Young Emerging Growth Companies
Sage Partners is proud to have helped many growing companies reach their goals
In our experience, young companies and established enterprises can learn from one another. The young can teach about creativity and fast reaction time. The established can teach the value of sustaining process and structure. Here are some examples of companies we serve in both categories.
Simplexo Group Ltd.
London, UK
www.simplexo.com
Enterprise Search
Co-founders: Simon Bain and Peter Delf
Sage Portfolio Company since September 2008
Simplexo has developed patented next-generation search technology for the enterprise. Simplexo simultaneously searches multiple data sources including e-mail, word processor documents, spreadsheets, and structured data such as HR systems, SAP, etc. The solution is ideal for enterprises responding to compliance or corporate governance issues, anticipating shifting market dynamics, or managing complex business transactions. Simplexo accelerates informed decision making.
Grahame Sewell serves as Chairman, assisted by Ted West.
Get-Me-In (formerly Advanced Ticketing Systems, Ltd.)
London, U.K.
http://www.getmein.com/
Secondary online ticketing sales for the UK and European markets
Founders: James Gray and Paul Montague
CEO: Andrew Blachman
Get-Me-In has developed the leading secondary online ticketing business in the UK and is rolling out new country sites in Germany, Netherlands, and other European country markets. Sage Partners has assisted the company in defining and executing its expansion strategy, as well as in securing its financing. The company has more than tripled in sales and market value since Sage Partners became involved in April 2006.
Sage partner Grahame Sewell served as Get-Me-In’s Chairman, and Ted West served as a Director. Sage partners John Gaulding and Tom Doorley served previously.
January 2008: Grahame Sewell and the leadership team are proud to announce the company’s acquisition by the Ticketmaster division of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI). As Ticketmaster spins out as an independent entity, GMI will represent TM’s first global business expansion, a core strategic goal.
Memetrics
San Francisco, California
http://www.accenture.com/
Digital marketing optimization solutions
Co-founders: Hikaru Phillips (Sydney), Matt Symons (San Francisco)
Sage Partners portfolio company since January 2006
Memetrics has developed a world-class, patented system for testing and optimizing digital online and direct marketing campaigns for business clients and their agencies. Its clients include American Express, eBay, ING-Direct, Telstra, and Verizon, among many others. The company serves clients in the US, UK, Europe, and Australia. Sage Partners has assisted Memetrics in defining and executing its global expansion strategy, particularly in the US. Here, we have developed new strategic clients, business development partnerships, and corporate development prospects. We have counseled the founding team in leadership and organization development, and in funding strategy. The company has more than doubled in revenues, and tripled in value since Sage Partners engaged in January 2006.
Ted West served as a Director of Memetrics, and Gerhard Blendstrup assisted in business development.
January 2008: Ted West and the leadership team are proud to announce the company’s acquisition by Accenture, LLP. Memetrics becomes part of Accenture’s portfolio of offerings in its management sciences division.
Knovel Corporation
New York, New York
http://www.knovel.com/
Searchable science and engineering reference information
CEO and Co-founder: Chris Forbes
Sage Partners portfolio company since November, 2004
Knovel has developed a web-based science and engineering reference service that features a unique search engine that allows users to search across multiple sources for quantities, properties and straight text. The service also offers user interactivity with graphs, equations and tables to enable the user to work productively with search results. Sage Partners has helped to determine overall strategy and management system, assisted in restructuring the management team, provided close counsel to the CEO, and helped the management team improve its decision-making and priority-setting. We’re currently working to help the company expand distribution through various channel strategies. Knovel has grown approximately 150% in revenues and more than doubled in value during our engagement period.
Sage partner: David Kiser
AccTrak21
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
http://www.acctrak21.com/
Enterprise applications software platform for the Small/Medium Enterprise market
Founder and CEO: Tim Loving
Sage Partners portfolio company since February 2005
AccTrak21 has developed a comprehensive, business-object-oriented, enterprise applications platform for the rapidly evolving global SME market. It is marketing this technology through strategic partnerships which have included: CCH/Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands); H&R Block (Kansas City); and IBM Software (New York). The company develops its technology in Malaysia and markets its products worldwide.
Sage Partners has assisted AccTrak21 in defining and executing its global expansion strategy. We have developed new strategic partnerships and corporate accounts for the company.
Two Sage partners, Ted West and Gerhard Blendstrup are engaged with the company.
Vision Critical Ltd.
Farnham, UK
http://www.visioncritical.co.uk
Software for Asset Based Lenders
Founder and CEO: Oliver Chadwick
Credit-IQ Limited, based in Farnham, UK, is developing exciting market traction with financial services companies in the asset-based lending market. Credit-IQ provides valuable extractor technology – OSMO – which enables the lender to have immediate access to customers’ critical sales and financial information. OSMO eliminates fraud, speeds up the data gathering process and reduces operating costs.
Having secured twenty major customers in the UK, including Lloyds TSB, Close and Fortis, the company is now embarking on international expansion. The US is potentially the company’s biggest market, and the Directors are engaging with Sage Partners to plan the entry strategy, be introduced to key partners and work with Sage on all aspects of growing the US business. For Credit-IQ, working with a trusted organisation such as Sage helps to reduce the risk of market entry, speeds up the launch, and helps the company achieve its business goals faster.
Sage partners: Ted West and Grahame Sewell
BlueSpace Software Corp.
Austin, Texas
http://www.bluespace.com/
Intelligent messaging solutions
Founder and CEO: Justin Marston
Chairman: Admiral Bobby Inman
BlueSpace has developed a patent-pending technology using relational database architecture to capture, store, manage, control, and analyze sensitive message communications in large financial services, corporate enterprise, and government applications. The company serves clients in the US and UK. BlueSpace has been a Sage Partners portfolio company since October 2004. Sage Partners assisted the company, originally started in the UK, in defining and executing its US expansion strategy, including the development and funding of a US business plan backed by a US venture firm. We have counseled the founding team in leadership and organization development, and in funding strategy. The company has restructured as a US corporation and established revenue-producing pilot projects with very large clients in the last 36-month period.
Sage partners: Ted West and Grahame Sewell
StratBridge, Inc.
Boston, MA
http://www.stratbridge.com/
Business analytics and data visualization tools
Founder and CEO: Matthew Marolda
In its seventh year, StratBridge, an analytical software and services provider, has grown from its founder’s first idea into a profitable, growing business. We’ve been with Matt Marolda for the complete journey thus far. Matt’s special sauce is the ability to mine complex data and to display the results in engaging and enlightening graphical formats. The original idea focused on the needs of professional service firms (e.g. consultants, accountants, investment houses) to make sense out of detailed financial and market information. The firm has added new products to serve the needs of such organizations as the Boston Red Sox and the NHL, as they seek to understand the dynamics of ticket pricing and selling, and to quantify athlete performance. We’ve worked with Matt as he nurtured his idea while taking his MBA at Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck business school, to help him focus his value proposition and to build a sustainable enterprise that can adapt as the needs of his customers evolve.
Sage partner Tom Doorley serves on the Board of the company.
Established Growth Enterprises
NOTE: while it is common practice in the entrepreneurial context to identify clients by name, client privacy is common for larger clients. Thus we honor this commitment by not identifying the following enterprise clients by name.
Client: Consumer Services
Issue: Strategies for Improved Global Performance
On the heels of rapid global expansion the CEO recognized an intensifying competitive mix and changing customer needs. In short, he felt the recent success was endangered; he needed a new approach to deal with the changing world scene. We conducted an extensive set of interviews of major players, globally, to gain a deeper sense of culture and cohesiveness. In addition we performed in depth analysis of customer segments and competitive tendencies to bracket the nature of global change. Working with the CEO with created a global leadership team, and ran a series of workshops to build a common understanding of the issues and commitment to a new set of strategic initiatives. The centerpiece of our recommendation; forming an ongoing, global strategy board to take charge of tailoring initiatives to local markets and monitoring follow through. The result: The business has improved its competitive position and continued on a strong growth path.
Client: $10 Billion Private Industrial Co.
Issue: Governance to Drive Performance
While a private enterprise is not required to follow new NYSE practices, the CEO recognized the advantage of a well-constructed Board. Our role: To completely re-design the governance structure, from the roles & responsibilities of the CEO and Board, to a new Committee structure with new Charters, to a calendar with annual and meeting agendas in tune with the rhythm of the business. The goal: To build an effective Board that could contribute to improving the performance of the enterprise. We developed a full scale redesign, based on leading practices of large enterprises, within and outside the client’s industry. The result: Our client has embedded our recommendations and as the processes of the Board and its relationship with the leadership team are maturing, the performance of the enterprise is improving as intended.
Client: Insurance Company
Issue: New Governance Context as a Public Company
The move from a private enterprise to a public company is challenging. The leadership team must deal with a new and intimidating set of regulatory issues while maintaining its focus on leading a business in a demanding competitive environment. Our role: to help the CEO and the newly formed Board of Directors to make the transition. Our recommendations started by defining the fundamental role of the Board and ensuring that the leadership team and the Board understood and accepted the implications. We gave special attention for the Board’s role in the strategic dialogue, since as an essentially new company, they had many more options to consider. Once the Board grasped the intent and potential impact of the role, we could design a set of ongoing recommendations. The result: The company has managed its transition well and is exceeding its performance targets.
Client: Two Multi-Business Industrials
Issue: Joint Venture
Over several years these two companies had explored the concept of setting up a joint venture to compete more effectively. Each operated in a distinct market segment with equally distinct technologies. However, the needs of its core customers were evolving to require a broader concept utilizing upstream elements of the value chain. Our task: To make a definitive case pro or con for the JV. Our work entailed analysis of the customer need which confirmed, and strongly so, the strategic value of consolidating the value chain. Working with our strategic partner, Chartermast, a specialist in shareholder value analysis, we were able to quantify the value of the JV. Interestingly, very little of the value to be created would derive from cost reductions; rather the driving levers were increased growth and an improved competitive position. The result: Discussions are underway.
Client: Private Equity – Public Company
Issue: New Strategy & Culture to foster Growth
As a private equity owned enterprise, the focus was largely on productivity and restructuring to ensure a solid base for the future. Once the company re-emerged as a public entity, the CEO recognized the need to reset the strategies and culture in order to become a growth-oriented enterprise. Our work had two phases. In the first phase we identified those business opportunities which had strong upside potential due to market/competitive conditions and/or solid but un-leveraged technologies. We helped the business segment leaders to define value-creating goals and the key strategic initiatives to achieve those goals. Our second phase, which is currently in process, focuses on how to re-orient the businesses and the entire enterprise to growth. To kick off this phase we employed our Growth Diagnostic, a tool we’ve developed to benchmark a client versus the leading growth practices of successful, value-creating growth enterprises. Armed with the results, we are in the process of assisting the leadership team to re-design the strategic context in order to lift its performance. It represents a major challenge, but one the team is ready to tackle.
Client: Leading non-Profit
Issue: Improved Governance
The client has grown substantially. While staying true to its core mission, it had added numerous diverse initiatives and layers of organizational complexity. The Chairman rightfully recognized that the transparency and performance pressures facing publicly held companies were coming to the non-profit sector. Further, he understood that complexity had outpaced the governance process. Our role: To work with the Chairman and Members of the Board to re-design a new structure and set of processes to improve oversight and impact. Our approach leveraged leading practices, both in the for-profit and allied organizations. Insights we were able to bring from leading for-profit enterprises, which have been working on such issues for a longer period, gave new light to the leadership team. The result: The Board has adopted a new charter and has been reformed. The Chairman and CEO have a better grip on operations and performance.
Client: Non-Profit
Issue: New Leadership Construct to Manage Sharply Increased Funding
Growth is a challenge in the non-profit sector as well. In this case, a condition of a dramatic funding increase was to determine if the organization could absorb the step up in activity and the changes of leadership structure and process that would be needed to effectively deploy the augmented resources. Our role was twofold: First, to advise the funding group as to whether the organization could handle the new mandate. Second, we were to work with the leadership team to strengthen its capacity to grow while maintaining control. The result: After an extensive review and analysis of the field and central organizations, we concluded the organization did have the ability to grow into its challenge. Further, we worked with the leadership team to shore up weaknesses and re-design its management process. The funding has occurred and the organization its well on its way to delivering on the larger mission.