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ShareBuilder 401k offers accessible, low-cost 401(k) retirement savings plans. It leverages integrated online and offline technologies, delivering affordable, index-based investing solutions. The core product provides tailored retirement options for smaller enterprises and self-employed individuals, simplifying complex employer-sponsored benefits. This approach helps businesses provide competitive benefits without significant administrative burden.
Launched in 2005, the company originated from the insight that retirement savings plans should be universally accessible. Stuart Robertson, who has led ShareBuilder 401k since its early stages and built the firm, was instrumental in its trajectory. His financial background underpins the commitment to democratizing retirement benefits, making them available to those traditionally underserved by large financial institutions.
ShareBuilder 401k primarily serves small and mid-sized businesses, alongside self-employed professionals. Its vision centers on empowering a broader workforce to achieve financial security through retirement planning. The firm continually strives to remove barriers, ensuring effective retirement solutions are within reach for diverse American workers, fostering long-term financial well-being for its clientele.
ShareBuilder has raised $50.0M across 2 funding rounds.
ShareBuilder has raised $50.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
ShareBuilder has raised $50.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
ShareBuilder's investors include Madrona Ventures.
ShareBuilder has raised $50.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $20.0M Series D in November 2001.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2001 | $20M Series D | — | Madrona Venture Group | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2000 | $30M Series C | — | Madrona Venture Group | Announced |
ShareBuilders is a technology company specializing in media sales software, providing the largest forecasting and pricing tools for TV, radio, and out-of-home advertising in the US.[1][2][4] It offers an integrated platform including ShareBuilder Pricing, CRM, inventory management, analytics, and AI-enhanced features like Data Enrichment and the ShareBuilder Assistant, serving media sales teams to optimize revenue, inventory, and decision-making.[1][2][6] The company solves pain points in media pricing—previously reliant on complex spreadsheets—by combining data science, machine learning, human expertise, and consulting to drive growth and efficiency for broadcasters globally.[1][6] With 30-42 employees, $9.2 million in annual revenue, and steady expansion (e.g., acquiring Efficio Solutions in 2016), ShareBuilders demonstrates strong momentum as the most comprehensive media sales platform available.[1][2][4]
ShareBuilders was founded in 1999 by Don Locke, a 24-year broadcast sales management veteran, and his wife Linda Locke in their Peoria, Illinois basement.[1] Frustrated by the lack of data-driven tools for media inventory pricing, Don applied economic principles and game theory to build a sophisticated spreadsheet, which they transformed into software to empower sales teams with "sound science-based reasoning."[1] Early traction came from this grassroots innovation, evolving the company into the US's top media pricing and forecasting provider.[1][4] Key milestones include the 2016 acquisition of Efficio Solutions for CRM capabilities, integrating remote teams and legacy products into unified tools, and recent launches like the web-based ShareBuilder Platform and AI features.[1][6][7] Today, under CEO Erin Koller, it operates from Washington, Illinois, with a focus on global media sales empowerment.[1][4]
ShareBuilders rides the wave of AI-driven revenue optimization in media, where broadcasters face volatile ad markets, digital shifts, and data overload—timing perfectly with rising demand for predictive analytics amid streaming competition and economic uncertainty.[1][2][6] Market forces like ad inventory fragmentation and the need for real-time pricing favor its tools, enabling traditional TV/radio to compete by boosting efficiency and yield without generic software.[1][6][7] It influences the ecosystem by setting standards for media-specific SaaS, empowering sales teams globally and fostering data-centric cultures in an industry slow to adopt tech, much like how CRM revolutionized other sectors.[1][2]
ShareBuilders is poised for accelerated growth through AI expansions like the ShareBuilder Assistant and Data Enrichment, potentially capturing more out-of-home and international markets as media consolidates.[1][2][6] Trends in machine learning for ad tech and hybrid human-AI pricing will shape its path, amplifying its edge over commoditized tools while navigating competition from fintech giants.[4] Its influence may evolve into a full ecosystem leader, powering next-gen media revenue amid cord-cutting—transforming spreadsheets into superpowers, just as Don Locke envisioned.[1]
