Podcasts about peakspan capital

In this episode, Gary Reeman interviews Pete Daffern, a three-time CEO and two-time president with a track record transforming fledgling companies into thriving unicorns. With $50 billion worth of software transactions under his belt, Pete's insights are gold for any startup or scale-up looking to navigate the treacherous waters of growth and expansion. Currently, Pete leverages his extensive experience to serve on various boards and as an Operating Partner at PeakSpan Capital. Pete delves into the pivotal lessons he has gleaned from decades of leading technology startups and scale-ups. From the early days of bootstrapping companies in the late '80s to the disciplined approach required to manage operational cash flow in more mature business, Pete emphasizes the critical importance of having the right people at every stage of a company's growth. He reflects on the transformative mentorship he received from industry stalwarts like Sue Lethbridge and the impact of building a stage-appropriate leadership team. Pete explores the intricacies of scaling a business, the challenges of identifying the right talent and knowing when to make tough decisions about leadership changes. Pete shares a fascinating anecdote about Godfrey Sullivan's strategic approach at Splunk, illustrating the importance of focusing on winnable battles to drive sustained growth. This episode also covers the crucial elements of defining an Ideal Client Profile (ICP) and how it should inform every aspect of a company's strategy, from product development to market positioning. The conversation takes an interesting turn as Pete discusses the paradigm shifts that have shaped the tech landscape, from the advent of the internet to the current revolution in artificial intelligence. He shares his enthusiasm for AI applications that deliver meaningful, differentiated use cases, drawing on examples from his work with companies like Amplience. As the episode draws to a close, Pete offers invaluable advice to founders of new AI businesses, emphasizing the importance of customer engagement and product-market fit. His stories and insights provide a compelling narrative that is both educational and inspiring for anyone involved in the tech industry. Don't miss this episode filled with actionable insights and real-world examples of what it takes to scale a technology company from startup to unicorn. Tune in to hear Pete Daffan's journey and learn from one of the industry's most experienced leaders. This episode of the Startup to Scale-Up Game Plan was brought to you by AlpinaSearch. Head over to www.alpinasearch.com for advice on scaling your technology startup and recruiting high-impact senior executives.

  Want to make better investment decisions and strategic growth plans? I've got the solution for you to achieve that. Get ready to improve your venture capital investment strategies and take your business to the next level. Let's dive in and uncover the key to successful growth-stage investment strategies. Does this sound familiar? You've been bombarded with templatized outreach from investors who don't seem to know anything about your business? You're left feeling frustrated and disrespected, wondering if anyone took the time to understand your unique needs. It's time to change the game and experience a more strategic and tailored approach. Say goodbye to generic pitches and hello to a personalized, value-driven connection. It's time to engage with investors who truly understand your vision and goals. Discover the unexpected sales technology revolution that's reshaping the industry. Unveil the inside secrets of how a venture capitalist is transforming growth-stage investment strategies. Learn how AI and automation are augmenting the human touch in sales. Find out the surprising movie choice of a Boston native turned New York investor. Stay tuned for the jaw-dropping insights that will change the way you approach sales tech forever. This is Matt Melymuka's story: Matt Melymuka, co-founder and managing partner at Peakspan Capital, offers a unique perspective on venture capital investment strategies. His journey into the world of growth-stage investment began over 15 years ago, focusing on B2B software. His passion for this niche led him to establish Peakspan Capital, a firm dedicated solely to B2B software. Matt's approach emphasizes specialization and strategic partnerships, aiming for a collaborative, domain-specific engagement with companies. His commitment to a focused, growth-driven investment strategy has not only shaped his professional journey but also reflects his dedication to creating impactful, sustainable partnerships. This journey showcases Matt's unwavering dedication to the B2B software industry and his passion for strategic, growth-focused investment strategies. AI should not be thought of as replacing the seller or replacing a selling function or replacing even the seller's brain. AI is all about augmenting the seller. - Mario Martinez Jr. This week's special guest is Matt Melymuka, the co-founder and managing partner of Peakspan Capital. He brings over a decade of expertise in growth-stage investment strategies. With a focus on late-stage growth companies, Matt's leadership at Peakspan has resulted in managing $2 billion across three funds and a $600 million active investment vehicle. His specialized approach centers on B2B software, encompassing sales, marketing, and hospitality technology. Matt's philosophy of maintaining alignment with ambitious yet pragmatic objectives has led to a remarkably low capital loss ratio of 1.4%, demonstrating his commitment to collaborative and sustainable growth for entrepreneurs. As a guest on the Modern Selling Podcast, Matt promises an insightful conversation on venture capital investment strategies that will undoubtedly enlighten and inspire entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors. In this episode, you will be able to: Mastering Venture Capital Investment Strategies: Uncover the secrets to successful growth-stage investments and maximize your returns. Navigating Sales Technology Trends 2023: Stay ahead of the curve with the latest advancements in sales tech, giving your business a competitive edge. Implementing B2B SaaS Marketing Best Practices: Learn how to effectively market your B2B SaaS product and boost your customer acquisition. Embracing AI and Automation in Sales: Streamline your sales processes and enhance productivity by harnessing the power of AI and automation. Excelling in Effective Fundraising for Startups: Discover the key tactics for successful fundraising, propelling your startup to new heights. The key moments in this episode are: 00:00:08 - Introduction to Vengreso and FlyMSG 00:01:21 - Focus and Specialization at Peakspan Capital 00:07:23 - Contrarian Approach to Venture Capital 00:10:03 - Fundraising Challenges and Personal Revelation 00:13:14 - Traveling with Kids and Parenting 00:13:44 - Parenting and Family Dynamics 00:15:09 - Market Trends in 2023 00:17:16 - Sales Organization Investment 00:19:41 - Strategic Approach to Sales Investment 00:24:24 - Buyer-Centric Sales Tech Trends 00:28:23 - The Importance of Writing Skills in Sales 00:29:07 - Personalization in Sales Outreach 00:30:50 - Technology's Impact on Sales Training 00:33:56 - The Role of Technology in Sales and Marketing 00:39:27 - Strategic Relationship Building in Sales 00:42:02 - The Role of AI in Sales Development 00:43:26 - Technology as an Enabler 00:44:06 - Augmenting the Seller with AI 00:46:29 - Focus on Augmentation, not Replacement 00:47:18 - Contact Information Timestamped summary of this episode: 00:00:08 - Introduction to Vengreso and FlyMSG Mario Martinez Jr. introduces himself as the CEO and founder of Vengreso, the creators of FlyMSG, a personal writing assistant and text expander application. 00:01:21 - Focus and Specialization at Peakspan Capital Matt Malamuka explains Peakspan Capital's focus on B2B software, with a specialized approach to investing in growth stage companies with real products, customers, and revenue. They aim to partner with capital-efficient companies and maintain optionality for the entrepreneur. 00:07:23 - Contrarian Approach to Venture Capital Matt discusses Peakspan's philosophy of being "decidedly contra Silicon Valley," aiming to avoid the pitfalls of excessive funding and rapid growth at the expense of operational risk. They focus on aligned and pragmatic growth strategies with like-minded entrepreneurs. 00:10:03 - Fundraising Challenges and Personal Revelation Mario Martinez shares his experience with fundraising for his second business and acknowledges the challenges and uncertainties of the process. Matt also reveals his personal passion for travel and his family's commitment to no screen time for their three-year-old daughter. 00:13:14 - Traveling with Kids and Parenting Matt discusses the challenges of traveling with young children and their decision to avoid screen time for their daughter. He shares the creative ways they entertain her on long flights, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and interactive activities. 00:13:44 - Parenting and Family Dynamics Matt discusses the challenges of balancing family life and parenting, particularly around mealtime and screen time for children. He emphasizes the importance of eating dinner together as a family without distractions. 00:15:09 - Market Trends in 2023 Matt shares insights into the challenging software market trends in 2023, highlighting a decline in growth rates and the impact on sales tech companies. He discusses the need for companies to navigate the tough market conditions and make strategic adjustments. 00:17:16 - Sales Organization Investment Matt and the host discuss the importance of reinvesting in the sales organization during tough market conditions. They emphasize the value of retaining and investing in the right sales talent while focusing on customer base expansion and upselling. 00:19:41 - Strategic Approach to Sales Investment The conversation delves into the strategic approach to sales investment during challenging times, emphasizing the need to cut non-performing personnel while re-investing in tools, technologies, and training for the sales team. 00:24:24 - Buyer-Centric Sales Tech Trends Matt discusses the shift from sales-centric to buyer-centric trends in sales tech, emphasizing the importance of catering to buyer needs and providing relevant information in a non-intrusive way to drive informed decision-making. 00:28:23 - The Importance of Writing Skills in Sales The conversation starts with a focus on increasing productivity by making sellers smarter. The inability to write well is identified as the biggest time suck for sellers, leading to the templatization of content. 00:29:07 - Personalization in Sales Outreach The guest shares a personal experience of receiving a connection request and highlights the importance of personalization in sales outreach. Strategies to make outreach more personalized, such as adding a period after the first name, are discussed. 00:30:50 - Technology's Impact on Sales Training The conversation delves into the challenges of adding technology without making sellers smarter or addressing their biggest problems, such as writing skills. The lack of training on the entire sales process and utilization of technology is identified as a common issue. 00:33:56 - The Role of Technology in Sales and Marketing The impact of technology on sales and marketing stacks is discussed, emphasizing the need for a mindset shift towards technology as an enabler of sales rather than an obstacle. The importance of seamlessly integrating technology into the existing workflow of reps is highlighted. 00:39:27 - Strategic Relationship Building in Sales The guest emphasizes the significance of leading with valuable content in sales outreach to build strategic relationships with entrepreneurs. The approach of personalizing emails and showing a strategic level of rapport is discussed as a respectful and effective strategy in investor conversations. 00:42:02 - The Role of AI in Sales Development Matt discusses how AI augments the role of the SDR and enables full lifecycle sellers by automating tasks like creating collateral and content for prospects. 00:43:26 - Technology as an Enabler Matt emphasizes that technology should enhance the seller's ability to have personalized and engaging conversations, ultimately driving better outcomes and more time for human interaction. 00:44:06 - Augmenting the Seller with AI Matt gives an example of how AI can augment sellers by creating a product that helps them write social media posts quickly, saving time and increasing engagement speed. 00:46:29 - Focus on Augmentation, not Replacement Matt stresses the importance of viewing AI as a tool that supplements and enhances existing workflows, making sellers better, faster, and more data-informed in their decision-making. 00:47:18 - Contact Information Matt provides his email and LinkedIn profile for anyone interested in reaching out to him for further discussion or collaboration. Mastering Venture Capital Investment Venture capital investment requires specialization and domain expertise, as emphasized by Matt Melymuka in the episode. PeakSpan Capital's focus on B2B software and sustainable growth highlights the importance of targeted investment strategies. By targeting companies in the emerging growth phase, investors can align with pragmatic objectives for long-term success. Navigating Sales Technology Trends Matt Melymuka and Mario Martinez Jr. delve into the challenges and trends in sales technology, particularly in relation to AI and automation. The conversation emphasizes the need for technology to seamlessly integrate into sales workflows, enabling sales professionals to make data-informed decisions. Understanding the impact of technology on sales processes is crucial for businesses navigating the evolving landscape of sales tech. Elevating B2B SaaS Marketing B2B SaaS marketing strategies can benefit from a personalized and genuine approach, as discussed by the guests in the episode. Matt Melymuka highlights the value of thematic alignment and specialization in sales tech investments to drive success in B2B SaaS marketing. Investing in AI-enabled platforms can enhance sales processes, augmenting the role of sales professionals and improving engagement with prospects. The resources mentioned in this episode are: To save 20 hours or more in a month and increase your productivity, download FlyMSG for free, on Chrome and Edge. It's your free text expander and personal writing assistant. Connect with Matt Melymuka on LinkedIn and mention that you heard him on the Modern Selling Podcast. Email Matt Melymuka at matt@peakspancapital.com to get in touch with him directly. Give the Modern Selling Podcast a five-star rating and review on iTunes to show your support. Watch The Shawshank Redemption, Matt Melymuka's all-time favorite movie, for a captivating cinematic experience.

Phil Dur is cofounder and managing partner of PeakSpan Capital, a growth equity investment firm that works with bootstrapped SaaS founders who are scaling up to become sizable market leaders. Phil has been funding capital-efficient software founders for over 20 year and has served on 45 boards with those companies. In this expert podcast interview, Phil explains: Why the practical growth equity approach is fundamentally different from the venture investment approach How PeakSpan and other growth equity investors support bootstrapped and capital-efficient SaaS founders Why founders should be taking money off the table with every funding or transaction event When can growth equity investment be a good fit for practical SaaS founders Why founders should be thinking about the risk-adjusted odds of successful exits at multiple milestones Quote from Phil Dur, Managing Partner of PeakSpan Capital “It's a big deal to bring an investment partner into your business because now you're now collaborating with someone on your big decisions. Some founders only need to look themselves in the morning mirror to decide what will happen in their business this year. When you have investor partners, you will have more dialogue to align around important decisions.  “Unfortunately, I frequently see entrepreneurs picking their first investor partner without much time getting to know them and experience working with them. That's why we start actively helping our founders 6 to 12 months before they make a final decision on a transaction. “We want our founders to get a free trial of what the full experience is going to feel like before we work with them. Founders should be doing that with every other investor they are interested in. “Don't bring someone into your business with eight figures of capital at risk when you just met the partner two weeks before term sheets are due. That's not a smart strategy for founders.” Links Phil Dur on LinkedIn PeakSpan Capital on LinkedIn PeakSpan Capital website  The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app. Get weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. 

Recorded live at the HR Tech Conference from the Fuel50 booth in Las Vegas, Chad & Cheese sit down with Taylor Weiss, a Technology Investor at PeakSpan Capital. Taylor discusses her role, preferences for startups, emphasizing the importance of honest, succinct pitches. The conversation explores tech founders' ages, backing the right founder, excitement for innovative solutions in HR Tech, and leveraging AI for career advancement. Taylor stresses honesty's significance in career progression, proposing early education on self-awareness. She advises startups to align with investors' ethos and highlights PeakSpan's focus on alignment with entrepreneurs. To learn more about Fuel50, visit https://fuel50.com.

Recorded live at the HR Tech Conference from the Fuel50 booth in Las Vegas, Chad & Cheese sit down with Taylor Weiss, a Technology Investor at PeakSpan Capital. Taylor discusses her role, preferences for startups, emphasizing the importance of honest, succinct pitches. The conversation explores tech founders' ages, backing the right founder, excitement for innovative solutions in HR Tech, and leveraging AI for career advancement. Taylor stresses honesty's significance in career progression, proposing early education on self-awareness. She advises startups to align with investors' ethos and highlights PeakSpan's focus on alignment with entrepreneurs. To learn more about Fuel50, visit https://fuel50.com.

Recorded live at the HR Tech Conference from the Fuel50 booth in Las Vegas, Chad & Cheese sit down with Taylor Weiss, a Technology Investor at PeakSpan Capital. Taylor discusses her role, preferences for startups, emphasizing the importance of honest, succinct pitches. The conversation explores tech founders' ages, backing the right founder, excitement for innovative solutions in HR Tech, and leveraging AI for career advancement. Taylor stresses honesty's significance in career progression, proposing early education on self-awareness. She advises startups to align with investors' ethos and highlights PeakSpan's focus on alignment with entrepreneurs. To learn more about Fuel50, visit https://fuel50.com.

Recorded live at the HR Tech Conference from the Fuel50 booth in Las Vegas, Chad & Cheese sit down for a candid conversation with Philip Dur, co-founder of Peakspan Capital. They discuss partnering with growth-stage companies post-product market fit, offering domain expertise and capital. Dur also highlights focus, talent, and scalability challenges for startups on our space, and they also delve into investment strategies, avoiding trendy markets, focusing on high-impact solutions, and foreseeing societal responsibility in HR tech. To learn more about Fuel50, visit https://fuel50.com.

Recorded live at the HR Tech Conference from the Fuel50 booth in Las Vegas, Chad & Cheese sit down for a candid conversation with Philip Dur, co-founder of Peakspan Capital. They discuss partnering with growth-stage companies post-product market fit, offering domain expertise and capital. Dur also highlights focus, talent, and scalability challenges for startups on our space, and they also delve into investment strategies, avoiding trendy markets, focusing on high-impact solutions, and foreseeing societal responsibility in HR tech. To learn more about Fuel50, visit https://fuel50.com.

Recorded live at the HR Tech Conference from the Fuel50 booth in Las Vegas, Chad & Cheese sit down for a candid conversation with Philip Dur, co-founder of Peakspan Capital. They discuss partnering with growth-stage companies post-product market fit, offering domain expertise and capital. Dur also highlights focus, talent, and scalability challenges for startups on our space, and they also delve into investment strategies, avoiding trendy markets, focusing on high-impact solutions, and foreseeing societal responsibility in HR tech. To learn more about Fuel50, visit https://fuel50.com.

Today on The Win Rate Podcast, Andy welcomes James Isilay, CEO at Cognism, Matt Melymuka, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at PeakSpan Capital,  and Kyle Williams, Founder at Brickstack. The roundtable discussion today visits the importance of lead quality in sales, the challenges of tracking and incentivizing the right behaviors, the need for effective multithreading in deals, selling effectively in both the up and down times, the shift in sales strategy towards being sales-centric, the proliferation of sales technologies, and much more. Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate!Thank you to our sponsors:AllegoClozdCognism

“There are two ideal profiles for a procurement founder … you have industry veterans that live the problem, feel the pain, go out and create a solution to solve that pain. That's been a tale as old as time. … There's also serial entrepreneurs that don't have a procurement background but understand a problem and want to go study it and bring on others to help them.” In recent years, there has been an “explosion” of procurement tech startups. But not all procurement startups are able to reach their full potential. In this episode from Digital Outcomes 2023, Philip Ideson speaks with Jack Freeman, procure tech investor and Partner at PeakSpan Capital, about the challenges and opportunities procurement tech startups face, particularly in category specialized solutions like SaaS, vertical software, finance, or construction.  Jack shares his perspective on: The most common reasons procure tech startups struggle  Strategies for avoiding the most common roadblocks founders and CPOs face when working with or launching young or emerging technologies The skills and background procurement tech founders should develop to successfully raise the capital they need to scale their technologies and go to market The nuances of what makes a successful procure tech founder Links: Jack Freeman on LinkedIn Watch Digital Outcomes 2023 on Demand  

In this episode, our host James Mackey is joined by Sanket Merchant, Partner at PeakSpan Capital, to delve into the complexities of the current economic environment in the tech industry and its effects on businesses. They examine the supply and demand dynamics within the venture capital ecosystem, as well as the influence of generative AI on both businesses and customers.   0:28 Sanket's background   2:24 Tech industry and VC market overview10:23 Impact of growth and budget constraints18:40 Impact of economic factors on investments22:49 Growth and investment strategies for boards27:06 Generative AI's impact on businesses and customers Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible! Our host James Mackey Follow us:https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/#1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2!https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviewsThanks for listening!

On this episode of The Open Talent Report, Connor Heaney talks to Sanket Merchant, partner at PeakSpan Capital, a leading growth-stage investment firm with more than $1.5B AUM and 70+ scale-up partnerships. PeakSpan aims to be the partner of choice for B2B software entrepreneurs and teams helping entrepreneurs achieve the best possible outcome for their businesses through deep domain expertise, hands-on assistance, and a commitment to sensible scaling.During the episode Connor & Sanket discuss: Sanket's StoryWhat is PeakSpan solving for?Investment ClimateQuantitative Easing in Western EconomiesThe EOR/AOR Market EvaluationLabour Market Paradox - How to Resolve itEducation for Jobs of the FutureAutomation & Job DisplacementFuture of Work Connect with Sanket: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanketmerchant/Connect with Connor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrmconnorheaney/Visit PeakSpan website: https://www.peakspancapital.com/Visit CXC website: https://www.cxcglobal.com/en-gb

In this special episode, Dustin joins as a panelist for this wide ranging conversation in collaboration with PeakSpan Capital. The panel is moderated by Russell Perkins, a Senior Associate and features Sanket Merchant, a Partner at PeakSpan covering a wide variety of trending higher ed topics. They explore how edtech is impacting everything from admissions, vocational education, and student success. This episode is brought to you by our friends at DD Agency:DD Agencyis a higher ed-specific marketing technology agency that has conducted countless SEO Audits for colleges and universities across the country. In these audits, they detail where you currently rank, what you could be ranking for, exactly how copy should be tweaked on website pages, and much more. If this sounds like something you could benefit from, give those folks a ping and be sure to mention that Enrollify sent you to claim a 10% discount on any of their SEO offerings. Head on over toenrollify.org/ddaseo, or simply follow the link in the show notes below…that will guarantee you get a10% discountoff of your audit.  About the Enrollify Podcast Network The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like otherEnrollifyshows too!  Our podcast network is growing by the month and we've got a plethora of marketing, admissions, and higher ed technology shows that are jam packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks all designed to empower you to be a better higher ed professional. Our shows feature a selection of the industry's best as your hosts. Learn from Jaime Hunt, Allison Turcio, Corynn Myers, Dustin Ramsdell, Terry Flannery, Jaime Gleason and many more. Learn more aboutThe Enrollify Podcast Networkat podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea — come and find yours! 

Matt Melymuka is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at PeakSpan Capital. Growing a business does not follow a uniform path. Matt shares their different approach to venture investing that is, in his words, sane rather than shooting for the top at all costs. He digs into their incremental value creation method that aligns with where the company is and where it can reasonably go. Their philosophy is anchored on self-awareness and it is this mindset that they bring to the table when working with businesses in the emerging growth phase of their development. HIGHLIGHTS There is no one path to success: Bespoke growth maintains optionality Status quo KPIs are not always the best metric to measure a business Offering specialization and focus that has proven to grow companies Incremental value creation and selling better during an economic slowdown QUOTES Be self-aware that not every company is a billion-dollar company - Matt: "We are just huge believers in real transparency, thinking about not what are you going to tell people at a cocktail party about how much money you raised or what your valuation was, but rather what kind of company goals are associated with this growth plan, what's the resource you need to get there, and let's talk about how we get there together."  "And, let's talk about a two, two and a half year sprint because the fog of war is so thick beyond that that presenting your billion-dollar case to my partnership in five years is just crazy. That's trying to pick up the Powerball winner. So we just really pursue things incrementally and iterably" Assess companies from the ground up and be reasonable with expectations - Matt: "We're setting up these sessions with these operating advisors to really just diagnose and get a baseline check of kind of where each functional group is, where do we have holes, where do we need to supplement the team, where do we need to build better process and infrastructure.” “And the sane and rational point from all of that is really coming out of that work, we will kind of build from the ground up what does this all imply in terms of the resources we need for the next year and a half, two years, and a reasonable expectation of where we could scale to. And so that work will dictate what the plan should be and what we should all align around versus starting with the plan." Find out more about Matt in the links below: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-melymuka-98b5a617/ Email: matt@peakspancapital.com Website: https://peakspancapital.com/ More on Andy: Connect on LinkedIn Get Andy's new book "Sell Without Selling Out" on Amazon Learn more at AndyPaul.com Sponsored by: Revenue.io | Unlock exponential growth with an AI-powered RevOps platform | Revenue.io Scratchpad | The fastest way to update Salesforce, take sales notes, and stay on top of to-dos | Scratchpad.com Blueboard | World's leading experiential rewards & recognition platform | Blueboard.com Explore the Revenue.io Podcast Universe: Sales Enablement Podcast RevOps Podcast Selling with Purpose Podcast

Sign up for my Daily Fintech or Daily Digital Banking Newsletters here. Check out my latest podcast episode below: Welcome to another episode of our Daily Fintech Podcast. THE NEWS HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY IS Klarna's UK executive Alex Marsh has hit out at Barclays for publishing a report that he called “mind-boggling” and “irresponsible”. This research explores mounting buy-now-pay-later debt levels in the UK. Barclays joined forces with debt charity StepChange to warn that 876,000 Brits could fall into financial difficulty as a result of using BNPL. JUST IN: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is facing a new class-action suit that alleges his actions involving the meme-themed cryptocurrency Dogecoin constitute a Ponzi scheme. ALSO: Digital bank Kroo has just won its full UK banking licence ahead of plans to launch personal current accounts "in the coming months". WHAT ABOUT FUNDING ROUNDS AND INVESTMENTS? SleekFlow, an Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund-backed SaaS omnichannel social commerce platform, announced that it has raised an US$8 million Series A funding round. Tapcheck Inc., an employee financial wellness and earned wage access platform announced a $20 million Series A led by PeakSpan Capital. Blockchain-based paytech Roxe is to go public via a $3.6 billion special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal. WHAT ARE THE LATEST INSIGHTS? Thirty-nine new billion-dollar FinTech companies have emerged in the past year, making up 25% of all Unicorns

Today, David is speaking with Jack Freeman. Jack has worked with growth-stage technology businesses his whole career and has been a partner to nearly twenty portfolio companies at PeakSpan. He currently leads Payments, Supply Chain, and E-Commerce logistics. Prior to joining PeakSpan, Jack worked for Stackpop, an early-stage startup where he helped build out a SaaS-based cost management platform to help CTOs and IT teams buy and manage their internet infrastructure. After his startup was disrupted by AWS, Jack joined Macquarie Capital where he spent three years executing software M&A and capital markets transactions. Jack holds a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College; and prior to Middlebury, he played division I soccer for Seton Hall University. Jack lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife and recently rescued puppy, Willow – the sweetest Great Pyrenees you'll ever meet. Once a year, Jack champions a team of thirty in a charity bike ride to the Hamptons to support his brother's autism program, Quest, where he's raised over $100K. Since retiring from collegiate soccer, Jack has become an avid distance runner and is halfway to completing the “big six” world marathon majors. What You'll Learn: Activities in a Later Stage Growth Equity Firm  From Associate to Partner Yearly Strategic Planning at a VC Firm Supplementing SaaS Revenue with Payments  Thematic Research Understanding Internal Biases  Understanding of Tech-Enabled Services Follow-on Strategies  Valuations in Growth Equity 10-Year SaaS Benchmarks Good vs. Bad Board Members Favorite Quote: “Be Patient!” --  The Capital Stack All Things Tech Investing and Value Creation Early growth investor David Paul interviews the world's greatest ecosystem, learns how to start and scale your own business, and finds an edge in today's capital markets.  To connect with David, visit:   Twitter -https://twitter.com/davidpaulvc ( CLICK HERE) Substack -http://davidpaul.substack.com/ ( CLICK HERE) LinkedIn -http://linkedin.com/in/Davidpaulvc ( CLICK HERE) IG -https://www.instagram.com/davidpaulvc/ ( CLICK HERE)     DISCLAIMER: David Paul is the founder and general partner at DWP Capital.  All opinions expressed by David and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of DWP capital.  This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for decisions. David and guests may maintain positions in the securities discussed on this podcast.

There has been an explosion of startups and investment interest in the digital procurement space over the last few years. As companies with new and diverse perspectives tackle shared problems in unique ways, the type and variety of ‘best of breed' options available in the ecosystem broadens as well. In this week's episode, we bring you a session from our recent AOP Digital Outcomes 2022 virtual event. Philip Ideson was joined by Jack Freeman, a Partner at PeakSpan Capital, to talk about the tech trends he is seeing - and how lasting he thinks they will be. Key takeaways from the interview include: The pace of change within procurement, and how well that matches the pace of change in enterprises and markets How he sees the battle to be the ‘single source of truth' playing out Ways that today's technology is pushing processes to adapt, and improving the user and supplier experience in the process

Matt Melymuka joins Sarah Hicks on this episode of the Predictable Revenue podcast to discuss what's wrong with the revenue growth at all costs model. Matt is the Founder/Partner of PeakSpan Capital, a growth equity firm that takes a “contra-silicon valley” approach to scaling. Highlights include: the origins of PeakSpan's focus and specialization model (1:56), what the capital loss ratio is and what it means for your company (6:15), the overlooked issue of liquidity (8:55), the problem of prioritizing growth at any cost (12:25), what leaders should focus on instead (15:09), how sales fits into a sustainable growth model (17:55), and how to raise funding the right way (22:40). Are you looking to create repeatable, scalable, and predictable revenue? We can help! ► https://bit.ly/predictablerevenuecoaching

Matt Melymuka is a co-founder and partner at PeakSpan Capital. An experienced venture investor in SaaS companies, Matt believes that the "growth at all costs" is crazy for most companies. I couldn't agree more. Which is one of the reasons I was so interested in having Matt on the show. In the last 10 years, the odds that a business will breach a $100M exit value is about three percent (by our math). So, that's the focal point of our conversation today. If the success rate of this sales model is so low, why are investors so wedded to this playbook? We get into this and much much more. Follow Andy: LinkedIn | https://bit.ly/Andy-LinkedIn Sponsored by: ringDNA | Transform your sales team into a high-performing revenue engine | www.ringDNA.com Blueboard | A rewarding alternative to President's Club | https://podcast.blueboard.com Qualified | The #1 conversational sales & marketing platform for Salesforce | www.Qualified.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ListenUP! to part 2 of our interview with Jack Freeman from PeakSpan Capital. Jack and Greg talk about the investment environment is for supply chain tech, and what Jack has seen learned, and can share so tech leaders understand the supply chain tech landscape. Jack shares more perspective from an investor that's been there and done it. He sees the industry while managing growth, mergers and acquisitions. We look at what makes people, process & technology focus more than a cliché in today's supply chain tech world. Jack and Greg also discuss what the industry disruptors will look like, and how long we can expect this supply chain tech boom & transformation to last. Additional Links & Resouces: Learn more about TECHquila Sunrise: https://supplychainnow.com/program-techquila-sunrise Subscribe to TECHquila Sunrise and other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe Learn more about PeakSpan Capital: https://www.peakspancapital.com/ This episode was hosted by Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/techquila-sunrise-45

Startup growth and navigating the investment environment is a complex game. Greg has been there and done it multiple times, and he's realized every, single time it's new. Greg's guest, Jack Freeman and he will share Jack's path from startup to the investor seat. What he's learned, what he's still learning and some new areas that he's getting into. Jack will also share what founders and tech leaders should know about the supply chain landscape. In this episode of TECHquila Sunrise with Greg White, you'll get insights from yet another supply chain tech pro who's been there and done it. Jack has been doing investments, mergers and acquisitions. He can help decode the language between founders, executives and investors to help everyone overcome the challenges, successes and enlightenment that he's seen. Enjoy this valuable learning opportunity with Jack Freeman, Principal at growth equity fund PeakSpan Capital. Jack leads PeakSpan's supply chain practice. He has spent his entire career in tech, mergers & acquisitions, and growth capital. Jack currently advises and is invested 12 companies. He's an avid cyclist, a marathoner and a semi-retired soccer player.  Full Disclosure: Jack and Greg worked together after he recruited Greg to be a Sector Expert, working with supply chain techs for PeakSpan. Additional Links & Resources: Learn more about TECHquila Sunrise: https://supplychainnow.com/program/techquila-sunrise/ Subscribe to TECHquila Sunrise and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe Learn more about PeakSpan Capital: https://www.peakspancapital.com/ This episode was hosted by Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/techquila-sunrise-44

Overview:Today on the show we've got Matt Melymuka, Co-founder and Partner at PeakSpan Capital. Matt and I talk about how PeakSpan is zigging when others zag. Specifically, we discuss the perils of raising a ton of money at the highest possible valuation and pouring it into hyper-growth. Maybe that's not the right decision for your company.What You'll Learn The high price of a growth-at-all-costs mindsetHow misalignment can force you to do what you don't want to doWhat's wrong with over-fueling the machineWhy you should de-risk your concentration of wealthThe supply-demand equation that's shaping sales techAn up-and-coming company you need to know aboutShow Agenda and TimestampsThe high cost of a growth-at-all-costs mindset [7:06]How misalignment can force you to do what you don't want to do [10:00]What's wrong with over fueling the machine [14:16]Why you should de-risk your concentration of wealth [17:04]The supply-demand equation that's shaping sales tech [19:32]An up-and-coming company you need to know about [23:49]Sam's Corner [27:48] 

Upskilling platform Degreed has raised $153 million in Series D funding. The investment, which was co-led by Sapphire Ventures and Riverwood Capital, values the company at $1.4 billion. Dan Levin, former COO of Box will succeed Chris McCarthy as CEO of Degreed.  The funding will be used to accelerate product development, enhance data infrastructure, fuel global expansion, and pursue strategic acquisitions. Technology enhancements will focus on upgrading Degreed’s reporting and analytics, ensuring best in class security, and enhancing integrations that take Degreed deeper into users’ daily workflow. “Investing in skills, culture, and career growth has become a critical differentiator for employers,” said Jeff Parks, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Riverwood Capital. “Under Chris’ leadership, Degreed has transformed the learning experience and upskilling conversation. We are thrilled to build on that vision in partnership with Dan and this incredible team, and are focused on the next phase of their scalability journey and supporting their mission to equip people with the skills they need to redefine their careers, their companies, their fields, and the world.” The total funding round including equity and debt reached $183 million and included participation from current investors Signal Peak Ventures, Owl Ventures, GSV Ventures, Founders Circle, Contour Investment Partners, Section Partners, and Alliance Bernstein, as well as new investor Firework Ventures. https://hrtechfeed.com/upskilling-platform-degreed-raises-153-million-series-d/ obvite has launched Jobvite Academy, a new online learning center for talent acquisition (TA) teams to modernize their recruiting skills. Traditionally, recruiters have had to learn on the job or seek training on their own. Now, TA professionals and their teams can enhance their recruitment expertise with Jobvite Academy. Jobvite Academy is designed to upskill and broaden the knowledge of recruiting teams, resulting in better productivity and results for organizations regardless of their tech platform. Jobvite Academy features cost-effective and self-guided certification programs created and led by a faculty of experts and covers the knowledge needed for TA professionals to develop more innovative action plans informed by best practices. This includes providing vendor-agnostic training on critical recruiting skills, key competencies, and proven industry best practices. Jobvite Academy will include a range of certification options including these initial programs: Recruitment Marketing (available now), with Applicant Management and Effective TA Operations both coming soon. Each program can be completed at one’s own pace, includes seven learning modules, and qualifies for SHRM and HRCI credits. Participants will also receive two workbooks and one exam to ensure hands-on experience and course completion. https://hrtechfeed.com/jobvite-academy-launches-to-help-educate-talent-acquisition-professionals/  Hired has announced its new unified solution and rebrand following its acquisition by Vettery and The Adecco Group in November 2020. Hired has absorbed Vettery to operate as a single platform that matches a highly-curated pool of motivated candidates with fast-growing, innovative companies.   The new, combined solution expands Hired’s pool of candidates beyond tech to sales roles as well.  Besides continuing to offer remote roles globally, Hired is now available to candidates in four new markets – Atlanta, Dublin, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia – bringing the platform’s number of concentrated regions to 18 of the leading tech hubs in the world across the U.S., Canada, UK, and Ireland.  Hired aims to demystify the opaque hiring industry by giving both candidates and employers accurate information, equal access to opportunity, and unparalleled transparency. As G2’s leading Diversity Recruiting Software, Hired’s unique offering includes customized assessments and salary bias alerts to help remove unconscious bias in the hiring process. Cangrade, a leading bias-free AI-based hiring solution that predicts job candidate success, launched its Job Description Decoder, an easy and free way for organizations to reduce bias, improve their talent pipeline, and find the right fit for their roles by identifying the soft skills their candidates need for success. Cangrade’s Job Description Decoder is a powerful, easy-to-use tool built on Cangrade’s powerful psychometric data and I/O psychology. With a short survey, the Job Description Decoder pinpoints which soft skills will lead to success in a company’s open role, how to pinpoint those soft skills in an interview, and how to advertise for those skills. https://hrtechfeed.com/hr-tech-bytes-hired-cangrade/ ZipRecruiter now lets employers know when candidates are in high demand and encourages them to act fast, before it is too late Many employers lose top candidates to more agile competitors by taking too long to contact them. Now, ZipRecruiter helps employers avoid this costly mistake by giving them valuable information about the status and availability of applicants they are considering. When employers browse through applicants, an “Act Fast!” label notifies them if candidates are being actively recruited by other employers and encourages them to reach out quickly. The label indicates that the candidate has received a signal of intent from multiple other employers in recent days. https://hrtechfeed.com/ziprecruiters-new-act-fast-alert-helps-businesses-secure-top-candidates/ Fuel50, creator of a talent marketplace platform, today announced it has raised $15.5M (USD) in Series B funding, led by PeakSpan Capital and Shearwater Capital. With deep AI personalization and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, Fuel50 mobilizes talent through an AI-powered opportunity marketplace that delivers internal talent agility and workforce reskilling. With the new funds in place, Fuel50 will be increasing its presence across the US, EMEA, and Australasia, while accelerating product innovation to include deep analytics and talent intelligence. To date, Fuel50 has raised approximately $28.2 million. Fuel50 is an award-winning talent marketplace platform that delivers career path transparency, mobilizes talent, and evolves an organization’s workforce for the future. Featuring AI-driven talent and skills forecasting from the world’s fastest-growing talent experience platform,  https://hrtechfeed.com/talent-marketplace-fuel50-raises-15-5-million-in-series-b/

Ο Θάνος Παπαγγελής είναι ιδρυτής και CEO της ελληνικής εταιρείας λογισμικού Epignosis. Η Epignosis βοηθάει μεσαίες και μεγάλες επιχειρήσεις, μεταξύ των οποίων η Zoom, η Amazon και η Schneider Electric, να εκπαιδεύουν τους εργαζομένους τους ψηφιακά μέσω υπολογιστή ή ακόμα και μέσω κινητού τηλεφώνου. Στόχος της Epignosis είναι ο εκδημοκρατισμός της εκπαίδευσης μέσω μιας τεχνολογίας προσιτής και προσβάσιμης σε όλους. Ο Θάνος αφηγείται την πορεία που ακολούθησε η εταιρεία μέχρι να φτάσει στο Σαν Φρανσίσκο και να κερδίσει το ενδιαφέρον μεγάλων επενδυτών όπως η PeakSpan Capital. Ακόμα, εξηγεί τι σημαίνει ο ανταγωνισμός για την εξέλιξη μιας εταιρείας και αποκαλύπτει τις σημαντικές μεταβολές που θα φέρει τα επόμενα χρόνια η τεχνολογία στην εκπαίδευση υπαλλήλων. 

Chad Burmeister, the AI for Sales Expert on the Sales Experts Channel, will talk with Matt Melymuka, Co-Founder and Partner of PeakSpan Capital, talks about his view of artificial intelligence in sales after talking with literally 500+ technology companies over the past few years.In this podcast, Chad talks to Matt about:1)   Where is the AI for Sales space headed? (hint: AI and Machine learning is highly over-used)2)   Why it matters to focus on outcomes, not features and functions3) We're moving from descriptive to prescriptive insights and information in sales

PeakSpan supply chain and procurement growth-stage investment strategy. Episode notes: PeakSpan mission 6:37. PeakSpan supply chain technology platforms 9:54. Efficiency targets for investments 13:46. Distinction in investments at 3-5M vs 25M+ 17:29. Value of Zenefits, Netsuite and Oracle perspective 18:27. Why supply chain? 21:01. Cold chain 23:35. Front of the house vs back of the house software adoption 28:03. Omnichannel 29:10. Valuing cost-saving as much as revenue generation 29:40. Importance of data 32:42. Coupa spend management 34:50. ERP market penetration 36:33. Logistics value 38:49. Importance of Labor 42:06. Thesis for XOi investment 46:09. Trends to watch for in 2021 50:54.

James Isilay is the cofounder and CEO of Cognism which is a B2B sales acceleration software company that provides a marketing and sales acceleration solution. The company has raised over $20 million from top tier investors such as Investiere, London Co-Investment Fund, Newable Private Investing, AXA Venture Partners, Fintech Sandbox, and PeakSpan Capital to name a few.