// startup autopsy

Benesight

Benefits tech ahead of its time, absorbed before it could bloom.

acquisition gone wrongAcqui-hire

Fatal mistake: Benesight entered the market too early without sufficient enterprise distribution to stand alone, making acquisition its only viable exit.

Founded	1997
Closed	1999
Country	Us
Sector	Saas

50%

Key Events Timeline

1997-01-01

FOUNDING

Benesight founded as an early HR benefits SaaS platform.

1998-06-01

FUNDING

Received its only known funding round, signaling investor interest in HR tech.

1999-01-01

ACQUISITION ATTEMPT

Approached by a larger benefits administration firm seeking to absorb its technology.

1999-06-01

SHUTDOWN

Benesight ceased independent operations following acquisition, brand discontinued.

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Documented cause

Benesight was an early HR benefits SaaS platform founded in the late 1990s that failed to establish itself as an independent company. Rather than experiencing a traditional shutdown or bankruptcy, the company w...

as acquired shortly after its seed round in 1998. The acquisition appears to have been a down-round or acquihire rather than a successful exit, as the company was absorbed by a larger, more establishe

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Benesight collapsed from benesight entered the market too early without sufficient enterprise distribution to stand alone, making acquisition its only viable exit.. Documented cause, verified lesson, all failure signals.

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Key Events Timeline

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