Greenfield Online, Inc. Announces New Chief Executive Officer

By Kurt Peters, Digital Commerce, May 4, 2001

 

Dean Wiltse becomes Chief Executive Officer of Greenfield Online, Inc., a leading global Internet-based marketing research and business intelligence firm.

 

Greenfield Online files for initial public offering worth up to $75 million

By Jeff Miller, Boston Business Journal, July 5, 2004

 

Greenfield Online Inc., an online market research survey company based in Wilton, Conn., recently set the price range for its proposed IPO at $13 to $15 per share, according to its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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If the company were to go out at the upper end of its range, the IPO would be worth $75 million.

The company plans to issue 4 million new shares and to sell 1 million shares currently owned by investors and management.

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For the first seven years of its life, Greenfield derived most of its revenue from custom survey work. In 2002, however, Greenfield dedicated itself to Internet-based surveys for market research.

Since then, revenues have grown substantially. For fiscal year 2003, Greenfield reported $25.9 million in revenue, a 79 percent increase over 2002. Greenfield also swung to a profit in 2003, posting $1.6 million in net income.

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For the first three months of 2004, Greenfield made $8.6 million in revenue, an 88 percent increase over the first three months of 2003, and made $325,000 in net income, 7 percent less than it did in the first quarter of last year.

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The company has also seen its headcount quadruple over the past two years. In February 2002, the company employed 54 people. By May 2004 that number had grown to 216.

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Microsoft to buy Greenfield Online for $486 million

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August 29, 2008

 

Microsoft agreed Friday to buy Greenfield Online, owner of the European price comparison Web site ciao.com, for about $486 million to boost its Internet search and e-commerce business in Europe. Microsoft, whose $47.5 billion bid to buy Yahoo this year failed after a protracted battle, said on the acquisition should benefit its Live Search platform.Internet search is dominated by Google, which has 62 percent of the global search market and 79 percent in Europe, according to the most recent data published by Web usage tracker ComScore. Microsoft has a 2 percent market share in Europe and 9 percent worldwide, behind both Google and Yahoo. In Europe, Microsoft is also outranked by the online auction site eBay and Russia's Yandex.

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On August 26, Greenfield had said it had received a $17.50 a share offer but did not reveal from whom. The latest offer represents a premium of about 10 percent over Greenfield's closing share price on August 25.

 

“And the Survey Says… Solutions”

By Colin Beasty, (former) Associate Editor, CRM, June 20, 2006

 

Investment firm Austin Ventures bought Perseus Development and WebSurveyor Corporation for an undisclosed amount today. It will combine the two companies into a single entity, Vovici, that will be led by Dean Wiltse, former CEO of Greenfield Online.  

 

December 2007 until June 2009 was the next major down economy. This time period is now called “The Great Recession”. Dean led Vovici as CEO from 2005 until 2009, another successful venture with strong growth during a recession. The company was acquired by VRNT for $75 million in 2011.

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Thumbspeak Ranked as Number 1 Free Business Application at iTunes

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) October 19, 2010

 

Thumbspeak LLC announces that its revolutionary new business application was ranked number one at iTunes on Monday, October 18, 2010.

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Thumbspeak’s do-it yourself (DIY) Mobile Relationship Marketing platform and highly interactive application enable businesses to connect with audiences in real-time via their smart phones. “Thumbspeak is the perfect way to connect with your customer and prospects on their smart phones! They want to provide feedback and stay connected. Businesses can build loyalty by giving them a voice. Mobile connectivity is pervasive and your business will benefit by getting valuable insights and encouraging advocacy,” said Thumbspeak’s Founder and CEO Dean Wiltse. Questions are easily entered through our intuitive, easy to use web interface and sent to specific smart phone users. The audience enjoys responding because it lets them shape the products and services they care about and our mobile platform makes it fast and fun.

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Mobile Research Platform Thumbspeak Sold to Cint

By Brian Tarran, Research Live, February 8, 2011

 

Wiltse launched Thumbspeak and its iPhone app in July last year, and Android and Blackberry versions of the app are said to be “just days away from hitting the mobile market”.

Users of the app have to create an account and answer a series of attribute questions before they can start taking surveys, and Thumbspeak clients can use this data to target questions at specific types of users.

Recent revisions to the app have added functionality to enable private, company-branded groups, while introducing the ability for users to manage their profile and update them with additional information to aid the targeting process. Indeed, Wiltse said the app now presents users with the same profile questions asked of panellists within the Cint Panel Exchange (CPX), a sample-buying marketplace.

 

Former Greenfield Boss Wiltse to Lead FoodLogiQ

September 17, 2015 mrweb

In the US, former Greenfield Online CEO Dean Wiltse has become Chief Executive Officer of food traceability specialist FoodLogiQ. Founded in 2006, FoodLogiQ offers access to an online platform called Connect, through which users can analyse each component of their food supply chain, in real-time and on the move. Last week, the company announced an expansion of its latest round of growth financing, which it will use to accelerate the development and introduction of its product suite and further build out its leadership team.
Wiltse (pictured) joins with a 25-year background of growing companies and driving revenue growth and strong returns for investors of start-ups, pre-IPO businesses and public companies. While CEO and President of Greenfield Online/Ciao, he boosted revenues from $4.5m to $90m, and improved EBITDA from a $50m loss in 2000 to a $21m profit in 2005. He then served as Chairman and CEO of survey software firm Vovici (now Verint), before setting up his own DIY mobile measurement agency Thumbspeak, which he later sold to online sample exchange Cint. More recently, he worked for online polling specialist Statisfy as Chairman and CEO.
In his new role, Wiltse replaces Tom Finegan, who will continue to serve as the Chairman of FoodLogiQ's Board and as a special advisor. 'FoodLogiQ has experienced a solid year of growth as leading food manufacturers and distributors look to our software to meet the global demand for transparency and safety across the food chain', said Finegan. 'Dean brings an immense wealth of knowledge in this space needed to expand on this growth'.

 

FoodLogiQ welcomes new CEO Dean Wiltse

Durham, N.C., Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire

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FoodLogiQ, the leading food safety, traceability and sustainability Software as a Service company, today announced that the company has expanded its most recent round of growth financing.  These additional funds will be used to accelerate the development and introduction of its industry leading product suite and to further build out its leadership team to take the business to the next level.

In addition to this round of investment, FoodLogiQ is thrilled to welcome Dean Wiltse as the organization's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 1, 2015. "Dean brings an immense wealth of knowledge in this space needed to expand on this growth."

 

The 25 Most Innovative Ag-Tech Startups

By Maggie McGrath and Chloe Sorvino, Forbes Magazine, June 28, 2017

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When our nation was founded 241 years ago, farming was the economy’s primary driver. By 1870, nearly half of the employed population held jobs in agriculture. Today, it’s a $3 trillion industry - but only 2% of Americans hold a farm-oriented job. This is, in many ways, thanks to technology. Tractors and other automation advances in the 20th century let large farms shift management to only a handful of people. But this, paradoxically, has also slowed things down in the 21st. With only a few people working every farm, there’s not a lot of time - or incentive - to innovate.

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To find the 25 ag-tech startups that carry the most potential, we surveyed the agricultural technology landscape by speaking with experts, venture capitalists and accelerators; then, we examined financials and each company’s agricultural credentials. A special thanks goes to Seana Day at the Mixing Bowl for her comprehensive research on the ag-tech environment.

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FoodLogiQ: The average food recall costs companies $10 million. FoodLogiQ aims to reduce those costs by using data to track a supply chain (i.e, food) from the farm to the fork, ensuring the correct foods are recalled. Ag cred: Works with more than 3,500 food companies, including Whole Foods, Subway, and Chipotle

 

FoodLogiQ Secures $19.5M in Oversubscribed Financing Round

Business Wire, March 29, 2018

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“The substantial amount of investment interest FoodLogiQ has received is indicative of the confidence in our amazing team and the value of our product to our customers and the food industry,” said Dean Wiltse, CEO of FoodLogiQ. “It is great validation to know that we’re moving in the right direction and fulfilling our mission of mapping the world’s food chain.”

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Wiltse Acquires Sunbelt Network of Utah, June 2020​

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Currently, Mr. Wiltse applies his vast experience and knowledge as the owner of Sunbelt Business Brokers of Utah. His team handles a broad array of industries, with a particular focus on technology, Software as a Service (SaaS), manufacturing, marketing research, B2B services, franchise resales, and trade-related contracting businesses. With Mr. Wiltse at the helm, they successfully execute deals statewide and beyond. 

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At Sunbelt, we represent buyers in both Middle Market (1-$50 million) and Main Street Markets (up to $1 million) to achieve maximum value and ensure a smooth transition. If you’re contemplating the sale of your business, there are many aspects to consider, as this will be one of the most impactful decisions of your life. A Sunbelt of Utah broker will be invaluable to help you achieve your goals, maximize the value of your business, and guide your deal to the closing table.

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During 2022 Wiltse represented Mojix  a Global $18M annual revenue, traditional Retail RFID traceability SaaS solution.

• Managed the process that led to the sale of the business to Peak Rock Capital, May 2022. https://www.peakrockcapital.com/​

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Today Sunbelt Network Utah regularly represents the top businesses in Utah with revenues ranging from $1 million to $50 million.