Business: Start-up software company develops and engineers social commerce platforms, partnering with large companies such as Delta and Lands' End to create stores within Facebook and to socialize their e-commerce websites.
Founded: 2008
Headquarters: Minneapolis
Website: www.8thbridge.com
Employees: 25
Executives: Wade Gerten, founder and CEO; Brian Howe, founder and chief strategy officer; Lou Abramowski, co-founder and director of product management
2010 revenue: Less than $5 million
Strategy: Scale up as rapidly as possible, expand sales, marketing and engineering to maintain or extend early market advantage; raise additional capital to fuel growth plans, and explore moving platform into entertainment and sports markets.
