A good day @simplyzesty - we've raised a €500,000 investment from a major UK research agency :),

says female entrepreneur and founder Lauren Fisher of the Dublin-based social media agency Simply Zesty.  The Oxford Research Agency, will get a minority stake in the company. The investment will enable both parties to develop ground-breaking social media and research tools.

Simply Zesty was founded one year ago by female entrepreneur Lauren Fisher and co-founder Niall Harbison and offers a range of social media services, including design, building apps, online PR, blogger outreach and social media training. Simply Zesty is one of the only dedicated social media agencies based in Ireland, and was the first of its kind when it was set up in 2009. The agency has a range of clients both from Ireland and the UK and also put on conferences throughout the year, that explore various areas of online marketing and social media.

The deal values the agency at over €1m and the investment sparks a new phase for Simply Zesty, who already boast an impressive client list including Vodafone, Universal Pictures, Nokia and The Body Shop.

The founders introduce the deal on their blog by stating:

You have probably noticed that the blog has been a bit quieter than usual in the last couple of weeks and today we can reveal the reason why and that is because we have been off forming a great new partnership with The Oxford Research Agency in the UK that will help to take our little company to the next level.

Lauren Fisher says : "Given that we have just reached the one year mark, we think it’s exciting to come out and say that we are taking this investment and hope it tells a positive story to other business owners out there, as well as those that work in social media. We see a natural fit between social media marketing and research, and think that both areas can take key learnings from each other that will progress the two disciplines."
Niall Harbison says :
This is a huge vote of confidence for our young company and we are delighted to be partnering up with such a well established and reputable company. We are hoping to add a new level of measurement to our social media offerings while also helping TORA to add a new level of social media to their research capabilities. This is a match made in heaven that will hopefully help both companies to grow significantly in the years to come.

Chris Sinclair, CEO of TORA says “The coming together of Simply Zesty and TORA gives us the opportunity to redefine research. TORA already helps its clients to launch new products that are four times more successful than the industry average. Both TORA and Simply Zesty believe in the power of listening to consumers, and its ability to improve in-market success rates further with better brands, products, packs and higher customer satisfaction.