The SaaS CFO

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, our host, Ben, sits down with Alexander Hagerup, the co-founder and CEO of VIC AI. Alexander shares his background growing up in Norway with parents who were small business owners, and how his fascination with accounting and finance led him to start several successful companies.   He then dives into the products and services offered by VIC AI, which focuses on revolutionizing the accounting process through autonomous algorithms and AI technology. The main focus currently is on the accounts payable process, with plans to expand into other areas of accounting in the future.   Alexander also discusses the state of AI in accounting and the importance of accuracy and scalability in making AI solutions work effectively in real-life scenarios. Join us as we explore the world of AI-powered accounting with Alexander Hagerup. Let's get started!  Show notes: [00:01:50] The speaker observed accounting at scale, realizing its global similarity and the need for efficient transaction processing.  [00:03:34] Vic AI aims to create autonomous accounting processes, with AI capable of working independently and seeking human help when needed. It also focuses on providing financial insights from accounting data, starting with the accounts payable process.  [00:10:10] Company focuses on accounts payable but aims to expand to broader AI applications; foresee AI-run business functions emerging in the future.  [00:13:27] We work with large companies for greater AI benefits, ROI.  [00:17:20] GGB supports our future vision, building capital-intensive software and AI business, with high value for customers.  [00:20:27] Attracting experienced talent and maintaining a solid balance sheet are important for growth and customer confidence.  [00:21:55] Finding investors aligned with long-term strategy is crucial. A shared mission and vision fosters belief in the future despite challenges.  [00:26:23] Excited about AI-based purchase order matching, launching bill pay, expanding AI-based accounts payable process, and broadening to adjacent accounting processes.  Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/vic-ai-raises-50-million-in-series-b  Alexander Hagerup’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderhagerup/  Vic.ai’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vic.ai/  Vic.ai’s Website: https://www.vic.ai/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to another episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, our host Ben sits down with Amr Awadallah, the founder and CEO of Vectara. Amr shares his impressive background as a seasoned entrepreneur, from being the VP of Developer Relations at Cloud to founding and serving as CTO of Cloudera, and his time at Yahoo.   He also discusses his journey from wanting to be a professor to being drawn into the world of entrepreneurship at Stanford. Amr dives into the details of Vectara, a company that offers a powerful AI tool that allows users to leverage their own data for tasks like brainstorming and customer support.   The conversation explores the simplicity and accessibility of Vectara’s API, the target customer profiles, and the consumption-based pricing model. Join us as we unravel the fascinating story and insights of Amr Awadallah on this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast.  Show Notes:   [00:01:36] Stanford taught entrepreneurship, changed my teaching mission.  [00:03:28] Collaborate on brainstorming with an intern using data.  [00:07:26] Charges based on consumption, 50 MB data free.  [00:10:46] Consumption-based model, land and expand. Goal: acquire customers even with minimum $1.0.25 payment. Grow customer data and API usage. Hybrid approach: product-led growth and premium offering.  [00:16:23] Raise capital for expansion, sales, and competition.  [00:18:37] Startup success rates are only 10%. Extending lifespan is crucial for success.  [00:22:19] Massive opportunity proven by Chat GPT success.   Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/vectara-raises-20-million-in-seed-round  Amr Awadallah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awadallah/  Vectara’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vectara/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, our host Ben sits down with special guest Dharmendra Mohan, co-founder and CEO of Sonet.IO. Dharmendra shares his background in R&D, including his experience at Symantec and Bluecode Systems before embarking on the journey of starting Sonnet.   He explains the tipping point that led him to realize the potential of the cloud and the need for a better solution to connect remote workers to applications securely and hassle-free. Dharmendra dives deep into the products and services offered by Sonet, highlighting their remote work platform and how it benefits various industries, particularly in the tech and services sectors.   He also discusses the company's go-to-market strategy, recent funding round, and plans for expansion. Tune in to this insightful episode to learn more about the innovative work being done at Sonet.IO.  Show Notes:  [00:02:18] Sonnet: Remote work platform, secure connection.  [00:04:07] Securing and monitoring data for maximum protection.  [00:07:28] Dual strategy: content creation and outreach methods.  [00:10:11] Critical to have right product-market fit, cash-efficient, profitable, sustainable business. Prototype, customer feedback, execution important.  [00:13:38] Constantly upgrading platform with secure, mobile accessibility.  Links:SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sonet-io-raises-6-million-in-seed-round Dharmendra Mohan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmendra-mohan/ Sonet.IO’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonet-io/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, our host Ben is joined by the esteemed Jim Williams, a seasoned expert in software M&A and the Managing Director of GLC Advisors. They delve into the current landscape of private equity deals, the changing dynamics of valuations, and the importance of understanding the true business model in SaaS companies.  Jim sheds light on the cautious approach private equity sponsors are taking, with lenders becoming more conservative on leverage. They discuss how discipline has increased among sponsors, who now prioritize investing in higher-quality assets and businesses with stronger growth potential. Valuations have shifted, and Jim provides insights into the factors driving these changes.   The conversation then turns to the significance of understanding revenue streams and profitability in SaaS companies. Jim emphasizes the need for a clear delineation of business models and revenue streams, as well as the importance of showing gross margins by business line. They also explore the difference between platform and add-on acquisitions, with Jim explaining how each contributes to scaling a business.  Valuations, growth rates, and profitability remain key considerations for investors, with a focus on financial discipline and sound fundamentals. Jim examines the "rule of 40" and the changing mindset towards the growth at all cost models. They delve into the current state of the software M&A market, discussing deal volume, valuations, and deal structures.  As the episode draws to a close, Jim offers insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for software entrepreneurs. He predicts a potential pickup in software M&A activity in 2024 and encourages business owners to seek advice and carefully consider their timing. Jim's expertise and outlook provide valuable guidance for navigating the ever-evolving software industry.  Stay tuned for an informative and thought-provoking discussion on The SaaS CFO Podcast!  Show Notes:  00:01:30 New normal: stable, consistent decline in deals.  00:04:33 Stabilized deals, new normal in rate environment.  00:08:30 Lenders getting more conservative, making deals harder.  00:11:24 Disciplined firms invest in better assets.  00:14:21 Good companies getting fair multiples, longer diligence.  00:17:28 Buyers lack urgency to close deals.  00:20:02 Deal volume steady, quality plays important role.  00:22:43 Look forward in financials, focus on ARR.  00:26:22 Metrics, gross and net revenue retention focus.  00:29:27 GR important metric, Mr. Schedule, data consistency, diligence, renewal rates, data preparation, metrics  00:34:22 Importance of understanding SaaS business model.  00:36:22 Clearly explain business model and revenue streams.  00:40:49 Platform: bigger, confident sponsor with strong belief.  00:43:24 Hurdle for businesses to reach Ten X.  00:47:38 Steady Eddie businesses for potential add-ons.  00:50:34 2024 outlook positive, potential delay in progress.  00:52:51 Offering software quarterly report for Ben's notes.  Links:   James Williams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-williams-5754953/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, our host Ben is joined by special guest Peter Tilbrook, founder and CEO of Loro Insuretech. Peter shares his background in the insurance industry and how his frustrations with existing solutions led him to start his own company.   They discuss the products and services that Loro offers, including their ambitious goal of taking any insurance product online immediately. Peter also dives into their unique pricing model and ideal customer profile.   Tune in to learn more about the innovative world of Loro and the vision of democratizing access to insurance.  Show Notes  [00:03:13] Ambitious insurance platform connecting global markets.  [00:06:25] Pricing model debate: fixed cost, tiered rates.  [00:12:03] Small team, regular catch-ups, easy onboarding.  [00:14:17] Startup journey: learning, feedback, networking, digital marketing.  [00:17:48] Belief and support led to investment success.  [00:20:04] Learn, speak, advise, reach out, invest, execute.  [00:22:30] Website showcases pricing and company updates. Networking on LinkedIn encouraged.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/loro-insuretech-secures-750-000-in-seed-round  Peter Tillbrook’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-tilbrook-50832336/ Loro Insurtech Inc. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/loro-insurtech/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray  

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have a special guest, Tony Smith, CEO and co-founder of Restaurant 365. Tony shares his journey from software consulting to founding a SaaS company and explains how his experience in the industry shaped his approach.   He takes us through the inception of Restaurant 365, its product offerings, and the diverse range of restaurants they serve. Tony also discusses the challenges and milestones along the way, including the importance of self-funding and the dedication required to build a successful company.   Join us as we dive into the fascinating story of Restaurant 365 and gain insights into their go-to-market strategy. Let's get started!  Show Notes:  [00:01:09] Resold Microsoft software, specialized in customization. Transitioned to focus on restaurant industry.  [00:05:34] Balancing day job, self-funding, and risks.  [00:08:22] Product evolved, different sales models for customers.  [00:11:40] Regular pricing assessment, underprice early, add value.  [00:14:57] Company reached crossroads, chose to seek funding.  [00:19:25] Value your story, connections, and support.  [00:22:11] Gross and net retention important for growth.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/restaurant365-raises-135-million-in-funding  Tony Smith’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-t-smith/  Restaurant 365’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/restaurant365-cloud-erp-for-restaurants/   To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribeSubscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-pageSaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray  

In today's episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, our host Ben welcomes special guest Paul Martin, an IT entrepreneur and founder of "equipment." Paul shares his insights on the importance of frictionless processes in today's business landscape, where failures cannot be fixed immediately.   With his expertise in IT outsourcing and managing SaaS for mid-sized companies, Paul discusses the challenges faced by both clients and service providers in managing processes efficiently. He also sheds light on the growing significance of outsourcing services, devices, and software for businesses seeking cash flow flexibility and dealing with an expert shortage.   Join us as we delve into Paul's journey, his vision for "equipment," and how they are building a global operating system for the subscription economy in B2B.  Show Notes:   [00:01:29] Outsourcing IT operations: a growing necessity.  [00:04:14] Digital platform targeting IT and telecommunication industries.  [00:09:21] Amazon-like marketplace connects customers and service providers.  [00:13:24] Failed fundraising, pause sales, warm intros, potential in uncertain times.  [00:15:38] Building global provider network for global companies.   Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/equipme-raises-3-8-million-in-seed-round  Paul Martin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-martin-525433117/ Equip Me’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/equip-me/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray #saas #thesaascfo #podcast #saasmetrics #saasmetricsschool #benmurray  

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast, where we delve into the world of finance and accounting in the software-as-a-service industry. In today's episode, we have a special guest, Tal Kirschenbaum, the co-founder and CEO of Ledge, a leading automated finance operations platform.   Tal shares his extensive background in finance, venture capital, and payments, which ultimately led him to found Ledge. He explains how Ledge helps finance teams with their day-to-day tasks, particularly in payment reconciliation and treasury management. Tal also reveals how Ledge addresses the pain points that arise from managing high volumes of payments and the significant losses that can occur when these processes are not properly automated.   Join us as we explore how Ledge is revolutionizing back-office finance for mid-market and enterprise tech companies across various industries. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with Tal Kirschenbaum on today's episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast  Show Notes  [00:00:21] Finance and business background, venture capital, consulting, M&A, fintech. Founded Ledge a year ago.  [00:03:15] Developed own solution to handle payments. Ledge helps companies with finance issues.  [00:07:23] Reconciliation is unsexy, time-consuming, and costly.  [00:12:57] Outbound sales, partnerships, and inbound channels summary.  [00:16:06] Vision, plan, investors - crucial for success.  [00:18:43] Access and familiarity aided successful fundraising process.  [00:22:07] Exploring opportunities to expand product in finance.  Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/ledge-raises-9-million-in-seed-roundTal Kirschenbaum’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-k/ Ledge’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ledge-finance/ Ledge’s Website: https://www.ledge.co/   To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have a special guest, Sandeep Jain, co-founder and CEO of Monetize Now. Sandeep has a unique background in engineering, product, and sales, which has given him a fresh perspective in the tech industry. He shares his journey, from working in various industries to starting his own companies, including his current venture, Monetize Now.   Sandeep dives into the problem he encountered in the podcast distribution space and how it led him to the realization that billing systems for B2B SaaS companies lacked efficiency. This realization sparked the creation of Monetize Now, a revenue operations platform that aims to solve the complex billing challenges faced by B2B SaaS companies.   Sandeep also discusses the market size considerations for startups, the importance of understanding the problem you're solving, and the key focus of Monetize Now in assisting companies with revenues ranging from zero to 100 million dollars. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation about the future of revenue operations and the impact it has on scaling SaaS businesses.  Show Notes:   [00:00:16] Engineering, product, sales mix led to unique perspectives.  [00:03:14] MonetizeNow builds revenue operations platform for SaaS companies.  [00:08:58] Revenue operations hindered by tooling limitations. Vendors overlooked SaaS requirements for integration.  [00:12:46] Early stages, twelve+ customers, replacing Zuora, best architecture.  [00:15:33] Risks faced, but success in funding rounds.  [00:18:55] CEOs with engineering backgrounds need sales skills.  [00:21:52] Signed deals, competitive replacements, exciting revenue growth.   Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.monetizenow.io/blog/announcing-3m| Sandeep Jain’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeeja/ Monetize Now’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monetizenow/  To know more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, our host Ben sits down with Matt Welsh, CEO and co-founder of Fixie AI. Matt shares his fascinating journey, starting from academia to Google and eventually venturing into the world of startups.   As a technical expert, Matt dives into the products and services offered by Fixie, highlighting their mission to simplify the integration of large language models into various applications. With a strong founding team, Fixie is making strides in the AI realm, and Matt discusses their growth plans and the challenges of harnessing the team's expertise.   Join us as we learn more about Fixie's path towards product-market fit and revenue generation. Tune in now!   Show Notes  [00:01:35] Simplifying language models integration with Fixie.  [00:05:49] Four founders, Zach Cook, Justin Uberti, Hassan Bagharinazad.  [00:09:26] Dual approach: devs and companies seeking AI integration.  [00:10:49] Combining blog posts, community, SDK, demos, hackathons, targeting developers.  [00:14:04] Raised $17 million in seed funding round.  [00:18:53] My blog post on raising $5M seed: market hot, team backgrounds key. Expectations higher for founders without resumes. Learned VC firms are partners, not just cash.  [00:20:45] Early indications of product market fit; Series A; ARR benchmark; developer platform metrics; proxies for traction and revenue.   Links SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/fixie-raises-17-million-in-seed-round Fixie.ai LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fixie-ai/ Fixie.ai Website: https://www.fixie.ai/ Matt Welsh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/welsh-matt/   To know more about Ben check the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray  

Welcome to another episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast. In today's episode, we have a special guest, Ben Williams, CEO and co-founder of Loopin. Ben shares his fascinating background, starting from his time in the British Royal Marines Commandos to working with high-profile football clubs, and eventually finding his way into the business world.   He explains how the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him to pivot and create a SaaS technology solution to address the disconnect between managers and employees. Ben gives us an inside look into Loopin's innovative approach, leveraging generative AI and personalized data to improve employee engagement, morale, and upskilling.   Join us as we dive deeper into the world of Loopin and explore the ways this technology is revolutionizing organizations' approach to creating high-performing teams. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with Ben Williams on this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast.  Show Notes  [00:00:15] Military background led to creating SaaS tech.  [00:03:03] Uncertainty during the pandemic led to change.  [00:09:08] Product captures and learns about users' experiences. Encourages effective leadership and teamwork.  [00:11:26] Challenges in multiple markets, especially burnout.  [00:15:46] Tech world budget cuts, HR as buyers  [00:18:09] Funding journey for a start-up during recession.  [00:23:59] SaaS win with Oxford University, revolutionizing technology.  [00:25:55] Loopin offers coaching and connections.  Links Saas Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/loopin-raises-1-6-million-in-seed-round Loopin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lets-loopin/ Loopin Website: https://www.letsloopin.com/ Ben Williams’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-williams-vgs/    To know more about Ben check the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-pageSaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkoutFollow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have an exciting guest joining us, Toni Holbein, CEO and co-founder at Growblocks.   Toni shares his extensive background in the SaaS industry, specifically in revenue operations, and how it led him to launching Growblocks. We dive into the products and services that Growblocks offers, which focus on helping businesses become more data-driven in their go-to-market strategies.   Tune in to learn more about how Growblocks is revolutionizing revenue modeling and empowering CFOs and commercial leaders to make informed decisions for their organizations.  Show Notes  [00:02:18] Data-driven go-to-market relies on different tools: Excel spreadsheets, BI, slides. FP&A solves finance, not revenue modeling. Massive market potential for revenue solutions.  [00:04:38] Revenue operations and strategy overlap with finance, but commercial leaders prefer tools other than spreadsheets. This communication gap affects revenue potential.  [00:08:10] Bottom-up revenue planning using strong data-driven approach. Clear tracking of progress, immediate course correction. Improves efficiency and helps hit revenue targets.  [00:12:37] Generating demand without relying on Google Ads.  [00:14:49] Starting with early sales, organization proved value. Next step: achieve product market fit. Seeking funding for product development and growth. Plan to focus on US market expansion.  [00:17:55] Funding raised in June, market conditions uncertain.  [00:21:34] Exciting revenue operations progress, adding analytics layer.   Links  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/growblocks-raises-6-million-in-seed-round Growblocks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growblocks/ Growblock’s Website: https://growblocks.com/ Toni Hohlbein’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonihohlbein/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Denis Chernobaev, CEO and co-founder of Getplace.io. Denis shares his background in the fast-growing food tech industry and how it led him to the creation of Getplace.io. He explains how Getplace.io helps small and medium businesses make informed decisions about their future locations by providing affordable access to valuable data. Through their subscription-based service, businesses can analyze footfall, vehicle traffic, demographic insights, spending data, and competitor analysis, all at a fraction of the cost typically associated with such tools.Denis also discusses different use cases and patterns of usage among their current clients. Don't miss this insightful conversation on leveraging data for strategic decision-making. Stay tuned for more on The SaaS CFO Podcast!  Show Notes  [00:01:49] Affordable tool helps businesses choose ideal locations.  [00:04:04] Choose locations wisely based on research.  [00:06:55] Limited data, ongoing improvements attract and retain clients.  [00:10:51] Product launched in February, attracting paying customers.  [00:15:36] Co-founder experience, MVP delay, remote market.  [00:19:03] Plans to expand into Netherlands with more complex products and negotiate with partners; considering raising funds for future expansion. Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/getplace-io-raises-pre-seed-round Getplace.io's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getplace-io/ Getplace.io's Website: https://getplace.io/Denis Chernobaev’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-chernobaev/  To know more about Ben check the links below: Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-pageSaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkoutFollow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray #saas #thesaascfo #podcast #saasmetrics #saasmetricsschool #benmurray

Welcome to another episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, I have the pleasure of hosting Charles Brecque, founder and CEO of Legislate. Charles shares his insights on the inefficiencies of dealing with contracts and the need for a better solution.   He explains how Legislate's contract creation and management platform is aimed at people operations and finance, rather than legal teams. Charles also discusses their unique approach of using Knowledge Graph technology to track and analyze contract data.   We delve into the challenges CFOs face with contract management and the value that Legislate brings to the table. So, join us as we dive into this fascinating conversation with Charles Brecque on The SaaS CFO Podcast!  Show Notes  [00:01:52] We offer a contract management platform for people operations and finance. Our key differentiators are user-friendly features and accurate contract tracking using Knowledge Graph technology.  [00:05:53] Early stage company pivoting to focus on larger clients and empower businesses to create contracts without legal involvement.  [00:08:45] Impressive growth, novel approach using knowledge graph, securing patents, ready for market after funding rounds.  [00:11:13] Fundraising is distracting and stressful for founders, but it's important to minimize distractions and focus on investors who understand the business.  [00:14:11] Contact us at legislate.AI for more information.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/legislate-secures-3-6-million-in-funding Charles Brecque’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-brecque/ Legislate LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/legislate/ Legislate Website: https://legislate.ai/ Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Paul Foster, founder and CEO of OnePlan. With a background in crowd science, Paul has extensive experience in managing large-scale events, including the Olympics.  Frustrated with the traditional methods of event planning, Paul embarked on a mission to revolutionize the industry with OnePlan. This innovative platform offers 2D and 3D mapping technology that not only streamlines the planning process but also optimizes risk management and enhances operational efficiency.   Join us as we dive into the world of event planning and discover how OnePlan is transforming the way we think about mapping and simulation.  Show Notes  00:01:36 Paralympic journey led to managing diverse events.  00:05:25 3D models used in operational planning, security, and commercialization.  00:08:56 Subscription model for event site plans.  00:11:55 Startup partner of Olympic Games, advertising methods.  00:14:12 Sustainable fundraising strategy, milestone-based growth, experienced investors.  00:17:06 Lessons learned in fundraising and investor strategy.  00:20:31 Focusing on target markets for progress and success. Links  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/oneplan-raises-5-3-million-in-funding OnePlan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/one-plan-events/ OnePlan Website: https://www.oneplanevents.com/ Paul Foster’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fosteroneplan/ Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, I have the pleasure of hosting Max Brentzel, co-founder and CEO at Spoke AI. Max, hailing from Germany and now based in Berlin, shares his journey in the tech scene and how the city's startup ecosystem has evolved over the years.   With a background in economics and international expansion, Max brings a unique perspective to the table. Tune in as he discusses Spoke AI's privacy-first AI products that help users streamline and prioritize their communication across various tools, ultimately saving time and increasing efficiency.   Discover how Spoke AI's standalone app within Slack and web app cater to the needs of product managers, summarizing and organizing their busy channels and threads.   Max also delves into the importance of user control and the future plans for Spoke AI's premium tier.   Don't miss this insightful episode packed with valuable insights for SaaS founders and tech enthusiasts alike.  Show Notes   [00:01:54] AI products prioritize and summarize communication.  [00:03:53] User controls communication data processing for privacy.  [00:08:22] Limited company onboarding to ensure reliable Summarization.  [00:10:13] Early core team, AI expertise = success.  [00:15:27] Launching new product, enclosed beta in May. Exciting features coming to Slack app.  Links  SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/spoke-ai-raises-2-million-in-pre-seed-round Max Brenssell’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-brenssell/ Spoke.ai’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spoke-ai/ Spoke.ai’s Website: https://www.spoke.ai/ Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to another episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Ratnesh Verma, founder and CEO of Pidge. Ratnesh shares his diverse background, which includes working in seven different countries and holding prominent positions at companies like Whitbread and Hyatt.   Despite not having a tech background, Ratnesh ventured into the world of SaaS startups and founded Pidge. He discusses the timing and opportunity that led him to start the company in India's booming ecommerce ecosystem. Ratnesh also delves into the state of SaaS in India, highlighting the low digital adoption and legacy systems prevalent in the market.  He then provides an in-depth look at the unique products and services Pidge offers, emphasizing its end-to-end logistics solution with a focus on cash on delivery, customer experience, and demand aggregation. We learn about Pidge's self-serve and low code approach, as well as its pay-as-you-go pricing model.   Lastly, Ratnesh reveals that Pidge caters to anyone who delivers, regardless of the channel or industry, making it a versatile solution for various businesses. Stay tuned as we dive into the world of SaaS and logistics with Ratnesh Verma on this exciting episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast!  Show Notes: [00:02:12] Timing and opportunity fueled explosive growth in Indian ecommerce. It will reach a trillion by the end of the decade. The delivery ecosystem is fragmented and unorganized, which our solution is digitizing.  [00:04:32] Pidge offers unique end-to-end logistics solution.  [00:09:00] Keep it simple and understood by all.  [00:13:16] Raise enough capital for successful deployment; continue rapid growth; launch additional services; expand nationally.  [00:14:27] Fundraising is challenging, time-consuming, but rewarding.  [00:18:05] Pidge In: One-stop source for all things  Links:   Saas Fundrasing Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/pidge-raises-3-million-in-funding Ratnesh Verma’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratnesh-verma-8418a1a3/ Pidge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pidge-mobility/ Pidge Website: https://pidge.in/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to another episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, our host Ben is joined by Luba Chudnovets, the co-founder and CEO of Cordless. Luba shares her background, including her experience at a bank, and how it led her to start Cordless. Cordless is a telephony platform that combines AI-driven conversation intelligence for customer support teams. Luba explains how Cordless helps companies analyze support conversations, provide sentiment analysis, and automate call categorization. She also discusses the importance of 100% visibility in support conversations and the future of voice support analysis. Tune in to learn more about Cordless' journey, their target market, and their unique approach to pricing. Let's dive in!Highlights: [00:01:42] Cordless is a telephony platform with AI-driven conversation intelligence for customer support. It helps companies analyze support conversations, providing sentiment analysis, automatic categorization of calls, call summaries, and enables teams to make outbound calls. The platform is focused on being user-friendly for agents and offering in-depth analysis of support interactions. [00:03:10] Voice support company industry agnostic, but fintech and insurance resonate most. Compliance and customer support important for regulated businesses. Predicts all companies will use conversation analysis in future. Allows 100% visibility and quick reaction. Embracing Chat GPT technology. [00:08:18] Multiple channels: outbound, trade shows, marketplaces integration, content marketing. Promising leads and website visits, but conversion is not yet strong. [00:11:36] Raising funds is harder than expected, need different strategies for investors and customers, don't raise over summer. [00:15:23] Feeling positive about mission, competitive product, hiring business development managers, working on Chat GPT technology, will change computer interactions. [00:17:03] Check out Cordless.IO or email Luba at [email protected]. Luba shared insights and experience today. Links  Saas Fundraising Stores: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/cordless-raises-2-3-million-in-seed-round Luba Chudnovets’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubachudnovets/ Cordless LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cordless/ Cordless Website: https://cordless.io/ Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Janis Vavere, the co-founder of Trace Space. Janis shares his journey from starting as a Sales Development Representative to becoming a sales leader and eventually starting his own company. He discusses Trace Space's mission to empower and support innovators in the field of systems engineering. Janis explains the importance of requirements management in building complex products and how Trace Space aims to provide a purpose-built solution for engineers and innovators. We dive into the industries that Trace Space focuses on, their team size, and their recent pre-seed funding round. Join us as we learn from Janis's experiences and dive deeper into the world of SaaS and engineering solutions. It's an episode you don't want to miss!   Highlights: [00:00:18] Typical background, promoted, managed accounts, scaled company. Empowering innovators at Trace Space. [00:03:32] Managing large accounts for systems engineering products; organizing user conferences; passionate about the founder persona; working with companies building future products to improve efficiency. [00:09:11] Validating need, building team, obtaining practitioner validation. [00:11:31] Early validation, luck, and market analysis key. [00:15:42] LinkedIn is the best place to learn. Links: Saas Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/trace-space-raises-1-5-million-in-pre-seed-round Janis Vavere’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2bsaas/ Trace Space LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trace-space/ Trace Space Website: https://trace.space/ Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to another exciting episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have very special guests who will reveal the secrets to seamless billing in usage-based pricing in the SaaS industry. Joining Ben are Griff Parry and John Griffin, co-founders of M3ter, a groundbreaking platform that is revolutionizing the way companies handle pricing, billing, and revenue operations. Get ready to dive deep into the world of SaaS finance as Griff and John, along with our host Ben, discusses the challenges of traditional pricing models, the power of usage-based pricing, and how M3ter is empowering CFOs to take control of their pricing strategies. Whether you're a SaaS company looking to optimize your revenue streams or a finance professional seeking innovative solutions, you won't want to miss this episode. So grab your headphones, sit back, and get ready to unveil the secrets of successful SaaS invoicing on The SaaS CFO Podcast! Highlights: [00:01:13] Early engineering career led to big data. Sold and built systems, worked with Griff. Specialized in complex IT systems for media companies. Expanded to work with Disney, AT&T, Liberty. Used basic tools like IBM, WebSphere, Oracle. [00:04:32] Usage based pricing pain points inspired Meta. [00:06:48] M3ter helps CFOs control pricing decisions, billing, and revenue through their platform, which consolidates data sources and provides real-time billing and revenue information. [00:13:29] Billing is difficult, revenue leakage is common, customer experience and continuous pricing are important. 00:15:47 Pricing agility and automation saves time, money. [00:20:15] M3ter excels at complexity, billing, and usage-based models. Ideal customers are mid-sized software companies. Key decision-makers are CFOs or product leaders. Primarily focused on North America and Western Europe. Rapidly expanding customer base in APAC. [00:24:34] Seed stage company, not established product-market fit. [00:28:40] Easier the second time around for founders. [00:29:34] Choose partners carefully; UK and US VCs helpful. [00:33:29] Customer case studies showing platform impact. Links: Griff Parry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/griffinparry/ Founder and CEO John Griffin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpgriffin/ Founder and CRO m3ter’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/m3ter/  m3ter’s Website: https://www.m3ter.com/ SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/m3ter-raises-17-5-million-in-seed-round Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben sits down with Vlad Podolyako, founder and CEO of Folderly. Vlad shares his background in entrepreneurship and his journey from running a successful B2B sales agency, Belkins, to creating Folderly, an email deliverability platform.    Vlad dives into the problems they faced with email marketing at Belkins and how that led to the creation of Folderly. He explains how Folderly helps improve email performance metrics by fixing and monitoring issues with mailboxes, domains, templates, and content. Ben and Vlad also discuss the target audience for Folderly, which includes entry-level and advanced users in sales, marketing, and email analytics.    Finally, Vlad shares some impressive revenue metrics and gives insights into the growth and remote team structure of Folderly. Tune in for an insightful conversation with Vlad on this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! HIGHLIGHTS [00:02:15] In 2019, email marketing faced a problem with low open and reply rates. The solution involved addressing domain infrastructure and using the right ESP provider. This led to the creation of Folderly, a service to help clients with similar issues.  [00:05:28] Three customer profiles: beginners, knowledgeable, and advanced in sales and marketing. The most important is understanding email outreach consequences.  [00:11:00] Our brand focuses on lead generation email marketing. We have successful outbound processes and also generate around 30% organic traffic. We educate customers on various acquisition channels and aim to expand our customer base.  [00:13:46] Google for startups offers funding, mentorship, and camps for entrepreneurs. Applicants fly to Silicon Valley or Europe to share their background, experience, and technology. Interviews and data sharing determine acceptance.  [00:15:51] Start with an MVP, gain traction with clients and case studies to attract partners and investors. Show progress, don't fake it.  [00:19:07] Expressing gratitude and reciprocity. Links SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/folderly-receives-funding Vlad Podolyako’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefdata/ Folderly’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/folderly/ Folderly’s Website: https://folderly.com/ Follow Ben Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/ 

Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, our host Ben sits down with James Gasteen, co-founder and CEO of Unaric, to discuss his experience in the SaaS space and his vision for building the largest suite of apps on the Salesforce platform.   James shares insights on the importance of cross-selling, the value of bringing together different products under one vendor, and the unique approach of Unaric as a holding company that acquires ISVs.  He also discusses their investment thesis and the criteria they look for in potential acquisitions. Have an app that you’d like to sell? Tune in to learn more about James' journey and the exciting future of Unaric. Let's dive in!HIGHLIGHTS [00:00:12] 13-year veteran in Salesforce, ISV merger success.  [00:04:43] Holding company acquires small ISVs for growth.  [00:07:43] Unaric established July 2022, 8-person team.  [00:12:06] Raised funds, shifted focus to software company.  [00:13:44] Be clear with messaging, understand investment history, timing.  [00:18:42] 3 of us have 35 years experience. Initial conversations through network and conferences. Chief architect has certification that opens doors. Community oriented ecosystem. Careful portfolio building. Service space makes sense. Cross selling between industries and buyers. Building relationships and getting validation.  [00:23:34] Building app suite, cross-selling, customer success approach.  [00:26:44] Loads of events at Unaric.com, Dreamforce party.  Links Saas Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/unaric-raises-35-million-in-seedround  James Gasteen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgasteen/  James Gasteen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgasteen/  James Gasteen’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/JGasteen  Unaric’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unaric/  Unaric website: https://www.unaric.com/  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/   

Welcome back to another episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Caitlin MacGregor, a true innovator in the field of talent assessment and CEO of Plum. Caitlin takes us on a journey through the evolution of her company and shares valuable insights into the intersection of science, technology, and human potential. Join us as we delve into the challenges Caitlin faced when bridging the gap between developers and psychologists, the power of accurate data in the world of psychometric assessments in 2023, and the importance of creating a symbiotic relationship between individuals and employers. This episode is packed with valuable information for anyone interested in revolutionizing talent practices and boosting organizational success. Stay tuned! HIGHLIGHTS 00:00:48 Studied international development, became successful entrepreneur. 00:05:09 Focused on SMBs, solved data pain point, scaled to enterprise customers. 00:10:15 Myers Briggs not valid, use KPIs instead. 00:13:43 Too many limitations, needing better ways: Plum. 00:18:55 Large enterprises struggle with talent competition and distributed workforces. Retention and diversity are top priorities. 00:24:57 Navigating committees and stakeholders in procurement. 00:27:23 Talent platform gets funding from Pearson Ventures. 00:30:17 Fundraising is about finding believers and derisking. 00:34:51 Expanding team, empowering individuals, serving enterprises. LINKS Caitlin MacGregor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinmacgregor/ Plum.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plum-io/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/plum-raises-6-million-in-funding Ben Murray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/

Join us for an insightful chat with Michelle Duval, the dynamic founder and CEO of Fingerprint, as we explore her journey from pioneering one of the world's first coaching firms to creating an AI-powered tool for understanding cognitive biases and motivational traits at work. Listen in as Michelle discusses the freemium user acquisition strategy and the success story of how Canva integrated Fingerprint into their onboarding process. In the second part of our conversation, Michelle sheds light on the capital raising process, having secured AU $9 million to date, and the crucial milestones that guided their fundraising. She offers valuable advice to SaaS founders about understanding investors and knowing the key metrics that drive a business. Don't miss out on Michelle's insights about the future of Fingerprint and their mission to make human development accessible through conversational generative AI. -Founded 2017 -Staff of 43 -Around 1M ARR -HQ in New Zealand but remote first -6.5M USD raised to date Subscribe to Ben's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page Fingerprint Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fingerprint-for-success/ Michelle Duval's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleduval1/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/fingerprint-for-success-f4s-raises-au-5-million-in-seed-round

Sightfull, a San Francisco, CA & Tel Aviv, Israel-based company enabling strategic analysis of business data at scale, announced that it raised $18 million in series A funding. I interviewed Noam Liran, co-founder and CEO at Sightfull. Noam has spent most of his career in cybersecurity. He worked at a company that was acquired by Microsoft and then spent three years at Microsoft in R&D. Sightfull’s round was led by Dell Technologies Capital, with the participation of Norwest Venture Partners and Tiger Global. The new investment brings total funding to $24 million and will accelerate product development, meet increasing market demand, and expand the Sightfull team across multiple departments. Sightfull enables SaaS companies to quickly analyze vast amounts of complex business data to test and adjust their go-to-market strategies continuously. - HQ in SF and Tel Aviv - Founded in September 2020 - Staff of 30 - $24M Raised Noam Liran’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamliran/ Sightfull’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sightfull/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sightfull-raises-18-million-in-series-a Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Chronicle, a San Francisco-based startup that provides a presentation platform, raised $7.5 million in seed funding. I interviewed Mayuresh Patole, founder at Chronicle. He has a background in management consulting. Mayuresh was great at creating presentations but knew there was a better, faster way to tell stories in the business world. Chronicle was created to solve two main problems. The first is that creating slides is time-consuming because many presentation tools expect users to be visual designers, and most are not. The second is that the results are usually unappealing and static. The seed round was co-led by Accel and Square Peg, with participation from angel investors from Apple, Google, Meta, Slack, Stripe, Superhuman, OnDeck, Adobe, and others. - Founded in 2021 - Staff of 15 - $7.5M raised - Investors value authenticity Mayuresh Patole’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayuresh-patole/ Chronicle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chroniclehq/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/chronicle-raises-7-5-million-in-seed-round Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Ramp, a London, UK-based forecasting analytics startup transforming how global finance teams plan for the future, raised $5 million in seed funding. I interviewed Dan Marcus, co-founder and CEO at Ramp. Dan is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for SaaS. Ramp is helping mobile gaming apps forecast revenue more accurately. The round was led by AlbionVC and Eurazeo with participation from Triple Point Ventures and angel investors including Barnaby Hussey-Yeo, CEO at Cleo, and Stephane Kurgan, Ex-COO at King.com, among others. Ramp is a user and revenue forecasting startup that is transforming how global finance teams plan for the future. It uses an opinionated view of modeling the interactions between the different levers of a business and with additional models to optimize inputs such as seasonality and live ops. - Founded 2018 - HQ in the UK - Staff of 34 - Passing $1M ARR - Raised $5M Dan Marcus’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dansmarcus/ Ramp’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rampgrowth/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/ramp-closes-5-million-in-seed-round Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Giskard, a Paris, France-based software startup specializing in artificial intelligence quality, raised €1.5 million in a funding round led by Elaia with participation from investors including Bessemer Venture Partners. I interviewed Alex Combessie, co-founder and CEO at Giskard. Alex started his career in finance and loved the data part of finance and strategic consulting. He went back to school for data science and became a software engineer and data scientist. Giskard’s AI Test product allows for the building of automated tests on AI models to measure critical quality criteria, including ethics, robustness, and efficiency. Angel investors including Christine Balagué (Founder of Good in Tech), Julien Chaumond (CTO of Hugging Face), Oscar Salazar (Founding CTO of Uber), Nathalie Gaveau (Co-Founder of PriceMinister), Charles Gorintin (CTO of Alan), Nick Hernandez (CEO of 360Learning), Vincent Huguet (CEO of Malt), Shéhérazade Semsar de Boisséson (CEO of McCourt Global), Chris Schagen (ex-CMO of Contentful) and Victor Coisne (VP Marketing of Strapi) also participated in the round. The investment will provide the startup with the firepower to engage in a sustained recruitment drive that will welcome additional talent to develop and commercialize its offer while venturing into new fields including computer vision, time series, and generative AI models. - Founded 2021 - HQ in Paris - Staff of 12 - 1.5M Pre-seed Round Alex Combessie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcombessie/ Giskard’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcombessie/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/giskard-raises-1-5-million-in-funding Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Wisor AI, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based advanced freight booking software solution, raised an $8 million seed round led by Team8. I interviewed Raz Ronen, Co-founder and CEO Wisor. Raz served in the Israeli Air Force special forces and then jumped right into startup life. Wizor is changing the way global freight is moving around the world by helping freight forwarders automate route planning, pricing, booking, payments, and more. Other investors who participated in the round included Ocean Azul and Hico Investment Group, as well as pre-seed investors fresh.fund, Atooro Fund, The Dock, Seed IL Ventures, and Izaki Ventures. The funding will expedite Wisor’s mission to digitize the global supply chain industry and empower freight forwarders to plan, price, and book a shipment in seconds instead of hours or days. Founded 2021 HQ in Tel Aviv Staff of 26 and growing $8M seed round Raz Ronen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raz-ronen/ Wisor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisorai/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/wisor-ai-raises-8-million-in-seed-round Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Coho AI, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based product-led revenue platform raised $8.5 million in seed funding. Coho AI is a product-led revenue platform that enables companies to maximize the revenue potential of their user base. I interviewed Itamar Falcon, co-founder and CEO at Coho AI. Itamar was born raised in Israel and has experience in product management and engineering. Coho AI helps established companies that have reached product-market fit evolve into product insight-driven businesses. Coho AI shows companies that a product-led growth (PLG) methodology can be applied to a wide range of SaaS companies and at different stages of the customer lifecycle. The round was led by Eight Roads, TechAviv, and a select group of angel investors, including company co-founder Ariel Maislos, Shlomo Kremer, Natan Linder, and other high-profile founders. With this funding, Coho AI allows to further build its platform that accelerates growth for B2B SaaS companies by effectively “lifting the hood” on their customer usage data. Founded 2021 HQ in Tel Aviv $8.5 raised Staff of 19 ARR < 1M (at Feb-23) Itamar Falcon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itamar-falcon/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/coho-ai-secures-8-5-million-in-seed-round Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Produce8, a Vancouver, BC, Canada-based SaaS startup that provides distributed and digital-first teams real-time visibility into the work getting done across all their business apps, raised $6 million in funding. I interviewed Joel Abramson, CEO and co-founder at Produce8. Joel has a strong background in IT managed services and more recently as a partner at Top Down Ventures. Produce8 is a digital work analytics platform. It helps teams understand how they leverage their technology and time to improve performance and protect employee wellbeing. Produce8 plans to launch into the IT services market at the start of 2023 with expectations to expand across other industry verticals in quick succession. Founded Jan 2021 HQ in Vancouver Raised $6M Staff of 20 and ramping Solve big problems Joel Abramson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelabramson/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/produce8-raises-6-million-in-funding Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Vestico, a London, UK-based fashion tech startup that uses AI to help online shoppers find the perfect sizes and shades while buying a product, secured £250,000 in funding. I interviewed Maddie Forman, co-founder and CCO at Vestico. She is a first-time founder with a strong sales background at Diageo. She met one of her co-founders, Maia Sasania, while getting her MBA. Vestico is an all-in-one content, sizing, and personalization platform for fashion and beauty eCommerce. Type in your body measurements to see how fashion fits your body type. They are doing the same thing for the beauty industry. The investment came from the early-stage-focused London-based venture capital firm Jenson Funding Partners. The funds will be used to develop its technology further and transform the next generation of e-commerce. The company has already partnered with the Spanish fashion label Desigual and plans to expand its service to include more international brands over the next year. Founded 2020 Team size of 4 £250K pre-seed round Find founder/investor fit Maddie Forman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddie-forman/ Vestico’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vestico-co/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/vestico-raises-250-000-in-funding Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Zift Solutions, a Cary, NC-based provider of Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Through-Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) software, recently announced that it raised $70 million in funding. I interviewed Gordon Rapkin, CEO of Zift Solutions. Gordon is a serial CEO, and it shows in his knowledge, experience, and insight. He is a 5X CEO. The round was led by Investcorp Technology Partners (“ITP”) with participation from existing institutional investors Arrowroot, Oxx, SSM, and AshGrove Capital. Zift will use the $70M to invest in its go-to-market engine, marketing awareness, new geographies, and in innovation. It takes twice as long as you think to raise capital according to Gordon, but he saw improving SaaS metrics, win rates, and a repeatable sales process. Founded 2006 HQ in Cary, NC 120 staff Sub $20M ARR Recent $70M raise Partner Community Management Gordon Rapkin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonrapkin/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/zift-solutions-raises-70-million-in-funding Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Revend, an Antwerp, Belgium-based company that provides a SaaS e-commerce tool to defend your e-commerce revenue, raised €1 million in seed funding. Revend protects risks posed against your revenue. The round was led by Pitchdrive, with participation from Seeder Fund and business angel Pieter Casneuf. I interviewed Peter Wellens, co-founder and CEO at Revend. Peter is a commercial engineer by trade. He’s founded several companies in the solar and social network spaces. Peter wanted to raise from a position of strength. He landed trial customers that potential investors could speak to. The funds will be used to hire additional engineering talent and prepare for a full release to the broader market. The company also received a grant from the federal government that supports the development of AI and innovative technology. Founded 2022 Staff of 6 Pre-revenue 20 trial customers HQ in Antwerp Be capital efficient Peter Wellen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwellens/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/revend-raises-1-million-in-seed-round Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

KYP is a risk intelligence platform that delivers continuous, real-time partner monitoring and holistic intelligence. It recently announced an £800,000 pre-seed round.  KYP is based in London. The investment was from US-based 1414 Ventures, BH Ventures, and some leading UK angel investors. I interviewed Alan Nagle, founder and CEO at KYP.  Alan is originally from Dublin and has a long history in fraud prevention.  KYP, or Know Your Partner, monitors supplier risk continuously rather than on a periodic basis. Alan states that investors have opened a bunch of doors for new prospects.  Get the leads and then attack with a repeatable founder-led sales model. Founded 2021 £800K pre-seed round 7 staff London Alan Nagle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-nagle-9524941/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/kyp-raises-800-000-in-pre-seed-round Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout  Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

Spiny creates software and solutions specifically designed for digital publishing businesses. They streamline business data, provide insights, and optimize revenue. I interviewed Nana Nyantekyi, Founder at Spiny.ai. Nana discusses his experience in the digital media startup industry and CBS Interactive, and how those experiences led him to create Spiny.ai. Spiny.ai facilitates easier data manipulation for publishers and allows them to use data to power their digital media businesses more effectively. Founded 2020 $2.5M Seed Round 13 Staff HQ in Nashville, TN, USA Nana Nyantekyi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nana-b-nyantekyi-3740aa103/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/spiny-ai-raises-2-5-million-in-funding Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Jua's weather prediction model will provide a global one-kilometer square's worth of coverage every five minutes and can predict more than fifteen different weather-based parameters, including precipitation, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction. I interviewed Andreas Brenner, Co-founder and CEO of Jua. He’s had a previous exit in fleet management software to Battery Ventures. Now, he’s tackling weather. Jua plans to provide startups, companies, government institutions, and researchers with the ability to create purpose-built weather models in a matter of hours. Jua is pre-revenue and experimenting with its ideal customer profile. Founded April 2022 $2.5M pre-seed round Staff of 17 Pre-revenue Luck favors the prepared Andreas Brenner’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasbrenner/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/jua-raises-2-5-million-in-pre-seed-round Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Saile, a Kansas City, MO-based startup that developed patent-pending AI technology that creates personality-driven sales robots known as “sailebots”, raised $1.35 million in seed funding. I interviewed Nick Smith, CEO and Founder at Saile. He’s leveraging his sales background to help sales reps triple their productivity. His current ideal customer profile is Fortune 1000 companies. Saile’s technology learns deeply about individual sales reps to boost their productivity. The round was led by Atlanta-based Valor Ventures, with participation by the KCRise Fund, a Kansas City-based venture capital firm. Founded 2018 $1.35M Raised KC and NYC 18 staff and growing Triple sales rep productivity Nick Smith's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nixmith/ Saile's LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/saile/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/saile-raises-1-35-million-in-seed-round  Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Laika (now Thoropass) provides a SaaS platform for companies to establish compliance practices to meet requirements from regulators and enterprise customers. The platform combines automated infosec workflows, audits, monitoring, and vendor diligence while subject matter experts support customers at every step of the compliance process. I interviewed Austin Ogilvie, the Co-CEO and Founder of Laika. He also founded YHAT, a machine learning infrastructure product, and worked at OnDeck Capital. Austin is self-taught in technical skills, primarily using Python, and his latest company is aimed at B2B software companies of all sizes. Austin shares his insights on the importance of understanding compliance requirements and implementing the right controls in a robust manner. Founded 2019 Staff of 190 $50M Series C $100M raised to date Should pass $10M ARR Raise when you don’t need it [00:00:22] Information security and compliance. [00:03:31] Vendor risk in enterprise customers. [00:07:23] Compliance in B2B SaaS. [00:13:51] Company's funding history. [00:14:48] SaaS fundraising lessons. [00:18:11] New information security standards. Austin Ogilvie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinogilvie/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/laika-raises-50-million-in-series-c Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

I have a special edition of the show today.  I recently attended a great software event co-hosted by GLC Advisors and a private equity firm. They provided the latest insights into what’s happening on the front lines of software M&A. I want to share these insights with my SaaS community, so I invited Jim Williams with GLC Advisors onto the show for a Spring M&A Update. We cover the following and more. Deal volume in 2021 and 2022 Valuation trends in 2021, 2022, and today Bid/Ask spread differences Credit market impact on levered buyout deals Is it a buyer's or seller's market Valuations are under pressure What does it take for 10x ARR valuation? Why SaaS metrics are being scrutinized Platform vs add-on buys What to expect in 2023 and beyond Jim Williams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-williams-5754953/ Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Airplane, a San Francisco, CA-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) development platform, closed a $32 million Series B funding round led by Thrive Capital with participation from Benchmark, bringing the startup’s total raised to $40.5 million. I interviewed Ravi Parikh, Co-Founder at Airplane. He is also the former co-founder of Heap. Ravi is on a mission to automate the harder part of admin tools in applications. This is the behind-the-scenes code necessary to run your applications. Airplane has a sales and PLG led motion. His former founder background helped with current capital raises. Segment co-founder Calvin French-Owen, Confluent co-founder Neha Narkhede, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch, Airtable co-founders Howie Liu and Andrew Ofstad, Allison Pickens from The New Normal Fund, Behance founder Scott Belsky, Jaren Glover, Gokul Rajaram, Liu Jiang, Comma Capital, and several others also participated in the round. The funds will be put toward growing Airplane’s team while expanding its product to new markets. Founded in December 2020 Staff of 20 $40.5M Raised Sub 10M ARR SLG + PLG Developer Tools Ravi Parikh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raviparikh2/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/airplane-raises-32-million-in-series-b Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Aug X Labs, a New York-based AI video technology startup, raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to use AI to democratize video creation by content creators. I interviewed Jeremy Toeman, Founder and CEO, who has a long history of building consumer apps. He built an AI-assisted visual storytelling service that saves time and money for creators. The company is building an AI-based visual storytelling platform that automatically transforms text or audio prompts into compelling, purpose-driven videos that convert audiences. Its platform allows users to automatically augment their video creations using open or licensed media (photos, short clips, etc.), generative media (AI Art), and owned media. Aug X Labs' initial investors and advisers include Yohei Nakajima (Untappd.VC), Noah Gale (Co-Founder, Tribe AI), Marc Whitten (SVP & GM, Create @ Unity), Alanna Gregory (Crosscut VC), David Beck (Brightcove), Ben Parr (Octane.AI), Rahim Fazal (CEO of SV Academy/x-Oracle), Jesse Redniss (Qonsent), Avner Ronen (founder, Boxee), Kevin Conroy, Rob Hoffer, Ryan Bricklemyer, Deep Banerji, Scott Ryan, and others. Founded January 2022 $1M raised to date 9 staff and 3 contractors Pre-revenue Engage investors early and be prepared Jeremy Toeman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoeman/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/aug-x-labs-raises-1-million-in-pre-seed-round Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Orderlion, a Vienna, Austria-based SaaS platform for the food and beverage industry, raised €4 million in pre-Series A funding, bringing its total raised to about €7.5 million since its 2018 inception. I interviewed Stefan Strohmer, CEO and Co-founder. The technology has not changed in fifty years to help restaurants manage the supply chain back to suppliers. Stefan founded the company in 2018 and it took two years to build the MVP. Orderlion is now re-planning to step up expansion plans, making B2B food supply chains more scalable. A European restaurant technology investment firm led the new investment round. Additional investors include VC firms Rockstart, seed + speed Ventures, tecnet, and Gateway Ventures, among others. The funding will be utilized for international expansion, growing the team, and extending the company's product line-up. Founded in 2018 Staff of 30 Remote company Raised 7.5M to date 3 phases to growth Stefan Strohmer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanstrohmer/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/orderlion-raises-4-million-in-pre-series-a Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

From a basement project in 2015 to $33M raised to date, Unito is integrating disparate SaaS applications and improving workflows. I interviewed Mark Boscher, founder and CEO at Unito. Mark’s team uses a product-led growth (PLG) motion to acquire users. He’s at 50,000+ users and climbing. Unito, a Montreal, Canada-based workflow management software, completed $20 million in Series B funding. CDPQ led the round, with participation from new investors Rainfall Ventures and Investissement Québec, as well as existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Tom Williams, and Mistral Ventures. The fund will allow Unito to solidify its growing market traction—customers include Atlassian, Corpay, Teamwork, the Cincinnati Reds, and Wrike—and expand its connectors across the entire suite of digital productivity solutions. HQ in Montreal 70 staff $33M raised to date PLG sales motion 50K+ users Marc Bosher’s Linked Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcboscher/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/unito-raises-20-million-in-series-b Join my SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

This is a special edition of the podcast covering the US R&D tax credit.  I invited Tyler Kem, President of Strike Tax Advisory, to discuss the latest on this tax credit. There were big changes to section 174 of the tax law affecting small businesses that claimed this credit in the past.  No repeal of these changes is in sight, so we must understand where we stand today. To understand your tax situation, reach out to your CPA, tax accountant, and/or R&D tax specialist. Tyler Kem's LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerkem/ Tyler's email:  [email protected]

I interviewed Philippe Humeau, CEO and co-founder at CrowdSec. He is creating the Waze for cybersecurity. If one firewall is having issues, the product can see the machines having the same issues and then block the IP. The product is free, but CrowdSec will monetize the product by selling the signals to end users. CrowdSec, a Paris, France-based Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) solution, announced raised €14 million in Series A funding round led by Supernova Invest, with participation from Breega. CrowdSec intends to use this fresh capital to increase its staff from 20 to 45 individuals, strengthen its technical stack, ramp up revenues, extend its U.S. operations, and expand its global network of protected, collaborating devices from several hundred thousand to millions. Founded December 2019 Virtual workforce but mostly in France North star KPI is number of installs Staff of 24 and growing Targeting 1.5M Euros ARR €14M Series A Seed round easy, Series A hard Philippe Humeau’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippehumeau/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/crowdsec-raises-14-million-in-series-a

I interviewed Kathy Zhu, co-founder and CEO at Streamline AI. Kathy has 10+ years of experience as a commercial lawyer and has built legal teams from the ground up. She was bitten by the startup bug and turned her own pain point into a SaaS solution. Streamline AI, a San Francisco, CA-based intelligent intake platform for in-house legal teams, officially launched with $3 million in seed funding to supercharge how business teams work, starting with legal. The round was led by Oceans Ventures, with participation from Scribble Ventures, Ridge Ventures, and other firms. Streamline AI delivers visibility and metrics across G&A business units, starting with the costliest problem: legal teams. Founded 2020 1 year to build MVP HQ in Millbrae, CA; staff of 7 Should pass $1M ARR in 2023 Raised $3M to date Kathy Zhu’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymzhu88/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/streamline-ai-raises-3-million-in-seed-round

I spoke with Dave Saunders, CTO of Galen Robotics. His company is creating the “Uber” of surgical robots. Galen Robotics will place robots at hospitals and charge per use. This helps increase access to the latest surgical robots. It’s a fascinating hardware and software play, but Dave states that 80-90% of the technology in surgical robots is software. Galen Robotics, a Baltimore, Maryland-based Digital-Surgery-as-a-Service pioneer, completed a $15 million 1st close for an oversubscribed Series A funding round led by Ambix Healthcare Partners. This funding helped complete the final robot prototype and its submission to the FDA. Funds will also be used to develop a clinical sales team, expand engineering, grow product development, and develop surgeon training programs. Founded in 2016 Staff of 40; HQ in Baltimore Pre-revenue but hope to sell in 2023 You need to show constant forward motion Don’t get greedy with valuation Dave Saunders LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nemock/ Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/galen-robotics-raises-15-million-in-series-a/

I spoke with Christian Ritosek, co-founder and CEO of CANDIS. He’s helping finance departments in German companies improve their AP technology. He should pass $10M ARR this year as CANDIS expands into Europe. CANDIS, a Berlin, Germany-based fintech software provider, raised $16 million in its latest funding round to assist businesses in automating their accounts payable (AP) function, bringing CANDIS's total funding to $30 million. The round was led by Viola FinTech and returning investor Lightspeed, and Viola Ventures also participated in the round. With a focus on the SME market, it will now concentrate on expanding its product offering with payments, building additional integrations, doubling down on core invoice management functionality, and expanding the team. Founded in 2015 Started as a consulting agency Focused on the German market but expanding this year 110 staff, HQ in Berlin $30M raised to date Use warm intros to find investors Sell your big vision Christian Ritosek’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianritosek/ Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/candis-raises-16-million-in-funding

I interviewed David Weissman, CEO and co-founder of Humankind. He’s no rookie to e-commerce having spent 20+ years in the space. He’s worked for some of the biggest retail brands and has transformed that experience into a better online shopping experience for you. Humankind, a Los Angeles, CA-based e-commerce brand's digital concierge, and conversational commerce platform, closed $4.2 million in seed funding to connect real product experts with online shoppers via SMS. High Alpha Capital and Strand Equity co-led the round. Founded 2021 17 staff First customers through David’s network $4.2M raised Early sales traction right out the gate Find investors via warm intros Skip the analyst, talk to the VC partner David Weissman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidw/ SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/humankind-raises-4-2-million-in-seed-round