What Handbid does

Handbid, Inc. is a privately held, Colorado-incorporated software company founded in 2011 that operates a cloud-based, white-label auction and event management platform serving nonprofit fundraisers, enterprise and luxury-branded organizations, and commercial auction operators. The platform spans a web console plus native iOS and Android applications and supports hybrid, live, silent, and sealed-bid auction formats over a real-time WebSocket bidding engine, with mobile bidding, text-to-give, ticketing and registration with Tap to Pay, peer-to-peer fundraising, and live reporting/analytics. Underlying infrastructure is delivered through partnerships with Stripe (PCI Level 1 payment processing) and Nicman Labs (SOC 2 Type II hosting), supplemented by SAML 2.0 and OAuth 2.0 SSO, MFA via Twilio Verify, and a 99.5% uptime SLA with dedicated hosting for events expecting 5,000+ sustained visits per minute. The product surface is modular — Mobile Bidding, Tap to Pay ticketing, Text-to-Give, Auction Management Tools, Reporting & Analytics, White-Label Auctions, Competitive Bidding, and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising — packaged for three primary verticals: Non-Profit Fundraising, Enterprise & Luxury Brands, and Commercial Operators, with limited AI features (image enhancement and generative content tools) available to Host Organizations. Handbid monetizes via annual subscription pricing (quote-based, 20% promotional discount for new sign-ups) plus transaction processing fees, with no public pricing. It reports powering thousands of events and millions in fundraising for customers including Oil and Gas Asset Clearinghouse ($209M cumulative auction volume over five years), Liberty University (fundraising revenue from ~$45,000 to ~$190,000), CHG Healthcare, Clay Lacy Aviation, Polaris RFx, Napa Valley Wine Auction, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, delivered from a Centennial, Colorado headquarters by a team of 11–50 employees under a founder/management-owned ownership profile.

Name

Handbid

Legal name

Handbid, Inc.

Website

https://handbid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Handbid operates a cloud-based, white-label auction and event management platform with native iOS and Android apps, serving nonprofit fundraisers, luxury and enterprise organizations, and commercial operators via annual subscriptions, transaction fees, and concierge onboarding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Auction & Fundraising Software

akta.pro primary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Auction software
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Mobile bidding
• Event technology
• Silent auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Centennial

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Platform Software Subscription: Subscription-based access to the Handbid auction platform with concierge-level service and white-label deployment options. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to organization size and event requirements.
2. Transaction Processing: Payment processing fees from auction transactions, donations, and ticket sales. All payment processing handled through Stripe with card tokenization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Handbid provides cloud-based auction and event fundraising software that enables nonprofits and charitable organizations to run live, silent, sealed-bid, and hybrid auctions. The platform includes branded mobile bidding apps for iOS and Android, white-label deployment, integrated payment processing via Stripe, and concierge onboarding for client events.

Product overview

Handbid is a premium auction software platform with a modular architecture consisting of a core platform plus multiple integrated modules and vertical solutions. The core Handbid Platform provides the foundational infrastructure for hosting auctions and events. Key product modules include Mobile Bidding (native iOS/Android app), Ticketing & Registration with Tap to Pay, Text-to-Give, Auction Management Tools, Reporting & Analytics, White-Label Auctions, Competitive Bidding, and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising. The platform serves three primary verticals: Non-Profit Fundraising for charities and development teams, Enterprise & Luxury Brands requiring white-label solutions, and Commercial Operators for liquidation and specialty auctions. The platform also incorporates AI-powered features including AI-assisted image enhancement and AI-generated content tools for Host Organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handbid Auction Platform
• Handbid Mobile Bidding App

Quantifiable outcome

• Oil and Gas Asset Clearinghouse generated $209 million in auction volume over 5 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nicman LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationHandbid's platform runs on hardened, monitored infrastructure designed by Nicman Labs, a SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure provider. This partnership ensures audited controls for security, availability, and confidentiality with primary and failover architecture.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationAll payment processing is handled by Stripe, a PCI Level 1 Service Provider. Stripe provides card tokenization, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, and Tap to Pay capabilities with encrypted transmission and PCI DSS compliance.
• Apple App StorecoreTechnology or IntegrationHandbid's native iOS application is distributed through the Apple App Store, subject to Apple's security review and compliance requirements.
• Google Play StorecoreTechnology or IntegrationHandbid's native Android application is distributed through Google Play Store, subject to Google's security and privacy requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OneCause: Direct competitor offering auction, mobile bidding, and peer-to-peer fundraising software for nonprofits and charities, overlapping almost completely with Handbid's primary vertical.
• Givebutter: Direct competitor providing online fundraising, donation forms, event ticketing, and auctions for nonprofits — heavily overlapping with Handbid's nonprofit and charity use cases at lower price points.
• GalaBid: Direct peer focused on silent and live auction software for nonprofits and schools, competing head-to-head with Handbid's mobile bidding and silent auction features.
• CharityAuctionsToday: Direct peer in online auction and event management software for nonprofits and schools, offering mobile bidding and ticketing functionality comparable to Handbid.
• Silent Auction Pro: Direct peer providing silent auction software for nonprofits, with overlapping mobile bidding, item management, and payment processing capabilities.
• Qgiv: Direct peer offering online fundraising, event registration, and auction tools for nonprofits, with similar subscription and transaction-fee economics to Handbid.
• Auctria: Direct peer in online auction management software serving nonprofits and charities, comparable in auction-format breadth and bidder experience features.

Broad incumbents

• Bonterra (Network for Good / GiveRiver): Broader nonprofit technology suite incorporating fundraising, CRM, and grant management; competes with Handbid via bundles and embedded auction-adjacent functionality at larger nonprofits.
• Eventbrite: Large generalist event-management and ticketing platform that overlaps with Handbid's corporate events, concert/venue operations, and ticketing modules, though with less specialization in auctions.

Emerging players

• Sweepstakes / Bidpath (commercial auction operators): Emerging peer focused on commercial and industrial online auctions — directly comparable to Handbid's Commercial Operators vertical (liquidation, surplus, equipment auctions) and Oil & Gas Asset Clearinghouse use case.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Handbid