Vision Critical Celebrates Record Profits for 2009

As headlines go, that one just says it all.

Things continue to roll at Vision Critical, a Wellington Financial Fund III portfolio company. And our friend CEO Angus Reid, isn’t finished there. He’s predicting “another jump in revenue for 2010”.

We provided growth and working capital financing for the company in October 2006 and again in September 2007. Telus Ventures represented the only other institutional money raised, and CFO Gord Baizley has ensured things have rolled out in a very capital efficient fashion.

If you aren’t already a member of Vision Critical’s online panel community, sign up here and start to influence how corporations around the world interact with consumers.

Here are some highlights from a press release put out earlier this week by the company:

• Revenue increased 50% over the previous year
• CEO Angus Reid attributes the banner year to the company’s unique, recession-proof balance of ground-breaking technology and outstanding research talent
• proprietary global panels that include tens of thousands of consumers throughout the USA, UK and Canada
• hired more than 100 qualified new employees
• forcasting an additional 50 per cent growth in revenue for 2010
• scored top marks in a global quality measurement initiative for online panels
• CEO Angus Reid has been inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends
• plans to fill another 120 new global staff positions and expand global operations into Germany, China and other parts of Europe
• Added a new roster of clients, including Starbucks, MTV Networks and GM
• Launched US and UK online consumer panels
• Teamed up with NASCAR to win the prestigious Forrester Groundswell Award
• Gained recognition as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America
• Collaborating with the NBA to win two David Ogilvy Awards
• Opening two new global offices: in Sydney and Minneapolis
• Partnering with Britain’s most widely-read political blog, PoliticalBetting.com, as polling agency of record

Whew.

I get exhausted just reading what they’ve been up to.  Bay Street has certainly noticed (see prior post “CDN tech IPO market stirring to life” Aug 20-09).  A great Canadian success story, and the team’s definitley not done yet.

MRM