As e-commerce grows and grows, ChannelAdvisor files for IPO

ChannelAdvisor filed for an IPO today, proposing to raise $86.25 million, although the price per share and number of shares has not yet been revealed. The full filing is embedded below.

ChannelAdvisor provides software-as-a-service solutions to help retailers and manufacturers integrate, manage, and optimize their merchandise sales across hundreds of online channels, including Amazon, Google, eBay, Bing, Groupon, and Facebook. Customers can build customized solutions or use the “managed services” for help implementing campaigns.

“The e-commerce market has grown significantly over the last several years, as consumers have increasingly shifted their retail purchases from traditional brick and mortar stores to online stores and marketplaces,” the company said in the filing. “This trend has created many opportunities for retailers and manufacturers, but at the same time has resulted in additional complexity and challenges. Retailers and manufacturers seeking new avenues to expand their online sales must manage product data and transactions across hundreds of highly fragmented online channels where data attributes vary, requirements change frequently, and the pace of innovation is rapid and increasing.

The filing also cited a Forrester report that found online consumer spending is expected to increase to $1.1 trillion in 2016, which will grow the need for tools that help merchants navigate the “complex and fragmented” market. ChannelAdvisor’s software supports the full spectrum of e-commerce vendors, including marketplaces, paid search providers, companion shoppers, flex feeds, and social shopping companies. Services like inventory management, reporting and analytics, and content optimization help vendors get the most of their online sales.

According to the S-1, ChannelAdvisor had over 1,900 customers worldwide as of December 31, 2012, and in 2012 alone its customers processed over $3.5 billion in gross merchandise value through the platform.

ChannelAdvisor was founded in 2001 and has raised $75 million to date. Investors include eBay, Advanced Technology Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners, Southern Capital Ventures, and New Enterprise Associates. ChannelAdvisor is based in North Carolina.

ChannelAdvisor S-1

Photo Credit: ChannelAdvisor Facebook