FullContact

FullContact is a Denver, Colorado-based software company that provides a privacy-compliant identity resolution and data enrichment platform for marketers, advertising agencies, and developers. The organization operates a software-as-a-service business model, offering cloud-based tools and application programming interfaces that allow businesses to manage, update, and resolve partial contact records using publicly available information. Operating with a workforce of 51 to 100 employees, the platform currently serves approximately 40,000 users and has historically processed over one billion individual contact records across its systems. FullContact has secured at least $6.3 million in venture funding from early backers including 500 Startups, while serving a diverse client base that features major Fortune 1000 enterprises before ultimately being acquired by media company Ziff Davis. The enterprise was originally founded in 2010 by Bart Lorang, Travis Todd, and Dan Lynn.

# FullContact: High-Level Overview

FullContact is a privacy-safe identity resolution SaaS platform that helps brands connect with and understand their customers by unifying fragmented data across touchpoints[3]. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company serves marketing platforms, enterprises, and developers who need to identify real people—not just devices—in real-time[1][5].

The company solves a fundamental problem in modern marketing: customer data fragmentation. As consumers interact with brands across multiple channels and devices, their identity becomes scattered. FullContact's patented identity graph aggregates data from thousands of sources to create unified customer profiles, enabling brands to deliver personalized experiences while maintaining privacy and transparency[3][5]. The company's core mission reflects this dual commitment: "We empower smarter, more personalized connections. At FullContact, we believe that if you own your relationships, you own your future."[3]

# Origin Story

FullContact was founded in 2010 by Bart Lorang, Travis Todd, and Dan Lynn in Denver, Colorado[1]. The company emerged from a simple insight—helping people organize their address books to build better relationships—but evolved into a sophisticated identity resolution platform serving enterprise customers[2]. The founders went through the Techstars Boulder accelerator in 2011, an early validation of their concept[1].

The company's growth trajectory reflects strategic acquisitions and market expansion. Over its history, FullContact has raised approximately $50 million in venture capital[1]. Key milestones include acquiring Profoundis Labs (2016), Mattermark (2017), and Contacts+ (2018), each expanding the company's data capabilities and product offerings[1]. In August 2020, Chris Harrison succeeded founder Bart Lorang as CEO, marking a leadership transition while maintaining the company's founding vision[1].

# Core Differentiators

• Real-Time Identity Resolution: FullContact delivers millisecond response times through RESTful APIs, enabling brands to recognize and act on customer insights as they engage[3]. This speed is critical for dynamic customer experiences.

• Person-Centered, Not Device-Centered: Unlike competitors focused on device tracking, FullContact identifies actual people across channels, addressing privacy concerns while improving accuracy[3].

• Patented Identity Graph: The company's proprietary technology indexes over 1.5 billion people globally and processes millions of data updates daily, providing depth and breadth of enrichment[1][6].

• Privacy-First Architecture: FullContact positions itself as a "steward of consumer information," integrating with consent management platforms like Qonsent to give consumers control over their data while enabling brands to build trust[6].

• Developer-Friendly APIs: The platform provides powerful, accessible APIs that allow developers to complete and enrich customer profiles without complex infrastructure[8].

• Performance Guarantee: FullContact offers a distinctive guarantee to amplify customers' ability to recognize and reach real people by 3X, or the service is free[3].

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

FullContact operates at the intersection of three major tech trends: privacy regulation, first-party data strategy, and AI-driven personalization. As third-party cookies deprecate and regulations like GDPR and CCPA reshape data practices, brands urgently need compliant ways to understand their customers. FullContact's identity resolution platform addresses this gap by helping companies build zero-party and first-party data strategies[6].

The company influences the broader ecosystem by demonstrating that privacy and personalization are not opposing forces. By integrating consent management and transparency into identity resolution, FullContact shapes how the industry thinks about ethical data use. Partnerships with major platforms like Precisely and Blackbaud extend its reach into specialized verticals, from healthcare to nonprofit engagement[3].

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

FullContact is well-positioned to capture growing demand for privacy-compliant identity solutions as brands navigate the post-cookie era. The company's emphasis on real-time, person-centered insights—combined with its commitment to consumer control—aligns with both regulatory trends and consumer expectations.

Looking ahead, FullContact's trajectory will likely be shaped by: (1) deepening integrations with consent and data governance platforms, (2) expansion into emerging markets where identity infrastructure is nascent, and (3) evolution of its identity graph to incorporate new data sources while maintaining privacy standards. As brands increasingly recognize that authentic customer relationships require both data sophistication and transparency, FullContact's mission—connecting people and brands while respecting individual agency—becomes more strategically valuable, not less.