US-based restaurant recommendation app company Ness Computing has raised a $15m series B round led by SingTel Innov8, the investment unit of Singapore Telecommunications, with participation from American Express Ventures.
The Silicon Valley-based firm now has $20m in venture funding. In July last year, Ness closed a $5m series A round led by venture firm Khosla Ventures with participation by early-stage venture firm Alsop Louie Partners, early-stage venture firm Bullpen Capital, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt’s investment unit TomorrowVentures, and angel investors.
The funds will be used to further develop its search technology, which the company refers to as a “Likeness Engine” that delivers personal recommendations based on a person’s preferences.
Jeff Karras, managing director of SingTel Innov8, said: “Ness Computing is developing a platform at the intersection of social, local, and mobile data and paving the way to transform mobile discovery with personalized recommendations. We are thrilled to be working with the talented and passionate team at Ness.”
Harshul Sanghi, managing partner, American Express Ventures, said “American Express is impressed by Ness’ vision to create great products that better serve consumers. As Ness evolves and the commerce landscape changes, we believe their preference-based search engine has the potential to deliver differentiated value to merchants and consumers alike.”
Corey Reese, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ness, said: “We want to help people experience more of what they love by understanding why they love the things they do. By enhancing our core technology, we can improve our understanding of what customers are expressing about themselves, and turn that information into something truly valuable for making decisions.”