// startup autopsy

Worklight

Enterprise mobility platform snapped up by IBM.

acquisition gone wrongAcqui-hire

Fatal mistake: Worklight's technology was so strategically valuable that IBM acquired it before the company could achieve full independent scale.

Founded	2006
Closed	2012
Country	USA
Sector	Saas

50%

Key Events Timeline

2006-01-01

FOUNDING

Worklight founded to build enterprise mobile application management and deployment platform.

2008-09-01

FUNDING

Closes funding round bringing total to $17.6M to expand enterprise sales and product development.

2011-06-01

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Launches major platform update supporting HTML5 and hybrid app development for enterprise clients.

2012-01-01

SHUTDOWN

IBM acquires Worklight, ending its independent operations and integrating technology into IBM MobileFirst.

Full Analysis

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Documented cause

Worklight, an enterprise mobile application platform founded to help companies manage and deploy mobile apps across devices, was acquired by IBM in 2012 despite having raised $17.6M in funding. While the acquis...

ition itself occurred, this represents a failure of the independent startup. The company's standalone growth was fundamentally capped by IBM's strategic interests rather than organic market success. P

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€31.7M

Peak valuation

HypeCycle · MoatType · ResearchTags

Worklight raised €17.6M before worklight's technology was so strategically valuable that ibm acquired it before the company could achieve full independent scale. ended it. See the documented cause, verified lesson and all failure signals.

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Key Events Timeline

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