Merchandise startup Spring, formally Teespring, was recently acquired by software company Amaze, the company confirmed to Insider. It declined to disclose financial details behind the acquisition.
Amaze offers ecommerce tools for creators, merchants, and brands. The VC-backed company has raised a total of $4.5 million in a late-stage series A funding round in August, according to PitchBook data. (It has raised a total of $70.1 million.)
Amaze's acquisition of Spring comes about four months after the merchandise startup laid off staff across multiple teams. Spring has not confirmed how many staffers were affected.
The San Francisco-based company launched in 2011 as Teespring, a platform where users could create T-shirts. Cofounded by Walker Williams and Evan Stites-Clayton, the merch startup had raised a total of $60 million in funding for the startup over three rounds between 2014 and 2017, according to PitchBook data.
In 2018, the company began to pivot and focus on working closely with YouTube stars on the production and distribution of their merchandise. The two cofounders eventually left the company, both moving on to found other startups by the beginning of 2019.
Since then, Spring has built partnerships with platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram — as well as other creator economy startups like Linktree and Pietra.
Last year, Spring CEO Chris Lamontagne told The Information that the company was eyeing an IPO "within the next 18 to 24 months." At that time, The Information reported that Spring had 450 employees.
Earlier this year, Spring expanded its team and hired ex-Meta VP Annelies Jansen to serve as president and COO.
In July, the company was hit with cuts, and a number of staffers across its growth, marketing, and other teams, including some high-level execs, were laid off, according to multiple people close to the company. Spring was one of at least 20 creator startups that experienced cuts this year.
Following Spring's July layoffs, the company faced a series of complaints from creators of delayed payouts and a decline in product quality. Former staffers Insider spoke with questioned what would become of the merch company.
Now that the acquisition is complete, Amaze will adapt some of Spring's existing tools and integrations, like expanding Spring Hat Studio, which gives creators the ability to create embroidered merchandise, to Amaze creators.
Lamontagne will join Amaze as president and lead Amaze's creator community and commerce group, while Jansen will take over as chief business officer, according to Amaze.
