// startup autopsy
Kluster
Collective intelligence couldn't collectively pay the bills.
marketfitAcqui-hire
Fatal mistake: Built a crowdsourced innovation platform ahead of enterprise willingness to pay for collective intelligence tools.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Kluster founded in 2008 with $1M in seed funding to build a crowdsourced innovation platform.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Kluster launches its collective intelligence SaaS platform, attracting early interest from innovation-focused enterprises.
PIVOT
Unable to scale enterprise revenue, Kluster pivots its go-to-market strategy in a last attempt to find sustainable growth.
SHUTDOWN
Kluster is acquired and absorbed, ceasing independent operations after three years of struggling to monetize.