Impresse, the California-based company which provides marketing-related software solutions including print to corporate customers, has shut down most of its operation.



The Silicon Valley group has cut more than 50 jobs in the US and is seeking a buyer for what is left its understood that workers at Impresses European operations, including the UK operation based in Egham, will learn their fate today (27 April).


John Kipp was brought in as CEO of the group at the beginning of April. He told PrintWeek that he specialised in corporate restarts, start-ups and wind-downs but would say no more until a formal statement has been issued. No-one from the UK office was available for comment.



Impresse blames a downturn in the technology stockmarket for a failure to secure sufficient further funds to carry on. A 20-strong skeleton development staff remains in California to service contracts with big-name players such as Merrill Lynch and General Motors. Impresse hopes these deals, along with the companys technology, may attract a buyer for the company.



Impresse started as a business to business exchange more than three years ago, but this model proved too expensive to sustain. The group evolved into a vendor of software to help solve corporate procurement issues, with its much-heralded Marketing Resource Management solution. But although investors stumped up millions of dollars last year to fund the group, they could not be persuaded to provide the same help this year.



Co-founder Siva Kumar, the former chairman and chief executive, left Impresse a week ago. He admitted to PrintWeek that the groups current situation may have been better if we had shepherded [the money] more carefully. But he said the management view last year had been that you had to spend to keep up with market developments.

Impresse started trading in January 1998.


Story by Adam Hill