Kajabi LLC is a Newport Beach, CA-based SaaS technology company that develops a platform for creators and entrepreneurs to create, market and sell digital content.[1] Recently Kajabi has expanded its focus to include support for online courses and app development.[5] The company is a tech unicorn, with a $2 billion valuation.[6]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Advertising and marketing |
| Founded | 2010[1] |
| Founder | Kenny Rueter[1] |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Ahad Khan, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer[2] Kenny Rueter, Executive Chairman[3] Jonathan Cronstedt, President and Board Director [4] |
| Products | Kajabi SaaS platform for selling digital content |
Number of employees | 200 (2021)[3] |
| Website | kajabi |
The company was founded in 2010, and its CEO as of March 2022 is Ahad Khan.[1][2]
History
editKajabi was founded in Irvine, California in 2010 by Kenny Rueter, a software engineer who created a PVC sprinkler toy for his sons.[7] The toy was popular, and after having difficulty trying to monetize a related how-to video on YouTube, Rueter started Kajabi.[7] The company integrated various software that digital entrepreneurs needed to start online businesses.[4]
In November 2019, the company took its first outside capital since its inception, a minority equity investment from Spectrum Equity Partners.[4]
In 2021, Ahad Khan took over as CEO, and founder Rueter became executive chairman.[3] In May 2021, the company raised a $550 million funding round at a $2 billion valuation, making it a tech unicorn.[6] The funding round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from TPG Capital, Tidemark Capital, Owl Rock, Meritech Capital Partners, and Spectrum Equity.[3] In July, the company added podcast hosting and marketing features for business owners.[8] Also in 2021, the company was named to the Inc 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the 7th straight year.[9] Also in 2021, the company launched a television advertising campaign "What Will You Create", created by Los Angeles-based production company Snow Beach.[10]
In February 2022, former TikTok and Amazon executive Sean Solme Kim joined the company as president and chief product officer.[3]
Products
editKajabi develops an online subscription platform that allows members to build and manage websites to monetize digital offerings such as online courses, membership communities and podcasts.[6] Its customers are part of the knowledge economy.[3] Categories for which content is created include personal development, health and fitness, business finance, marketing, education, parenting and lifestyle hobbies.[8] The platform includes marketing tools such as email, and payment processing tools to accept subscription fees.[3]
Operations
editKajabi is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Its CEO is Ahad Khan. As of 2021, the company reported 200 employees.[3]
As of February 2022, the company reported 51,000 active users in 138 countries.[3] It also reported $3 billion of sales from over 60 million people.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Kajabi Raises $550M; Valued at Over $2 Billion". Finsmes. May 4, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Ahad Khan". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "TikTok Exec Sean Kim Joins Kajabi as President". Orange County Business Journal. February 14, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c "The Spectrum Equity-backed video education platform Kajabi has already hit $60 million in ARR". TechCrunch. October 1, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Forristal, Lauren (2024-05-02). "Online course platform Kajabi allows creators to build their own branded apps". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ a b c "Kajabi Nabs $550M For Knowledge Economy". Orange County Business Journal. May 10, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE Kajabi, e-commerce startup for knowledge businesses, raises $550 million". Reuters. May 4, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Cash-Flush Kajabi Adds Podcasts to Mix". Orange County Business Journal. July 19, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "No.1,136 Kajabi". Inc. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "'We found a more engaged audience': Why Kajabi is increasing its media spending on TV now". Digiday. July 29, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2022.