Public records can be useful to various enterprises, but they’re not always easy to get ahold of.
New York-based Enigma has developed software to dig up publicly available, yet hard-to-reach records and help users figure out how different pieces of information in those records are related. The startup also makes its API (application programming interface) available for data analytics.
On Thursday, Enigma said it raised $4.5 million in a Series A round led by Comcast Ventures, with American Express Ventures, The New York Times, and Crosslink Capital participating. The startup previously raised a seed round backed by Crosslink, TriplePoint Ventures, and angel investors. Last spring, Enigma won TechCrunch Disrupt New York.
Enigma’s pitch is to make it easier to pluck out information from multiple, nebulous sources, including public data from both government and private institutions. And the work goes beyond harvesting information that’s already online, with Enigma working to collect records that aren’t already published.
The company’s software can be used to gather records like SEC filings, real estate assessments, and government spending contracts. For example, Enigma can reveal some of the sources Google purchases energy from, or how many designers the company has hired.
The startup, founded in 2012, pitches its service to customers such as news media, financial institutions, professional services, and academics that want access to public information.
