What Webmagic does

WebMagic, Inc. is a Pasadena, California-based privately held internet incubator and software company founded in 1994 by Greg McLemore. The company operates across four business lines: (1) a portfolio of proprietary e-commerce software products under the WebMagic Pro suite, headlined by the WebMagic Pro Commerce Server for medium-to-large e-commerce portals managing tens of thousands of catalog items and thousands of daily orders, with supplementary modules for credit card billing, membership management, media licensing, DNS administration, geographic data, and personal information management; (2) a curated inventory of premium dictionary-word domain names across .com, .org, and .net TLDs, including historically significant assets such as Pets.com and Toys.com, monetized through a self-serve proposal submission portal with $10-20 processing fees; (3) the Innovation Village incubation and real estate brand, offering workspace, fiber internet (up to 10G), and business support services across Pasadena, Glendale, and Sedona/Flagstaff locations; and (4) operating web properties such as the International Arcade Museum (arcade-museum.com) and eFootage.com, which collectively have received over a billion page views.

The underlying technology is built on a legacy LAMP/PHP/MySQL stack with FileMaker Pro support for some PIM functions, self-operated data centers in downtown Los Angeles, and integrations with Google APIs, PayPal, Google AdSense, and Yahoo advertising. WebMagic has historically operated as an incubator that develops internet ventures and selectively spins them off — most notably Pets.com (IPO'd February 2000 at $11/share on NASDAQ) and Toys.com (acquired by eToys in 1998) — but currently generates revenue from a diversified but small-scale mix of one-time software licensing, transaction-based domain fees, advertising (minimum $2,000 commitment), branded merchandise, and incubation/professional services. The company is founder-led with 1-10 employees and has not raised external institutional funding.

The customer base spans medium-to-large e-commerce portals (software), domain investors and advertisers (domains/ad inventory), freelancers, startups, and non-profits (Innovation Village), with no significant enterprise customer concentration disclosed. Distribution occurs through direct enterprise sales for software, self-serve web portals for domain proposals, and physical locations for incubation services.

Name

Webmagic

Legal name

WebMagic, Inc.

Website

https://webmagic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WebMagic is a Pasadena-based internet incubator and software company founded in 1994 that operates a proprietary e-commerce software suite, manages a portfolio of premium dictionary-word domains, and runs the Innovation Village incubation and coworking brand across Southern California and Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

E-commerce Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketplace Enablement, Seller Tools & E-commerce Infrastructure (BPAMAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

E-commerce & Digital Business Brokerage (FSAEAIAH), Digital Goods, Subscriptions & Gift Card Marketplaces (BPAMAGAG)

Keywords

• E-commerce software
• Domain portfolio management
• Internet incubation services
• Commerce server platforms
• DNS management tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing and Services: WebMagic Pro Suite software products sold to medium and large e-commerce sites. Includes electronic catalog creation, site maintenance, customer/inventory management, and billing modules. Available as turn-key system with customization or hosted service.
2. Domain Portfolio Monetization: Management and potential sale of premium dictionary word domain names across .com, .org, and .net TLDs. Domains include generic terms like Pets.com, Toys.com, Nevada.com, and many others.
3. Incubation and Real Estate Services: Innovation Village provides incubation services including workspace (short and long term), business equipment, real estate consultancy, and asset management. Services available in Pasadena, Glendale, and Arizona locations.
4. Advertising Revenue: WebMagic sells advertising on their sites, with minimum purchase of $2,000 pre-paid over three months. They utilize Google AdSense, Google Analytics, and third-party advertising partners.
5. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including WebMagic Raspberry Scented Candle ($9.95) and Insulated Beverage Container ($24.95). Also historically sold Pets.com merchandise.
6. Domain Proposal Processing Fees: Non-refundable proposal submission fees: $20 for .com purchase or joint venture proposals, $10 for all other proposals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WebMagic develops and licenses proprietary e-commerce software, headlined by the WebMagic Pro Commerce Server for large-scale catalog, inventory, and customer management. The company also maintains a portfolio of premium dictionary-word domain names available for purchase or joint ventures, and operates Innovation Village, providing incubation workspace, fiber internet hosting, and real estate services in Southern California and Arizona.

Product overview

WebMagic is an Internet innovation company since 1994 operating a multi-product portfolio. The core software offering is the WebMagic Suite, centered on the WebMagic Pro Commerce Server (flagship e-commerce platform for large-scale catalog and inventory management) with supplementary modules including the Media Content & License Management System, Credit Card Billing Module, Graphic Index Page Maker, and Membership Module. Additional software products include WebMagic DNS Assistant, DNS Sentry, GEO, and PIM. The company also manages a substantial portfolio of premium domain names and operates Innovation Village for incubation and real estate services. Notable spin-offs include Pets.com and Toys.com.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WebMagic Pro Commerce Server: Leading-edge tool for electronic catalog creation, site maintenance, back-end customer and inventory management, used by sites like Toys.com and Pets.com.
• WebMagic Media Content & License Management System
• WebMagic DNS Assistant
• WebMagic DNS Sentry
• WebMagic GEO
• WebMagic PIM

Products and services

• WebMagic Pro Commerce Server Flagship e-commerce platform enabling electronic catalog creation, site maintenance, back-end customer and inventory management, and day-to-day operations for medium to large e-commerce portals handling tens of thousands of catalog items, millions of visitors, and thousands of orders daily. Available as turn-key system with customization or hosted service.
• WebMagic Media Content & License Management System Application that catalogs searchable collections of media rights, displays audio-visual elements in mobile-friendly responsive design, and automates ordering and license management processes for media licensing operators.
• WebMagic Credit Card Billing Module Module that receives credit card information, validates the data, submits charges to merchant card processors, and returns approval codes or error messages in real-time. Supports American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.
• WebMagic Graphic Index Page Maker PHP-based module that publishes image collections on websites by automatically generating thumbnail index pages from directories of GIF or JPG images, removing the need to manually create or update image index pages.
• WebMagic Membership Module Module for free or subscription membership systems that interfaces with WebMagic Pro Commerce Server and message forums and can automatically send billing requests to the Credit Card Billing Module for automatic monthly renewals.
• WebMagic DNS Assistant Web-based DNS control system for administrators managing between 20 and 100,000 separate DNS records, supporting domain grouping, aliases, tagging, notes, and change tracking.
• WebMagic DNS Sentry Scheduled monitoring solution that helps internet providers and domain administrators immediately identify domain name theft resulting from fraudulent modify or transfer requests submitted to registrars.
• WebMagic GEO Geographic database tool that places geographically sorted databases online, supports location-radius searches (such as locations within a specified radius of a ZIP code), and integrates with Google APIs.
• WebMagic PIM (Personal Information Manager) Contact management solution in continuous development since 1994, running as a PHP-based web application or on FileMaker Pro. Tracks multiple phone/fax numbers, URLs, email addresses, last contact date, notes, and upcoming events with automatic notifications.
• WebMagic Domain Portfolio Portfolio of premium dictionary-word domain names across .com, .org, and .net TLDs (including Pets.com, Toys.com, Nevada.com, Earthquakes.com and many others) that have collectively received over a billion page views and are available for purchase, joint ventures, or advertising.
• Innovation Village Incubation and economic development program providing short and long term workspace, business equipment, real estate consultancy, and asset management to freelancers, startups, existing businesses, and non-profits at Pasadena, Glendale, and Sedona/Flagstaff locations.
• WebMagic Hosting Services High-speed fiber internet services (up to 10G) and data center hosting in downtown Los Angeles and other North American markets, with additional hosting in conjunction with major cloud providers.
• Arcade-Museum.com (KLOV.com) The International Arcade Museum - the Internet's largest coin-operated video game database covering games from 1971 through the present, operated by WebMagic.
• WebMagic Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including the WebMagic Raspberry Scented Candle and WebMagic Insulated Beverage Container sold through the WebMagic online storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 billion page views received by WebMagic portfolio
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Octane Realty & DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in Innovation Village real estate and economic development initiatives.
• Data RefineryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner supporting Innovation Village technology initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Startup accelerator providing mentorship, workspace, and seed funding — the same incubator model WebMagic has run informally since 1994 (with Pets.com, Toys.com, Cooking.com, Sports.com). Comparable venture incubation model at much greater scale.
• Dan.com: Modern domain marketplace with installment payment plans and broker services. Directly comparable to WebMagic's domain sales motion but with a streamlined, self-serve buyer experience versus WebMagic's $10–$20 proposal submission fee model.
• BigCommerce: Headless and SaaS e-commerce platform targeting mid-market and enterprise merchants — the same 'medium to large e-commerce portals' segment WebMagic Pro Commerce Server was built for. Direct overlap in catalog management, payments, and multi-channel commerce functionality.
• Adobe Commerce (Magento): Enterprise e-commerce platform (formerly Magento) competing in the same 'medium-to-large e-commerce portal' segment as WebMagic Pro Commerce Server. Provides similar catalog, inventory, and order management functionality with modern cloud deployment.
• Sedo: World's largest domain marketplace and brokerage, facilitating the buying and selling of premium domains. Directly comparable to WebMagic's domain proposal submission business and premium dictionary-word portfolio monetization strategy.
• HugeDomains: Domain portfolio monetization company that acquires and resells high-value domains. Operates with a similar business model to WebMagic's premium domain portfolio strategy, though at a larger scale and with more active sales infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Shopify: Dominant cloud-based e-commerce platform serving SMB and mid-market merchants. Comparable to WebMagic as a provider of turnkey e-commerce infrastructure (catalog, inventory, payments), though at vastly greater scale and with a modern SaaS delivery model versus WebMagic's legacy PHP-based WebMagic Pro Commerce Server.
• GoDaddy: Broad incumbent in domain registration, hosting, website building, and domain aftermarket (GoDaddy Auctions/Afternic). Comparable to WebMagic across hosting, DNS management, and domain monetization, but at vastly greater scale and as a public company.

Emerging players

• WooCommerce: Open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress powering a large share of SMB online stores. Represents the modern, low-friction alternative to WebMagic Pro's enterprise-style licensing and minimum contract requirements.

Regional players

• WeWork: Large flexible-workspace and incubation provider operating in major US markets. Comparable to WebMagic's Innovation Village service line for short/long-term workspace and incubation, though WeWork operates at far greater scale and broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Webmagic