What Black & White Zebra does

Black & White Zebra (BWZ) is a Vancouver-based, bootstrapped media-tech company that operates a multi-property portfolio of 15+ professional audience platforms, including The Digital Project Manager, People Managing People, The CPO Club, The CTO, The CMO Club, The CX Lead, The CFO Club, The CRO Club, The Retail Exec, The Hotel GM, The Legal Practice, The Medical Practice, The Lead Pastor, and Indie Media Club. These properties collectively reach 10M+ professionals annually and serve niche SaaS and functional audiences (project managers, HR leaders, product/technology/marketing executives, and other professionals), supported by 60,000+ community members and multiple membership, newsletter, and course products.

The company's technology stack centers on the Revleads B2B SaaS sales and marketing platform (rebranded from SoftwareSelect in March 2025), strengthened by the April 2022 acquisition of London-based Crozdesk ($3.6M). Crozdesk contributed Machine Learning engines that categorize and rank 13,000+ software products across 350+ categories, an intent-driven lead-generation engine, and the SoftwareSelect advisory service. BWZ has layered AI-enabled content production, recommendation engines, and process automation across its portfolio under a company-wide AI strategy led by VP of AI Tim Fisher (hired August 2025).

BWZ monetizes through a dual-sided model: professionals consume editorial content and community for free, while B2B SaaS vendors pay for advertising and lead generation via Pay-Per-Click campaigns, Pay-Per-Lead campaigns with pre-qualified leads, display advertising, advertorials, sponsorships, executive briefs, webinars, and virtual events on the Revleads platform. Named customers include Monday.com, ClickUp, Smartsheet, Deel, New Relic, Oracle, Adobe, Siemens, Lyft, Wrike, Kantata, Freshworks, and others. The company is founder-led by CEO Ben Aston, reports 78 full-time employees as of April 2025, distributes 7% of profits to charity, and has been recognized on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 in both 2023 (#107) and 2025 (#467).

Name

Black & White Zebra

Legal name

Black & White Zebra

Website

https://bwz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Black & White Zebra is a bootstrapped Vancouver-based media-tech company operating 15+ professional media brands (e.g., The Digital Project Manager, People Managing People) and the Revleads B2B SaaS advertising and lead-generation platform, reaching 10M+ professionals and generating qualified leads for SaaS vendors like Monday.com, ClickUp, and Oracle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Media & Adtech

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• B2B media publishing
• Professional content platforms
• SaaS lead generation
• Intent-based advertising
• Professional community platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. B2B SaaS Advertising and Lead Generation: Revenue from B2B SaaS vendors advertising through the Revleads platform, including PPC campaigns, PPL lead generation, intent data campaigns, display advertising, brand-building opportunities like advertorials and sponsorships
2. Lead Generation Services: Pre-qualified lead generation where vendors pay for vetted leads based on specific criteria such as company size, industry, and feature preferences
3. SaaS Partner Advertising: Generate millions of leads annually for SaaS partners through owned media properties

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Black & White Zebra operates a multi-property portfolio of professional media brands (The Digital Project Manager, People Managing People, The CPO Club, The CTO, The CMO Club, and others) that build engaged audiences of professionals. The company monetizes these audiences primarily through Revleads, its B2B SaaS sales and marketing platform that offers pay-per-click advertising, pay-per-lead generation, display advertising, and brand-building solutions to B2B SaaS vendors seeking high-intent software buyers.

Product overview

Black & White Zebra is a media-tech company operating a multi-property portfolio of professional audience platforms. The portfolio consists of (1) media publications spanning multiple professional communities including The Digital Project Manager, People Managing People, The CTO Club, The CPO Club, The CMO Club, The CRO Club, The CFO Club, The CX Lead, The Lead Pastor, The Retail Exec, The Hotel GM, The Legal Practice, The Medical Practice, and Indie Media Club; and (2) SaaS/platform products including Revleads (B2B SaaS sales and marketing platform), SoftwareSelect (software advisory service), and Crozdesk (acquired lead-generation platform). The media publications generate audience reach while the platform products monetize through advertising, lead generation, and software recommendation services. The company reaches millions of professionals monthly and generates millions of leads annually for B2B SaaS partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Digital Project Manager: Publication for digital project managers and those managing projects and productivity in a digital world
• People Managing People
• The CPO Club
• The CTO
• The CMO Club
• The Lead Pastor
• The CX Lead
• Revleads
• The CFO Club
• The CRO Club
• The Retail Exec
• The Hotel GM
• The Legal Practice
• The Medical Practice
• Indie Media Club
• Software Select
• Revstacks

Products and services

• Revleads B2B SaaS sales and marketing platform providing vendors with access to targeted, high-intent audiences actively researching, comparing, and purchasing software. Features PPC campaign management, PPL lead generation, display advertising, brand-building opportunities, and intent-driven engagement across 350+ B2B SaaS categories.
• Crozdesk SaaS lead-generation platform acquired by BWZ that uses AI and Machine Learning to rank more than 13,000 software products across 350+ categories, running lead generation and intent data campaigns for software vendors.
• SoftwareSelect

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• CrozdeskcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 April 2022Acquired London-based SaaS lead-generation company Crozdesk, including its Machine Learning engines categorizing 13,000+ software products across 350+ categories, lead generation technology, and SoftwareSelect vendor platform. Combined BWZ's reach and content with Crozdesk's digital lead generation solutions used by 13,000+ software vendors.
• Monday.comflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS partner for lead generation, advertising, and content solutions across BWZ's portfolio of professional media brands
• ClickUpflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS partner for lead generation, advertising, and content solutions
• SmartsheetflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS partner for lead generation, advertising, and content solutions
• OraclecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnterprise partner for lead generation and training solutions
• AdobecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnterprise partner for lead generation and training solutions
• SiemenscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnterprise partner for lead generation and training solutions
• WrikeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• KantataminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• FreshworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• ConecteamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• KallidusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• mablminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• ZohominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• LambdaTestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• TricentisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaaS advertising partner featured in client logos section
• Revstacks Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party publishers within the Revstacks Partner Network providing vendors access to highly targeted and valuable audiences, extending Revleads platform reach across 40,000+ weekly visits from high-intent software buyers
• SoftwareSelectcoreTechnology or IntegrationDedicated software advisory service (formerly part of Crozdesk) continuing to guide businesses in selecting best software solutions, now integrated with Revleads platform

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Vendr: Vendr is a B2B SaaS buying and procurement platform with proprietary marketplace data and a buyer-intent focus. Competes indirectly with BWZ's Revleads by serving B2B SaaS procurement and benchmarking needs of the same vendor and buyer ecosystem.
• SelectHub: SelectHub is a B2B software selection platform offering requirement-based software recommendations and lead generation to vendors. Smaller-scale direct competitor to Crozdesk/SoftwareSelect in the software advisory and lead-gen category.
• PeerSpot (formerly IT Central Station): PeerSpot is an enterprise technology review and buyer-intent platform offering peer reviews and vendor lead generation. Comparable to BWZ's intent-driven B2B SaaS lead generation model, though with deeper enterprise IT focus.
• The Manifest: The Manifest is a B2B digital agency ranking and how-to resource that offers agency listing and lead-generation services. Adjacent peer in the B2B media-and-lead-gen category with a smaller vendor base.

Direct peers

• Capterra: Capterra (a Gartner company) is a leading B2B software discovery and reviews marketplace, offering pay-per-lead and advertising solutions to SaaS vendors. Directly competes with BWZ's Revleads platform for the same advertiser and buyer personas across software categories.
• G2: G2 is the largest B2B software marketplace and reviews platform, directly competing with Crozdesk/SoftwareSelect for software buyer intent and with Revleads for SaaS vendor lead generation. Both monetize software buyer intent through advertising and PPL offerings to the same SaaS vendor customer base.
• Built In: Built In operates a portfolio of vertical professional community publications (similar to BWZ's The CPO Club, The CTO, The CMO Club) and monetizes through employer branding and recruitment advertising. Directly comparable content/community model with overlapping tech professional audience.
• Software Advice: Software Advice (Gartner) is a software advisory service connecting buyers with vendors through phone consultations and lead generation. Closely comparable to BWZ's SoftwareSelect advisory service in business model and buyer profile.
• TrustRadius: TrustRadius is a B2B technology reviews and buyer-intent platform that helps software buyers make purchase decisions and offers lead generation services to vendors. Competes with Crozdesk/SoftwareSelect's software ranking and BWZ's Revleads lead-gen offerings.
• GetApp: GetApp (a Gartner company) is a B2B software marketplace offering product listings, reviews, and lead generation for SaaS vendors. Direct competitor to BWZ's lead-gen and software advisory services for SMB and mid-market SaaS buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackandwhitezebra
• Instagraminstagram.com/bwzdazzle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Black & White Zebra