added over 100 cities to its network since March.
Customers
growth-positive
Tel Aviv's Zencity wins international award for 'pioneering' smart city project
Tel Aviv-based startup Zencity has won the Smart City Expo World Congress 2020 Award in the governance and economy category. Zencity uses advanced AI to help local governments make data-driven decisions based on their communities needs and priorities. The platform gathers and analyzes anonymized data points of community feedback from various channels and turns it into insights for decision-makers in local government. Zencity is currently assisting over 180 local governments worldwide. The company works with communities of all sizes, including major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. During the pandemic, Zencitys data has been used by local governments to craft policies and communication strategies.
CustomersPartners
growth-positive
Zencity raises $13.5 million to help cities aggregate community feedback with AI and big data
Zencity, an AI platform that provides insights and aggregated feedback from local communities, has raised $13.5 million in funding. The funding will be used to build new strategic partnerships and expand market presence. Zencity uses AI to analyze unstructured data from various sources to identify key topics and concerns in local communities. The company has seen increased demand during the pandemic and has signed over 40 new partnerships with local governments. Zencitys platform has been used by municipalities to optimize communications, assess opinions on lockdown restrictions, and support crisis management and response efforts.
PartnersExpand
growth-positive
By Monitoring Social Media, Artificial Intelligence Is Guiding College Towns Through Covid-19
Zencity, an AI company, has been helping college towns analyze social media conversations to understand residents concerns and prioritize their needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. By using AI to scan social media, Zencity has been able to identify the issues of local economy, employment, and rent and fee problems that are most important to residents. This information has allowed city officials to act on high-priority issues and strengthen their bond with the community. Zencity has been recognized as a preferred provider by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), indicating the growing recognition of the importance of understanding public concerns during the pandemic. AI is seen as a valuable tool in providing real-time information and helping local governments make policy decisions.
CustomersPartners
growth-positive
How data is guiding cities' digital census strategies - StateScoop
Officials in hundreds of cities are using ZenCity, a social media-trawling service, to promote the census and dispel misinformation. The coronavirus pandemic forced cities to switch to a digital-first outreach strategy, and ZenCitys data analysis has helped them refine their messaging. The tool provides insights on public sentiment and helps identify misconceptions about the census. ZenCitys partnership with Long Beach, California has allowed them to increase their digital outreach and develop promotional content that works. The company aggregates social media posts using AI-powered technology to determine positive or negative reactions to various ideas. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital campaigning for the census.
Partners
growth-neutral
Dublin wants residents' opinions about COVID-19 support services
Dublin officials have set up an online survey to gather residents opinions on the support services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, hosted by Zencity, a technology company, aims to gauge the impact of COVID-19 on residents and their views on the citys response. Dublin receives regular reports from Zencity, which analyze data from various media sources to understand residents concerns. The survey results will be shared with Dublin City Council and made available on the citys website.
Customers
growth-positive
MarTech Interview with Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO and Co-Founder at Zencity
Zencity is a data science company that helps local governments make data-driven decisions based on community feedback. Their platform gathers and analyzes anonymized data from various channels and turns it into actionable insights for government decision-makers. The companys vision is to provide cities with accurate insights into their communities needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zencity has been helping local governments understand their residents concerns and needs through their AI-based platform. The company is focused on serving local governments in the United States and has over 140 partner cities. Zencity differentiates itself by being local government-centric and leveraging AI to consolidate and analyze public interactions and conversations. They work with various partners to integrate data into their analysis and use CRM and marketing tools for their operations.
Customers
growth-positive
Mayor Marian Orr shared her COVID-19 leadership experiences during a Zencity webinar
Zencity invited Mayor Marian Orr to speak at their webinar on city leadership during COVID-19. The mayor discussed decision making, effective messaging, and dilemmas for future events. She emphasized the importance of community support and mentioned the creation of a relief fund within 48 hours of the pandemics onset. Mayor Orr expressed concerns about the potential cancellation of events like Cheyenne Frontier Days, which would have a significant emotional and economic impact on the community. She also mentioned the possibility of canceling all events at the Civic Center for the next six months. Zencity is positively impacted by hosting the webinar and engaging with leaders in city governance.
PartnersCustomers
growth-positive
Social media can help city leaders understand COVID-19 concerns
Zencity, a social media analytics company, has analyzed over 1.5 million online interactions regarding public health and the new coronavirus (COVID-19) since March 1. The analysis shows that social media conversations about public health have increased from under 5% to over 21%. The dominant topics of conversation have been public health, schools, festivals and public events, and public safety. The key concerns expressed by people include school closures, public event cancellations, public transportation, employment and business impacts, bar or restaurant impacts, panic buying, and city services updates. Zencitys analysis can help local government officials shape policies and messaging based on the issues that people care about the most.
Customers
Zencity tracks US residents' coronavirus concerns
growth-positive
Renton uses AI tech to listen in Renton Reporter
Renton, a city in Washington, is testing out Zencity, a company that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to gather online feedback from the public. Zencity is specifically created for local government and is already being used by other cities. The AI algorithm categorizes feedback as positive, negative, or neutral. Renton staff can filter responses from social media and other websites to gather information about city business and change their messaging accordingly. The AI tool has been helpful for the Renton Police Department in framing their response to incidents or crimes. The city is also planning to connect Zencity with their new city application, Renton Responds. The cost for Renton to use Zencity is approximately $2,000 per month.
Partners
growth-positive
Philly is asking residents to rate its services. How do cities measure how they're doing?
Philadelphia City Council has launched its second Philadelphia Resident Survey to gather feedback from residents on city services and their quality of life. The survey aims to help the council determine its priorities for the next budget year and the five-year plan. The city is using sophisticated tools, such as algorithms that analyze social media and software that measures resident sentiment, to gather data and make informed decisions. Companies like Polco and Zencity are providing services to help local governments collect and analyze data. Philadelphia is also implementing performance measures and encouraging innovation to improve service delivery. The survey will close on November 3.
Customers
growth-positive
The Startup Giving Voice to the Silent Majority
Tel Aviv-based ZenCity helps cities analyze social discourse and public opinion through online content. Their service replaces cumbersome surveys and public meetings, providing cities with a complete image of peoples opinions. ZenCitys analysis revealed that only 15% of the residents in Pleasant Prairie opposed a new downtown development, while 85% supported it. The company has raised almost $8 million in funding, with Microsofts venture arm M12 as one of its backers. ZenCitys technology has also been used to help cities respond to crises and formulate messages. The company prioritizes privacy and does not track individuals based on certain beliefs.
Customers
growth-positive
Houston Partners With City Management Company Zencity on Smart City Initiative
Zencity Technologies has partnered with the city of Houston on its smart city initiative. Houston will use Zencity to measure resident sentiment about its new smart city initiatives. Zencity collects feedback from city residents and analyzes the data to produce actionable insights. The company has previously partnered with cities in Israel and the US. Microsofts venture arm M12 is an investor in Zencity, which has raised almost $8 million to date.
Partners
growth-positive
Tech company helps Dayton follow citizen sentiment during crises
Dayton, Ohio has relied on ZenCity Technologies LTD to collect and analyze data from public social media sources in order to better coordinate communications and resources during emergencies. The city uses ZenCitys services to measure sentiment in real-time and address citizen concerns quickly. The Dayton City Commission recently approved a $48,000 contract renewal with ZenCity Technologies. The companys work has allowed the city to monitor citizen sentiment and prevent the spread of misinformation. ZenCitys services provide governments with a more complete picture of community feelings and needs.
Customers
growth-positive
ZenCity raises $6 million for AI platform that helps cities crunch big data and track residents' sentiment
Israeli startup ZenCity has raised $6 million in a series A funding round from Vertex Ventures, Microsoft’s M12 venture fund, and Canaan Partners Israel. ZenCity analyzes online conversations and reports trends and sentiments to city officials, helping them tackle issues that are important to residents. The platform aggregates feedback and comments from various sources and applies AI to extract meaningful data. With the new funding, ZenCity plans to expand its data analytics capabilities, push the boundaries of its services, and expand across the US and other markets. One notable feature it will work on is speech-to-text functionality.
InvestmentExpand
growth-positive
ZenCity helps cities pinpoint issues that irk residents
Tel Aviv-based startup ZenCity uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor citizen sentiment by aggregating communications from official and unofficial channels. The company helps municipalities understand the needs of their residents and provides real-time alerts for issues such as potholes and cracked sidewalks. ZenCitys software classifies the collected information and identifies trends and anomalies. The company recently received $1 million in funding from Microsofts venture capital arm. With 25 cities as clients, ZenCity is growing in popularity and aims to turn unstructured data into structured, actionable insights for smart cities.
CustomersExpand
growth-positive
ZenCity, an AI Civic Engagement Startup, Earns $1M from Microsoft and Other Investors
ZenCity, a platform that aggregates and analyzes citizen sentiment and feedback for local government, has won a $1 million prize from Microsoft’s venture capital arm and other investors for artificial intelligence startups. The $1 million funding is a significant boost for ZenCity, which had previously raised $1.7 million. The companys platform uses AI to analyze data from multiple sources and provide cities with real-time insights into citizen sentiment. This helps cities prioritize their work and address issues that they may not have been aware of. ZenCity currently serves local governments and may expand to other levels of government in the future.
InvestmentCustomers
growth-positive
ZenCity raises $1.7m to help cities assist residents
Israeli startup ZenCity has completed a $1.7 million financing round led by Canaan Partners Israel. The company has developed a technological solution to help municipalities understand the needs of their residents. ZenCity collects information from social network conversations, municipal call centers, and other sources, and uses machine learning algorithms to categorize and analyze the data. The product is already installed in more than 10 local authorities in Israel and is being piloted in Paris. ZenCity charges each local authority a monthly fee based on the number of residents. The company aims to improve municipal management and the connection with residents in the smart cities sector.
InvestmentPartners
