CafePress Expands Its On-Demand Canvas
By Acquiring Imagekind
SAN MATEO, CA July 8, 2008 - CafePress, the recognized leader of user-generated commerce, today announced the acquisition of Imagekind, the fastest-growing user-generated site offering high-quality fine framed art. Since 1999 CafePress has changed the way people shop for user-generated products and has been working to refine and expand its offerings. Imagekind, known as the best-in-breed on-demand art provider, proved a perfect fit. The two companies share similar business models - providing customers with the opportunity to create, buy and sell their own unique merchandise.
This acquisition, a logical step in further cementing CafePress' leadership in user-generated commerce, adds a like-minded brand to the CafePress portfolio focused on offering customers unique user-generated merchandise. Both companies recognize the benefits this partnership brings to their respective communities of users and are currently exploring the best possible paths for website and service integration.
"Acquiring Imagekind allows us to do two things," explains Cafepress CEO and co-founder Fred Durham. "First, it allows us to provide a richer fine art solution to the community of artists, designers and entrepreneurs who are already among our 6.5 million shopkeepers. Additionally, it provides the opportunity for fine artists who haven't discovered us, to have the type of success that Cafepress shopkeepers have had selling apparel and gifts since 1999. We can't wait to see where the creativity of our community will take this partnership - I'm sure it will be amazing, they haven't disappointed yet!"
"Every bare wall is our market," explains Imagekind CEO Kevin Saliba. "CafePress brings the expertise, resources, and community to help get our artists and their galleries to the world faster. The CafePress marketplace has thrived on consumers who are looking for unique products that help them express themselves, and this partnership allows Imagekind to introduce its artists to the millions of CafePress members, which will help them grow awareness and ultimately sales."
For more information on CafePress visit www.cafepress.com.
For More information on Imagekind visit www.imagekind.com.
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About CafePress
CafePress.com is the leading online marketplace that offers sellers complete e-commerce services to independently create and sell a wide variety of products, and offers buyers unique merchandise across virtually every topic. Launched in 1999, CafePress.com has empowered individuals, organizations and businesses to create, buy and sell customized merchandise online using the company's unique print-on-demand and e-commerce services. Today, CafePress.com is a growing network of over 6.5 million members who have unleashed their creativity to transform their artwork and ideas into unique gifts and new revenue streams.
About Imagekind
Founded in 2006, Imagekind.com is the world's fastest growing online marketplace for art. By offering more than one million high-quality fine art images by more than 50,000 established and emerging artists from all over the world, Imagekind.com gives consumers limitless options to acquire museum-quality framed giclee (zhee-clay) prints. Imagekind.com has disrupted the world of art through democratization, by returning control of the global marketplace to the artists who can showcase and sell their work on its site. Imagekind.com allows the artist to build online galleries, set their own prices, keep profits and even collect commissions. In addition, Imagekind.com allows anyone to discover their inner artist through the "create path" which lets customers upload their favorite pictures or piece of child art and turn it into a framed masterpiece or a museum-quality print on canvas. Imagekind.com is the world's first community to serve as a hybrid online art gallery, photo-sharing and a print-on-demand service. Imagekind.com has partnered with a number of leading retail and online community brands as a testament to its superior printing and framing quality.
Media Contact:
Marc Cowlin
Sara Doepke
650.655.3039
