Directory M

About Directory M

nSphere, formerly known as DirectoryM, was a company that operated as an online multi-sector data management platform. Founded in 2010 by Michael Powers and based in Boston, United States, the company aimed to organize and classify local information from various sources to provide highly qualified data across multiple distribution channels.

The core of nSphere's business was a platform that processed data sets to serve the increasing demand for local information about vendors, goods, and services. The company's product was a search engine that allowed users to browse information on consumer intelligence, city traffic, locations, and purchase data. It also functioned as a local business directory, providing updates about small businesses. For its clients, which included small businesses and publishers, nSphere offered tools to increase their visibility to a local audience. Small businesses could add their information to nSphere's local databases for free or purchase advertising for more targeted placement. For publishers, nSphere would create and manage a local content channel on their websites, analyzing their subject matter to connect with the platform's local databases and create relevant pages for their users.

Revenue was generated through advertising services, including a model where they would place ads on the local content pages created for publishers and split the revenue. The company worked with over 2,000 publishers worldwide. nSphere was funded by one institutional investor, Governing Dynamics. According to an online report, nSphere faced challenges, including allegations of delayed or non-payment to its publisher partners in 2012, with the company reportedly citing the need to invest the funds into new technologies. Tracxn lists the company as deadpooled.