360insights has acquired Channel Maven and Spark Your Channel, two sister companies founded by Heather K. Margolis. The acquisitions bolster 360insights’ channel engagement, marketing, and digital demand generation capabilities for partner-driven technology companies, the buyer said. Financial terms were not disclosed.
These are technology M&A deals number 702 and 703 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2021. See all technology M&A deals for 2021 and 2020 listed here.
Channel Maven, Spark Your Channel, 360insights: Business Backgrounds
Margolis launched Channel Maven as a channel marketing and partner engagement agency in 2009. Even as that company continued to grow, Margolis played an encore -- launching Spark Your Channel in 2019 as a SaaS-driven marketing automation platform for technology vendors and their partners.
Meanwhile, 360insights develops a SaaS-based Channel Success Platform. The cloud service allows businesses to manage, measure and optimize consumer rebates, SPIFFs, volume incentives, MDF/CO-OP, sales allowances, points programs, and associated spending from one system.
Channel Maven now becomes a new division of 360insights. Also, Spark Your Channel's capabilities will tuck into the 360insights platform.
Executive Perspectives From Jason Atkins, Heather K. Margolis
In a prepared statement about the acquisitions, 360insights CEO Jason Atkins said:
“Our ongoing passion for optimizing our customers’ ability to create sustainable success led us to our latest strategic acquisitions. With Channel Maven and Spark Your Channel’s proven channel engagement and marketing expertise, along with their superior demand generation technology, we’re well on our way to becoming the most trusted and relevant Channel Engagement and Incentive Management company on the globe.”
Added Margolis:
“These are exciting times for our teams and clients. We now have the ability to deliver more innovative and cohesive solutions to better serve the clients we’ve worked with for over a decade. Add to that the amazing culture and passion at 360insights, that will enable our team to grow and learn personally and professionally, and it was a no-brainer. We are thrilled to be part of the 360 Family.”
On the talent front, Margolis shifts to senior VP of marketing at 360insights. Also, 360insights channel alliance veteran Steven Kellam shifts to SVP, global channel chief.
M&A Activity and Business Launches: Channel Marketing Platforms
The 360insights moves continue a busy week for M&A deals and business launches within the channel marketing and partner engagement ecosystem. Among the other moves to note:
- Kaseya and ID Agent veterans Kevin Lancaster and Matt Solomon launched Channel Program, a video-enabled collaborative platform that’s designed to allow the “entire channel community to interact in a cost-effective, organized, and democratized way,” the duo told ChannelE2E.
- CyberRisk Alliance, backed by private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners, acquired ChannelE2E, MSSP Alert and After Nines Inc. The moves extend CyberRisk Alliance into the MSP- and MSSP-driven partner ecosystems.