The platform sifts through social media posts on sites such as Twitter for demographic information, online influence and positive or negative sentiment. It was launched in the UK in 2008, but the firm has now set up a office in San Francisco to build up a US customer base.

Halstead (pictured) said: “Social media has amplified the already fast-paced nature of business today. Companies don’t have the luxury to sift through hundreds of millions of data streams every day, only to second guess the appropriate action.

“What they need is definitive access to real-time intelligence that is impactful to their business — allowing them to easily and quickly detect and respond to major trending events, social behaviours, customer preferences — and ultimately, avert any impending crises.”