Outdoor industry veterans and commerce executives pair Outdoor Life’s trusted editorial authority with a new platform for discovering, evaluating and buying gear
BEND, Ore. — (Oct. 7, 2026) — eFormed Ventures, an investment fund focused on building media marketplaces for passionate enthusiast communities, today announced it has acquired Outdoor Life from Recurrent Ventures. For five generations, Outdoor Life has been a trusted voice, inspiring and equipping readers for outdoor adventures. eFormed will draw on that legacy to take the Outdoor Life user experience to a new level by integrating an AI-native marketplace built to connect readers with engaging content and best-in-class products from the top retailers and brands. Effective immediately, Outdoor Life will be owned and managed by eFormed. The company intends to retain all existing editorial and operations staff.
The acquisition will leverage one of the industry’s most storied outdoor brands under a proprietary commerce-and-content platform, providing outdoor audiences with quality products that meet their needs and valued stories they rely on.
“A combined community of 183 million Americans hike, fish and hunt every year, powering our nation’s outdoor retailer economy,” said Tom Beusse, managing partner at eFormed Ventures. “Now, they’ll have an innovative digital platform that caters to all of their needs combining the breadth of an outdoor marketplace, with the expertise, content and trust that help people choose the right gear, apparel and accessories to get outside.”
The new retail business will be powered by Resonance 2.0, eFormed’s proprietary AI search, discovery and pricing technology, which uses seasonality, location, online activity, and buying habits to better pair audience interests with qualified product recommendations at a competitive price.
“The best gear advice has always come from the guy behind the counter who has personally used everything in the store,” said Lance Reese, managing partner at eFormed Ventures. “Our AI builds on that expertise and brings it to a whole new level of value, incorporating 130 years of Outdoor Life’s field testing behind everything we do.”
Mike Morford, Tom Beusse, Scott Blackwell and Lance Reese will lead operations for eFormed Ventures, bringing decades of expertise across media, retail, outdoor and e-commerce brands. Beusse previously stewarded Outdoor Life as president of Time4 Media, giving him firsthand knowledge of the brand’s editorial legacy and audience. Blackwell spent decades building gear for the outdoors, with leadership roles at Beretta USA, Mountain Khaki and Remington. Together with Morford and Reese, the team’s experience spans companies including Altrec.com, GreatOutdoors.com, Golf.com, Motorsport Network, Rodale, Sharper Image and UPS. Managing partners Justin Phillips, formerly with Les Schwab Tires and Target, and Dan MacKeigan, formerly with Tudor Investment Corporation and Spring Lake Equity Partners, are also leading eFormed Ventures, working closely with the team on strategy, corporate finance, capital formation, and the overall growth and development of the platform.
eFormed Ventures intends to expand the current affiliate-based shopping experience to include an expanded wholly owned marketplace. The editorial and content team at Outdoor Life will continue to play an important role in creating engaging content, as product reviews and storytelling are core to the company’s strategy.
“Outdoor Life’s legacy sits inside a much older American story, one first shaped by the people who gave us a love of wild places,” said Mike Morford, managing partner at eFormed Ventures. “Amelia Earhart, Zane Grey, Ernest Hemingway, Aldo Leopold and Theodore Roosevelt are all among the icons whose stories and adventures are chronicled in pages of Outdoor Life. The brand has earned its readers’ trust one season and one honest story at a time. We’re here to build on that with an investment in the future and a focus on engaging the next generation.”
About Outdoor Life
Founded in 1898, Outdoor Life is one of the “Big Three” names in American outdoor publishing, alongside Field & Stream and Sports Afield. Outdoor Life delivers field-tested gear reviews and storytelling across hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and the outdoors at large, reaching over 37 million viewers a year across generations of American outdoor enthusiasts.
About Recurrent
Recurrent is a digital media company whose content from trusted brands aims to foster generations of passionate audiences across enthusiast verticals. Recurrent is focused on optimizing and growing trusted digital media brands within five key categories: Automotive, Home, Military and Defense, Science and Tech, and Outdoors. Its titles inspire and inform more than 70 million unique visitors each month.
About eFormed Ventures
eFormed Ventures is an investment fund focused on building media marketplaces for passionate enthusiast communities, headquartered in Bend, Oregon. Led by a team with decades of experience across media, retail, product and technology, the company pairs iconic media brands with modern commerce infrastructure, giving consumers and industry partners a better way to discover and buy the products they trust. Learn more at eFormedVentures.com
