Montana may be best known for its incredible natural landscapes and outdoor recreation opportunities. However, the state is also home to a thriving technology industry. This article will provide an in-depth look at some of Montana‘s largest and most influential tech companies.
The Rise of Tech in Montana
While not initially thought of as a tech hub, Montana has developed a robust community of IT companies, startups, and support organizations. The nonprofit Montana High Tech Business Alliance (MHTBA) serves as the centerpiece of this ecosystem.
Founded in 2014, MHTBA now has over 375 member companies employing over 15,000 high-tech and manufacturing workers across the state. The organization works to promote and enhance Montana‘s high-tech sector through business resources, networking events, educational initiatives, and policy guidance.
This support has helped establish Montana as an unexpected leader in fields like software development, biotech, advanced manufacturing, and more. Major tech players have taken notice, with big names like Oracle, SoFi, and Accelerate acquiring Montana-grown companies or opening new offices in recent years.
Top Tech Companies Founded in Montana
Montana has given rise to some standout tech companies now making an impact across North America. Here are three of the most influential businesses founded in Big Sky Country.
OnX Maps
Founded in 2009 by Eric Siegfried in Missoula, OnX Maps develops and sells digital maps and GPS technology tailored for outdoor recreational use. Their apps and navigation gear enable activities like hunting, hiking, ATVing, and snowmobiling.
Widely considered one of Montana‘s biggest startup success stories, OnX has raised over $195 million in funding so far. The company continues its fast expansion, now providing outdoor navigation products across the United States and Canada. OnX currently employs an estimated 200-500 workers in Montana and beyond.
Foundant Technologies
Headquartered in Bozeman, Foundant Technologies creates cloud-based software solutions for nonprofit grantmaking, fundraising, and donor management. Their products help streamline essential processes for foundations and similar organizations.
Led by experienced philanthropists, Foundant places social impact at the heart of its business model. The company now serves over 8,000 clients with some of the sector‘s most advanced SaaS technology. Foundant currently has around 200 employees.
Next Frontier Capital
Launched in 2019, Next Frontier Capital operates the first venture capital fund focused exclusively on Montana tech startups. As a key piece of Montana‘s startup funding ecosystem, Next Frontier makes seed and Series A investments in high-growth potential companies across the state.
To date, the firm has invested in 15 Montana tech firms specializing in SaaS, biotech, advanced materials, agtech, and other cutting-edge fields. Notable portfolio companies include oncology startup Allumina and organic fertilizer producer Earth Alive Clean Technologies.
Top Existing Tech Companies in Montana
Alongside up-and-coming startups, Montana serves as a major hub for established technology corporations in various sectors:
Oracle
Software titan Oracle massively expanded its presence in Montana following the 2011 acquisition of Bozeman-based RightNow Technologies for $1.5 billion. RightNow‘s customer service and cloud computing tools now compose Oracle Service Cloud.
With over 400 employees in Bozeman today, Oracle operates one of its largest support and development centers here. The company continues to invest in top Montana talent and facilities, recently completing a 70,000 square foot expansion of its Bozeman campus.
ClassPass
The fitness world knows ClassPass as the leading fitness class subscription app and booking platform. Powering over 30,000 gym and boutique fitness partners globally, few realize ClassPass traces its origins to Missoula.
Founded as Classtivity in 2013 by Mary Biggins and Sanjiv Sanghavi, the startup soon rebranded as ClassPass. The company relocated to New York but maintains an engineering outpost in Missoula employing around 30 people.
LumenAd
Ranking among the state‘s fastest-growing tech firms, LumenAd offers digital advertising and marketing solutions for major brands and agencies. Through its specialty products like Pathlabs and Joinr, LumenAd solves campaign management and marketing data challenges.
Bootstrapped since its founding in 2014, LumenAd now boasts over $10 million in annual revenue. The company continues to scale rapidly from its Montana base, recently earning a spot on the Inc 5000 list of America‘s speediest-growing private firms.
Largest Private Tech Companies
In addition to public corporations, privately held companies play an essential role in Montana‘s technology landscape:
S&K Technologies
Founded in St. Ignatius in 1961, S&K Technologies has grown into one of Montana‘s largest private defense and aerospace contractors. The family of companies provides advanced engineering, IT, and technical services to commercial and government clients.
With around 1,000-5,000 total employees globally, S&K stands as one of Montana‘s largest private employers in any industry. The corporation continues to acquire capabilities and talent to expand its federal contracting work.
PrintingForLess
Operating since 1996, PrintingForLess revolutionized print marketing by bringing the entire process online. Their e-commerce printing and design services support over 500,000 business customers today.
Based in Livingston, PFL employs roughly 300 workers and counting. The company made the Inc 5000 list in 2021 and 2022, cementing its status as a Montana success story. PFL also gives back extensively to Montana communities and conservation efforts.
Submittable
Submittable provides software to simplify submissions and application management for publishers, events, grants, and more. Since 2010, their SaaS solutions have helped organizations large and small collect and review submissions at scale.
From its founding roots in Missoula, Submittable now serves over 16,000 clients globally. The company employs just under 200 people while maintaining Montana as its headquarters.
Publicly Traded Companies
At this time, database giant Snowflake stands as the only Montana-based publicly traded tech firm:
Snowflake
Founded in San Mateo in 2012, cloud data platform Snowflake opened its second headquarters in Bozeman shortly after launch. The company went public in a blockbuster IPO in late 2020, raising over $3 billion.
Reporting $1.2 billion in revenue for 2022, Snowflake now retains a market cap over $50 billion. The firm currently employs around 225 people in Montana out of 4,000 total workers globally. Snowflake continues to grow both its Bozeman workforce and its cloud data technology used by 5,400+ organizations worldwide.
Key Takeaways
Through cultivated startup ecosystems and welcoming policies towards tech companies, Montana continues to excel as an unexpected hub of high-tech innovation and talent.
Both homegrown startups and some of tech‘s highest-flyers now operate important centers in Big Sky Country. Moving forward, Montana seems poised to further solidify itself as a truly national technology leader.
