Newsletter referral and cross-promotion platform that helped operators grow their subscriber base through paid referrals, acquired by ConvertKit.
Manuel Frigerio (previously sold ReferralHero) and Louis Nicholls (previously co-founded Gymhopper, acquired by myClubs) launched SparkLoop in 2020. They partnered early with ConvertKit and became the go-to referral tool for indie newsletter operators. By 2023 they had reached low-7-figure ARR. In June 2023, ConvertKit (now Kit) acquired SparkLoop for undisclosed terms and integrated it into their platform, making it free for Creator Pro subscribers. Both founders stayed on.
From founding to sale took 3.0 years. Time to exit is a useful signal of how built-to-sell a business was, faster, cleaner processes usually mean better-documented operations and fewer diligence surprises.
See how this compares across the market on our market stats page, or browse more Newsletter exits.
Build tight integration partnerships early, they can become your acquisition path. ConvertKit went from their biggest distribution partner to their acquirer. Serial founders with prior exits understand the process and negotiate from confidence.
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