Spiceworks is a technology company.
Spiceworks has raised $111.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Spiceworks has raised $111.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Spiceworks is a professional network and IT management platform for IT professionals, offering free tools, community collaboration, and a marketplace connecting users with vendors.[2][1][4] Founded to simplify IT workflows, it provides network inventory, help desk software, knowledge bases, and AI-enhanced apps, serving over six million IT pros worldwide while enabling 3,000+ vendors to engage buyers.[2][4][5] Acquired by Ziff Davis in 2019, it now operates as Spiceworks Ziff Davis (SWZD), headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a focus on peer support, trend research, and practical resources to "spice up" the IT industry.[2][4][1]
Spiceworks was founded in January 2006 in Austin, Texas, by Scott Abel, Jay Hallberg, Greg Kattawar, and Francis Sullivan—former executives at Motive—who aimed to create free IT management software that "just works."[2][3][1] The idea emerged from conversations with IT pros frustrated by painful tools and lacking favorites, inspiring the founders to build a collaborative platform blending apps, community, and simplicity—hence the name "Spiceworks."[3][1] Early traction came fast: $5M Series A from Austin Ventures in 2006, $8M Series B in 2007, scaling to $57M Series E led by Goldman Sachs in 2014, with European expansion in 2012.[2] Milestones included 10-year growth to millions of users by 2016, despite layoffs and leadership shifts, culminating in Ziff Davis acquisition in 2019.[2][4]
Spiceworks rides the wave of IT democratization and AI augmentation, empowering under-resourced pros amid rising cyber threats, hybrid work, and cloud complexity—trends amplified since its free-tool origins.[5][1] Timing aligns with SMB digitization, where pros need quick, peer-validated solutions over enterprise bloat; market forces like vendor-IT buyer gaps favor its neutral marketplace.[4][5] It influences the ecosystem by aggregating anonymized data for industry insights, fueling vendor strategies and pro efficiency, while migrations like to Discourse signal adaptability in community tech.[1][2]
Spiceworks will deepen AI integration across apps for predictive IT, expanding cloud tools and global reach via its vast community.[5] Trends like AI-driven ops and vendor-pro marketplaces will propel growth under Ziff Davis, potentially scaling users beyond 6M with personalized content. Its influence may evolve into a data-powered IT intelligence hub, solidifying its role in simplifying pros' daily grind—from 2006's "spice up" spark to tomorrow's essential ecosystem.[1][5][4]
Spiceworks has raised $111.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Spiceworks's investors include Greylock, Hanabi Capital, IVP, Mayfield, Redpoint Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, Brad Garlinghouse, Elsewhere Partners.
Spiceworks has raised $111.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $57.0M Series E in February 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2014 | $57.0M Series E | Greylock, Hanabi Capital, IVP, Mayfield, Redpoint Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, Brad Garlinghouse | |
| Apr 1, 2011 | $25.0M Series D | Elsewhere Partners, Greylock, Hanabi Capital, IVP, Mayfield, Redpoint Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, Brad Garlinghouse | |
| Jan 1, 2010 | $16.0M Series C | Elsewhere Partners, Greylock, Hanabi Capital, IVP, Mayfield, Redpoint Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, Brad Garlinghouse | |
| Aug 1, 2007 | $8.0M Series B | Elsewhere Partners, Greylock, Mayfield, Shasta Ventures | |
| Jun 1, 2006 | $5.0M Series A | Elsewhere Partners |