From Canva foraying into videos to HR software like Personio and Hibob raising massive investment rounds, the past week was quite packed with news in the world of SaaS. We also have some interesting reads and podcasts for you. So without wasting any more time, let’s get going.
Table of Contents
News of the week
Ironsource will buy mobile ad and app monetization firm Tapjoy for $400million
Israel-based ironSource, a company that helps mobile content creators to monetize, has acquired San Francisco-based Tapjoy, a mobile advertising and app monetization company. The deal is pegged at $400million and is expected to close in the next six months, subject to regulatory approvals.
GitLab jumps 35% in its Nasdaq debut after code-sharing company priced IPO above expected range
GitLab witnessed a stunning debut on the Wall Street with its shares rising 35 percent. Trading with the symbol GTLB, its stock price rose to $103.89, giving it a valuation of $14.9billion – much higher than the $11billion market cap upon listing.
Among the world’s most valuable startups, graphic design software Canva is now venturing into the video space. It differentiates itself by offering a scene-focused interface, a variety of templates, screen, and in-editor recording, among other things.
Dell expands focus on telecom space with new deployment software
Michael Dell-owned company has been doing a great job of transitioning from a hardware maker to the world of software. Now, it has announced software to help telecom networks solve various complexities associated with deploying and managing servers across various geographic locations. Dubbed Bare Metal Orchestrator, it’ll be globally available from November.
Doist redesigns Twist, the Slack alternative focused on async work
One thing that has emerged in the remote work era is the importance of asynchronous work. This means that the usual software that enable synchronous work aren’t ready for the future of remote work. That’s the bet that Doist’s founder Amir Salihefendic is making with its Slack alternative – Twist. Now, it features a revamped interface and new keyboard shortcuts.
SaaS companies that got the funding this week
The pandemic has brought HR software to the forefront. Personio, a Munich-based startup has been a huge beneficiary of the same, and has now closed a $275million funding round. The Series E investment was led by Greenoaks Capital Partners. The startup has also announced workflow automation by leveraging machine learning and robotic process automation to make repetitive HR tasks redundant.
Hibob did it again: $150million raised in Series C funding round
Personio isn’t the only HR software that raised significant funding this week. New York-based Hibob has nabbed a $150million Series C funding. The round was led by General Atlantic, and will help it to expand globally and improve its product offerings.
Virtual event platform Hubilo has got $125million in funding, just seven months after raising $23.5million Series A round. Led by Alkeon Capital, the startup is aiming to become Wix / WordPress for virtual events.
Groove raises $45million Series B funding round led by Viking Global Investors
Sales engagement software Groove has received $45million as part of Series B investment. Led by Viking Global Investors, the startup also announced that its ARR has grown 114 percent y-o-y. Built for Salesforce, it has also expanded revenue intelligence capabilities, pipeline management, and ROI reporting, among other things.
SaaS platform Toch.ai raises $11.7 mn in Series A round from Moneta Ventures, others
AI-powered SaaS platform Toch.ai processes video content such as live sports, TV shows, and more by using things like metatags and highlights. It has gotten a Series A investment worth $11.7million to expand globally and improve its tech infrastructure.
Must reads
Seven takeaways from the Accel state of European SaaS report
Related listen: The Accel SaaS Euroscape 2021 Report
Listen to
Grit, timing, and building businesses you love with Andrew Gazdecki of MicroAcquire
MicroAcquire’s Andrew Gazdecki has a different perspective in today’s world of well-funded SaaS companies. He not only shares about his bootstrapped journey, but he also talks about how it can be a great option for future makers. He also discusses why MicroAcquire is a good way to sell businesses.
Signing into 35,000 companies with Sunil Patro of SignEasy
Despite competing with giants in the electronic signature space like DocuSign, Adobe Sign, and more, SignEasy has been able to carve a market for itself. It has been able to do that with its mobile-first approach. In this podcast, its founder Sunil Patro shares his journey, challenges along the way, learnings, why he bootstrapped for a long time, and more.
The State of the Cloud 2022, How to Build a Cloud Unicorn with Bessemer Venture Partners
In this podcast, Bessemer Venture Partners’ Byron Deeter, Mary D’Onofrio, and Elliott Robinson take listeners through the current state of the cloud economy. They discuss lessons for early-stage founders as well as case studies of how companies have thrived amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic.
Watch
How to find early adopters for your B2B SaaS
In this video, Dan Martell helps Cruise – a startup that lets employees from a company carpool together by also managing carbon offset – find early adopters. He shares how the startup can find early technology adopters and define its revenue model.
