News

September 07, 2007 – Polimetrix Inc. acquired by YouGov, plc

 

PALO ALTO, California — September 7, 2007. YouGov, plc (LSE: YOU), has completed its acquistion of Palo Alto-based Polimetrix, Inc., a leader in online polling in the US. YouGov acquired 32% of Polimetrix in December 2006. It paid $24.1 million in cash and stock for the remaining 68% of Polimetrix.

Polimetrix, based in Palo Alto, with offices in Washington, DC, and New York, NY, is an innovator in online research and polling. Its unique solution, using a combination of web surveys, large-scale databases, and cutting edge statistical techniques, has served political, commercial, academic, and media clients. Polimetrix conducts its research using its PollingPoint panel, with approximately 1,000,000 members in the US and Canada.

 

Polimetrix was founded in 2004 by Stanford University Professor Douglas Rivers and is funded by Alloy Ventures of Palo Alto. In 2006, its pre-election predictions proved more accurate than surveys conducted by telephone or other online surveys. The company uses a novel statistical methodology, called sample matching, to achieve the highest levels of accuracy. It is also a leader in the development of AJAX-based survey instrumentation.

Rivers will continue as CEO of North American operations for YouGov.

 

About Polimetrix
Polimetrix currently employs a team of 30 experts in the fields of market research, political polling, statistics, and information technology. Polimetrix conducted over two million interviews during the 2004 election year through its PollingPoint portal.Representative samples of respondents are drawn from the PollingPoint panel and interviewed on the Internet to collect data with accuracy, speed and efficiency. The company was founded in 2004 by Stanford University Professor Douglas Rivers. It is backed by Alloy Ventures, a leading early-stage venture capital investor.

About YouGov
Founded in May 2000 and listed on AIM in April 2005, YouGov is a market research agency pioneering the use of the Internet and information technology to collect higherquality, in-depth data for market research and public consultation. The Company has a panel of 1,200,000 registered respondents. For the half year to 31 January 2007, YouGov, which lifted UK client numbers 46 per cent to 263, grew pre-tax profits by 64% to £2.3 million on a turnover of £6.1 million. YouGov's embryonic Middle Eastern arm was boosted by acquisition last year and grew revenues by 53% in the first half of the financial year.

 

Inquiries
Polimetrix
Douglas Rivers
Tel: +1.650.462.8002

 

YouGov plc
Nadhim Zahawi
Tel: +44.0.7803.293.019
Katherine Lee
Tel: +44.0.207.012.6000