Gist

About Gist

Gist was a technology company that developed a platform to enhance professional relationship management by consolidating information about contacts from various online sources. Founded in 2008 by serial entrepreneur T.A. McCann, the Seattle-based firm was conceived within Vulcan Capital, the investment arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. McCann, whose background includes senior roles at Microsoft and a career as a professional sailor, leveraged his experience in email and mobile applications to address the challenge of information overload for professionals.

The company's core product was a web-based tool and application that acted as a social address book and personal CRM. It automatically aggregated data for a user's contacts from their email inbox (integrating with Microsoft Outlook and Gmail), social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and other websites. The platform would then build and dynamically update profiles for individuals and their companies, providing users with a comprehensive overview and relevant talking points before meetings or interactions. This service was aimed at a broad range of professionals, from small business CEOs to employees at large corporations, who needed to build and maintain strong business relationships.

Gist's business model focused on providing these aggregation and insight services to make professionals more effective. The company successfully raised approximately $17.5 million in funding over three rounds from notable investors, including Foundry Group and its initial backer, Vulcan Capital. In a significant milestone, Gist was acquired by Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry, in February 2011 for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was a strategic move for RIM to enhance the social and contact management capabilities of its BlackBerry ecosystem, making its core email services more robust against growing competition from Apple and Android devices. Following the acquisition, T.A. McCann joined RIM as VP of Product Strategy.