Like many business owners, Alex Patriquin's EventGeek suffered a serious setback in 2020. With the Covid-19 pandemic putting most in-person gatherings out of commission, business was essentially wiped out.
Paired with wildfires, higher-than-average rates of homelessness and other societal issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic, Patriquin sought a new opportunity. He decided to relocate and relaunch the business, which was founded in 2016 and is backed by the Y Combinator startup funding organization.
The startup, which rebranded as Circa, landed in Santa Fe in August 2020. The company also removed some features from its platform while adding others as virtual events became commonplace. The company added what it called "Integrations," where multiple platforms such as Slack, Outlook, Zoom and other tools can be bundled together.
There is much discussion on how to balance in-person and virtual gatherings — often referred to as "hybrid events." It's a conundrum that could have big implications for firms that rely heavily on events to drum up business, and one that Circa and other companies are addressing.
"These represent significant sales and pipelines for these companies… we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars and hundreds of events," Patriquin said.
A platform presentation from Circa, which Patriquin provided to Business First, contends that the company accelerates business-to-business sales. The firm has also built a "meta integration system" allowing it to connect marketing spend with revenue generated from events, Patriquin said.
The company currently employs 20 people, with eight located in Santa Fe. To grow, the company will need software engineers, said Patriquin, who highlighted Central New Mexico Community College's Deep Dive tech training programs.
Circa is not currently fundraising but closed a first-quarter round. Contributors included Santa Fe entrepreneur John Rizzo and the Arrowhead Innovation Fund at New Mexico State University, Patriquin said.
Patriquin declined to disclose financial information for the startup, which has an office at 102 West San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, according to its website.
