Brainshark was founded in 1999 with one vision: to transform the way businesspeople create and share content. From this vision, the Brainshark platform was born – enabling the average businessperson with only basic tools, like PowerPoint and the phone, to create high-impact video presentations that help lower costs and drive business value. Before the ideas of user-generated content, software as a service and online video became standard practice, Brainshark was already pioneering these concepts to enhance business communications.
Today, Brainshark’s cloud-based platform helps thousands of companies improve sales productivity, with solutions to more effectively prepare and train employees, engage with key audiences, and advance business opportunities.
Initially, Brainshark began by addressing a pressing need in the corporate training industry. Organizations were spending months of time and tens of thousands of dollars in computer-based course development. Brainshark Founder and CEO Joe Gustafson knew he could provide a better way, by allowing organizations to empower their subject matter experts to create eLearning content within minutes… at a fraction of the previous cost.
Brainshark soon encountered a groundswell of demand from other business areas that needed to rapidly create, share and track their business communications. Business professionals from sales, marketing, channel and HR functions soon began using Brainshark to create and share content that their audiences could consume anytime, anywhere and from any device.
Between 1999 and 2005, Brainshark raised $23 million in venture capital, began turning a profit in 2006 and has continued to grow rapidly to this day. Brainshark customers come from industries such as financial services, insurance, technology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, retail and others. And through its Non-Profit Grant Program launched in 2008, Brainshark awards free software licenses to qualifying non-profit organizations.
Over the years, Brainshark has developed and launched a comprehensive product portfolio, including the flagship Brainshark On-Demand™ solution and advanced enterprise applications such as Rapid Learning™ for learning management and Sales Enablement Portal for ready access to business content. Brainshark complements our products with Professional Services to enable customers to maximize the value of their investment in Brainshark solutions. Brainshark also addresses the needs of individuals and small businesses with the myBrainshark free solution. And with tablets and smartphones outpacing PCs in recent years, Brainshark launched the popular SlideShark mobile app, enabling sales and other mobile professionals to manage, show and track PowerPoint presentationss more effectively on Apple iOS devices.
Brainshark has remained true to its original vision. The company continues to dedicate itself to providing a superior experience for its customers – having invested hundreds of person-years in the development of its products and the underlying Brainshark Platform™, plus millions of dollars in its secure, reliable and scalable cloud computing infrastructure.
Starting from a vision and just one customer in 1999, Brainshark is proud to now provide its unique and powerful solutions to thousands of organizations of all sizes and industries – including half of the Fortune 100 – and millions of individuals.