1871 Partners With comScore to Support Chicago Tech Start-Ups

CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 1871 and comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, announced today that they have established a partnership to help jump-start Chicago's digital tech community.

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Designed to help launch and grow early-stage digital tech companies, 1871 is a 50,000-square-foot tech center located in the famed Merchandise Mart. The space gathers entrepreneurs together, creating a community of mentors, partners, peers, developers and investors to spark innovation and fuel success. Since opening its doors on May 2, 2012, 1871 has already welcomed more than 300 entrepreneurs representing nearly 100 startups.

comScore, whose co-founder and chairman Gian Fulgoni is based in Chicago, will be providing complimentary access to its flagship web and mobile measurement services  to interested start-ups housed at 1871 while they build their businesses. comScore's analytics and reporting provide mission critical data and insights that entrepreneurs need to measure their companies' in-market performance, better understand the digital landscape, design more effective digital marketing strategies, and help demonstrate their companies' value to potential advertisers and investors.

"We are thrilled to work with comScore to position Chicago's new digital tech start-ups for success," said Kevin Willer, CEO and president of the CEC, which manages 1871. "The information and analytic software that comScore provides to 1871 members will be invaluable as they work to make their companies as attractive and beneficial to the end user as possible to create a sustainable business model."

In addition to its information and software services, comScore is in a unique position to assist today's young companies on best practices. comScore was founded in 1999 by Gian Fulgoni and Dr. Magid Abraham as the first company to measure both web site audiences and trends in e-commerce spending. Since then, comScore has grown at a rapid rate to become a global leader in measuring the digital world, with 2011 revenues of $232 million. Fulgoni, previously the CEO of Chicago-based Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), which he led to become the largest U.S. market research company, is also the only two-time winner of the Illinois Entrepreneur of the Year award. His experience in growing and serving tech start-ups in Chicago can offer valuable guidance for first-time entrepreneurs in overcoming obstacles and addressing market and customer needs.

"comScore is delighted to partner with 1871 in helping to accelerate the growth of Chicago-based tech startups," said Fulgoni. "It has been especially gratifying to watch the local tech community develop over the past few years, and its emergence over the past several months, in particular, has been electrifying. Chicago has always been a great city for business and innovation, and comScore looks forward to helping the next wave of successful tech startups get off the ground and spread their wings."

1871 Pilot Startups Highlight Importance of Digital Insights to their Success

"Getting access to the data and insights from comScore services is proving invaluable to our business as we look to scale our operation and expand the Cheeky brand into new markets. comScore's detailed demographic reporting, online shopping insights and competitive intelligence enable us to better understand our audience and demonstrate its value to advertisers, sponsors and investors."
- Jessica Zweig, Co-Founder and Director of Sales & Marketing at CheekyChicago

"The comScore data intelligence, particularly around targeted demographic and usage data for iPad devices, provides MarkITx with increased visibility into the profile of current and potential adopters – something that is proving incredibly valuable to our business development initiatives."
- Frank Muscarello, Founder and CEO of MarkITx

"We are excited at the opportunity to partner with comScore's legendary industry and competitive intelligence platform to help us measure and set new goals for ourselves. We've just begun and we anticipate our partnership with comScore will enable us to make even better decisions for our product and our customers."
- Sean Eby, Co-Founder of PollEverywhere

1871 members interested in gaining access to comScore Media Metrix and comScore MobiLens are invited to participate by emailing [email protected].

About 1871
Established in 2012, 1871 is the newest and largest tech center in Chicago. Located in the Merchandise Mart, the 50,000-square-foot facility houses more than 100 digital tech start-ups—as many as 400 entrepreneurs, developers and coders. 1871 provides Chicago's start-ups with affordable workspace and access to mentors, educational resources, potential investors and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit www.1871.com.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

SOURCE comScore, Inc.