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Enlighten has raised $10.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Enlighten.
Enlighten has raised $10.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Enlighten is a digital marketing and software development agency based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that provides web design, brand strategy, and custom technology solutions for large corporate clients. Prior to its strategic acquisition, the firm successfully grew its operations to function with a dedicated workforce of approximately 100 employees across its creative, analytics, and technical engineering departments. The agency specialized in developing comprehensive digital campaigns, e-commerce platforms, and user experience interfaces for a diverse roster of enterprise customers, including recognizable consumer brands such as Audi, Hunter Douglas, and John Frieda. In late 2015, the organization was officially acquired by the publicly traded digital transformation consulting firm Perficient in a transaction specifically designed to expand its digital agency capabilities throughout the Midwestern United States. Enlighten was originally founded in 1983 by technology entrepreneur Steve Glauberman.
Enlighten is a technology company founded in 2016 that developed a full-spectrum enterprise software solution for the cannabis retail industry, focusing on retail technology, adtech, and customer engagement tools to boost revenue, brand growth, and customer retention.[1] It served over 1,500 cannabis retail clients by providing solutions for dispensary operations, off-platform advertising, and relationship-building with consumers, addressing key challenges in a regulated, emerging market.[1] The company raised $9.5M from investors including Tuatara Capital, Altitude Investment Management, and Arcadian Capital before being acquired by Weedmaps on May 4, 2022, in an undisclosed deal, marking a successful exit amid growing cannabis tech demand.[1]
Post-acquisition, Enlighten's technology integrated into Weedmaps' ecosystem, enhancing advertising and retail tools, while key executives like co-founder Colby McKenzie advanced to leadership roles, such as VP and GM, scaling ad solutions.[1] This positioned Enlighten as a pivotal player in "canntech," with strong growth momentum evidenced by its client base and funding trajectory before the acquisition solidified its market impact.[1]
Enlighten emerged in 2016 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, co-founded by Colby McKenzie and others targeting the burgeoning U.S. cannabis industry, which lacked sophisticated retail tech amid legalization waves.[1] McKenzie, a serial entrepreneur with expertise in business growth and corporate development, drove early scaling as the venture-backed startup built adtech and retail solutions for dispensaries.[1]
Pivotal early traction came from serving over 1,500 clients, capitalizing on cannabis retail's need for revenue-boosting tools like customer engagement platforms.[1] By 2022, this momentum led to its acquisition by Weedmaps, where McKenzie played a key role in launching off-platform ads, representing a major milestone in canntech consolidation.[1] Note: A separate entity named Enlighten Technologies founded in 2018 also operated in Kentucky for media/adtech but appears distinct based on profiles.[2]
Enlighten rode the cannabis legalization trend across U.S. states, timing its 2016 launch with retail market expansion that demanded tech for inventory, compliance, and customer data—gaps filled by its platform amid a fragmented canntech space.[1] Market forces like regulatory easing and consumer demand for branded experiences favored its solutions, influencing the ecosystem by accelerating Weedmaps' dominance post-2022 acquisition and setting benchmarks for retail-adtech hybrids.[1] It exemplified how niche SaaS disrupts legacy industries, paving the way for further M&A in cannabis tech as the market matures toward $50B+ annual U.S. sales.
Enlighten's acquisition by Weedmaps embeds its tech into a leading cannabis platform, likely fueling expanded ad revenue and retail tools amid ongoing legalization (e.g., potential federal shifts).[1] Trends like AI-driven personalization and interstate commerce will shape its legacy, with alumni like McKenzie driving inorganic growth at firms like Fobi.[1] Its influence may evolve through Weedmaps integrations, inspiring next-gen canntech startups—reinforcing how targeted enterprise software catalyzes growth in regulated markets, much like its own brand-building mission for cannabis retailers.[1]
Enlighten has raised $10.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Enlighten's investors include Tuatara Capital, Arcadian Capital Management.
Key people at Enlighten.
Enlighten has raised $10.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Series B in June 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2019 | $7M Series B | Tuatara Capital | Arcadian Capital Management | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2018 | $3M Series A | Tuatara Capital | — | Announced |
