Markee v2.0 offers a local choice for companies suffering from Zoom fatigue

Tech startup and homegrown Zoom competitor Markee was created in the summer of 2020 as a solution to a problem facing the team at Short Order Production House.

“It wasn’t so much a choice as it was a necessity,” said Markee CEO (and former Short Order COO) Craig Doig told Technical.ly last December. “We had a large enterprise customer at Short Order who was looking to end one of our video projects because they didn’t have an adequate CMS system to distribute content internally. We had already built some bare bones structures with them, and we asked if we could take a shot at fixing their problem.”

Within a few short months, Markee had become its own Yorklyn-based spinoff with Short Order CEO Zach Phillips on board as chief product officer.

Although times were bleak with COVID-19 bearing down on the planet, the timing was right: Markee is a communication platform designed to end communication platform fatigue. It’s a customizable virtual space builder that lives on your domain and is entirely web based, with more complex features including video conferencing, streaming, chatting and paywalls.

And Markee is committed to being a local company.

“Listen, we know Delaware has been burned by local tech companies before — but this isn’t that,” Doig said in a recent statement. “We don’t have scandals, we’re not moving away, and we already have a bunch of happy paying customers. We’re here, in Delaware, to stay, to grow, to hire.”

Since its inception, Markee has been put to the test by the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, which used an early alpha version of the platform for it virtual annual dinner, and then after it became an early client, for its Women’s Conference. Other events that used the Markee platform include MusicGamingCon 2020.

Now, as offices are opening up again, Markee is officially launching publicly.

“As businesses begin to move into hybrid work models, Markee can help keep every department organized and streamline communication better than ever,” Doig said. “Basically, our use cases include whatever you can think of.”

And Phillips emphasized the customizability: “We’re committed to the Open Web, and removing Markee branding isn’t a paid option, it’s standard. It’s the point of the platform.”

In its press release announcing the public launch, Markee made a plea to the local business community:

“Markee’s big ask for Delaware businesses? Shift your spend from Microsoft Teams or Zoom to Markee and support a local company. A local company that not only will bring revenue into the state, but could possibly hire your neighbors, your kids, your friends and family. Invest and spend in Delaware and its community. If it sounds like we’re begging … we’re an early stage startup. We know we’re up against big challenges. We believe that the local Delaware community can give us the launch we need, and in turn, we’ll make them proud.”

Businesses in the state can access a Delaware portal for early subscribers — and a few will get a free yearlong trial.