Benevity

Canadian technology company

Benevity, Inc.

Company type| Privately held company
Industry| Computer software, Cloud software, Software as a service
Founded| 2008; 17 years ago (2008)
Founder| Bryan de Lottinville
Headquarters|

Calgary, Alberta

Canada

Area served

| Worldwide

Key people

* Bryan de Lottinville (Executive Chairperson)
* Kelly Schmitt (CEO)[1]

Revenue| $100 million (2019)[2]
Owners| Hg, The Rise Fund, Generation Investment Management, JMI Equity, General Atlantic

Number of employees

| ~650[3] (2019)
Website| benevity.com

Benevity is a Calgary-based company that provides charitable donation-management, volunteer-management and grant-management platforms. Benevity is one of Western Canada's largest startups.[2] Its customers include Nike, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Google, and Apple,[4] and about 250 of the Fortune 1000 as of 2017[update].[5]

The firm's products support companies in managing and tracking their employees' charitable giving, promoting charitable giving and volunteering, while reducing the costs of companies processing donations themselves.[6]

## History

[edit]

Benevity was founded in 2008 by Bryan de Lottinville, who previously worked as COO of iStockphoto (sold to Getty Images in 2006), with a team of four software developers.[4] In 2010, it became one of only 15 certified B Corporations in Canada, and one of the first in Alberta, signifying its commitment to corporate social responsibility.[7]

In 2016, Benevity was the third-fastest growing startup in Canada as ranked by Deloitte, with over 5,800% revenue growth.[8] In 2017, Benevity ranked 10th with 5,411% revenue growth.[8]

In October 2019, Benevity raised $40 million in Series C funding from existing investors JMI Equity and General Atlantic, which valued the company at near US$400 million market cap.[2]

In December 2020, Benevity achieved unicorn status when Hg Capital purchased a majority stake in the company for US$1.1 billion.[9]

## Headquarters

[edit]

The Meredith Block (right) in 2016, prior to Benevity moving in

When Benevity was founded in 2008, the company was based in a small office above a shawarma shop.[2] In 2017, Benevity moved into its fifth and largest headquarters, the Meredith Block office building in Bridgeland, adjacent to downtown Calgary.[10][11]

As of 2021[update], Benevity also has offices in Victoria, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; San Mateo, California; Geneva, Switzerland; and Barcelona, Spain.[11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Kelly Schmitt, President and CFO, succeeds Bryan de Lottinville as CEO". January 19, 2021.
2. ^ a b c d Silcoff, Sean (October 22, 2019). "'World class' Calgary startup Benevity raises $40-million to finance growth plan". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
3. ^ Varcoe, Chris (December 20, 2019). "Varcoe: 'It's a little bit of a comeback story' as modest economic recovery expected in 2020". Calgary Herald. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
4. ^ a b Healing, Dan (May 6, 2018). "New York partner powers software firm's drive to make charity more efficient". The National Post. Canadian Press. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
5. ^ McGregor, Jena (September 14, 2017). "U.S. workers have been giving a lot more money to the ACLU". Washington Post. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
6. ^ Parker, David (June 4, 2015). "Benevity brings more meaning to companies that care". Calgary Herald. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
7. ^ "Benevity Becomes a Certified B Corporation" (Press release). Benevity. June 8, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
8. ^ a b "Technology Fast 50™ winners" (PDF). Technology Fast 50 2018 Canada. Deloitte. 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
9. ^ Kost, Hannah. "Calgary startup becomes corporate 'unicorn' with deal worth $1.1B US". Archived from the original on December 8, 2020.
10. ^ Chatha, Aaron (November 10, 2017). "Startup success: Calgary company Benevity grows into new location". Startup Calgary. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
11. ^ a b Willerton, Alana (May 23, 2018). "Inside Benevity's Dog-Friendly, Mural-Filled Office in Bridgeland". Calgary: Avenue Magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website