Seattle-based event technology startup Banzai in late August announced Simon Baumer is joining the company as its new chief technology officer.
Baumer is joining the company from Verivox, a German company that helps consumers compare prices for services like electricity, gas, car insurance and cell phones. Baumer spent more than six years at Verivox, according to his LinkedIn, and his last title was vice president of engineering.
“Simon brings direct experience, but also a passion for creating and leading category advances that were made possible by market opportunity,” Banzai co-founder and CEO Joe Davy said in a statement. “Mr. Baumer is the perfect fit for where Banzai is and for where it is going as the events industry takes on an entirely new post-Covid direction."
Former Banzai CTO Stew Fortier left the company in 2020.
Baumer has more than 15 years of experience building engineering teams and creating product strategies. He led a team of more than 200 while at Verivox, Banzai said in a release.
Banzai, founded in 2015 by Davy and Andy Linteau, helps clients with event outreach and event management. The company says its technology can help target the right audience and increase event awareness. Its clients include VMWare, DataRobot and SalesIntel.
Banzai has been busy with acquisitions recently. In February, it acquired the Florida-based webinar platform Demio in a deal that included cash and stock. Last year, Banzai acquired High Attendance, a Texas-based virtual event management software company.
Earlier in 2020, Banzai raised a $7 million Series A led by DNX Ventures with participation from Seattle-based Vulcan Capital.
"The events industry has many needs, and Banzai already has some of the best solutions for them," Baumer said in a statement. "Right now, there is no 'go-to' solution, and Banzai is poised to assume that position. I’m excited to be here to grow this business, to bring product and engineering together to put them into fighting shape."
