Fast-growing Amaze acquires Spring
Amaze Software Inc. announced the acquisition of Spring’s best-in-class merchandising platform. Spring is most likely better known to imaging industry executives as Teespring, which is changed to in January 2021. Terms weren’t disclosed.
In a statement, the company said, “We believe anyone can be a creator and those creators play an important role in how we learn, connect, and find joy. We take our role to innovate on behalf of the creative economy seriously–enabling creators and creative entrepreneurs to unleash the potential of their content and connections with authentic, shoppable experiences that allow them to sell anything, anywhere.
Looking to the future, combined core capabilities will provide brands and creators with an expanded toolset that will help them drive success through unique opportunities to engage more authentically with customers, and create products, and merchandise across social spheres.
Recent creator solutions launched include expansions of YouTube, TikTok, and Meta social commerce integrations, the Sam’s Club Photo and Customization platform, and SpringMark, which offers the ability to protect and manage creator’s designs. Launching soon is a simplified Amaze user experience streamlining page creation, access to expanded design services, and the Spring Hat Studio, where creators can instantly create and merchandise embroidery.
Spearheading the acquisition is Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze Software Inc. Day has extensive experience successfully leading large corporations, most recently as an executive at Canva. His in-depth knowledge of the creator economy has helped Amaze step out as an industry leader by building better and more comprehensive solutions for creator commerce, the company said.
“This acquisition will accelerate Amaze’s ability to enable creator success and monetize their passions,” Day. “Pairing Spring’s 5.5 million new creator stores with the leadership team’s vast social commerce, merchandising, and marketing experience–hailing from the likes of Adobe, Meta, Roblox, and Walmart–Amaze now has the ability to bring even more value to the creator economy.”
Joining Day on the leadership team is Spring’s former CEO, Chris Lamontagne, who will take on the role of President and lead the Creator Community and Commerce Group, and Annelies Jansen, who will become the Chief Business Officer. Jansen, a former Meta executive, is the former president and COO of Spring. Lamontagne, formerly vice president, commercial, was appointed president of Spring in 2019.
Continuing their leadership roles at Amaze are Laura Haines, Chief Product Officer, and Amelia Shepard, who will step into the Chief Marketing Officer role, managing marketing, eCommerce, and customer service teams.
Spring struggles
The once high-flying Spring was on its way to an IPO when shipping and payment issues struck, according to Business Insider. In another Business Insider report, “the company laid off a number of staffers across its growth, marketing, and other teams, including some high-level execs, according to multiple people close to the company. Spring confirmed the layoffs to Insider, but did not comment on how many employees were affected.”
Spring had raised a total of $60 million in funding to date, according to Pitchbook data. Lamontagne told the Information in September 2021 Spring was eyeing an IPO “within the next 18 to 24 months.” At that time, The Information reported Spring had 450 employees. Less than a year later, however, BI reported the struggled with its pivot from an apparel customization company to a “creator company.”
The Dead Pixels Society interviewed Aaron Day about Amaze’s role in eCommerce and the place for photo/imaging within it. See below: