MASS TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

CONSUMER TECH IN MASSACHUSETTS

SEIZING THE

OPPORTUNITY

FOR GROWTH

Acknowledgements:

We’d like to thank the following executives for contributing their time and thought leadership to the development

of this report: Mohamad Ali, President and CEO, Carbonite; Colin Angle, Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO, iRobot; Steve

Conine, Co-Founder and CTO, Wayfair; Steve Kaufer, CEO, TripAdvisor; Dave Krupinski, Co-Founder and CTO, Care.com;

Sheila Marcelo, Co-Founder, Chairwoman and CEO, Care.com; Steve O’Leary, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Aeris

Partners; Jason Robins, Co-Founder and CEO, DraftKings; and Niraj Shah, Co-Founder and CEO, Wayfair. We’d also like

to thank the following for their informal input and support of consumer tech in Massachusetts: Helena Fruscio, Deputy

Assistant Secretary of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Amy Quigley,

Executive Director, Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange; Jody Rose, Executive Director, New England

Venture Capital Association; Katie Stebbins, Assistant Secretary of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

About the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC)

The Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) is the region’s leading technology association and the premier

network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders. As the voice of the Massachusetts tech sector,

representing nearly 300,000 employees and more than $37B in total payroll, MassTLC drive progress by connecting

people from across the innovation ecosystem, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas, and oVering a

platform for visibility for member companies and their interests. More at www.masstlc.org

MASS TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

20 MALL ROAD, SUITE 151, BURLINGTON, MA 01803 | 781 993 9000 | MASSTLC.ORG

3

CONTENTS

1

8

15

20

29

31

33

4

12

18

24

Massachusetts Tech Goes Beyond B2B

The Rapid Growth of Consumer Tech

Sector Definition and Taxonomy

Sector-Specific Workforce Skills

Insights from Top Consumer Tech CEOs

State of Consumer Tech in Massachusetts

Why Companies Are Choosing the Commonwealth

Fostering Continued Growth of

Consumer Tech in Massachusetts

Advice for Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs

Looking Ahead

Appendix – Census of Consumer Tech

Companies in Massachusetts

10

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Carbonite

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CONSUMER TECH BY SECTOR

13

Front-End Software Engineers – As most consumer tech

products include a consumer-facing software application,

the demand for software engineers experienced in the

latest front-end technologies is on the rise. Perhaps the

best recent example is the demand for software engineers

with experience developing applications for mobile

devices such as the iPhone and Android-based devices.

Quantitative Marketers - With the ability to measure the

eVectiveness and performance of consumer marketing

initiatives on a real-time and quantitative basis, there is

an increasing need for marketing professionals who

combine qualitative marketing insights with the results

of quantitative analysis to drive high-level strategies

and day-to-day operational decisions. Online advertising

platforms, auction-based bid models, and integrated

oV-line/on-line tactics are driving the demand for a

new breed of marketing professional who complements

traditional consumer marketing methods with quantita-

tive, data-driven techniques.

Data Scientists – Organizations are collecting more

data than ever before, including data from consumer

marketing initiatives and data from consumer product

and service usage. Distilling insights from these large

data sets, often referred to as “big data,” requires a new

breed of analyst. These analysts combine the ability to

query and manipulate data with programming skills

and statistical modeling techniques. Since most of these

roles are highly technical, the hybrid requirements of

technical and non-technical sensibilities may make them

harder to fill in B2C. Data scientists provide key decision

support services to both quantitative marketers and

product managers.

We need the top talent to want to come and stay in Massachusetts

- Steve Kaufer, CEO, TripAdvisor

18

Q. How has the consumer tech sector evolved?

ALI: Consumer tech is an industry that has taken

Massachusetts by storm, both in Boston and the

surrounding suburbs. While Silicon Valley has had

the most notable reputation as a “major tech hub,”

we’ve begun to see a shift over the past several years

where Boston is creating and hosting major players

in the tech space – including Carbonite, DraftKings,

iRobot and TripAdvisor, to name a few.

SHAH: Massachusetts has fared very well, outpacing

New York for consumer internet success stories.

Ten years ago there was a fairly common belief that

you needed to go to San Francisco or New York to

start a consumer tech company. However, there were

also a lot of factors at play that made Massachusetts

ripe for B2C innovation.

KAUFER: One big change is that today there are more

angel investors with more consumer tech experience

in the area. If you’ve got a good idea for a startup and

you’re trying to get traction, it’s easier to find people

who can oVer advice and steer you in the right direction.

MARCELO: Although the market for consumer tech

talent is more competitive than it was 10 years ago,

we’ve built an international reputation on the strength

of homegrown, industry-leading brands and out-of-state

companies with a growing presence here.

STATE OF CONSUMER TECHIN MASSACHUSETTSThe state of consumer tech in Massachusetts is strong and growing. Looking back over the past decade, one can

see the growth trajectory of consumer tech from a nascent sector to a major driver of the tech economy, with both

a vibrant startup community and globally recognized brands.

MA-Based Company,

Subsidiary, or Brand

Description Website

BookBub is a free service that helps millions of read-

ers discover great deals on acclaimed ebooks while

providing publishers and authors with a way to drive

sales and find new fans.

www.bookbub.com

Carbonite is a leading provider of cloud backup and

restore solutions for small and midsized businesses,

supporting more than 1.5 million individuals and small

businesses around the world.

www.carbonite.com

Care.com is the world’s largest online destination for

finding and managing family care..

www.care.com

CarGurus is a leading online automotive shopping

destination focused on bringing transparency and ej-

ciency to the car research and shopping experience

www.cargurus.com

Circle Internet Financial is a payment app that aims to

bring bitcoin to the masses with simple, easy-to-use

technology by using open internet standards and proto-

cols, including the blockchain.

www.circle.com

Custom Made is an online platform for turning ideas

into reality by making custom goods accessible to

everyone at an aVordable price point.

www.custommade.com

DraftKings, Inc. is the world’s leading skill-based Daily

Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform that allows fans in

North America and the UK to compete in single-day,

online fantasy sports contests across the largest variety

of professional sports.

www.draftkings.com

Drizly is an internet-based alcohol delivery service

in several American cities and Canada, known as the

"Uber for liquor." Drizly lets users order a variety of

beer, wine, and spirits directly to their location through

a mobile app.

www.drizly.com

Education First is the world leader in international

education delivering courses and programs through a

combination of language training, cultural exchange,

and education travel.

www.ef.edu

Fidelity Investments is an American multinational finan-

cial services corporation and the fourth largest mutual

fund and financial services group in the world. 

www.fidelity.com

CENSUS OFCONSUMER TECH COMPANIES IN MASSACHUSETTS

ONLINE SERVICE OR MARKETPLACE BUSINESSES

APPENDIX

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