Socialflow
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social media optimization, Digital marketing, Web analytics |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Frank Speiser, Mike Perrone |
| Fate | Acquired by Piano Software Inc. |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Key people | Peter Hershberg (President) |
| Parent | Piano Software Inc. |
Socialflow is a platform specializing in social media optimization that supports brands and publishers around the globe. It utilizes data sourced from the Twitter firehose, proprietary algorithmic processes, and a link proxy system to optimize content distribution across social networks. The firm attracted worldwide recognition for its data analysis and visualization during coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden, underscoring Twitter's significant influence on modern journalism.
On February 10, 2022, SocialFlow became part of Piano Software Inc., a digital experience platform, through an acquisition.
Founding and early development
SocialFlow was established in early 2009 by Frank Speiser and Mike Perrone with the mission to employ a data-driven methodology for creating and maintaining highly engaged social media audiences at scale.
In 2013, the company experienced a security breach when the Syrian Electronic Army accessed its social media accounts via phishing. This incident caused a temporary service disruption lasting approximately 20 minutes on SocialFlow’s website and publishing tools. In response, SocialFlow published a comprehensive report detailing the event and outlining the security protocols implemented to enhance online safety and account protection.
Funding and investors
On April 7, 2011, SocialFlow announced it had secured $7 million in Series A funding led by Softbank, with contributions from Softbank NY, RRE Ventures, betaworks, Highline Venture Partners, AOL Venture Partners, SV Angel, and notable angel investors. Subsequently, on April 16, 2013, the company raised $10 million in a Series B round spearheaded by Fairhaven Capital. Existing backers such as SoftBank Capital, RRE Ventures, AOL Ventures, and Betaworks participated alongside new investors kbs+ Ventures and Rand Capital Corporation.
Acquisition details
SocialFlow was acquired by Piano Software Inc., a digital experience platform provider, on February 10, 2022. The purchase was completed in a cash deal financed by Updata Partners, Rittenhouse Ventures, and Sixth Street Partners. Piano obtained full ownership of SocialFlow for an undisclosed sum.
Corporate affairs
On June 7, 2011, Peter Hershberg joined SocialFlow assuming the role of President.
Research initiatives
SocialFlow gained notable media coverage with its research titled "Breaking Bin Laden: Visualizing the Power of a Single Tweet," which emphasized Twitter’s pivotal role as a news source during the announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death.
A subsequent study evaluated Twitter followers of prominent news outlets such as Al-Jazeera English, BBC News, CNN, The Economist, Fox News, and New York Times. This work revealed patterns in audience engagement and illustrated the commercial advantages of focused social media campaigns.
Additionally, SocialFlow conducted an analysis on the social media rollout of the KONY 2012 video. According to Forbes, initial social media traffic predominantly originated from mid-sized cities with relatively conservative demographics in Middle America rather than from coastal liberal centers.
External links
- Search engine optimization
- Digital marketing
- Software companies based in New York (state)
- Web analytics
- Marketing companies established in 2009
- Marketing companies of the United States
- Defunct software companies of the United States
- Defunct computer companies based in New York (state)
- 2009 establishments in New York City