Everfest
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Online services, Event management |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Jay Manickam, Paul Cross, Brad Dixon |
| Defunct | June 1, 2020 |
| Fate | Acquired by Qcue; operations discontinued |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Chip Conley (Chief Strategy Officer, part-time) |
| Products | Festival discovery platform, event promotion tools, rewards system |
| Parent | Qcue |
Everfest was a company headquartered in Austin that served as an online platform for the festival community. It enabled festival enthusiasts to explore events worldwide, connect with peers, organize their schedules, and share their experiences. Event organizers leveraged Everfest to enhance their digital presence and promote their festivals, utilizing a rewards system to provide attendees with discounts or complimentary offers.
The service showcased festivals categorized into twelve distinct groups: art, book, civic, cultural, faith, food, film, historical, music, performance, seasonal, and unique. Its recommendation engine suggested festivals tailored to individual users based on their tastes and geographic location.
History
Established in 2014 by Jay Manickam (previously co-founder of uShip), Paul Cross (founder of Ticketbud), and Brad Dixon, Everfest rapidly attracted attention. By February 2015, Built In Austin recognized it as one of the 50 Startups to Watch.
In April 2015, the company secured $1.5 million through an angel investment round that included backers such as Bob Kagle from Benchmark Capital and ATX Seed Ventures. That same month, Everfest launched on Product Hunt and achieved the position of the second most upvoted product.
By May 2015, Everfest earned a place on the Austin Chamber of Commerce's Austin A-List highlighting the hottest startups. Subsequently, in February 2016, it was featured on Fast Company’s list of Most Innovative Companies.
In September 2016, Everfest expanded by acquiring its competitor Fest300. Concurrently, Chip Conley—known for his roles at Burning Man and Airbnb—joined as Chief Strategy Officer on a part-time basis.
June 2017 marked the closing of a $3.6 million Series A funding round led jointly by Live Nation Entertainment and ATX Seed Ventures. The board welcomed Charlie Walker from C3 Presents and Chris Shonk representing ATX Seed Ventures.
In February 2020, Qcue—a dynamic pricing software firm specializing in live events and based in Austin—acquired Everfest under undisclosed terms. The company discontinued operations with its final Instagram update posted on June 1, 2020.
Company culture and philanthropy
During 2015, Everfest took part in the Austin Startup Games as a member of the ATX Seed Ventures team, resulting in a $1,000 contribution to The Bunker, an Austin nonprofit organization.