Capital Markets & Trading | Toronto, ON | Founded: 2006 | Employees: 193 | www.q4inc.com
PHONE: (877) 426-7829 | LINKEDIN PROFILE | BLOOMBERG PROFILE
Last updated November 12, 2018 | To download a PDF version, click here.
Company Overview
Q4 Inc. provides website and software solutions to manage investor relations (IR) for publicly traded companies ranging from $50M to $50B in market capitalization. Investor relations sits at the junction of finance and communications, controlling the flow of information between a public company and its investors and stakeholders. Q4’s suite of products includes website design, webcasting software, data analytics, and most recently launched, a fully-integrated dashboard for IR professionals. Q4 is headquartered in Toronto but has four additional offices globally in Chicago, New York, London, and Copenhagen.
Senior Management
Darrell Heaps: Founder & CEO (2006-Present). Previously: serial entrepreneur, founder of two software companies: Weave Communications (2001-2005) and NKaos Interactive Media (1997-2001). Education: BA Business Administration & Computer Science, York University (1994).
Mark Wicks: SVP, Sales Operations (2012-Present). Previously: various roles in business development and management at logistics and packaging companies (2009-2012); President at Magnum Copy Centres Inc, a full-service digital print and design shop (1992-2009). Education: BA, Huron College at Western University (1993).
Adam Frederick: SVP, Intelligence (2015-Present). Previously: Co-Founder & CEO at Oxford Intelligence Partners (2014-2015); Managing Director at NASDAQ OMX (2009-2014); Partner at Bloom Partners (2006-2009), a capital market intelligence firm acquired by NASDAQ in 2009. Education: BS Finance, Miami University.
History
Q4 Inc. was founded by Darrell Heaps in 2006, after he recognized a need in the IR market for improved communication. Heaps came from four years of experience at Weave Communications, helping various clients develop their brand and stakeholder communications. As Q4 gained traction and grew its roster of clients, it expanded its service offerings from solely website design and communications to webcasting services. In 2015, it acquired Oxford Intelligence Partners, adding capital market intelligence to its core suite of services.[1] In 2016, it acquired Euroinvestor IR Solutions, opening its Copenhagen office and expanding its presence and reach in Europe.
[1] https://www.q4inc.com/about
Funding
As of 2018, Q4 has raised a total of $66.3M over five funding rounds. Its most recent round was a $38M USD Series C, which closed Sept 12, 2018. The round was led by Napier Park Financial Partners, with additional participation from existing investors OpenText Enterprise Apps Fund (OTEAF), Information Venture Partners, and Espresso Capital.[2]
[2] https://media.q4inc.com/newsroom/press-release-details/2018/Q4-Inc-Raises-38-Million-in-Series-C-Funding-Round-Led-by-Napier-Park-Financial-Partners
Key Corporate Developments
Press releases: https://media.q4inc.com/newsroom/default.aspx
Sept 12, 2018: Q4 Inc. Raises $38 Million in Series C Funding Round Led by Napier Park Financial Partners
Jan 17, 2018: Q4 releases iris™, a new artificial intelligence engine for investor relations
Oct 11, 2016: Q4 Inc. Acquires Euroinvestor IR Solutions, Europe's leading IR Quote, Charting and News Provider
Business Highlights
Strategy
Although Q4’s website design and webcasting services are more in line with traditional IT outsourcing business models, Q4 currently positions itself as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business. Its strategy is to compile data and provide analytics to assist IR functions at publicly traded companies across the world, which could be carried out by PR departments, CFOs, Treasurers, or dedicated IR staff. Q4’s value proposition lies within providing cost-effective and valuable IR technology that would be too expensive for companies to build and maintain in-house.
Products/Pricing
- Studio: Q4’s inaugural service offering, which designs websites for investor relations. There are three tiers of website design, ranging from basic to customized, aptly named Studio One, Studio+, and Studio Custom.[3]
- Webcasting: Q4 provides technological solutions for audio and video webcasting and conferencing services, with the ability to customize packages for unique technological needs. Q4 also offers 24/7 live support.[4]
- Intelligence: Q4 provides a series of business intelligence tools critical to the role of IR, including surveillance of investor activity, AI-based targeting for outreach to potential investors, trading analytics, tracking of performance relative to stock market, real-time insights into investor activism, and web analytics for investor activity. Q4 also provides C-suite-ready reports based on the provided data.[5]
- Q4 Desktop: Most recently launched in 2016, Q4 Desktop is a dashboard that incorporates all intelligence functionalities mentioned above, in addition to workflow management and CRM integration.[6]
[3] https://www.q4inc.com/products/studio/default.aspx
[4] https://www.q4inc.com/products/webcasting/default.aspx
[5] https://www.q4inc.com/products/intelligence/default.aspx
[6] https://www.q4inc.com/products/q4desktop/default.aspx
Technology
Q4 leverages cloud storage services to deliver its suite of product offerings, particularly its intelligence tools and Q4 Desktop. It has also recently began using machine learning and natural language processing to improve its stock surveillance functionality.
Distribution/Logistics
As a SaaS company, Q4 does not require any physical locations and distributes its services electronically.
Marketing
Q4 conducts B2B marketing, predominantly via digital channels. It has a robust content marketing strategy, including an established blog, a whitepaper series, video mini-series, and frequent webinars on various topics pertinent to the field of investor relations. More information can be found here.
Competitors
There are a variety of incumbents as well as new entrants in the IR solution space. Furthermore, as Q4 seeks to gain presence in the global market, it must compete against popular local players. Some of its competitors include:
- NASDAQ IR Insight – (New York City, NY) Offered by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, a subsidiary of NASDAQ, the IR Insight platform is the most direct competitor to Q4 in terms of functionality and breadth of target market. It is marketed as a “one-stop shop” for financial executives to monitor and analyze their competitors, the markets, and their investors. The platform also integrates into NASDAQ’s contact management system.[7]
- iPR Software – (Los Angeles, CA) iPR Software provides a variety of digital communications tools for business, including but not limited to marketing, online news centres, and social media analytics management. It also has a specialized investment relations hub that consolidates media, market information, and event integration.
[7] https://www.finextra.com/pressarticle/62680/nasdaq-launches-investor-relations-platform-ir-insight
Corporate Profile Created By: Katie Chen, Ivey HBA