The SaaS CFO

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, our host Ben sits down with Brittany Harris, CEO and co-founder of Qualis Flow, a B2B software platform aiming to transform the engineering and construction industry through real-time data capture and analytics.   Brittany discusses her journey from civil engineer to first-time founder, the challenges and opportunities in the construction industry, and the exciting developments at Qualis Flow. From hitting the 1 million ARR mark to raising a 7.2 million euro Series A investment, Brittany shares important insights and lessons learned on scaling a SaaS business in the construction industry.  Tune in to hear Brittany's inspirational story and learn more about the innovative work happening at Qualus Flow.  Show Notes:  00:00 Accidentally entered startup competition, success despite competition.  03:28 QFlow automates tracking materials, waste, and data capture for construction industry to promote sustainability and efficiency.  09:12 Challenging construction market with big international players and potential clients in tier two and SMEs.  11:05 Organizations benefit from cost savings, risk reduction, compliance, sustainability reporting, supply chain management, and procurement through the use of accurate data.  14:27 Preparation and strict timelines for fundraising round.  17:25 Focus on UK growth, then move to US exploration next year. Hiring and building capacity.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Story: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/qflow-raises-7-2-million-in-series-a  Qualis-Flow's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qualis-flow/  Britanny Harris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanydharris/?originalSubdomain=uk  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 speaks with Blake Hall, founder and CEO of ID.me. Blake shares his inspiring story of transitioning from military service to founding a company that is streamlining digital identity verification and access.   He discusses the evolution of ID.me's products and services, the impact of their digital wallet, and the vision for the future of digital identity. From military verification to healthcare access, this episode unveils the revolutionary potential of digital identity and the strategic insights behind scaling a successful SaaS company.   Tune in for a deep dive into the world of digital identity and the remarkable journey of ID.me.  Show Notes:  00:00 Combat experience led to desire for positive impact. Started company based on need for simplifying online security amidst digitization and data breaches.  04:56 Received grant for privacy tech, worked with major brands for minimal info disclosure, expanded to students, teachers, first responders, nurses, influencers. Aimed to be "PayPal for identity," commerce initiative in 2012.  06:54 Military ID used for digital access to government services and private sector offers, enhancing privacy and legal identity verification.  12:56 Having a clear plan, identifying critical assumptions, and being adaptable are vital for a young company's success.  15:57 Pivotal conversation led to PayPal for identity opportunity, successful launch with 48,000 users.  19:22 Sales efficiency is crucial to cover costs and focus on the right customers.  21:05 The business uses sales-led approach with a unique PLG component and 110+ million American users.  24:51 Person on LinkedIn, Twitter, ID Me. Mention of CMO.   Links:SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/id-me-raises-132-million-in-series-d  ID.me’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/id.me/  Blake Hall’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallblake/  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 sits down with Taylor Lowe, the co-founder and CEO of Metal. Taylor discusses his background in the SaaS industry, including his journey from working in sales to founding Metal with his co-founders.   He delves into the products and services Metal offers, their target industries, and their approach to developing and refining their product offering. Taylor also shares insights into their go-to-market strategy, pricing model, and recent seed funding round.   As they wrap up, he gives a glimpse into what's coming up for Metal and even reveals the interesting story behind the company's name. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with a SaaS industry leader.  Show Notes:  00:00 Founders with experience in sales and engineering developed enterprise SaaS, inspired by previous work in software and infrastructure.  03:41 Engineers rely on layers of abstraction for easier work with raw materials, like embeddings in vector databases. This powers applications like chat TPT.  08:58 Focus on product, new way of building software and data representation, hands-on customer approach.  09:57 Inbound interest drives learning and product improvement.  13:16 Capital is important, but experience and customer focus are crucial. Choose investors carefully.  16:13 Three people like metal, started a company called "pretty metal."  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/metal-raises-2-5-million-in-funding  Taylor Lowe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorlowe11/  Get Metal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getmetal/  Get Metal’s Website: https://getmetal.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 sits down with Matt Hicks, VP of Sales and part of the founding team at Vertice, a tech-enabled service provider.   Matt shares his extensive experience in startups and his current role in helping finance and technology leaders deploy capital more efficiently in the realm of technology solutions. They discuss Vertice's specialized services in cloud and SaaS optimization, as well as the company's journey from its founding to its current position as a leader in the market.   Matt also provides insights into the company's go-to-market strategy, its recent capital raise, and the exciting future of the industry. Tune in to gain valuable insights and learn more about the evolving landscape of technology spend optimization.  Show Notes:  00:00 Developers creating new services in the cloud can lead to increased costs. FinOps integrates finance and technology to manage and understand cloud expenses. Vertice's CCO product supports cloud cost optimization for finance teams.  06:13 Amazon introduced AWS in 2006-2007. Tech market faces scrutiny on cost due to job losses. CFOs focus on controlling cloud and SaaS spending. Intermediaries are key in mature markets for efficiency.  07:23 SaaS and cloud industry selling through intermediaries, Vertiz focuses on buyer's interests, SaaS and cloud industry maturing, potential for increased regulations.  11:12 Market focus on efficiency, third-party visibility and cost reduction as AI navigates challenges.  13:57 Target ICP: larger companies, shift to enterprise customers, series B+ companies, growing enterprise customer base.  19:14 Successful startup with MVP, fundraising based on founder's track record, exceeding targets and generating significant revenue. Plans for significant growth in 2024.  22:35 Company offers SaaS procurement and cloud cost optimization services. They aim to help customers deploy capital efficiently by using data to make useful recommendations.  24:00 Underutilization of SaaS and cloud services leads to significant waste.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/vertice-raises-26-million-in-series-a  Matt Hick’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthicks85/  Vertice One’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticeone/  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, we dive into the world of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) with Taimur Abdaal, the founder and CEO of Causal.   Taimur shares his background in mathematics and programming, and how that led him to start Causal, a number crunching tool that simplifies financial modeling and planning. He talks about the journey of building Causal, from its early days to raising funding and scaling the business. Taimur also discusses the company's approach to go-to-market strategy, product development, and the key metrics they focus on.   If you're interested in the intersection of tech, finance, and entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-listen. Stay tuned to gain valuable insights into the world of SaaS and FPA!  Show Notes:  00:00 Data scientist at Nested worked on automating financial models, prompted the idea for a better number-crunching tool. Spreadsheets have not evolved much in 40 years.  04:38 Felt right to quit job, started project, gained interest.  07:11 Product focuses on easy initial use, scalable complexity, self-serve flow, and product-led growth strategy. 25% revenue from self-serve, majority from higher touch motion.  10:43 Early investors were found through connections, securing $1 million.  14:32 Access to networks and warm introductions important for fundraising. Pre-seed and seed stages focus on market size, team strength, and initial traction. Series A requires high growth rate.  17:29 Next focus is out-of-the-box reporting, easily linked with CRM.  Links:    SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/casual-secures-15-million-in-series-a  Taimur Abdaal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taimurabdaal/  Causal’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/causalhq/  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, we dive deep into the world of SaaS spend management with Sven Lackinger, co-founder and CEO of Sastrify. Sven shares his journey from founding a company in the parking technology market, which was later acquired, to launching Sastrify, a company focused on managing the lifecycle of SaaS within organizations.   He discusses the products and services offered by Sastrify and provides insights into their pricing model and customer base. Sven also shares valuable lessons learned from his extensive fundraising experience, as Sastrify secured rounds of investment ranging from seed to Series B.   Join us as Sven gives us a glimpse into the future plans for Sastrify and shares his valuable insights for other founders in the SaaS industry.  Show Notes:  00:00 Sastrify co-founder Max's overspending on SaaS licenses led to creating a company managing SaaS lifecycle and costs.  03:38 SaaS companies increasing usage-based pricing due to analytics and AI impact.  09:02 Sales growth fueled by intangible ROI, centralized SaaS stack reduces spend waste, works with finance teams and procurement over 500 FTEs.  11:27 Received early funding, formed partnership, strong growth, successful B round fundraising.  13:05 Expanding products, global markets, innovation, finance focus.  16:33 Focus on mid-market customers, aiming to grow into higher-end market.  Links:  SaaS Fundraising Stories  Aug 2021 https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sastrify-raises-7-million-in-seed-round  Jan 2022 https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sastrify-raises-15-million-in-series-a  May 2023 https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/sastrify-raises-32-million-in-series-b  Sven Lackinger’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenlackinger/  Sastrify’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sastrify/  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, Ben York, the CEO of Genetica. Ben shares his fascinating background, starting in finance and later transitioning into the world of SaaS and investment.   Genetica, founded in late 2020, is at the forefront of modernizing the cannabis and CBD retail experience through their AI platform. Ben delves into the products and services offered by Genetica, such as Flora Match, which analyzes data points and individual biochemistry to provide personalized recommendations, and Flora OS, which optimizes operations for retailers.   He also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the cannabis tech industry, including regulatory hurdles and the potential for consolidation. Stay tuned to learn more about the exciting developments in the cannabis tech space with Ben York on The SaaS CFO Podcast.  Show Notes: [00:02:11] Genetica modernizes cannabis retail with AI.  [00:04:06] Industry tests products, provides certificates, reduces liability.  [00:07:32] Challenges in raising capital, consolidation and mergers.  [00:12:05] Targeting retailers with advisors and partners.  [00:13:32] Twitter advertising bypasses restrictions to gain visibility.  [00:16:57] Always take conversations, even seemingly random ones.  [00:21:11] Ahead of schedule, product predicts employee's resignation.  Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/genetica-raises-500-000-seed-round Ben York’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ben-york/ Genetica’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getgenetica/ Genetica’s Website: https://www.getgenetica.com/  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, 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