Scaling, Selling, and Finding the Right Fit: The Back in Stock Story

Playing the long game is our speciality at SureSwift Capital. Every decision we make is aimed to create value for both our portfolio companies and our investors. One example of this approach is our recent divestiture with Back in Stock, a leading Shopify SaaS company specializing in restock notifications. Since acquiring the business in 2018, we’ve helped it scale into a category leader, grow its customer base by more than 300%, and generate over $4.5 million in annual revenue.

Now, Back in Stock has found a new home with AMP, an Australian-based eCommerce platform with deep expertise in Shopify applications, helping over 25,000 leading brands drive incremental revenue, some of which are shared customers using Back in Stock, making them the ideal partner to continue Back in Stock’s growth journey.

What started as a simple solution for Shopify merchants grew into a powerful eCommerce tool. Today, we’ll break down how Back in Stock made this happen and take a closer look at its journey from acquisition to eventual sale. We also want to highlight the growth milestones achieved with SureSwift’s help, our rationale behind the sale, and what the future looks like for Back in Stock under its new ownership.

Table of Contents:

1. Why Back in Stock became a must-have for Shopify merchants 
2. Seeing the potential: Why we acquired Back in Stock
3. How Back in Stock transformed when SureSwift took the lead
4. Knowing the right moment to sell and step aside
5. Transitioning with care and continuity
6. Lessons for founders thinking about selling

Why Back in Stock became a must-have for Shopify merchants 

Founded in 2011, Back in Stock is a Shopify-based SaaS business designed to help online merchants recover lost sales by automatically notifying their customers when a product is restocked. Beyond its core functionality, the tool provides an array of features designed to improve customer experience and simplify everyday operations for online sellers. 

Here’s a closer look at its key features:

• Automated Stock Alerts: Automatically send back-in-stock notifications to customers via email, text, and push notification.
• Customizable “Notify Me” Buttons: Instantly set up “Notify Me” buttons that can be customized to align with company branding.
• Lead Generation & Email Integration: Grow a contact list and sync with highly reputable email providers.
• Analytics & Demand Forecasting: Analyze sales data for popular out-of-stock products to improve demand forecasting.
• Seamless Shopify Integration: Compatible with almost every Shopify theme while offering exceptional customer support.

Back in Stock was a pioneer in the Shopify space and distinguished itself early on as a simple but powerful app. The strong market position and growing customer base made Back in Stock an attractive addition to SureSwift’s portfolio.

Seeing the potential: Why we acquired Back in Stock

We acquired Back in Stock early on, during a phase when our approach was to build a diversified portfolio of digital businesses. What made Back in Stock stand out as an attractive acquisition was its strong foundation, the loyal customer base, and plenty of room to grow.

Shopify and its app marketplace were expanding fast, and with only one Shopify-based business in our portfolio at the time, it felt like the right moment to acquire into the space. Online merchants were looking for solutions to help run their businesses more efficiently and keep up with rising demand. Acquiring Back in Stock allowed us to address that demand and take it even further by doing what we do best: helping SaaS businesses grow through better infrastructure, stronger features, and reaching more of the right customers.

How Back in Stock transformed when SureSwift took the lead

SureSwift’s corporate structure allows our portfolio companies to focus on growth by offering legal, accounting, and operational support. As SureSwift’s Chief Operating Officer, John Austin puts it, “Back in Stock benefited from our structure as a fund, which builds operational frameworks and handles everything from legal to accounting. This allows companies to act as agile leaders while leveraging corporate expertise.” With that kind of support, Back in Stock dedicated more time to product development and growing the business without getting slowed down by operational complexities.

Back in Stock had already built a solid reputation and loyal merchant base before Dave Aidekman stepped in as General Manager. His customer-centric and data-driven approach, two of SureSwift's core values, made him a standout choice to build on an already strong foundation. Under Aidekman’s leadership, the team never stopped looking for ways to improve, using data to fine-tune the product while always keeping customer needs front and center. That balance of strategic growth and customer focus helped expand their capabilities, improve the offering, and solidify Back in Stock’s position in the Shopify ecosystem.

Some of the key growth milestones include:

• Rapid Customer Growth: Back in Stock’s early market entry fueled significant expansion despite competition from thousands of Shopify apps. Between 2018 to 2024, the customer base more than tripled in size, reaching upwards of 20,000 users.
• Revenue & MRR Expansion: Under SureSwift’s ownership, monthly recurring revenue grew well into the six figure range, as annual revenue continued to build year over year.
• Operational Excellence: Maintained strong operating margins around 50%, resulting in multi-million dollar annual profits.

Despite the size of Back in Stock’s team, they made these achievements possible. With just six people, they successfully managed a sophisticated tech stack while supporting over 20,000 customers. Looking back on this growth period, Aidekman described it as a time of "dramatic increases in customers and revenue, while maintaining really strong operating margins." Even as the company scaled, it consistently ran at 55% margins, proving that a lean and efficient team can deliver real value at scale.

Even in a competitive space, Back in Stock stood out as a well-run, customer-driven SaaS product capable of sustaining long-term success. As our portfolio strategy evolved, we realized the best way to secure its future meant finding the right long-term home that could unlock even greater potential.

Knowing the right moment to sell and step aside

About a year ago, we refined our portfolio strategy to focus on standalone B2B SaaS businesses that aren’t tied to any specific platforms. While Back in Stock remained a well run and profitable business, we knew it could thrive even more with a partner deeply rooted in the Shopify ecosystem. We quickly got to know AMP and realized their specialization in Shopify products made them the ideal acquirer to step in. Both companies share a similar philosophy centered on long-term scalability and customer success, which helped ease the transition for Back in Stock users and created new expansion opportunities for the business.

Why AMP was the right buyer

Finding the right home for Back in Stock meant looking for a buyer with the expertise, vision, and resources to take the business even further. AMP stood out as the perfect fit. Their eCommerce expertise and suite of complementary products meant they had both the technical foundation and strategic alignment. SureSwift’s CEO, James DeGreef, stated “a business like AMP is focused on Shopify and having their Shopify products work well together. It was almost like we thought the company could probably do better with Back in Stock going forward than us in terms of our new strategy and focus.” AMP’s understanding of the platform and the needs of Back in Stock merchants puts them in a great position to lead Back in Stock’s next chapter.

With these synergies in place, AMP is well-positioned to build on Back in Stock’s strong foundation and maintain the standard its customers have come to expect.

At SureSwift, a successful sale isn’t just about a strong financial return. It’s about finding the right fit so the business is positioned for future success. In Back in Stock’s case, we’re confident AMP not only recognizes its value but will provide the right environment to help it grow even further.

Transitioning with care and continuity

Before finalizing the sale, we wanted to make sure Back in Stock was set up for success. This meant doing our due diligence by carefully assessing financials, legal considerations, and growth potential to structure a strong deal and a successful exit for all parties.

To help make the transition smooth, Aidekman provided a generous management services period, allowing AMP to get up to speed on day-to-day operations. While Back in Stock settled in, AMP began focusing on tech integration and planning future marketing efforts. Looking back, Aidekman expressed pride in how well-prepared the team was going into the transition. It created the foundation for a strong handoff as Back in Stock moved from one team to the next. 

Beyond internal stability, AMP plans to closely integrate Back in Stock with its existing suite of Shopify products, creating greater product synergy and unlocking new cross-marketing opportunities. With access to AMP’s established customer base, Back in Stock is in a great position to expand its reach, generate more sales, and create new partnerships, all while keeping its momentum in the Shopify ecosystem.

How leadership helped guide the exit

At SureSwift, we are proud to have fostered Back in Stock’s transformation from a small SaaS business into a market leading product. This is a testament to SureSwift’s ability to scale businesses and set them up for long-term success. 

From a financial perspective, the sale provided strong returns for our investors and gave us much room to reinvest in future acquisitions. For AMP, the acquisition was more of a strategic move to integrate and leverage Back in Stock within their platform. As we continue refining our investment strategy, this successful exit reinforces our ability to balance investor returns with long-term vision.

Letting go of a great company is never easy. But as our Executive Chair and Founder, Don Wharton, often points out—it's important to balance investor interests with our view of where the market is headed. Sometimes, the best decision is to deliver strong returns to investors, even if it means saying goodbye to a great business like Back in Stock.

Lessons for founders thinking about selling

Beyond the financials, selling a SaaS business is often an emotional journey. Founders and operators want to know their company, customers, and team will be in good hands and set up for success long after the deal is done.

One of the biggest benefits of selling to an experienced operator like SureSwift is knowing the business can grow and scale without losing its foundation. With the right leadership, guided by data-driven decision making, businesses can achieve sustainable growth that makes them more attractive to future buyers. Don Wharton emphasizes that it all comes down to tracking the right metrics. When founders focus on what truly impacts performance, they build stronger businesses that attract the right buyers and lead to better outcomes.

But choosing the right buyer is about more than just price. At SureSwift, having clear ethical alignment between the leadership team and investors has always been a guiding principle, especially when it comes to big decisions. As Don Wharton explains, trust and shared values are what makes an acquisition work for all involved, from employees to customers to investors. 

The journey of Back in Stock is a great testament to SureSwift’s expertise in scaling SaaS businesses and setting them up for future success. As Back in Stock enters its next chapter with AMP, we’re eager to see what’s ahead in the hands of a team ready to take it even further.

Thinking of selling your SaaS business? Learn how we can help.