Optimizely

Optimizely is an American enterprise software company focused on digital experience optimization. Its roots are in A/B testing: the company was founded in 2010 by Dan Siroker and Pete Koomen, both former Google employees, after participating in the Winter 2010 Y Combinator program. The original product made it easier for organizations to run controlled experiments on websites without building testing infrastructure from scratch. It subsequently expanded from page-level experimentation into a broader set of tools for personalization, feature management, mobile applications, recommendations, content, commerce, and marketing operations. The company’s early growth was financed by angel investors and venture capital. It reported closing a $1.2 million funding round in November 2010 and becoming cash-flow positive in 2011. Additional investment from Battery Ventures, GV, and InterWest Partners followed in 2012. In 2013, a $28 million Series A led by Benchmark supported further product and international development, including support for nine European languages. Optimizely continued its expansion with a $57 million Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz in 2014 and a $58 million Series C led by Index Ventures in 2015. Product development broadened significantly during the middle of the 2010s. Optimizely introduced mobile application experimentation at its first Opticon user conference in 2014 and released a mobile and website personalization product in 2015. In 2016, it launched Optimizely X, a product family covering web experimentation, personalization, recommendations, mobile, full-stack experimentation, and over-the-top media experiences. These additions positioned the company beyond conventional website A/B testing and toward experimentation across customer journeys and digital products. The business also experienced periods of restructuring. In March 2016, it eliminated approximately 40 positions, described in contemporary reporting as about 10 percent of its workforce. In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reduced staff by approximately 15 percent. Leadership changed in July 2017, when Jay Larson replaced co-founder Dan Siroker as chief executive officer; Siroker became executive chairman. Pete Koomen had previously served as chief technology officer. A major corporate transition occurred in 2020. Episerver announced an agreement to acquire Optimizely on September 3, and the transaction was completed on October 21. In January 2021, Episerver announced that the combined company would adopt the Optimizely name. The enlarged business therefore combined Optimizely’s experimentation capabilities with Episerver’s digital content and commerce platform. Optimizely then added adjacent capabilities through acquisitions, including customer data platform company Zaius in March 2021, marketing orchestration company Welcome in December 2021, and native-warehouse analytics company NetSpring in September 2024. Today, Optimizely presents a digital experience platform rather than a single testing product. Its software includes web and feature experimentation, personalization, feature toggles, content management delivered through SaaS and platform-as-a-service models, a content marketing platform, customer data capabilities, email campaign functionality, and digital commerce. The platform is intended for organizations that want to use behavioral data and controlled experimentation to improve acquisition, conversion, engagement, content performance, and product delivery across digital channels.

Optimizely was established in 2010 by Dan Siroker and Pete Koomen, former Google employees who built the business around simplifying online experimentation. The founders participated in Y Combinator’s Winter 2010 program, and the company raised $1.2 million from angel investors later that year. It became cash-flow positive in 2011, before attracting institutional backing from Battery Ventures, GV, and InterWest Partners in 2012. The company’s venture-backed expansion accelerated in 2013. Benchmark led a $28 million Series A, with Bain Capital Ventures and earlier investors also participating. Optimizely used the funding to expand its product and international reach; in April 2013 it announced support for nine European languages. Its first Opticon user conference took place in April 2014, where Optimizely introduced mobile application A/B testing. A $57 million Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz followed in May 2014. During 2015, Optimizely moved beyond basic web testing by releasing a personalization product for websites and mobile experiences. It raised a further $58 million Series C in October, led by Index Ventures. In September 2016, the company introduced Optimizely X, a wider product family encompassing web experimentation, personalization, recommendations, mobile applications, full-stack use cases, and OTT experiences. This period marked the company’s evolution from a point solution for marketers into a broader experimentation and optimization platform. The company also underwent organizational changes. In March 2016, it laid off approximately 40 employees, or about 10 percent of its workforce. In July 2017, Jay Larson replaced co-founder Dan Siroker as CEO; Siroker became executive chairman. In July 2020, Optimizely reduced staffing by approximately 15 percent in response to the business effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Optimizely’s ownership and product scope changed materially in late 2020. Episerver announced its acquisition of the company in September, and the transaction closed on October 21. In January 2021, Episerver announced that the combined company would be rebranded as Optimizely. The combination brought experimentation together with Episerver’s content management and commerce capabilities. Optimizely then pursued additional expansion through the acquisitions of Zaius in March 2021, Welcome in December 2021, and NetSpring in September 2024. The resulting business operates as a digital experience platform delivered primarily through software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service offerings. Its portfolio includes web and feature experimentation, personalization, feature management, content management, commerce, content marketing, customer data, email campaigns, and analytics. The platform’s central proposition is to help enterprises plan, create, test, personalize, deliver, and measure digital experiences across websites, applications, and other channels.

1. 2024NetSpring acquisition

   Optimizely acquired NetSpring, a native-warehouse analytics provider.

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2. 2021The combined company is rebranded as Optimizely

   Episerver announced that the merged business would use the Optimizely name.

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3. 2021Zaius acquisition

   Optimizely acquired customer data platform company Zaius.

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4. 2021Welcome acquisition

   Optimizely acquired marketing orchestration platform Welcome.

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5. 2020Episerver acquires Optimizely

   Episerver completed its acquisition of Optimizely on October 21.

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6. 2016Optimizely X launches

   Optimizely introduced a broader product family spanning experimentation, personalization, recommendations, mobile, full-stack, and OTT use cases.

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7. 2014First Opticon conference and mobile testing launch

   The company held its first Opticon user conference and introduced mobile application A/B testing.

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8. 2013European language support expands

   Optimizely announced support for nine European languages.

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9. 2011The company becomes cash-flow positive

   Optimizely reported reaching cash-flow-positive operations during its second year.

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10. 2010Optimizely is founded

    Dan Siroker and Pete Koomen founded the company after participating in Y Combinator’s Winter 2010 program.

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An enterprise digital experience platform that connects experimentation and personalization with content, commerce, customer data, and marketing execution.

• Optimizely Web ExperimentationWeb experimentation

  A platform for running controlled experiments on websites, including A/B and multivariate tests. It represents the company’s original core capability and is designed to help organizations compare variations of digital experiences and use measured results to guide optimization.

• Optimizely Feature ExperimentationFeature management and experimentation2016

  A full-stack experimentation and feature-management offering for testing product changes across applications and digital services. It incorporates feature toggling capabilities so teams can control the release of functionality while evaluating its effect.

• Optimizely PersonalizationPersonalization2015

  Tools for tailoring web and mobile experiences to different audiences. The personalization portfolio developed from the company’s expansion beyond generic A/B tests and supports targeted experiences based on customer or visitor characteristics.

• Optimizely CMSContent management

  Content management capabilities inherited and developed through the broader Episerver combination. The offering supports enterprise content operations and is available through SaaS and platform-as-a-service approaches.

• Optimizely Digital CommerceDigital commerce

  Commerce functionality within the digital experience platform, intended to connect digital storefront and merchandising activities with content, experimentation, and broader customer experience operations.

• Optimizely Content Marketing PlatformMarketing operations

  A marketing planning and orchestration product that extends Optimizely beyond experience delivery into campaign and content operations. It supports coordination of marketing work as part of the company’s wider digital experience portfolio.

• Optimizely Customer Data PlatformCustomer data2021

  Customer data capabilities added through the acquisition of Zaius. The product area is intended to help organizations consolidate and use customer information in support of segmentation, personalization, and marketing activity.

• Optimizely Email CampaignsEmail marketing

  An email campaign tool within the broader platform, supporting outbound marketing communication and its connection to content, customer data, and campaign-management workflows.

• 2014Opticon

  Global

  Optimizely’s first user conference, used to bring customers and practitioners together and to announce the company’s mobile application experimentation product.

  Outcome. Established a recurring customer and product event associated with the Optimizely platform.

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• 2024Acquisition of NetSpringM&A

  Optimizely continued to add analytics and data capabilities to its digital experience offering.

  What changed. Optimizely acquired NetSpring, described as a native-warehouse analytics company.

  Aftermath. The acquisition expanded the platform’s stated analytics and data foundation.

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• 2021Rebranding of the combined company as OptimizelyStrategy

  Following the Episerver acquisition, the combined business needed a unified market identity.

  What changed. Episerver announced on January 27 that the combined company would operate under the Optimizely brand.

  Aftermath. Optimizely became the umbrella identity for the merged company’s experimentation, content, commerce, and marketing offerings.

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• 2021Acquisition of ZaiusM&A

  Optimizely was expanding its platform toward customer data and more connected personalization workflows.

  What changed. Optimizely acquired Zaius, a customer data platform company.

  Aftermath. Customer data capabilities became part of Optimizely’s broader digital experience portfolio.

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• 2021Acquisition of WelcomeM&A

  The company was broadening from optimization technology into campaign planning and marketing orchestration.

  What changed. Optimizely acquired Welcome, a marketing orchestration platform.

  Aftermath. Welcome’s capabilities were added to the Optimizely platform and its marketing operations proposition.

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• 2020Acquisition by EpiserverM&A

  Episerver sought to combine its digital content and commerce capabilities with Optimizely’s experimentation and optimization software.

  What changed. Episerver announced the acquisition in September 2020 and completed it on October 21.

  Aftermath. The transaction created the basis for a broader digital experience platform combining content, commerce, experimentation, and personalization.

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• 2016Launch of Optimizely XProduct launch

  The company was expanding from website testing into a wider set of optimization and product-development use cases.

  What changed. Optimizely introduced a product family covering web experimentation, personalization, recommendations, mobile, full-stack, and OTT experiences.

  Aftermath. The launch broadened Optimizely’s positioning from a website A/B testing vendor to a more comprehensive experimentation platform.

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• 2024Optimizely acquires NetSpring

  Optimizely acquired NetSpring, a native-warehouse analytics company, to extend its data and analytics capabilities.

  M&A
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• 2021Combined Episerver business adopts the Optimizely name

  Episerver announced that the combined company would operate under the Optimizely brand.

  M&A
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• 2021Optimizely acquires Zaius

  The acquisition added customer data platform capabilities to Optimizely’s expanding digital experience portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2021Optimizely acquires Welcome

  The acquisition brought Welcome’s marketing orchestration capabilities into the Optimizely product portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2020Optimizely cuts staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

  The company reduced its workforce by approximately 15 percent amid the economic effects of the pandemic.

  Other
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• 2020Episerver announces acquisition of Optimizely

  Episerver announced a transaction to acquire Optimizely on September 3; the acquisition was completed on October 21.

  M&A
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• 2017Jay Larson becomes chief executive officer

  Jay Larson replaced co-founder Dan Siroker as CEO, while Siroker moved into the executive chairman role.

  Leadership change
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• 2016Optimizely reduces its workforce

  The company eliminated approximately 40 positions, reported as about 10 percent of its workforce.

  Other
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• 2016Optimizely launches Optimizely X

  The Optimizely X product family expanded the company’s scope to web experimentation, personalization, recommendations, mobile, full-stack, and OTT use cases.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2015Optimizely adds personalization capabilities

  The company released a product for personalization across mobile and web experiences.

  Product launch
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• 2015Optimizely closes a $58 million Series C

  Index Ventures led the financing, joined by a group of existing and strategic investors.

  Other
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• 2014Optimizely launches mobile application experimentation

  At its first Opticon user conference, the company introduced software for A/B testing mobile applications.

  Product launchCampaign
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• 2014Optimizely raises $57 million in Series B funding

  Andreessen Horowitz led the Series B round, with participation from Benchmark and Bain Capital Ventures.

  Other
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• 2013Optimizely closes a $28 million Series A

  Benchmark led a Series A financing that also included Bain Capital Ventures and existing investors.

  Other
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• 2012Optimizely announces additional venture backing

  Battery Ventures, GV, and InterWest Partners provided additional funding as the company expanded its experimentation platform.

  Other
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• 2010Optimizely raises $1.2 million in early funding

  The company closed an early financing round from angel investors after completing the Winter 2010 Y Combinator program.

  Other
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1. Optimizely
2. Optimizely official website