The SaaS CFO

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Braden Hancock, co-founder of Snorkel AI, to explore the journey of turning an academic research project at Stanford into one of today’s leading AI data platforms. Braden shares the origins of Snorkel, how it grew from a PhD initiative to a company helping some of the world’s largest enterprises tackle their toughest data labeling and AI evaluation challenges, and why good data remains the “secret sauce” behind successful AI.  We’ll dive into how Snorkel’s platform has enabled organizations—from major banks to highly regulated industries—to quickly build and customize AI models, and why scalable, programmatic approaches to data labeling are game changers. Braden also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Snorkel’s growth, fundraising journey (raising over $237 million to date!), and valuable lessons learned along the way. If you’re interested in the real-world applications of AI, SaaS growth strategies, or the evolving landscape of enterprise tech, you won’t want to miss this insightful conversation with one of AI’s innovative leaders.  Let’s jump in!  Show Notes:  00:00 "AI Success: Data-Driven Approach"  06:24 Startup Investment Stages Simplified  09:57 Strategic Momentum Drives Startup Success  13:16 Expanding Channels and Partnerships  14:33 AI Platform & Data Solutions Pricing  20:25 Focus on Evaluation Challenges  21:17 "Discover Snorkel Online"  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/snorkel-ai-raises-raises-85-million-in-series-c  https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/snorkel-ai-raises-100-million-in-series-d  Braden Hancock’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradenhancock/  Snorkel AI’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snorkel-ai/  Snorkel AI’s Website: https://snorkel.ai/  To learn 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 

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Jan Willem Van der Meer, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Momants. Jan Willem shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from building one of Europe’s major ticketing companies to launching Momants, an AI-powered platform designed to transform the events industry.  Discover how Momants is tackling the challenges of personalization and efficiency in event ticketing. Jan Willem explains how their solution integrates with existing ticketing systems to automate support, increase conversion, and create tailored marketing experiences for everything from festivals and concerts to museums and amusement parks.  Jan Willem also discusses the realities of founding and funding a SaaS startup, offering valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. If you’re interested in how AI is shaping the future of events, or if you’re a SaaS founder seeking inspiration and advice, this episode is filled with practical insights and forward-thinking ideas.  Show Notes:  00:00 Ticketing Company Rise and Sale  03:57 Challenges in Festival Ticketing  10:00 AI Startup's Initial $1M Investment  11:54 Supportive Network for Startup Success  14:35 "Building AI Partnerships with Innovators"  20:42 Balancing Revenue and Client Experience  22:39 Message Engagement and Client Onboarding  25:38 "WWF Moments Founder Chat"  Links:   SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/momants-raises-1-million-in-pre-seed-funding  Jan Willem Van der Meer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janwillemvdmeer/  Momant’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/momants/  Momant’s Website: https://www.momants.ai/  To learn 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! Today, host Ben Murray sits down with Adrian Murray, founder and CEO of Fisent Technologies—a Toronto-based, SaaS company that's making waves in the enterprise automation space. With a background in banking technology, consulting, and a previous ed tech startup, Adrian shares his fascinating entrepreneurial journey and reveals how Fisent pivoted from its original KYC-focused product to its flagship BizAI solution, thanks in part to the rise of generative AI models like OpenAI's GPT, Google's Gemini, and others.   In this conversation, Adrian discusses the complexities of automating content processing for highly regulated industries such as financial services, manufacturing, and healthcare. He gives real-world examples, including how Fisent is helping a specialty parts manufacturer in the nuclear industry save time and improve on-time delivery metrics by extracting detailed requirements from lengthy technical documentation. Adrian also dives into go-to-market strategies, focusing on partner-driven sales, transactional pricing models, and why speed—not just cost savings—is the primary value driver for Fisent’s enterprise customers.   Whether you're interested in SaaS pricing strategies, enterprise sales, or learning how AI is being applied to real-world business challenges, this episode is packed with actionable insights and entrepreneurial advice. Be sure to visit Fisent.com or connect with Fisent Technologies on LinkedIn for more information.   Show Notes:   00:00 Innovating KYC with Fisent Risk   03:28 AI-Powered KYC Automation   06:51 AI Streamlines Complex Order Processing   13:11 Partner-Driven Enterprise Strategy   17:22 Post-Sale Software Usage Challenges   18:42 Importance of Net Dollar Retention   21:40 "APIs: Demo Usability vs. Production"   Links:    SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/fisent-technologies-expands-seed-round-to-2m   Adrian Murray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianmurrray/   Fisent’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fisent/   Fisent’s Website: https://fisent.com/  To learn 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

On today’s episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, I sit down with Luke Arrigoni, founder of Loti, a trailblazing SaaS company using AI to help individuals, celebrities, and brands find—and remove—content that doesn’t belong on the internet. Luke brings a fascinating background, moving from academic math and early data science roles to building cutting-edge machine learning products well before “AI” became the buzzword it is today.  We dig into the story of how an unusual client project turned into a fast-growing business now protecting everyone from concerned consumers to household-name celebrities to major intellectual property holders. Luke doesn’t just share the Loti origin story, he also gets real about the lessons learned in raising $24 million in venture capital, how their go-to-market evolved, and why the company is now laser-focused on market share over pure revenue growth.  Whether you’re curious about using AI for digital protection, want to pick up fundraising tips, or just love real stories from SaaS founders in the trenches, this conversation delivers actionable insights and some seriously honest founder wisdom. Plus, Luke teases a big expansion for Loti on the horizon—so you’ll want to hear what’s coming next.  Show Notes:  00:00 From Math to AI Innovator  05:36 Accelerating Growth and VC Success  07:33 Rethinking Venture Capital Necessity  11:41 "Value of Directness and Balance"  15:43 "Shifting Focus: Growth to Market Share"  16:26 Market Share vs. Revenue Optimization  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/loti-ai-secures-16-2-million-in-series-a  Luke Arrigoni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukearrigoni/  Loti’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goloti/  Loti’s Website: https://www.lotiai.com/  To learn 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 

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Julio Martinez, co-founder and CEO of Abacum. Julio shares his path from investment banking and FP&A roles to building a top-tier financial planning and analysis platform that supports companies from Series B through IPO and beyond. He dives into how Abacum is redefining business planning for finance teams, empowering them to manage increasing complexity as they scale.  Julio discusses the fundraising journey, including what it took to secure over $100 million in capital and the different expectations at each round. He also breaks down the key SaaS metrics investors care about, strategies for efficient and sustainable growth, and the importance of building strong foundations rather than chasing shortcuts.  If you’re interested in metrics-driven growth, scaling SaaS businesses, or want a firsthand look at what it takes to lead a high-growth fintech startup, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Tune in to hear how Abacum is leveraging AI, developing a customer-obsessed platform, and what’s next on their roadmap.  Show Notes:   00:00 Versatile Business Planning Platform  04:23 Finance Targets in Diverse Sectors  07:08 Series B: From Ambition to Rationality  11:09 Building Strong, Sustainable Businesses  15:32 "Scaling Cold Outreach with Tech"  16:14 Targeted Email Outreach for CFOs  22:01 "Building Unbeatable, Sustainable Products"  23:43 "Building a Long-Term Iconic Business"  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/abacum-raises-25-million-in-series-a  https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/abacum-raises-60-million-in-series-b  Julio Martinez’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliomartinez/  Abacum’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abacum-io/  Abacum’s Website: https://www.abacum.ai/  To learn 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’re diving deep into the next generation of accounting software with Nicolas Kopp, CEO and founder of Rillet. Nicolas shares his journey from building a fully regulated bank to launching Rillet—an AI-first ERP platform designed to take on industry staples like QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and Sage Intacct. With a background grounded in finance and accounting, Nicolas brings a fresh perspective to a market that’s long been dominated by legacy solutions.  We’ll discuss how Rillet is shaking things up for asset-light businesses in SaaS, AI, professional services, and fintech, and why the platform’s robust multi-entity, multi-currency capabilities have attracted mid-market companies ready to graduate from more traditional tools. Nicolas also sheds light on the challenges of building highly regulated, mission-critical systems from scratch, what’s behind their rapid customer adoption, and how an AI-native approach is changing expectations for accounting software.  From funding milestones and his recent $25 million Series A, to lessons learned about product-market fit and the nuances of scaling go-to-market through channels and inbound demand, Nicolas gives us the behind-the-scenes look at Rillet’s rise. If you’re curious about the future of financial software—or when it’s really time to make the leap from QuickBooks to a next-gen ERP—this conversation is for you. Let’s get started!  Show Notes:   00:00 "Comprehensive ERP System Advantages"  06:02 Business Growth from Transition Points  07:28 Streamlined ERP Solutions  12:37 Investment Insights: Backgrounds and Success  15:53 "Choosing Between Innovative ERP Solutions"  16:58 Rapid Success in Fundraising  22:15 Building Trust in B2B Sales  25:57 NPS and ARR Prioritized Over Retention  27:54 Focus on KPIs and AI  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/rillet-raises-25-million-in-series-a  https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/rillet-raises-13-5-million-in-funding  Nicolas Kopp’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-kopp/  Rillet’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-rillet/  Rillet’s Website: https://www.rillet.com/  To learn 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 this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Andrew Black, CEO of Kovr, and Sri Iyer, the company’s founder and CTO. Kovr is shaking up the world of cybersecurity compliance, helping organizations dramatically speed up the process of achieving certifications like FedRAMP, HIPAA, and others—using the latest breakthroughs in generative AI.  Andrew and Sri bring fascinating perspectives, drawing from deep experience in tech, government, and startups, including previous roles at Amazon Web Services, PwC, Lockheed, and Gartner. They talk about the pain points that tech companies and government agencies face when trying to deploy secure software in regulated environments, and how Kovr can cut compliance timelines from years to minutes.  If you’re curious about go-to-market strategies for AI-first startups, lessons learned from early fundraising, or how to build a SaaS business in a highly regulated market, this episode is packed with candid insights and actionable advice. Tune in to hear how Kovr is empowering innovators to get their products into the hands of customers faster, with less headache—and what’s next for this fast-moving team.  Show Notes:  00:00 "Compliance Challenges in Software Deployment"  03:43 Streamlining Compliance with AI  06:37 Target Customers: CISOs to DevOps Teams  11:11 Pursuing a $13B Market Opportunity  13:03 AI Traction and Trust Challenges  17:38 Navigating VC Relationships and Fit  20:17 Unlimited-Use Enterprise SaaS Licensing  23:48 Simplifying Gen AI Sales Model  28:26 Efficient AI: Smaller Models, Big Savings  30:25 "Focus on Sales Cycle Days"  33:44 "LinkedIn Profile: Kovr AI"  Links:   SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/kovr-ai-raises-3-6-million-in-seed-round  Andrew Black’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-black-5435b67/  Sri Iyer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sri-iyer/  Kovr AI’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kovrai/  Kovr AI’s Website: https://kovr.ai/  To learn 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! Today, we’re excited to speak with Nilo Pirttijarvi, co-founder of Inven—a rapidly growing AI-powered deal sourcing tool making waves in the M&A world. Nilo takes us through his journey from a background in consulting and investment banking to launching his first startup, inspired by the pain points he and his co-founders experienced firsthand in finding and analyzing acquisition targets. In this episode, you’ll hear how Inven is helping private equity, investment banks, and corporate M&A teams supercharge their deal pipelines—especially when it comes to those hard-to-find, niche targets in the middle market.  Nilo shares candid insights about Inven’s rapid growth, fundraising journey (including a recent €11.2 million Series A), and the lessons learned when building both relationships and ARR to attract top investors. We also dive into the startup’s operational metrics, go-to-market strategies, pricing models, and what’s next for this ambitious international team. If you’re interested in SaaS growth, fundraising, or the future of AI in deal sourcing, you won’t want to miss this conversation!  Show Notes:  00:00 Streamlining Company Analysis Process  06:20 Rapid Startup Growth Pathway  08:16 Relationships Over ARR in Investment  12:00 "Classic Global Sales Model"  13:59 M&A Tool User Variability  17:54 Competitive Multi-Tool Market Strategy  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/inven-raises-11-2-million-in-series-a  Niilo Pirttijarvi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niilo-pirttijarvi/  Inven AI’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inven-ai/  Inven AI’s Website: https://www.inven.ai/  To learn 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 

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Katherine Tobias, the dynamic co-founder and CEO of InsightWise. Katherine shares her inspiring journey from her early days consulting at KPMG and working in government to leading one of Australia’s fastest-growing startups. Driven by her passion for delivering real-world impact and navigating mountains of qualitative data, Katherine reveals how these experiences led her to launch InsightWise—a groundbreaking AI platform tailored for consultants and strategy teams.  Tune in as Katherine dives into the realities of startup life, fundraising, and what it takes to disrupt the consulting industry with innovative technology. She opens up about empowering both global enterprises and agile boutique firms with tools that turn unstructured data into actionable insights, while also building a tight-knit team with big ambitions. Katherine’s story is a masterclass in navigating career pivots, seizing opportunities, and harnessing AI to drive business transformation.  Whether you’re a SaaS founder, consultant, or tech enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this engaging conversation packed with actionable advice, honest reflections, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to scale a modern software company. Hit play and get inspired!  Show Notes:  00:00 From Oxford to Global Startup Success  03:12 Insightwise: AI Hub for Consultants  07:20 AI-Driven Data Synthesis Solutions  10:50 "Building Relationships in Consulting"  15:30 "First-Time Founder Fundraising Journey"  16:32 "Strategic Capital for Business Growth"  19:58 "Insightwise AI Free Trial"  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/insightwise-closes-1-million-in-funding  Katherine Tobias’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-tobias-40857789/  InsightWise’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightwise-ai/  InsightWise’s Website: https://www.insightwise.ai/  To learn 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

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Austin Carroll, the dynamic founder and CEO of Warrant. Drawing from her deep roots in marketing and product management at household names like Capital One, Mercury, and Brex, Austin shares how real-world challenges navigating regulatory approvals inspired her to launch Warrant—a platform harnessing AI to automate and streamline marketing compliance for the financial services industry.  Austin highlights the complexities and pitfalls of adhering to rapidly evolving federal, state, and local regulations in sectors like mortgage, insurance, and banking. She explains how Warrant checks marketing materials for compliance, helping companies of all sizes—from nimble startups to large enterprises—avoid costly missteps and accelerate their go-to-market strategies. Her journey provides invaluable insight into the needs of modern fintech marketers and compliance teams.  Beyond the tech, Austin opens up about her path as a female founder, candidly discussing the fundraising process, her unique go-to-market approach, and the lessons learned from early customer traction. Whether you're passionate about fintech, compliance, or entrepreneurship, this conversation offers a compelling look at the future of AI-powered marketing compliance and the vision of a founder determined to solve one of the industry’s most pressing challenges.  Show Notes:  00:00 Streamlining Crisis Communication Compliance  06:09 Regulatory Challenges in Financial Compliance  07:12 Targeting Small to Mid-Market Clients  10:59 Strategic Market Engagement Approach  16:57 Entrepreneurship: Play to Your Strengths  17:51 Conversation-Driven Fundraising Strategy  21:40 Tracking Key Business Metrics  25:37 "Sign Up for Newsletter Now"  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/warrant-raises-720k-in-pre-seed-round  Austin Carroll’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austincarroll/  Warrant’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/warrant/  Warrant’s Website: https://www.hellowarrant.com/  To learn 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