ARI KAUFMAN
VISIONARY GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE AND LEADER OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS

- Early-Stage
- Turn-Arounds
- Platform/Roll-ups
- Exits / IPO
- Corp Dev / M&A
- Structured Finance
- Strategic Selling
- Market Development
- Executive Management
- Leadership
- Coaching
- Partnerships
- P&L
- Team Building
- Account-Based Selling
- Culture Development
- Technology Development
- Demand-Based Marketing
Ari has served in various CXO capacities to start and acquire companies, lead turnarounds, and substantially grow technology companies to create maximum shareholder value. As CSO, he drove IssuerDirect [NYSE: ISDR] to IPO, established a platform and acquired four additional companies. As founder, he grew interactive lead-generating advertising firm ThinkAcquisition to $100M in billings before exit. As President of InfoNow, Ari engineered the management buy-out of LocationInsight with private equity financial support and as CEO sold Placeable to a strategic buyer. As General Manager for LookSmart [NYSE: LOOK], Ari grew the paid search platform responsible for $250 million in revenue. As CRO, Ari increased first-party ad serving revenue at TruEffect (f/k/a MatchLogic) by 340% over three years. Ari was a founder at Zacks.com, where he launched the first ad-supported financial web site, achieved $120M topline in four years, and pioneered the online advertising industry.
TRANSACTION AND CAPITAL EXPERIENCE
- £135M IPO for IssuerDirect
- Completed four acquisitions for WIlink plc roll-up platform
- Secured $16M series A for Sojern
- Secured $8M series B for Pixorial
- Secured $6.5M series A for Placeable
- Executed $5M management buy-out for LocationInsight
- Raised $4M series seed for Spout
- $4M series A for First American Title and 5x multiple exit
- 5x EBITDA exit for ThinkAcquisition
GROWTH AND TURN-AROUND EXPERIENCE
- Increased Placeable top-line revenue by 25% and reduced customer churn from 16% to below 4% over 2 years
- Shifted LocationInsight revenue composition from 75% one-time fees to 85% recurring
- Increased InfoNow average contract length from 12 to 20 months
- Launched LookSmart private label SaaS solution and increased company revenue by 40% in one year
- Increased TruEffect revenue by 340% over three years
- Grew ThinkAcquisition to $100M billings
“Ari has led startups, turn-arounds, and early-stage growth companies for 25 years and has made a career out of successfully anticipating the future of growth sectors.”
Denver Business Journal
EXPERIENCE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SPOUT
Denver, CO – 2017 to 2023
- Raised $4M series seed
- Invented the first real-time quantitative device to detect lead in drinking water for in-home use
OPERATING PARTNER, NEXAQUIRE
Denver, CO 2017 to 2018
Operator-led investment team sponsored by Insignia Capital Group to acquire digital media, martech and adtech companies. NexAcquire Search Fund was sponsored to acquire up to $100M of assets.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PLACEABLE
Denver, CO 2012 to 2017
- Secured $6.5M series A; subsequent strategic exit at premium multiple
- Increased top-line revenue by 25% and reduced customer churn from 16% to below 4% over 2 years
PRESIDENT, MODEL N (f/k/a INFONOW)
Denver, CO 2010 to 2012
- Executed $5M management buy-out with PE investment sponsor
- Pivoted commoditized legacy web locator business into successful local search marketing SaaS provider
- Shifted revenue composition from 75% one-time fees to 85% recurring
- Increased average contract length from 12 to 20 months
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PIXORIAL
Denver, CO 2010
Secured $8M Series B for this Facebook video application company; subsequent acquisition at a premium
GENERAL PARTNERS, TRAILBLAZER VENTURES
San Francisco, CA 2008-2009
- SearchForce: Leadership of SEM automation and bid optimization company
- Sojern: $16M Series A and GTM development for online publisher of air-travel profiles
- All.com: Funding advisor to peer-to-peer online media file sharing and social network
GENERAL MANAGER, LOOKSMART
San Francisco, CA 2007-2008
- Managed $150MM P&L
- Launched private label SaaS solution and increased company revenue by 40% in one year
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, TRUEFFECT (f/k/a MATCHLOGIC)
Denver, CO 2005-2007
- Increased revenue by 340% over three years
- Catapulted business forward to lead advertisers into the age of data ownership and privacy
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, INNOVATIVE DRIVEN (f/k/a INTEGRO EBUSINESS CONSULTING)
Denver, CO 2003-2004
Established Microsoft partnership and doubled company revenue pipeline in first year
VENTURE PARTNER, TRAILBLAZER VENTURES
Denver, CO 2001-2003
- ThinkAquisition: Grew digital lead-gen agency to $100M billings on top of $1M series A and delivered successful exit for 5x EBITDA in less than two years
- First American: Secured $4M series A and sold for 5x revenue after two years
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, ISSUERDIRECT [NYSE:ISDR] (f/k/a WILink plc)
London, UK 2000-2001
- £135M IPO on the London AIM exchange
- Executed the acquisition of four global competitors
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER / EVP INTERNET OPERATIONS, ZACKS.COM & ZACKS INVESTMENT RESEARCH, INC.
Chicago, IL 1996-2000
- Founder – spun-off Zacks.com from Zacks Investment Research, Inc.
- Bootstrapped business from zero to $120M revenue in four years
- $100MM+ valuation on the public market prior to the internet bubble-bust
TECHSTARS MENTOR AND BOARD ADVISOR
Denver, CO 2010-present
- RideIQ (funded)
- Chainstarters
- DataNerds (acquired)
- Attentive
- Blank Slate
BOARD MEMBER, JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
Denver, CO 2015-present
EDUCATION
PURDUE UNIVERSITY, Bachelor of Science
CORNELL UNIVERSITY, Veterinary Science
LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION
SOMMELIER – Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. 2022