SilkStart
SilkStart is a Vancouver-based SaaS company providing cloud-based association management software (member management, events, website/CMS, email, payments, donations, job board) to trade associations, non-profits, and multi-chapter member organizations across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What SilkStart does
SilkStart is a Vancouver-based cloud SaaS provider of association management software (AMS), founded in 2010 and incorporated as SilkStart Technology Inc. in British Columbia. The platform serves trade and professional associations, non-profit organizations, multi-chapter member-based groups, and educational associations, consolidating member management, website/CMS, events, email marketing, invoicing and payments, donations, job board, member directory, and discussion groups into a single integrated suite. The system is built on AWS infrastructure with 256-bit encryption, a responsive web layer built on Twitter Bootstrap, and pre-built integrations with WordPress, Squarespace, Drupal, Joomla, Ecwid, Stripe, PayPal, Bambora, Authorize.net, MailChimp, Olark, Mixpanel, and Google Analytics. The MultiChapter module, described as unique in the market, supports aggregated data and shared functionality across organizations ranging from two chapters to two million members, and the platform is GDPR- and CCPA-compliant with configurable consent fields and data export tools.
SilkStart monetizes primarily through tiered monthly subscriptions priced on active-member and chapter counts (Standard at $241/month annually up to 500 members; Multi-Chapter at $728/month annually up to 10 chapters), supplemented by one-time setup/onboarding fees, hourly custom design and development services, and an Administration Management Online Curriculum ($149 per course or $995 for a 25-lesson bundle). The go-to-market combines a 15-day self-service product-led growth trial with an inside sales team running consultative, webinar-based demos targeting North American Executive Directors and Boards, supplemented by presence at ASAE, CSAE, Metabridge, and VIATEC industry events. Customers span North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, with named users including VIATEC, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (~700 members), Italian American Studies Association, Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism, North Carolina Association for Healthcare Quality, and Los Angeles Venture Association.
The company remains small and private, with headcount of 1–10 employees (7 as of August 2015), offices in Vancouver, Victoria, and Toronto, and a single disclosed $550,000 oversubscribed seed round in July 2015 led by Highline.vc with US and Canadian angel investors (including Boris Wertz / Version One Ventures). Management is led by founder and CEO Shaun Jamieson, previously a senior leader at AbeBooks (acquired by Amazon) and FillZ (acquired by AbeBooks). The company has accumulated recognition including CIX Top 20 (2015), Metabridge Top 15 (2015), VIATEC Technology Awards finalist (2017), and Capterra Top 20 Membership Management Software (2016/2017).
SilkStart firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SilkStart
- Legal name
- SilkStart Technology Inc.
- Website
- https://silkstart.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SilkStart is a Vancouver-based SaaS company providing cloud-based association management software (member management, events, website/CMS, email, payments, donations, job board) to trade associations, non-profits, and multi-chapter member organizations across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SilkStart industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Association Management Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Application Maintenance & Support (AMS) (BPAEAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Meeting & Event Program Technology (Registration, Apps, Badging) (THACAFAB)
Keywords
Where SilkStart is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
SilkStart business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Software: Monthly recurring fees based on membership tier (Standard up to 500 members or Multi-Chapter with up to 10 chapters). Annual billing available at discounted rates. Fee structure based on number of active members.
- Setup & Onboarding Services: One-time setup fees covering data import and either new website creation or integration with existing website. Includes assistance with configuration, membership plan creation, custom fields setup, and payment processor integration.
- Custom Design & Development: Hourly rates for custom design work and custom feature development. Additional page migration fees beyond included 10 pages at $25/page.
- Education & Training: Online education curriculum for administrators. Individual courses priced at $149 each or full 25-lesson curriculum for $995. Self-paced online education with certificates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Plan - Up to 500 active members |
| Subscription | Annual | Multi-Chapter Plan - Up to 10 chapters |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Setup - Website Integration |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Setup - Website Creation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual Course |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full Curriculum - All 25 lessons |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
SilkStart product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SilkStart provides a cloud-based association management software (AMS) platform for non-profits and member-based organizations. The all-in-one platform combines member management, event ticketing, website CMS, email marketing, donations, job boards, invoicing, and multi-chapter coordination into a single integrated SaaS solution with mobile-friendly responsive design.
Product overview
SilkStart is a cloud-based Association Management Software (AMS) platform that provides a unified suite of integrated modules for member-based organizations. The core platform centers on Member Management, Website and CMS, Events, Email Marketing, Invoicing and Payments, Smart Notifications, MultiChapter, Member Directory, Job Board, MemConnect Groups, Donations, Membership Plans, Ecommerce, Custom Data Collection, Bilingual support, and Mobile-Friendly design. SilkStart offers an Administration Management Online Curriculum as an education add-on and Customer Success Specialist support for onboarding. The platform integrates with WordPress, Squarespace, Ecwid, MailChimp, Facebook, Google Analytics, Olark, Contactology, KISSmetrics, and payment gateways Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, and Bambora.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Member Management Module for creating membership plans, collecting dues, facilitating renewals, viewing member data, and providing a member directory with permissions-based access for associations and member-based organizations.
- Events Module for creating event landing pages, ticket sales with tiered pricing, discount codes, event reminders, attendee management, and member-created ticketed events.
- Website and CMS Mobile-friendly website builder with WYSIWYG editor, customizable templates, Google Maps integration, video embedding, custom CSS/SCSS support, and SEO-friendly architecture.
- Email Marketing & Smart Notifications Automated email campaigns, renewal reminders, event attendance reminders, receipts, invoices, scheduled email delivery, and newsletter tool with subscriber management and metrics.
- Invoicing and Payments Online invoicing with multiple line items, tax receipts, support for various tax rates, and payment processing through Stripe, PayPal, Bambora, and Authorize.net gateways.
- MultiChapter Management Multi-chapter architecture providing aggregated data and sharing capabilities for organizations with two to many chapters, with consistent security and chapter-level autonomy.
- Member Directory Customizable member directory with selective listings, company profiles with multiple locations, searchable by State/Province, City, and Zip code.
- Job Board
Quantifiable outcome
- Making managing 700 members easy for Georgia Association for Women Lawyers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SilkStart
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SilkStart technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature12 records
SilkStart partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- WordPresscoreSilkStart integrates with WordPress websites allowing member portal customization to match existing WordPress site. Supports responsive design integration and member management through WordPress.
- SquarespacecoreSilkStart integrates with Squarespace websites for member management including membership join/renew, member directory, job board, event calendar, and donation campaigns.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreSilkStart uses AWS for global cloud infrastructure with 256-bit encryption, multiple availability zones with independent network connectivity providers, and security compliance standards.
- StripecorePrimary payment gateway for processing credit card transactions for memberships, events, and donations through SilkStart platform.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SilkStart competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nimble AMS: Association management software purpose-built on Salesforce for trade, professional, and member-based organizations, addressing the same market with comparable capability modules to SilkStart.
- MemberPlanet: Member management platform for groups, clubs, and associations offering membership dues, event ticketing, and communications tools similar to SilkStart's broader feature surface.
- ClubExpress: Club and association management platform offering websites, member directories, events, and email tools for clubs and small associations, competing for the same SMB member-based organization buyer.
- Wild Apricot: Web-based AMS for small and mid-sized associations, clubs, and non-profits. Most direct competitor to SilkStart with similar all-in-one positioning, member management, events, and website tools targeting SMB associations.
- MemberClicks (Personify): Association management software purpose-built for small-staff membership organizations, offering member databases, events, and email tools that mirror SilkStart's core feature set and target buyer.
- Fonteva: Salesforce-native association management platform serving trade associations and member-based organizations with membership, events, and commerce capabilities, overlapping SilkStart's audience and feature surface.
- GrowthZone: AMS designed for chambers of commerce and associations providing member management, event registration, and billing features in the same category as SilkStart's offering.
- Glue Up: Member engagement and association management platform serving chambers, associations, and non-profits globally with member CRM, event management, and mobile app capabilities that overlap SilkStart's offering.
Broad incumbents
- Blackbaud: Large established provider of cloud software for non-profits, foundations, and associations. Operates broadly across fundraising, CRM, financial management, and AMS, overlapping SilkStart primarily through its association-targeted portfolio.
- Salesforce.org (Nonprofit Cloud / NPSP): Enterprise CRM platform with the Nonprofit Success Pack for non-profit member and donor management. A larger, broadly-incumbent player whose nonprofit offering overlaps with SilkStart's member management and donation collection.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SilkStart social profiles
Digital presenceSilkStart compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SilkStart financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SilkStart leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SilkStart funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SilkStart M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SilkStart
What does SilkStart do?
SilkStart provides a cloud-based association management software (AMS) platform for non-profits and member-based organizations. The all-in-one platform combines member management, event ticketing, website CMS, email marketing, donations, job boards, invoicing, and multi-chapter coordination into a single integrated SaaS solution with mobile-friendly responsive design.
Is SilkStart a public or private company?
SilkStart is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SilkStart founded?
SilkStart was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SilkStart based?
SilkStart is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does SilkStart make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Software is the primary driver. The others are setup & Onboarding Services, custom Design & Development and education & Training.
Who are SilkStart's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nimble AMS, MemberPlanet, ClubExpress, Wild Apricot, MemberClicks (Personify), Fonteva, GrowthZone and Glue Up. Broad incumbents are Blackbaud and Salesforce.org (Nonprofit Cloud / NPSP).
Does SilkStart have an API?
No public API is recorded for SilkStart.
What industry is SilkStart in?
SilkStart's product category is Association Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAFAC, Application Maintenance & Support (AMS), with a secondary code of THACAFAB, Meeting & Event Program Technology (Registration, Apps, Badging). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.