Count unveils breakthrough tool for data analytics and collaboration

Count releases a hyper-collaborative data platform to turn the data analytics workflow into a fun, creative journey for the whole team to reach data-driven decisions faster. The launch comes on the heels of a $5.2M seed raise.

PRESS RELEASE: London, UK, September 22, 2022 - Count is today announcing the release of the canvas, a new way for data teams to collaborate with stakeholders, without the limitations of traditional business intelligence tools. Count is a hyper-collaborative data platform that is putting collaboration and problem solving at the heart of data analysis. Its flagship product canvas is an all-in-one data analysis and contextualization platform that helps teams join forces during the entire analytics workflow, accelerating data-driven decision making across the whole business.

The launch comes as Count closes their most recent seed round of $3M led by TheVentureCity alongside existing investors LocalGlobe and esteemed industry angels DJ Patil and Anthony Goldbloom. This brings Count’s total seed funding to $5.2M.

Count’s canvas tool combines the best features of a digital whiteboard (such as Miro or FigJam), a data analytics tool, and a SQL IDE to offer a data platform where all team members can use real-time data to solve core business problems. Unlike current data tools, Count is unique because every element of the analytics workflow - gathering requirements, exploring the data, analyzing the results, adding narrative and presenting your findings - happens in one place. That means it can reduce the workload of data analysts by up to 75%, and leave them with more time to do high-quality analysis and problem solving. The Count canvas is perfect for data leaders in fast-growing startups who need a quick way to drive a data-first culture that works.

“The way organizations collect and manage their data has changed dramatically over the past decade, yet the way we turn that data into actions hasn’t really changed at all,” says Ollie Hughes, CEO & Co-founder of Count. “Data analysts are amazing problem solvers but instead of working closely with the business they’re stuck behind their data tool building dashboard after dashboard. Count removes this wall by creating a shared space where analysts and the wider team can work together and get to answers fast.”

Currently, 56% of data analysts say they spend too much time re-doing work they’ve already done, and it’s therefore no surprise that they report the highest dissatisfaction among jobs in tech. Their analytical skills are getting buried in dashboards and random ad hoc reports. That is why the canvas is turning the data analyst's role from "chart monkey" to trusted advisor. Data analysis can stop being a single-player sport and become a team sport. Unlike the inflexibility of existing business intelligence tools - particularly dashboards - the canvas gives analysts a creative, flexible space to work.

The canvas, which is coming out of private beta, includes a real-time collaborative whiteboard. These tools exploded in popularity in the last few years as teams moved to remote and hybrid working patterns and needed a common space to think and problem solve. What makes Count unique is that it connects seamlessly to any modern database and allows people to build pivot tables and visuals - without code. Teams can use the canvas for: requirements gathering, prototyping, analysis, business KPI reviews, customer flows, ad hoc reports and bespoke dashboards. They can generate any data report they need, from notebooks to dashboards, and deep-dive into data using cells to link queries together and share the logic behind them.

“Our aim with Count was to make the most collaborative decision making experience possible, taking advantage of modern web and graphics APIs which didn't exist when other BI tools were created,” says Oli Pike, CTO & Co-founder. “Its design and underlying technology have been painstakingly crafted to give data analysts all the tools they need, allow them to work alongside their stakeholders and keep simple things simple.”

“Count is by far the best data tool I've ever used,” says Christopher Mee, Marketing Analytics Manager at Hyperscience. “It's given our marketing team a shared space where we can explore data together and reach conclusions everyone understands and trusts.”

“The development cycle in similar tools, such as Tableau, is challenging,” says Madhav Goswami, Principal Analytics Engineer at Farimoney.io, an early adopter. “You’ll get good dashboards but to get good context, to tell good stories, you need to devote too many resources. The Count canvas allows you to think multi-dimensionally in a way you can’t in Tableau.”

To get started, teams can request an account at Count.co and start collaborating for free today. See a live demo of the canvas here.

About Count
Count is a London-based startup providing a hyper-collaborative data platform that streamlines how analysts work with their stakeholders. Whilst most data tools focus on generating insights, Count is focused on bringing data teams into the decision making process, speeding up time to decision and reducing wasted work.