Sitebrand was an online marketing company based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.[1] Sitebrand created technology which assisted its clients in expanding the number of purchases of customers who click on advertisement links.[2][3] One of its biggest clients was Roots Canada.[1]
 | |
| Company type | Creditor protection |
|---|---|
| Industry | Online marketing |
| Founded | 2000 in Ottawa |
| Founder | Justin Shimoon |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Fate | Acquired by Cactus Commerce |
| Headquarters | , |
| Website | www.sitebrand.com on Internet Archive |
History edit
Sitebrand was founded in 2000 by Justin Shimoon, who had previously worked at Nortel.[4] Originally based in Ottawa, the company relocated to Gatineau in September 2002.[4] In August 2000, investors gave the company $1 million, of which 75% came from private an angel investors and 15% came from venture capital.[4] It created InSite, a software it offered for an annual fee of $20,000 to $60,000, that conducts a review of how people access websites and tries to use bargains to lure them.[5] In June 2008, the company was listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and had 40 employees.[6]
In 2008, the company was acquired by Pretium Capital for $5.1 million in a reverse takeover.[1] In December 2008, Sitebrand partnered with email service provider Silverpop to enhance their email product offering to online marketers.[7]
In 2010, Sitebrand obtained creditor protection.[8] Chris Corman, who had taken over as CEO from Shimoon in 2009, resigned.[9] The company had difficulty becoming profitable over the years.[9] While Corman had initially been able to increase sales and decrease expenses, by December 2010 experienced substantial losses in its revenue.[9] During the Great Recession, the company laid off employees.[10]
On February 17, 2011, Cactus Commerce acquired all assets of Sitebrand.com.[11] On October 24, 2011, Sitebrand formally changed its name to Marchwell Ventures. It raised approximately $1 million in a private placement. It transferred its shares from the TSX Venture Exchange to the NEX.[12]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Sitebrand hammers out deal with tool wholesaler". Ottawa Business Journal. 2008-08-19. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
- ^ Chow, Krystle (2008-03-24). "Sitebrand plans public debut as online shopping market explodes". Ottawa Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- ^ Tiku, Nitasha (October 2008). "We see you want a list of nearby stores?". Inc.
- ^ a b c Buckstein, Jeff (2002-10-10). "Still popping up: SiteBrand Corporation one of 300 companies founded since 2000 despite telecom slowdown". Ottawa Citizen.
- ^ Buckler, Grant (2002-02-07). "Tech tools woo Web shoppers". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Ottawa: Sitebrand gets listing". Canwest News Service. 2008-06-14.
- ^ "Sitebrand Partners with Silverpop to Enhance their Email Product Offering to Online Marketers". Digital Commerce 360. 2008-12-22. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
- ^ Howell, Elizabeth (2010-12-02). "Sitebrand obtains creditor protection as CEO departs". Ottawa Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
- ^ a b c Hill, Bert (2010-12-08). "Mitel continues to struggle after going public". Ottawa Citizen.
- ^ "What a tangled website we weave . . ". CTV News. 2010-03-27. Archived from the original on 2021-02-14. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
- ^ Howell, Elizabeth (2011-02-17). "Update: Cactus Commerce picks up Sitebrand assets". Ottawa Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
- ^ "Sitebrand changes name, raises $1M". Ottawa Business Journal. 2011-10-25. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-10-25.