Milwaukee-based software startup Forj has raised another $3 million that will allow the company to commercialize new innovations while supporting its ongoing sales growth.
Forj provides a virtual events and member experience platform for associations and professional community organizations. The startup was founded by Kurt Heikkinen in 2020.
Heikkinen, who serves as CEO of Forj, is no stranger to successfully launching and growing a tech startup. He founded Delafield-based human resources technology firm Montage Talent Inc. in 2007. The company later merged with Ohio-based Shaker International after raising at least $24 million of investor funding.
He hopes to grow Forj to the same scale with a focus on continually innovating the startup’s membership platform.
Over the last three years, Forj has experienced 30% year-over-year growth. That figure could increase to 50% year-over-year as Forj introduces new innovations.
“If I could categorize what we’ve been up to in the last three years, it really has been innovating to modernize the member experience for those (professional) organizations,” said Heikkinen.
The Journey by Forj platform. Submitted photo.
At the start of 2023, Forj acquired Madison-based Web Courseworks, a learning management system.
Web Courseworks became the foundation for Forj’s learning management platform. Over the last three years, Forj worked to develop and launch its Journey by Forj community and learning platform.
Each year, Forj surveys thousands of association professionals to gather their feelings and beliefs regarding being part of an association.
A common reason professionals join an organization is to continue professional development and learning. Those same professionals also desire a sense of community.
“Community, connection and engagement is incredibly important,” said Heikkinen. “Then, the number one way learners want to learn moving forward is hybrid.”
Forj research has found that 86% of highly engaged members will renew their membership with a professional organization.
Forj is continually working to modernize the member experience for users of its platform. Right now, the company is creating customized mentorship opportunities. Forj is also exploring use cases for AI within its platform, where decades of industry knowledge from members is stored through webinars, scientific papers and more.
“We’ve noticed that there continues to be a gap in between member expectations and the experience that they’re afforded and delivered,” said Heikkinen. “Think about our own consumer behavior. We want (things) instantly, and we will give up quickly if we can’t find exactly what we’re looking for. Those feelings have transitioned into the member experience.”
Forj currently has 60 employees across the country. While the company does have a “growth thesis” to expand its platform beyond professional organizations, Heikkinen said he believes Forj’s growth goals can be supported via its main audience for the foreseeable future.
“When you think about the world of work and how the world of work has evolved, it’s become increasingly global, increasingly virtual and increasingly specialized,” he said. “In that realm, whether someone is involved in an association as a member or not, more and more professionals are looking for connectedness.”
