Online research start-up Motista bags $4.5m venture funding

The company is moving from its Maryland base to a new HQ in Silicon Valley, and Tom Peterson, general partner of El Dorado, has joined Motista’s board of directors as a result of the investment.

Motista runs online intercept surveys designed to “reveal the deeper motivations that connect consumers to brands”. The firm targets Fortune 1000 companies, and results relating to particular brands or categories can be accessed through its web-based system.

The company is led by co-founders Scott Magids and Alan Zorfas, who serve as CEO and chief product and marketing officer, along with chief technology officer Chris McNeilly.