How Utivity is expanding its national presence

The Denver-based outdoor adventure platform acquires Besomebody’s experience marketplace

Gigi Sukin //February 16, 2017//

How Utivity is expanding its national presence

The Denver-based outdoor adventure platform acquires Besomebody’s experience marketplace

Gigi Sukin //February 16, 2017//

Denver-based startup Utivity aims to encourage its user base to “Do More,” connecting adventure seekers with teachers – from athletes to instructors to artist – across a wide range of activity. And the company lives by its own creed, as evidenced by its recent growth. 

The company announced in early February it would acquire the experience division of Austin-based software platform, Besomebody, a company aimed at helping users live out their passions and ambitions with inspiration, advice, community-building opportunities and career paths. The acquisition, which cost an undisclosed amount, will more than double Utivity’s user base, with a sizeable following in Texas.

“The Besomebody team has done an incredible job of building a community of people who want to get out and do more,” says Kyle Granowski, Utivity’s co-founder and CEO. He says his team has had their eye on Besomebody for acquisition after the company’s appearance on the popular reality TV show, Shark Tank.

As Besomebody looks ahead, the company will refocus on education and employment, launching their “Learning Paths” vocational training programs to teach candidates the skills necessary to target specific employers and positions. The curriculum was co-created with hiring employers in fields from health care to hospitality to energy, and candidates that meet performance requirements are guaranteed a job with the endorsing employer.

“We’re honored to be the premier platform where people come for activities and adventures,” Granowski says.

Launched in late 2015, Utivity has grown throughout the Rocky Mountain region, helping more than 2,000 experience-providers grow their businesses by doing what they love, –from music lessons to mountain biking and woodcarving.

Granowski says the idea for his startup sprung from his experience as a professional snowmobile racer, during which he imagined finding a way to earn extra income based on his skill set. He acknowledged a void for passionate individuals and an inability to operate as service providers doing what they love without middlemen absorbing significant margins for connecting the dots. Fees range from 5 to 20 percent, depending on providers’ usage patterns.

Utivity hosts the Colorado Indie Business Forum, a panel-based event focused on helping startups grow into booming businesses, featuring local companies such as Love Grown Foods, Icelantic Skis, SchoolRunner and more.

Since re-opening the 226-acre Echo Mountain Resort in January, the closest ski area to Denver, Utivity has become the exclusive booking and technical operations provider for guests.

Utivity represents a growing segment of Colorado companies focused on outdoor technology, such as Goecity, an social network to connect outdoor enthusiasts and encourage them to explore together.