Maryland Tech Company Defies the Odds

SEVERNA PARK, MD, March 20, 2011 (Press-News.org) 2010 was considered a write-off for many tech companies, a year to belt in, make do with a skeleton staff, and resign themselves to little or no growth. But 2010 was a banner year for one tech startup in the suburbs of Maryland. In its first year, Captico, LLC charted a whopping 1000% growth and hired 10 new employees. In a down economy with 8% unemployment, how did Captico do so well?

The Captico team has two secrets to its success. The first is Captico's CEO and founder, Martin Fisher. Fisher is an Internet pioneer, starting off as President of AOL Technologies at AOL in the 1990's. As CTO, Fisher spearheaded the launching of major first-generation technology platforms such as AIM (the first widely-used online instant messaging), integrated web browsers like Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer, and a vast array of online community tools, helping to bring the Internet to a whole new demographic of everyday users. Fisher left AOL to found a web-based medical records startup which was quickly acquired by Steve Case. Case and Fisher used Fisher's technology to found RevolutionHealth.com, one of the first social networking sites, changing the way people gather and share healthcare information. Captico, LLC is Fisher's fourth successful startup.

The second secret to Captico's success is its niche in the web development world. Fisher's vision was for Captico to become a "startup incubator," a place where new companies and non-profits would come for help, not only with technology and Internet marketing , but also with growing their business and refining their business models. Fisher brings his considerable background as an Internet entrepreneur to assist other startups grow their businesses. For new companies, "our value proposition is that we have been there ourselves and we understand what it takes to grow all aspects of a business, not just online," said Fisher. "We will actually look at your business plan and understand your fundamental mission, before putting together a custom plan for how to maximize yourself online."

Captico's business model has set it apart from standard web development shops and, so far, the model has been paying off. A major political NGO chose Captico over larger web development firms because Captico's pitch included a broad understanding of the organization's fundamental mission and goals. According to Fisher, "we understood where they wanted to go, and then we created a plan to get them there." Fisher's team built an interactive website for the NGO, offering users a place to connect with each other and find events. Captico also helped the organization launch a successful social media campaign and taught their employees to blog.

For its second year, Captico has its sights set even higher. Captico's team of developers—headed by Fisher's son, Todd Fisher—has built several innovative apps and marketing tools for businesses, including Call Tracking Metrics, a tool that helps companies quickly figure out which of their many online marketing channels are generating the most leads. The company is dramatically expanding its sales team and intends to begin marketing Call Tracking Metrics and several other proprietary products alongside its web development services.

Captico, LLC, is a technology and Internet marketing company based in Severna Park, MD. For more information, contact Todd Fisher at (866) 944.9889, email info@captico.com, or visit http://captico.com.