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About
Sampler sold sampling the way brands already bought advertising: a predictable cost per targeted sample delivered, with data back on who received it. Clients included L'Oréal, Nestlé, Unilever, Kraft-Heinz and Henkel. It raised $13 million, and in 2023 made two acquisitions — Abeo, a beauty sampling agency bought from Arcade Beauty in April, and Toronto's AdMass, whose tech and founders came aboard in June to add AI and user-generated content. It peaked near $10 million in annual recurring revenue and 4.5 million users, but ran on 35-40% margins. When the pandemic supply-chain crunch left brands unable to produce samples and USPS delivery costs rose 200%, the economics broke; a Series B could not be raised, and Sampler filed an assignment of bankruptcy on June 27, 2024 with $12.9 million in liabilities against just over $300,000 in assets.
Backers
BDC Women in Tech fund (led the $3M Series A in Feb 2019), Shipfusion, Factory LLC, Standup Ventures, Freycinet Ventures, MaRS IAF; Arcade Beauty took a minority stake in the April 2023 Abeo deal · $13M raised (BetaKit, Apr 2023)
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Quick answers
What did Sampler do?
It let consumer packaged goods brands send targeted product samples to consumers' homes at a predictable cost per sample and measure the results — digital sampling for brands including L'Oréal, Nestlé and Unilever.
Who founded Sampler?
Marie Chevrier Schwartz, in Toronto in 2013. She was CEO for its full 11 years.
What happened to Sampler?
It filed an assignment of bankruptcy on June 27, 2024 with $12.9 million in liabilities. Its founder attributes the failure to lost product-market fit: brands could not produce samples through the supply-chain crunch, USPS costs rose 200%, shoppers went back to stores, and 35-40% margins left no room to absorb it. A Series B could not be raised.
Was Sampler acquired?
No. Sampler was the acquirer — it bought Abeo from Arcade Beauty in April 2023 and AdMass's technology and founders in June 2023. The company itself went bankrupt in June 2024.