// STARTUP COMPARISON
Worklight (Israel) vs Habitissimo
Worklight (Israel) failed in 2019 due to Acquisition Gone Wrong. Habitissimo failed in 2020 due to Acquisition Gone Wrong. Both failed for the same reason — Acquisition Gone Wrong.
| METRIC | 🔥 Worklight (Israel) | 🔥 Habitissimo |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Marketplace | Marketplace |
| Country | Israel | Spain |
| Founded | 2012 | 2009 |
| Died | 2019 | 2020 |
| Raised | $25M | €10M |
| Peak | $25M raised | €15M revenue |
| Primary Cause | Acquisition Gone Wrong | Acquisition Gone Wrong |
// WHY EACH FAILED
🔥 Worklight (Israel)
Acquisition Gone Wrong
Worklight built an enterprise mobile application management platform. IBM acquired it in 2012 for $70M. IBM integrated Worklight's technology into IBM MobileFirst, retired the Worklight brand, and eventually deprecated the entire MobileFirst platform in 2019 as IBM's mobile enterprise strategy changed. The Israeli team was absorbed and eventually dispersed as IBM restructured its mobile offerings.
// LESSON
IBM acquires enterprise technology to integrate it into IBM platforms. The independent product is always deprecated eventually. If you are selling to IBM, understand you are selling the technology and team, not creating a sustainable product future.
IBM acquires enterprise technology to integrate it into IBM platforms. The independent product is always deprecated eventually. If you are selling to IBM, understand you are selling the technology and team, not creating a sustainable product future.
🔥 Habitissimo
Acquisition Gone Wrong
Habitissimo was Spain and Latin America's leading home services marketplace, connecting homeowners with contractors. It was acquired by ANGI Homeservices (HomeAdvisor) in 2017. Post-acquisition, local product focus deteriorated, engineering teams were dispersed across ANGI's global structure, and Habitissimo's market position eroded as local competitors rebuilt trust with Spanish users.
// LESSON
Marketplace network effects are hyper-local. Trust cannot be managed remotely. Acquiring a marketplace and running it from another continent destroys the very thing that made it valuable.
Marketplace network effects are hyper-local. Trust cannot be managed remotely. Acquiring a marketplace and running it from another continent destroys the very thing that made it valuable.
// EXPLORE FURTHER