Keen builds back-end tools enabling small, local print shops to bring complex, time-sensitive print jobs online. The product includes a design platform and management tools spun out of founder Vitaly M. Golomb’s design firm, created to handle print-brokering complexity that standard shopping carts and CRMs struggle with. Keen targets the web-to-print segment, which the article cites as an estimated $141 billion slice of the $640 billion print market, and focuses on local shops where shipping is expensive. The company plans to use the new funding to offer additional services to print buyers and consumers and to improve its design platform for print shops. Financially, Keen raised $925,000 in 2012 and has added a $1.625M Series A, bringing total funding to about $3 million. The company is headquartered in San Mateo and also does some work in Ukraine. Keen Systems has built a cloud-based platform that enables print companies of all sizes and segments to offer a modern eCommerce experience to their clients. The product offers prefab storefront templates and styles, price quoting, order updates and tracking, private stores, a built-in transactional system, SEO, analytics and support. Keen applies freemium and monthly subscription SaaS pricing rather than long-term licensing, and its co-founder Vitaly M. Golomb positions the company around bringing eCommerce efficiency to a fragmented print market. The startup plans to launch a marketplace of wholesale vendors to let print companies add resale programs for specialty products and services. Keen was selected by PIP Printing to power its network and received an InterTech Technology Award, where it was the youngest business to win. The company debuted an alpha at Demo in fall 2009 and went live in September 2011.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Aug 2012