VerticalScope

Toronto, Canada Founded: 1999 • Age: 27 yrs Listed Acquired By Torstar
Internet media company

About VerticalScope

VerticalScope is a company based in Toronto (Canada) founded in 1999 was acquired by Torstar in July 2015. VerticalScope has completed 7 acquisitions, including Fixya, MTBR.com and Paddling.com. VerticalScope operates in a competitive market with competitors including Vox Media, Webedia, Penske Media Corporation, Group Nine Media and Ziff Davis, among others.

  • Headquarter Toronto, Canada
  • Stage Public
  • Sectors
    Media & Entertainment
  • Website verticalscope.com
  • Social LinkedIn X
  • Acquired by Torstar (Jul 2015)
  • Legal Name Verticalscope Holdings, Inc.
Key Metrics
  • Annual Revenue
    $59.34 M (USD)
    -14.11
    as on Dec 31, 2025
  • Net Profit
    -$8.19 M (USD)
    -51477.26
    as on Dec 31, 2025
  • EBITDA
    $16.62 M (USD)
    -34.13
    as on Dec 31, 2025
  • Investors
  • Investments & Acquisitions
    Fixya

    & 6 more

  • Acquired by
    Torstar

    (Jul 2015)

Funding Insights of VerticalScope

  • Total Rounds 1
  • Investors Count 1

All 1 funding rounds of VerticalScope with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.

DateAmountTransaction NameValuationLead InvestorsInvestors
Dec 2011–Series A–Abry
–
Valuation history

2 investors in total: 2 institutional.

Investors in VerticalScope

VerticalScope has secured backing from 2 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Abry Partners and Torstar.

All
Venture Fund
Institutional
InvestorDescriptionFounded YearDomainLocation
Abry Partners is engaged in middle market private equity investments.
1989abry.comBoston, United States
Investments in news and media organizations are managed by Torstar.
1892torstar.comToronto, Canada
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Investor details for VerticalScope

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  • Round participation
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People of VerticalScope

42 people are tracked at VerticalScope (18 in leadership, 24 in team).

NameRoleGroup
Chris Goodridge
President & COOLeadership
Rob Laidlaw
Founder & CEOLeadership
Vincenzo Bellissimo
CFOLeadership
Diane Yu
Chief Legal Officer & Corporate SecretaryLeadership
Amy Amodeo Cpa, Ca
VP FinanceLeadership
Colum Wood
Vp, ContentLeadership
Chris Blanchette
Director/director Of Photography/editorLeadership
Irfan Akhtar
Director, Customer Success - Subscription ListingsLeadership
Miles Packeer
VP CommerceLeadership
Adrianne Taylor
Senior Director Of Powersports And Auto Non-endemic SalesLeadership
Anthony B
Director Of SalesLeadership
Elma Redzepagic
Director, Programmatic SalesLeadership
Marty Estes
Director Of Sales, PowersportsLeadership
Michael Schlee
Managing Editor, Autoguide.comLeadership
Lucas Cooney
Director, Sponsored ContentLeadership
Jerry Orban
VP Corporate DevelopmentLeadership
Neil Rosenzweig
Senior Vice President Of SalesLeadership
Danielle Harder
Head Of People OperationsLeadership
Anthony D'Amico
Manager, Data Strategy And Analytics | Client SuccessTeam
Mike Jukes
Mergers & Acquisitions - LeadTeam

22 more people are available in the full profile.

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Complete people profiles for VerticalScope

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  • Team structure
  • Board tenure
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IPO & Listings of VerticalScope

VerticalScope is a publicly listed company on the TSX with ticker symbol FORA in Canada, operating in the Technology services sector. As a publicly traded entity, the company provides investors with opportunities to participate in its growth story through equity ownership. The listing enables access to capital markets, enhances corporate visibility, and provides liquidity for shareholders while maintaining transparency through regulatory compliance and regular financial disclosures.

  • IPO date18 Jun 2021
  • Listed onTSX: FORA
  • Listed entityVerticalScope Holdings, Inc.
  • Exchange sectorTechnology services
  • ISINCA92537Y1043
  • Share price2.84 CAD (+2.53% on the day) · 2026-10-09
  • Market capitalisation61,747,830.00 CAD
  • EPS (diluted, trailing year)-0.50 CAD
  • Volume (last session)11,684

Financials of VerticalScope

Exchange-reported annual figures
YearRevenueNet incomeEBITDA
202581.2M CAD-11.2M CAD22.8M CAD
202494.6M CAD-21,730 CAD34.5M CAD
202382.2M CAD-6.7M CAD23.3M CAD
2022104.8M CAD-32.2M CAD23.8M CAD
202182.5M CAD-15.4M CAD18.9M CAD
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Detailed financial statements for VerticalScope

Statement rows, ratios, five-year trends and downloadable financials of the group companies require an active premium plan.

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Investments & Acquisitions by VerticalScope

VerticalScope has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 7 companies. Notable acquisitions include Fixya, MTBR.com and Paddling.com.

Acquisitions
Company NameDescriptionDomainLocationFoundedAcquiredAmount
Online platform publishing content focusing on Films and TV
thestreamable.comSan Francisco, United States2017Nov 2021β€’β€’β€’β€’
Online reviews and information for paddling enthusiasts are provided.
paddling.comGrand Rapids, United States1998Jun 2021β€’β€’β€’β€’
Online discussions and news on road bikes are hosted.
roadbikereview.comToronto, Canada1996Sep 2018β€’β€’β€’β€’
Automotive tires are manufactured and distributed by MTBR.com.
mtbr.comRedwood, United States1990Sep 2018β€’β€’β€’β€’
Multi-category digital coupons are facilitated via an online platform.
redflagdeals.comToronto, Canada2000Aug 2018$9.19M
Peer-to-peer platform for technical support on gadgets is provided.
fixya.comPetah Tikva, Israel2005Jun 2018β€’β€’β€’β€’
Toronto-based online platform for pre-owned goods
varagesale.comToronto, Canada2012Nov 2017β€’β€’β€’β€’
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Complete acquisition details for VerticalScope

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  • Acquired stakes
  • Deal sources
  • Complete history
  • Exports

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Timeline of VerticalScope

11 dated milestones of VerticalScope across 22 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.

  1. Founded VerticalScope is founded.
  2. Funding First funding round.
  3. Exit Acquired by Torstar.
  4. Acquisition Acquires VarageSale.
  5. Acquisition Acquires Fixya.
  6. Acquisition Acquires RedFlagDeals.com.
  7. Acquisition Acquires MTBR.com.
  8. Acquisition Acquires RoadBikeReview.com.
  9. IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
  10. Acquisition Acquires Paddling.com.
  11. Acquisition Acquires The Streamable.

Competitors of VerticalScope

VerticalScope operates in a dynamic and competitive business environment, facing competition from various established players and emerging companies in the market. The competitive landscape includes prominent companies such as Vox Media, Webedia, Penske Media Corporation, Group Nine Media and Ziff Davis, among others.

Company NameDomainFoundedHQ LocationTotal fundingEmployeesDescription
voxmedia.com2005–$425.17M1,472
Digital media publishing network
webedia-group.com2007Levallois Perret, France$4.7M–
Multiple online media and lifestyle brands are owned and operated.
pmc.com2003Los Angeles, United States$235M1,018
Content on digital media corporations is published across multiple platforms.
groupninemedia.com1999New York, United States$675M535
Digital-first media network
ziffdavis.com1927New York, United States–1,430
Digital-media company in the technology, gaming, entertainment, and men’s lifestyle
jellysmack.com2016New York, United States$16M3
Video content creation platform for businesses
rediff.com1996Mumbai, India––
News, email services, stock quotes, and expert advice are provided.
aol.com1983New York, United States$20M26
Online news, entertainment, and financial content is delivered.
timesinternet.in1999Gurugram, India$7M895
Provider of digital content, advertising solutions, and technology services
uol.com.br1996Sao Paulo, Brazil$100M–
Online news and digital services are provided in Portuguese.
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Detailed competitors of VerticalScope

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  • Operating metrics
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Web traffic of VerticalScope

The website of VerticalScope (verticalscope.com) receives about 15.4K visits a month.

  • Monthly visits
    15.4K

    ▲ 52.4% vs previous month

Similar websites

Websites whose visitors overlap most with VerticalScope. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.

WebsiteDomainAudience affinityMonthly visitsGlobal rankProfile
dodge-nitro.com
dodge-nitro.com
100%
–#1,887,327–
challengertalk.com
challengertalk.com
100%
–#235,933–
fordmustang.lap.hu
fordmustang.lap.hu
100%
–––
motorcycle.com
motorcycle.com
75%
–#87,702–
stromtrooper.com
stromtrooper.com
71%
–#326,957–
β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’.comβ€’β€’%β€’.β€’M#‒‒‒‒‒–
β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’.comβ€’β€’%β€’.β€’M#‒‒‒‒‒–
β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’β€’.comβ€’β€’%β€’.β€’M#‒‒‒‒‒–
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All 20 similar websites and full traffic analytics for VerticalScope

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  • 20 similar websites
  • Audience overlap
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.

Latest news on Verticalscope

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Complete news archive for VerticalScope

Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.

  • Full article archive
  • Source and publication date
  • Older coverage
  • Brand-specific news history

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Similar companies to VerticalScope

10 companies that operate in the same segment as VerticalScope (DTC Media Innovators), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.

CompanyDescriptionFoundedLocationTotal fundingRevenueEmployees
Diversified gaming and sports media platforms are operated and developed.
1999Mumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaUSD 127.93 MUSD 194.94 M63
News media platform for soccer
2008Berlin, Berlin, GermanyUSD 320.1 M––
Multi-category news is delivered through an app-based platform.
2016Arlington, Virginia, United StatesUSD 30 M–356
News media platform covering combat sports
2011SingaporeUSD 386 M––
Multi-category news is curated and delivered in multiple languages.
2009Bengaluru, Karnataka, IndiaUSD 129.01 M–942
Hyperlocal short news app is provided in multiple languages.
2014Hyderabad, Telangana, IndiaUSD 30.77 MUSD 5.35 M309
Online platform publishing content focusing on investment
2011Chicago, Illinois, United StatesUSD 60.4 M––
Subscription-based sports media is delivered to local premium audiences.
2016Chicago, Illinois, United StatesUSD 134.42 M––
Multiple online media and lifestyle brands are owned and operated.
2007Levallois-perret, Hauts-de-seine, FranceUSD 4.7 M––
Sports commentary and news are provided through Hupu's platform.
2004Shanghai, ChinaUSD 338.72 M––
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Frequently Asked Questions about VerticalScope

VerticalScope was founded in 1999 and raised its 1st funding round 12 years after it was founded.

VerticalScope is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It is registered at Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Annual revenue of VerticalScope is $59.34M as on Dec 31, 2025.

Verticalscope owns over 600 internet media properties that include consumer forums and content sites. They generate 840 M monthly visitors and 540 M page views according to April 2015 Google Analytics data. Their website cover topics around automotive, powersports, technology, sports, outdoor equipment, pets, home improvements and hobbies. Torstar acquired 56 stake in Verticalscope in July 2015.

VerticalScope's top competitors include Webedia, Vox Media and Times Internet.

Yes, VerticalScope is publicly traded on TSX under the ticker symbol FORA.

VerticalScope has made 7 acquisitions, including Fixya, MTBR.com, and Paddling.com.

VerticalScope has 2 investors. Key investors include Abry Partners, and Torstar.

VerticalScope operates through Verticalscope Estonia OΓΌ.

Yes. VerticalScope was acquired by Torstar in July 2015.

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