Podcasts about salesforce ventures

Imagine an accounts‑receivable clerk clicking through four different systems just to finish one routine task. Chad Gold sees that bottleneck instantly. Fullstory's newly launched Workforce product maps every mouse‑stroke of such employee journeys, then surfaces friction points so companies can “make them more productive, so they can do even more value‑added things,” Gold tells us.The scene encapsulates the finance leader's thesis: data depth wins. “The companies that have the capabilities to capture the most comprehensive sets of data in a meaningful way are going to win,” he says. That conviction drew Gold—now in his fourth CFO chapter—to the Atlanta‑based behavioral‑data platform. Fullstory records the complete digital experience of each customer, from e‑commerce clicks to SaaS workflows, and feeds the corpus into AI models that flag churn risk or recommend instant actions, such as sending a coupon to a wavering shopper. The result drives revenue and reduces churn, he tells us.For its part, Fullstory has raised capital rounds through Series D and counts Kleiner Perkins, Stripes, Premier, Salesforce Ventures, GV and Dell Technologies among its backers, he tells us. Independent directors Ryan Barreto of Sprout Social and former Atlassian CFO Alex Estevez deepen the bench. After 22 years in finance, Gold values “lines, not dots”—long‑term relationships that provide partnership, not just cash. By pairing that philosophy with a platform built to illuminate every click, he aims to turn invisible friction—whether customer or employee—into the next chapter of growth. Stakeholders across the business will feel the lift, Gold predicts.

Astronomer, a developer of the data orchestration platform Astro, secured $93 million in a Series D funding round led by Bain Capital Ventures. The funding involved contributions from Salesforce Ventures and existing investors like Insight Partners, Meritech, and Venrock. The New York-based startup's Astro platform faces increased demand as automation and processing of data workflows become essential for AI applications. Astronomer reported a year-on-year revenue growth of 150% and aims for profitability within two years. Since its founding in 2018, Astronomer has raised nearly $376 million in total funding. This funding round reflects a trend of significant investments in the AI sector, with AI leading venture funding in Q1 2025, receiving $59.6 billion, representing 53% of global funding.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chainguard, a software supply chain security startup, secured $356 million in a Series D funding round, achieving a valuation of $3.5 billion. The funding was co-led by Kleiner Perkins and IVP, with new investors including Salesforce Ventures and Datadog Ventures. The valuation reflects a threefold increase from the previous valuation of $1.12 billion after a $140 million Series C round. Chainguard focuses on secure software development tools, particularly for open-source software, and reported an annual recurring revenue of $40 million, aiming to exceed $100 million by fiscal year 2026. The company has raised a total of $612 million since its founding in 2021. Cybersecurity investment remains strong, with Exaforce recently raising $75 million in a Series A round and total funding for VC-backed cybersecurity startups surpassing $2.7 billion in Q1 2024, a 29% increase from the previous quarter.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graze, a startup that lets people build and monetize custom feeds for Bluesky's social network, has attracted new capital. Pre-seed investors, led by Betaworks and Salesforce Ventures, have invested $1 million in the company's small team, which is working to give users control over their algorithms and social media experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Tank Talks, we welcome back Villi Iltchev, founder and managing partner of Category Ventures, for an unfiltered deep dive into the evolving venture capital landscape. From his early days at Salesforce Ventures to launching his solo $160M fund, Villi unpacks the seismic shifts happening in enterprise software, how AI is reshaping startup economics, and what today's founders need most from their investors.We get tactical about startup pricing models, founder-investor trust, and what it takes to build truly category-defining companies. Villi also shares what he learned from backing GitLab, why transparency builds long-term trust, and how he thinks about firm design as a solo GP.Whether you're an aspiring founder, current operator, or an emerging VC, this episode is a masterclass in strategic thinking and building with purpose.Inside the Mind of a Modern VC (00:01:00)* Villi's journey from tech banking to Salesforce Ventures* Why Salesforce's transformation into a platform company changed everything* The parallels between Salesforce and NVIDIA's ecosystem dominance* How being early at Salesforce shaped Villi's thesis around go-to-market and platform strategyScaling GitLab: Lessons from the Frontlines (00:15:00)* The inside story of GitLab's infamous database failure—and why live-streaming the crisis built trust* Why Villi pushed GitLab to sunset unscalable SKUs and simplify pricing* The power of bundling and setting an “aspirational” price point from day oneGoing Solo: Building Category Ventures (00:25:00)* Why Villi finally felt ready to start his own fund—and what changed* The biggest surprises (and reliefs) in raising as a solo GP* How LPs are getting more sophisticated and what they want from fund managers* Why venture needs a reset and what legacy firms are getting wrongThe New Rules of Early-Stage Investing (00:32:00)* Why founder/firm misalignment leads to orphaned startups* The real impact of mega-funds dabbling at seed and pre-seed* Why Category Ventures is built to be flexible—and fiercely focused on enterprise softwareAI, Startups & the Future of Enterprise (00:38:00)* Villi's hot take on AI-powered lean startups: “It's not the norm—and won't be.”* Why AI is a second-order unlock for vertical SaaS and back-office automation* The coming wave of software replacing the BPO industryLife, Adrenaline, and VC Energy (00:45:00)* What gets Villi's adrenaline pumping as a VC* Why endless internal meetings kill his vibe—and founder calls fuel him* How skiing and extreme adventure balance the chaos of ventureAs the venture landscape shifts under our feet, Villi Iltchev is proving that thoughtful investing, deep expertise, and founder-first empathy are more vital than ever. From GitLab board rooms to building Category VC, his journey is a blueprint for those looking to lead with clarity—and conviction.About Villi Iltchev:Villi Iltchev is the founder and managing partner of Category Ventures, a $160M early-stage venture firm focused exclusively on enterprise software. With a career spanning both operating and investing, Villi brings a rare blend of empathy and edge to the startups he backs—having sat on both sides of the table.He began his career in tech investment banking before transitioning into operating roles at companies like Hewlett-Packard, LifeLock, and Box. He later joined Salesforce Ventures at its inception, helping to build one of the most influential corporate venture arms in the world. During his time there, he led investments in category-defining companies like GitLab and HubSpot.Prior to launching Category Ventures, Villi was a partner at August Capital and Two Sigma Ventures, where he built a strong track record backing developer tools, infrastructure, and vertical SaaS startups. His investments are grounded in deep enterprise domain expertise, a keen sense for go-to-market strategy, and a relentless focus on founder empathy.A lifelong learner and backcountry skiing enthusiast, Villi draws creative energy from the outdoors and adrenaline-fueled adventures. He holds degrees in finance and philosophy and is driven by a singular belief: the best founders don't just build products—they redefine categories.Follow Villi Iltchev on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/villi04Visit the Category Ventures website: https://www.categoryvc.com/Follow Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Rami Tamir is no stranger to the startup world. A seasoned entrepreneur with multiple successful exits, he has honed his ability to build, scale, and navigate acquisitions like a veteran baseball player hitting home runs with each venture. Rami's latest venture, Salto, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures.

Together AI raised $305 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst and Saudi Arabia's Prosperity7 Ventures, achieving a valuation of $3.3 billion, up from $1.25 billion after a previous funding round. Significant investors included Salesforce Ventures, Nvidia, Kleiner Perkins, and Coatue. Together AI reported annualized revenue exceeding $100 million, an increase from $30 million in February. Investments in AI startups showed strong momentum, with Anthropic securing $1 billion from Google in January, and over $42 billion invested in AI startups during the fourth quarter of the previous year, nearly double the prior quarter's investment.Learn more on this news visit us at: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with Satyen Sangani, the Co-Founder and CEO of Alation, an enterprise software company, whose data catalog serves enterprises in organizing and consolidating their data. Nearly 600 global enterprises — including 40% of the Fortune 100 — rely on Alation to realize value from every data and AI initiative. Alation is backed by Thoma Bravo, Riverwood Capital, Salesforce Ventures and other notable investors. Since 2012, Satyen and his team have been passionate about helping enterprises create thriving data cultures where anyone can find, understand, and trust data. Prior to founding Alation, Satyen spent a decade at Oracle where he managed the financial services warehousing and performance management business. I am your host RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode click to follow.

Richard Socher, an AI pioneer and accomplished entrepreneur, has a story that exemplifies innovation, resilience, and the ability to transform cutting-edge technology into impactful businesses. Richard has had an exceptional journey founding and scaling AI-driven companies like MetaMind and You.com. His latest venture You.com has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Marc Benioff, Salesforce Ventures, NVIDIA, Gen Digital, and SBVA (formerly Softbank Ventures Asia).

Runway is an applied AI research company building multi-modal AI systems, model deployment infrastructure, and products that leverage AI for multimedia content. They are among a handful of high-profile video generation startups and have raised impressive amounts of funding from investors such as Google, NVIDIA, and Salesforce Ventures. The company recently released their Gen-3 Alpha The post Runway AI with Joel Kwartler appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

Runway is an applied AI research company building multi-modal AI systems, model deployment infrastructure, and products that leverage AI for multimedia content. They are among a handful of high-profile video generation startups and have raised impressive amounts of funding from investors such as Google, NVIDIA, and Salesforce Ventures. The company recently released their Gen-3 Alpha The post Runway AI with Joel Kwartler appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

Today on Equity, TechCrunch Editor Julie Bort is sitting down with Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce and one of the tech industry's biggest hype men, about his latest work with Time Ventures and Salesforce Ventures, and why he thinks AI agents are the next big thing for enterprise software. Listen to the full episode to hear about: The impact of AI on customer experienceThe application of AI agents in the healthcare space - and what it could mean for data privacyMarc's thoughts on Salesforce competitor Microsoft's CopilotThe range of gadgets that have piqued Benioff's interest latelyAs always, Equity will be back on Friday with our news round-up!Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

When it comes to the companies leading the way in AI development, Salesforce might not be the first name that springs to mind. The veteran CRM provider launched its flagship ‘Einstein' AI in 2016, which relied on traditional machine learning methods to improve customer experience, but hasn't sought to go head-to-head with major AI developers.With several years of generative AI hype at its back, the company is trying to carve a out a place for itself as the purveyor of trusted AI tools that live up to the hype – put simply, automated software that helps us work less, and reap more rewards.How has the company sold this vision so far at its annual conference, Dreamforce 2024? And is it likely to succeed given the vicious competition in the space?In this episode, Jane and Rory speak to Ross Kelly, ITPro's news and analysis editor, live from Dreamforce in San Francisco.Read more:Salesforce wants to show what “AI was always meant to be” – Dreamforce 2024 is its chance to do itSalesforce CEO wants to “break the hypnosis" coming from major AI vendors in scathing critique of Microsoft Copilot“Values drive value” for Salesforce Ventures as AI investment ramps upSalesforce may have had its ‘ChatGPT moment' with AI agents – and it will take a lot to knock the company off its perchHigh wire acts, Microsoft Clippy, and DIY AI at Dreamforce 2024Dreamforce 2024: All the news and announcements as they happened

Corporate venture capital investments have decreased over the past two years, with U.S.-based corporate investors involved in only 1,385 deals by mid-2024, maintaining last year's pace but significantly lower than in 2022. Despite prominent funding rounds, including Alphabet's $5 billion in Waymo and Disney's $1.5 billion in Epic Games, the overall deal flow remains low. Early-stage funding has seen 489 deals this year, down from over 700, while later-stage funding reflects a decrease from 270 in 2023 to 190 deals. Google Ventures leads in deal counts with 46 rounds, followed by Coinbase Ventures at 30, Samsung Next at 27, Salesforce Ventures tied at 26, and Nvidia at 21 rounds. A growing portion of U.S. startup funding is sourced from rounds backed by corporate investors, yet total deal numbers and investment capital are contracting, indicating that high-profile deals do not equate to increased corporate engagement. Data was collected as of September 13, 2024, focusing on corporate venture capital transactions to detail investment trends.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.com, an AI-powered search engine, has raised $50 million in a series B funding round, bringing their total funding to $99 million. The company is focused on accuracy and safety, and aims to provide a tool that can autonomously complete tasks for users. They offer a wide range of AI models and allow users to switch between them. The investors in this round include Salesforce Ventures, Nvidia, and DuckDuckGo. The conversation also touches on the concept of agents and the future direction of AI. Get on the AI Box Waitlist: ⁠⁠https://AIBox.ai/⁠⁠ Conor's AI Course: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/courses Jaeden's Podcast Course: https://podcaststudio.com/courses/ Conor's AI Newsletter: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/ Jaeden's AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustle/about 00:00 Introduction to U.com 02:01 Focus on Agents 02:59 Wide Range of AI Models 06:19 Investors in U.com

In today's ever-changing business landscape, few founders possess the experience of building multiple successful ventures across different industries. An Australian entrepreneur, Jason Wyatt, is an inspiring example of such a founder. Jason's platform, Marketplacer, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Salesforce Ventures, Ellerston Capital, Acorn Capital, and Soul Patts.

Matt Panousis, is the Co-Founder & COO at MARZ which stands for Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies. MARZ is an AI-enabled VFX company on a mission to help Hollywood studios push the boundaries, quality, and volume of TV. and has developed an AI platform called lipdub.ai. A lawyer by training and entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of success co-founding and scaling B2B technology start-ups including ACTO (venture-backed by Salesforce Ventures, Resolve Growth Partners and Panache Ventures) and currently Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies (venture-backed by Round13 Capital, Rhino Ventures, Harlo Equity Partners and John Cassaday) with a focus on company strategy, product, operations and growth. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada's economy. To support Canada's businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter

Altana AI, a New York-based supply chain management startup, secured a $200 million Series C investment led by the US Innovative Technology Fund, reaching a $1 billion valuation. Other investors include March Capital, Generation Investment Management, Salesforce Ventures, and existing investors like GV and Omers Ventures. Altana's platform provides detailed visibility into global value chains, essential due to new trade restrictions and climate policies. The platform uses AI to analyze data and identify risks. Founded in 2018, Altana has raised a total of $322 million, with a $100 million Series B round led by Activate Capital Partners in 2022.Learn more on this news visit us at:https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, securing enterprise contracts can be a game-changer for startups and tech firms alike. The journey to winning over Fortune 1000 clients requires strategic planning, tailored communication, and a deep understanding of the enterprise world. Drawing insights from venture capital experts, we explore the nuances of navigating enterprise sales and building successful relationships with top-tier clients. In this episode, we sit with Theo Williams, the founder of Third Vector and an expert in venture capital specializing in the space technology industry. Theo shares his journey from a finance background to diving into the tech world, highlighting the challenges and opportunities he encountered along the way. He delves into the importance of investing in the space technology industry and how it can drive significant global impact.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.  Founder Bio:   Theo Williams is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in venture capital, strategic partnerships, and business development. As the Founder and Managing Partner at Third Vector, he spearheads an early-stage VC firm specializing in investments at the intersection of Space Tech and Big Data. Prior to founding Third Vector, Theo served as a Senior Portfolio Development Manager at Salesforce Ventures, where he played a key role in fortifying the enterprise ecosystem through strategic partnerships and investments. Before his tenure at Salesforce Ventures, Theo held positions in sales and investor relations at Cadre and in product development at Nuveen, a TIAA company. Throughout his career, Theo has demonstrated a commitment to driving growth and innovation in various sectors, leveraging his expertise in investment strategy and relationship management.   Theo holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business, where he was recognized as a Robert Toigo Foundation Fellow. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Louisiana State University, where he demonstrated leadership as part of the Tiger Twelve Senior Recognition Class of 2012 and in various student government roles.   Time Stamps:   02:49: Theo's journey from finance to tech 06:33 Understanding alternative investments 09:08 Transitioning to tech and angel investing 14:15 The birth of a space tech VC firm 21:37 Investment focus: Space data and infrastructure 24:22 Navigating the fundraising process 26:34 Aligning with founders and managing risk 31:43 Enterprise sales strategies for founders 37:49 Building for Enterprise vs. SMB 42:22 What's coming new in 2024, and how to get in contact with the team   Resources   Email: Theo@thirdvector.ventures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/third-vector/ Theo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theowilliams3/

This week John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity is back with Matt to talk about the news affecting the venture capital and financial sectors including Cohere's recent $450 million fundraising, featuring investments from Nvidia, Salesforce Ventures, and others. The conversation shifts to the resurgence of crypto interest, Vista Equity's write-off of Pluralsight, private equity firms targeting individual assets within companies rather than entire companies, and how that could present opportunities for venture capitalists to recover some value from underperforming investments.They also cover Canada's capital gains plan's slow progress and impact on investment stability, as well as the proposal of a new “anti-woke” Texas stock exchange, which aims to offer a more business-friendly environment free from some of the regulatory burdens seen in current exchanges.Finally, they discuss recent interest rate changes by the Bank of Canada and the European Central Bank, and their implications for the Canadian economy and inflation.In this episode, we discuss:* (00:49) Cohere's $450 million fundraising.* (02:49) Discussion on AI space valuations.* (04:28) Crypto resurgence and political implications.* (07:46) Vista Equity's write-off of Pluralsight.* (10:55) Private equity targeting individual assets.* (12:48) Canada's capital gains plan delay.* (14:24) Proposal of Texas stock exchange.* (17:05) Interest rate changes by Bank of Canada and ECB.* (19:54) Impact of interest rates on the economy.Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Oleria, a startup providing access management tools primarily for enterprise customers, announced in Jan. 2024 that it raised $33 million in a Series A round led by Evolution Equity Partners with participation from Salesforce Ventures, Tapestry Ventures and Zscaler. Oleria was co-founded in 2022 by Jim Alkove and Jagadeesh Kunda, reports TechCrunch. Alkove, an ex-Microsoft CVP and former “chief trust officer” at Salesforce, where he met Kunda, says that he'd “long been vexed” by the challenge of delivering cybersecurity while not preventing business partners from doing their jobs. This interview was brought to you by Evolution Equity. Learn more at https://evolutionequity.com.

This week's guest is Dan O'Connell, Dan serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Dialpad and is also a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to Dialpad, Dan was the CEO and President of TalkIQ, real-time speech recognition and NLP start-up backed by Salesforce Ventures and Scale Venture Partners. He was AdRoll's Vice President of Sales and also spent 8 years at Google where he handled key sales positions. Dan holds an MBA from the University of California Berkeley and a degree in Communications from Santa Clara University. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uncharted1/support

Bob Moore is the founder of Crossbeam, which is a platform-led ecosystem that helps companies build sales partnerships by understanding their overlapping accounts using a process called account mapping. There is a vast network effect as customers attract other partners to the network. The Company raised $117 million from notable investors such as Andreessen Horowitz led the round, with participation from prior round lead investors Redpoint Ventures, FirstMark Capital, First Round Capital and Uncork Capital, along with Salesforce Ventures, HubSpot Ventures and Okta Ventures.So far that network has grown to 18,000 companies. If you like our podcast, please don't forget to subscribe and support us on your favorite podcast players. We also would appreciate your feedback and rating to reach more people.We recently launched our new newsletter, Principles Friday, where I share one principle that can help you in your life or business, one thought-provoking question, and one call to action toward that principle. Please subscribe Here.It is Free and Short (2min).

Greg Skloot is Managing Partner at Bridge Crest Partners, a buy-side M&A search firm based in Nashville. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of Crystal, an AI software startup backed by Salesforce Ventures. He is also co-author of Predicting Personality, a book published by Wiley about using AI to understand people and win more business. Prior, Greg was VP Growth at Netpulse (70 employees, $40M funding) where he led sales, customer success, marketing and operations. It was acquired in 2018 by eGym. Earlier, he was CEO and co-founder of Attend.com (30 employees, $3M funding). Greg was recognized by Forbes as 30 Under 30 in enterprise technology and is the President-Elect of the Phoenix Club of Nashville. The Phoenix Club of Nashville is a 100% volunteer-led 501(c)(3) organization of young men with a dual mission to benefit under-served youth in Middle Tennessee and to develop our members into leaders in their community and in business. Members of the Phoenix Club are actively looking for ways to make a positive and permanent impact on the lives of under-served youth and their community. ⁠https://phoenixclubofnashville.org⁠   ⁠https://https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-phoenix-club-of-nashville/⁠   IG: @phoenixclub_nashville

Get ready to hear from Ryan Lott, Founder & CEO of Neocol, a Salesforce Revenue Cloud system integrator experiencing explosive growth! In just 3 years, Neocol has quadrupled its team, driven by Ryan's 20+ years of business expertise. He's based in Las Vegas and Nashville, and in this episode, he'll take us on a deep dive into: Their journey from IBM to Salesforce Revenue Cloud: Discover why they made the switch and what benefits they've reaped. Unveiling their service offerings: Learn about Neocol's diverse portfolio and how they help businesses thrive. Learn more about the 25-30 accelerators they developed this year. Investing in innovation: Get more info on their spring 2023 funding from Salesforce Ventures. Partnering for power: Learn about their strategic collaboration with RightRev and its impact. Salesforce Summit Partner: Learn what that nomination as a Salesforce Summit Partner is doing for them AI/ML/LLM: Learn what Neocol thinks about this and where they see the biggest interest. Don't miss this insightful conversation with Ryan Lott as he shares the secrets behind Neocol's impressive success and their vision for the future! website: neocol.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lott-538313b/   

In this episode, we speak with Raghu Ravinutala, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow.ai, a global leader in generative AI-powered customer service automation. Raghu co-founded the company with a vision to make customer and enterprise interactions more effective and effortless. Since its inception, Raghu and his team have successfully expanded Yellow.ai's presence across the U.S., Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Australia and Latin America with over 1,000 customers in over 85 countries. Previously, Raghu worked for 16 years with leading tech companies such as Texas Instruments, and Broadcom across leadership roles in engineering, product management and business development both in the Bay Area and India. Raghu was recently recognized as one of the Top 50 SaaS CEOs of 2023 by The Software Report.  The company is backed by Salesforce Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, WestBridge Capital, and other notable investors. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.

Maia Benson and Joe Lynch discuss A SaaS Gal in VC Land. Maia is a SaaS gal in VC land and a Managing Director at Forum Ventures where she works with SaaS founders from inception to scale.  About Maia Benson Maia Benson is a Managing Director at Forum where she works with SaaS founders from inception to scale.  She has spent over 20 years founding, building and scaling award-winning SaaS products for Entrepreneurs and SMBs at places like LexisNexis, Pitney Bowes and most recently at Shopify, where she helped found, launch and scale their Shipping and Fulfillment products from inception to 60%+ merchant adoption and $Bs of transportation spend. About Forum Ventures Forum Ventures is the leading early-stage fund, program and community for B2B SaaS startups. Founded in 2014 as Acceleprise, we're on a mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible and successful for early-stage founders, through pre-seed and seed-stage funding, high touch programming, corporate perks and introductions, and an active SaaS community. Forum For Founders, our pre-seed program, provides founders with $100k in funding and 15 intense weeks of talks, events, mentorship and 1:1 guidance focused on go to market and fundraising. Forum Seed, our seed fund, backs exceptional SaaS startups at the seed-stage both from within and outside of our pre-seed program. With over 250 portfolio companies, Forum founders have gone on to raise from NEA, Andreessen Horowitz, Uncork Capital, 8VC, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, Canaan, Bowery Capital, Susa Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, SV Angel, True Ventures and many more. Our private peer community for Innovation executives -- The Innovation Forum -- brings together like-minded intrapreneurs from all backgrounds to share best practices, insights, and advice, and support one another. In addition to our incredible peer community, members get access to industry trend reports, collaborative events, emerging technology, and startup introductions. Key Takeaways: A SaaS Gal in VC Land Forum Ventures is the top choice for early-stage B2B SaaS companies looking for funding. Forum Ventures is different and better for the following reasons: Founder-focused: Their team consists of former SaaS founders, offering deep understanding of the early-stage journey and expertise in GTM, sales, and fundraising. Pre-seed and seed investments: They empower early-stage B2B SaaS companies with pre-seed and seed funding, ranging from $100k to $2 million. High-touch programs: Beyond funding, they provide high-touch programs like "Forum For Founders" (15 weeks of talks, mentorship, and guidance) and a dedicated fundraising track. Thriving community: They foster an active SaaS community with over 450 founders, mentors, and experts, offering connections, support, and valuable insights. Accessibility champions: Committed to diversity and inclusion, they strive to make the B2B SaaS ecosystem more accessible to underrepresented founders. Proven success: With over 250 successful pre-seed and seed investments, their track record speaks for itself. Fractional co-founder approach: They act as a "fractional co-founder" with world-class expertise, helping startups navigate crucial steps like product development, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising. Mission-driven: Driven by a genuine passion for aiding founders, they prioritize their success and strive to make the B2B SaaS journey easier and more impactful. Learn More About A SaaS Gal in VC Maia Benson | LinkedIn Forum Ventures | LinkedIn Forum Ventures | Homepage The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

Richard Valtr is the founder of Mews — which provides a cloud-based hotel property management platform with tools covering reservations, payments, and more. It has raised $223 million of funding, from notable investors such as Kinnevik, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Revaia, Derive Ventures, Orbit Capital, Battery Ventures, Notion Capital, Salesforce Ventures, Thayer Ventures and henQ, with a potential company a post-money valuation of $865 million.Mews are streets (for example, in London) full of usually small houses or flats converted from horse stables for bigger houses nearby. Ironically, though, Mews the startup is not that small at all. In the year that travel “came back” post the peak of COVID and the various restrictions imposed on people moving around, Mews saw revenues grow 174%, with gross payment volume in the period up 227% and now standing at $2.3 billion. It has customers in 85 countries, and 5,000 hotels in all.Where to find Richard Valtr:• Website: The Hospitality Management System of the Future | Mews PMS• LinkedIn (12) Richard Valtr | LinkedInWhere to find Hadi Radwan:• Newsletter: Principles Friday | Hadi Radwan | Substack• LinkedIn: Hadi Radwan | LinkedInIf you like our podcast, please don't forget to subscribe and support us on your favorite podcast players. We also would appreciate your feedback and rating to reach more people.We recently launched our new newsletter, Principles Friday, where I share one principle that can help you in your life or business, one thought-provoking question, and one call to action toward that principle. Please subscribe Here.It is Free and Short (2min).

In a recent episode of the Dealmakers' Podcast, Matthew Darrow, Co-founder of Vivun, shared his remarkable journey from being an engineer to founding a B2B enterprise software company. His experiences growing up in different parts of the world and his background in engineering laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial spirit. His venture, Vivun, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Tiger Global Management, Salesforce Ventures, Accel, and Menlo Ventures.

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Michael Cardamone, CEO and General Partner at Forum Ventures. Located in New York, NY, USA, Forum Ventures is the leading early-stage fund, program, and community for B2B SaaS startups. Founded in 2014 as Acceleprise, they are on a mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible, and successful for early-stage founders, through pre-seed and seed-stage funding, high-touch programming, corporate perks and introductions, and an active SaaS community.  With over 250 portfolio companies, Forum founders have gone on to raise from NEA, Andreessen Horowitz, Uncork Capital, 8VC, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, Canaan, Bowery Capital, Susa Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, SV Angel, True Ventures and many more. Michael Cardamone focuses on developing our investment strategy with the mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible, and more successful for early-stage founders. As one of the first 30 employees at Box, as well as leading partnerships at AcedemixDirect, Michael has had direct experience growing SaaS companies from small startups to large-scale enterprises. He is also an angel investor in a dozen companies including a seed investment in Flexport. Michael shares insights about his background in tech, the evolution of Foreign Ventures, and their unique approach to investing in startups. He discusses the challenges of raising pre-seed capital in the current market and outlines the criteria they look for in founders and startups. Michael also explains the differences between Foreign Ventures and other venture funds, emphasizing their hands-on approach and extensive resources.  Visit Forum Ventures at , and on . Reach out to Michael at , and on . _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:    Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Dimitri Dadiomov is the Co-founder and CEO of Modern Treasury, an operating system for the new era of payments. Dimitri and his co-founders Matt and Sam started the company in 2018 after running into the same problem working together at their previous startup. Modern Treasury has since raised over $183 million, supported by investors like YCombinator, Benchmark, Altimeter, Salesforce Ventures, Quiet Capital, WndrCo, TQ Ventures, and Edward Lando. Brought to you by Secureframe, the automated compliance platform built by compliance experts: https://bit.ly/3OwGdGC Sign-up for Ramp and get $500: https://bit.ly/3KSqfFV Read the transcript: https://www.thespl.it/p/how-to-move-quadrillions-of-dollars In this episode, we discuss: How the global banking system moves over $1 quadrillion per year Why B2B products should be easy to use with broad use cases What makes a good API business Why the YC application is a great forcing function for founders How it took them six months to get their first customer, but never pivoted Why the first customers of a B2B business should get more credit How PLG helped build a better product Finding holes in the market for an initial go-to-market strategy The depth of Modern Treasury's product Why they should have built a sales team sooner How deep customer relationships across many industries helped them raise a Series A Why it's important to go slow to go fast How Dimitri set an intentional culture around studying other businesses When distribution can be more important than product What happened inside Modern Treasury during the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank Why Dimitri sends Saturday update emails to entire company The founders Dimitri really admires Where to find Dimitri: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dadiomov LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dadiomov/ Where to find Turner: Newsletter: https://www.thespl.it Twitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovak Read the transcript: https://www.thespl.it/p/how-to-move-quadrillions-of-dollars Production and distribution by: https://www.supermix.io For sponsorship inquiries: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSebvhBlDDfHJyQdQWs8RwpFxWg-UbG0H-VFey05QSHvLxkZPQ/viewform

Episode OverviewAre you trying to secure funding for your business?In this episode, Garry shares his experience with Salesforce Ventures funding and how a chance encounter turned into a great opportunity for Red Argyle. He also delves into Salesforce's funding structure and long-term strategy.About Garry PolmateerGarry is a Certified Salesforce Administrator. His favorite thing about the platform is its extensibility to solve clients' unique business problems quickly, compliantly, and affordably. He especially loves complex and custom projects!Before becoming CEO, Garry helped grow Red Argyle from two employees to 60, firmly establishing our brand within the Salesforce ecosystem. He has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit and for-profit organizations, working in IT consulting, development, business analysis, and network administration.Garry was named to the Albany Business Review's list of 40 Under 40 and the Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame. During his tenure, Red Argyle has been named a “Best Place to Work” and made the Inc. 5000 list.You'll find Garry woodworking or handling axes and chainsaws when not geeking out online. He lives with his wife and two children, Angus, the golden retriever, and Angel, the mean African grey parrot.Resources and Links487 - Show NotesRedargyle.comGarry's LinkedIn profileGarry on Twitter: @DarthGarryThe Cloud Consultants ShowScaling Blueprint Join our newsletterPaulhigginsmentoring.comConnect With PaulOn LinkedIn

Ever thought about how an AI-backed Web 3 Data platform can shape the future of customer journeys? Today, we're pulling back the curtain on Salesforce Ventures' leap into the Web 3.0 arena, leading a $6 million investment in Mnemonic. This move presents a fascinating shift from a traditional Web 2.0 company into the thrilling world of Web 3.0 and NFTs. We'll dissect the potential of this venture and how companies like Salesforce could leverage it to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their customers, crafting personalized experiences. Moreover, we'll touch on NFTs' potential in offering a holistic view of a customer's interaction with a brand. We're also navigating the intriguing world of decentralized social media and the power it has to revolutionize influencer marketing. Discover how these platforms can enable marketers to build direct relationships with influencers and target audiences, essentially setting up a marketplace for finding and bidding micro-influencers. And for a fun twist, we're checking out the whimsical world of Slim Jim's Meat Appers - the snack brand's latest NFT venture. From the initial minting experience to the customization options, we'll show how Slim Jims uses Web 3 technology to create a fun, interactive, and accessible experience for their consumers. So, buckle up for a gripping conversation about the evolving digital landscape, which might just change the way you think about customer relations and social media marketing.If you like this episode, please help us liking and subscribing on your favorite podcast app.Today's News:Salesforce Leads $6M Round for AI-Backed Web3 Data Platform MnemonicInfluencer marketing is expected to evolve into a common marketing tacticSnap Into the 'Meataverse'—Slim Jim Gives Away Free 'GigaJims' NFTsThis content is for informational purposes only. Do check our sponsor Step3 if you want to learn more about how Web3 can help companies create better communities for their users.

In der Rubrik “Investments & Exits” begrüßen wir heute David Fischer, Principal bei HV Capital. David spricht mit uns über die Finanzierungsrunden von Sylvera und Arrive Recommerce.Das Londoner ClimateTech Sylvera hat in einer Series-B-Finanzierungsrunde 57 Millionen US-Dollar eingesammelt. Angeführt von Balderton Capital und mit Beteiligung von Investoren wie Index Ventures, Insight Partners, Salesforce Ventures und anderen, plant das Unternehmen den Eintritt in den US-Markt und die Erweiterung seines Teams. Sylvera bietet vertrauenswürdige Daten und Bewertungen von Kompensationsprojekten, um Kunden dabei zu unterstützen, ihre Netto-Null-Ziele zu erreichen. Zu den Kunden des Start-ups gehören Unternehmen wie S&P Global, Salesforce, BCG und Mitsubishi.Das in Santa Monica ansässige Resale-Technologieunternehmen Arrive Recommerce hat in einer Series-A-Finanzierungsrunde 16 Millionen US-Dollar eingesammelt. Zu den Investoren gehören Javelin Venture Partners, Climatic VC, Maersk Growth, Sidekick VC, Cosmic Venture Partners, 444 Capital, Freestyle VC, Animo VC, Banana Capital, Alpaca VC, Regeneration VC und Wedbush Ventures. Gegründet wurde das Unternehmen von Rachelle Snyder und Ross Richmond. Die Finanzierung soll dazu verwendet werden, die Plattform auf weitere Marken und Betreiber auszudehnen.Shownotes:

How to Hustle Holistically with Brooke Daniels S7 Ep. 12This entrepreneur and business advisor wants to disrupt the toxic hustle culture and replace it with something more holistic. She is an advocate for holistic hustle. Stick around to learn more about that as well her advice to disrupt the notion of overnight success.Brooke Daniels, the CEO of Daniels & Co. and Director at Salesforce Ventures, is a force to reckon with in the Venture Capital space. This mindful business strategist, fluent in German, believes in striking a harmonious work-life balance by incorporating daily meditation. With over 15 years in the industry, she is an active angel investor who coached founders who successfully raised more than $75 million in VC dollars.Brooke is also a Director at Salesforce Ventures and has over a decade of experience in VC and tech. She is an Advisor for BLCK VC, Justice Technology Association, and is on the Investment Committee for the Cap Table Coalition.  She is also a mentor to entrepreneurs with TechStars and Pharrell William's non-profit, Black Ambition. Brooke holds an Executive MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler and is an advisor for the entrepreneurship program.This is Michelle McKenzie and welcome to the WTF? podcast where we demystify entrepreneurship and the fog around funding. In this episode we discussed: The 5 top things that entrepreneurs should know before they start a business or at the very startup stage of their business. What entrepreneurs should understand about capital when they start their business before they embark on their fundraising journey Why it's important for Black and Brown investors to take up space on cap tables of businesses led by Black and other underrepresented founders How to displace the toxic entrepreneurship hustle mentality and replace it with a holistic hustle mentality. Both Brooke and I are proponents of the holistic hustle so, when was the last time you enjoyed REST?At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!Learn more about Brooke: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Website Learn more about the Daniels and Co.: Instagram Website Books Mentioned: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson I hope you enjoyed this episode. Don't keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with 3 friends. Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email whereisthefunding@gmail.com. Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn. Join me next Friday for another episode.

As generative AI continues to improve, iterate, and integrate, there are news stories to discuss and advancements to break down. That's why we're happy Paul Roetzer and Mike Kaput are back for episode 54 of The Marketing AI Show. ChatGPT Code Interpreter available for all OpenAI announced on July 6 that ChatGPT's Code Interpreter feature will be made available to all ChatGPT Plus users. Previously, only select users received access after signing up for a waitlist. Code Interpreter gives ChatGPT the ability to run code, use files you upload to produce outputs, analyze data, create charts, and perform sophisticated math. This gives ChatGPT the ability to do all sorts of data analysis and code-dependent tasks it couldn't do well before. People are already using Code Interpreter in interesting ways including customer segmentation, data visualization, and data analysis.  The misuse of AI in content and media A handful of stories in the past several weeks are shedding light on the dangers and misuse of AI in content and media. A report from misinformation tracking site NewsGuard shows that content farms using AI to generate hundreds of low-quality articles a day are raking in programmatic ad dollars—and hundreds of brands are unwittingly supporting them. And otherwise legitimate media sites are following their lead. Tech site Gizmodo recently started publishing AI-generated content and the results were problematic. One article on Star Wars movies was riddled with inaccuracies and prompted an outcry from Gizmodo staff, who said these types of stories were “actively hurting our reputations and credibility” and showed “zero respect” for journalists. Last, but certainly not least, news came out of a leaked email from German tabloid Bild detailing how the publication plans to replace over a hundred jobs with AI.  Investors are betting on generative AI. Why and how? Research recently published by McKinsey estimates that generative AI could add the equivalent of $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion of annual value to the global economy. The firm estimates that about 75% of this value will accrue through four use cases: customer operations, marketing and sales, software engineering, and R&D.The impact will be felt across all industries and sectors, but McKinsey specifically points out that banking, high-tech, and life sciences could see the largest impact. The full research report is well worth a read. But the larger point here is that the possible market impact of generative AI is massive. And investors are clearly responding to that, having just written some huge checks to leading generative AI companies. One big example: Inflection AI announced it raised $1.3 billion in a fresh fundraising round led by Microsoft, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates, and NVIDIA.Inflection AI has been around just over a year and, in that time, the company has built one of the world's most sophisticated large language models, which powers Pi, its personal AI assistant product. The company is also the “largest AI cluster in the world comprising 22,000 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs.” It's also important to note that Inflection AI's CEO and co-founder Mustafa Suleyman also co-founded DeepMind, which was acquired by Google and forms the backbone of their AI work. Another example: At the same time, Runway, which builds generative AI tools for creators, announced a $141 million extension to its Series C funding round from companies like Google, NVIDIA, and Salesforce Ventures.

In der Rubrik “Investments & Exits” begrüßen wir heute Daniel Wild, Gründer und Aufsichtsrat von Mountain Alliance sowie Claudius Jablonka und Jan Reichelt von 10x Founders. Die drei besprechen die Finazierungsrunden von Faros AI und Renatus Robotics.  Faros AI, ein KI-Startup, das sich auf Software-Engineering konzentriert, hat eine Series-A-Finanzierung in Höhe von 20 Millionen US-Dollar erhalten. Die Runde wurde von Lobby Capital angeführt, mit Beteiligung von SignalFire, Operator Collective und Salesforce Ventures. Die Finanzierung wird für die Skalierung der Engineering-Intelligence-Plattform von Faros AI verwendet, die Einblicke in Softwareentwicklungsprozesse bietet. Faros AI integriert Daten aus verschiedenen Software-Entwicklungstools, um eine "multilaterale Sichtbarkeit" zu bieten und Ingenieuren bei der Optimierung ihrer Prozesse zu helfen. Das Unternehmen plant die Einführung von Lighthouse AI, einer KI-Engine, in der ersten Hälfte des dritten Quartals 2023.Renatus Robotics, ein in Lewes, DE, und Tokio, Japan, ansässiges Logistik-Startup, hat eine Seed-Finanzierung in Höhe von 2 Milloinen US-Dollar erhalten. Die Runde wurde von e-LogiT co., ltd. und dem CVC-Fonds Dawn Capital angeführt. Renatus Robotics ist ein Blockchain-Unternehmen, das Logistik-Automatisierungssysteme wie sein automatisches Roboterlagersystem entwickelt, um vollständig unbesetzte und autonome Logistiknetzwerke zu ermöglichen. Die Installation des ersten kommerziellen Renatus-Systems ist bereits im Gange und soll im zweiten Quartal 2024 in Betrieb genommen werden.

Oracle announced its fiscal 2023 Q3 results. Last week, we also had the pleasure of attending Oracle's Strategic Leadership Conference in Nashville. Microsoft released details surrounding Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is currently still in testing with select commercial customers. Salesforce launched Einstein GPT, the world's first generative AI CRM technology to deliver AI-created content across every sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT interaction. In tandem, Salesforce Ventures, the company's global investment arm, launched a new $250 million generative AI fund. SAP announced it has agreed to sell all of its 423 million shares of Qualtrics International Inc. as part of the acquisition of Qualtrics by funds affiliated with Silver Lake, as well as CPP Investments.Connect with us!https://www.erpadvisorsgroup.com866-499-8550LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-groupTwitter:https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgrpFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisorsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroupPinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroupMedium:https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

Overview Barr Moses, Co-Founder and CEO of Monte Carlo, joins on the podcast. Prior to founding Monte Carlo, Barr was the VP of customer success operations at Gainsight and holds a bachelors of science in mathematics and computer science from Stanford. In today's episode Barr shares her inspiration for founding Monte Carlo, the cost and harms of poor quality data, the five principles of data observability, and her top predictions for data trends in 2023. About Barr Moses Barr Moses is CEO & Co-Founder of Monte Carlo, a data reliability company and creator of the data observability category, backed by Accel, GGV, Redpoint, ICONIQ Growth, Salesforce Ventures, IVP, and other top Silicon Valley investors. Previously, she was VP Customer Operations at customer success company Gainsight, where she helped scale the company 10x in revenue and, among other functions, built the data/analytics team. Prior to that, she was a management consultant at Bain & Company and a research assistant at the Statistics Department at Stanford University. She also served in the Israeli Air Force as a commander of an intelligence data analyst unit. Barr graduated from Stanford with a B.Sc. in Mathematical and Computational Science. Social Handles LinkedIn Barr's Twitter Monte Carlo's Twitter Learn more about our mission and become a member here: https://www.womenindata.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/women-in-data/support

In this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with Ken Babcock, Co-Founder & CEO of Tango.Ken shares his passion for helping individuals and organizations make documentation easy, passive, and less time-consuming. He understands that creating documentaries can be so tedious. His goal? To make the processes and visual format of tango very easy for someone to follow, and for creators to easily change or remove steps whenever they want.Ken also says that tango serves a variety of documentation purposes – from best practice procedures to internal training – the tool can be that top layer. He says it's a great tool for creating custom documents and workflows for any type, then sharing and exporting them easily. He explains how the tool works and what makes it better than the old way of creating documentaries. He also shares some of the features of Tango, including screenshots, automated description, and URL generation.Key Points from the Episode:How to Use Tango?Better Ways for Agencies to Use TangoPractical Tips for Attracting Attention at the StartAbout Ken BabcockKen Babcock is the Co-founder and CEO of Tango, which allows users to create step-by-step how-to guides with perfectly cropped screenshots, in seconds. Ken, along with his co-founders, Brian Shultz and Dan Giovacchini, dropped out of Harvard Business School during the pandemic to start the company. Since then, the company has grown to over 200,000 users and 35 full-time team members. Tango's launch on Product Hunt in September 2021 earned many accolades: #1 Product of the Day, #1 Product of the Week, and one of four finalists for Product Hunt's Product of the Year. More recently, Tango was recognized by Fast Company in their 2022 Next Big Things in Tech issue and by Google as one of twelve of their favorite Chrome Extensions of 2022. Tango is backed by Tiger Global Management, Slack Fund, Salesforce Ventures, Atlassian Ventures, Wing VC, GSV, General Catalyst, Red Sea Ventures, and Outsiders Fund. Prior to HBS, Ken spent most of his career in the Bay Area at Uber, where he held roles in Launch Operations, Data Science, and Product Strategy from 2014 to 2018.Ken holds a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University, where he met his wife, Colleen. Together they live in the Chicagoland area with their Havanese poodle mix, Balboa, and infant son, Quinn. Ken's an avid skier, Bill Simmons listener, and chicken wing enthusiast.About TangoTango's free-to-use product is a Chrome Extension that automatically creates written, step-by-step how-to guides in real-time without the need for video recording. Users complete their process in the browser while Tango transcribes actions, URLs, and screenshots. The resulting how-to guide can be easily pasted or exported to commonly used knowledge bases and learning management systems.Tango believes everyone should feel empowered to be the best at what they do. That's why we've made it their mission to support individuals and teams on their path to success, and make their lives easier along the way. They want to transform the world where work is easier to do, learning on the job is frictionless, knowledge sharing helps teams thrive, and no one is held back by a lack of know-how.Links Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out Tango's website at www.tango.usCheck out Ken Babcock on LinkedIn at

In this episode, we speak with Gregg Johnson, the CEO of Invoca.  Gregg is a seasoned software leader who previously led Salesforce Marketing Cloud's social marketing product line, where he integrated $1 billion of M&A investments into the Salesforce product portfolio.  He is also a successful entrepreneur. Invoca is the cloud leader in AI-powered conversation intelligence for revenue teams that enables marketing, sales, customer experience, and eCommerce teams to understand and immediately act on the information consumers share via conversations. The company has raised $184 million from leading venture capitalists including Upfront Ventures, Accel, Silver Lake Waterman, H.I.G. Growth Partners, and Salesforce Ventures. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

On this episode of SaaS Open Mic with Jess Bartos of Salesforce Ventures: Growth needs to endure at high ratesNet Dollar Retention means you're delivering on your promiseTurn your gross margin into growthRule of 40 is the balance between growth and profitabilityBurn multiples measure growth efficiencyUse your SaaS metrics to tell a great story to your investors

SaaStr CEO Jason Lemkin recently moderated a session with 3 of the best investing in SaaS:  Doug Pepper, GP at Iconiq, Arun Mathew, GP at Accel, and Alex Kayyal, VP and head of all of Salesforce Ventures. The four deep-dive on the real state of venture capital today and into 2023.   This podcast was recorded live during G2's digital reach event. Check out the rest of the sessions over at Reach.G2.com   This episode is an excerpt from the session. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/hTvNqr395nY   Want to join the SaaStr community? We're the

Brooke Daniels has over a decade of experience in tech startups and venture capital, and she's the director of Salesforce Ventures and CEO of Daniels + Co., a business strategy firm supporting entrepreneurs focused on maximizing profit and scalability. Brooke's passion is supporting entrepreneurs and stemming business failure with a signature ready-a-launch system, which helps level up enterprises from startups to seasoned companies. She has held corporate roles at Salesforce, Intapp, AT&T, and BMW financial services. For more information, head over to TheBrookeDaniels.com. Melanie Greenough is a business coach who built and runs She's Creating an Empire. She is the brainchild behind The CEOs Way and the CEO Business School. She specializes in helping women create profitable online businesses that they love. Melanie has gone from a homeless single mom to a multi-million-dollar earner. She's a coach, an inspirational speaker, a best-selling author, and a highly sought-after business strategist known for her leadership and record-breaking sales results. Melanie has been featured in publications such as Success From Home and My Business From Home, to name a few. After overcoming addiction, abuse, and a difficult path, Melanie has learned the strategies and mindset required to help others go from surviving to thriving both on and offline. She focuses on teaching women worldwide how to tap into their inner millionista. For more information, you can go to shescreatinganempire.com. Scott Jeffrey Miller is a Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author, and the Creator of Ignite Your Genius Career Coaching. He is the former CMO of the FranklinCovey Company, one of the world's most influential leadership development firms. He now serves as a Special Advisor on Thought Leadership for FranklinCovey and hosts their podcast On Leadership. Scott keynotes for clients worldwide, writes a column for Inc. Magazine and is the author of the Mess to Success book series. For more information, go to scottjeffreymiller.com. Three of my amazing guests – Brooke Daniels, Melanie Greenough, and Scott J. Miller – join me simultaneously for a fun, lighthearted, rapid-fire round of my favorite business questions.We get their opinions on a few business tools, some old-school marketing tips, and some great books for aspiring business owners.This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:Fun, fast-paced round of questioning.Our guests' favorite podcasts.Their favorite business app.Their favorite old-school marketing tip.Plus a few other questions about great resources for up-and-coming business leaders.Resources Mentioned:BossQuiz: https://bossquiz.com/ Podcasts Mentioned:Bigger Pockets Podcast: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcasts/real-estate Dear Gabby Podcast: https://gabbybernstein.com/podcast/ Akimbo: A Podcast by Seth Godin: https://www.sethgodin.com/#the-podcast Apps Mentioned:Trello: https://trello.com/en Calm: https://www.calm.com/ Zapier: https://zapier.com/ Books Mentioned:Multipliers by Liz Wiseman and Greg MckeownLinchpin by Seth GodinIt's Not About the Coffee by Howard BeharProfit First by Mike MichalowiczThe Pumpkin Plan by Mike MichalowiczDisrupt You! by Jay SamitConnect with Brooke Daniels:Website: https://thebrookedaniels.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrookedaniels/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrookedaniels LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrookedaniels/ Connect with Melanie Greenough:Website: https://shescreatinganempire.com/ Podcast: https://theceosway.com/podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniegreenoughnow/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanie.greenough Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/melaniegreenoug/_created/ Connect with Scott J. Miller:Website: https://www.scottjeffreymiller.com/ Books: https://www.scottjeffreymiller.com/books/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.co

Brooke Daniels has over a decade of experience in tech startups and venture capital, and she's the director of Salesforce Ventures and CEO of Daniels + Co., a business strategy firm supporting entrepreneurs focused on maximizing profit and scalability. Brooke's passion is supporting entrepreneurs and stemming business failure with a signature ready-a-launch system, which helps level up enterprises from startup to seasoned companies. She has held corporate roles at Salesforce, Intapp, AT&T, and BMW financial services. For more information, head over to TheBrookeDaniels.com. If you think you're ready to pursue investment for your business, you will want to hear from Brooke Daniels, an angel investment expert. She will give you tips for knowing when you are ready and taking that plunge to get outside investments for your company."It takes money to make money. Too often, I think small business owners feel like we can just use personal capital to get us through, but we're not seeing what our needs are across the horizon." - Brooke DanielsThis week on SmallBizChat Podcast:How Brooke became an angel investor. Why access to funding is crucial to business owners. Ways to bootstrap. Showing up as a credible business. Getting your business credit report.Angel investing versus venture capital. Gaining access to capital as a minority business owner. Resources Mentioned:BossQuiz: https://bossquiz.com/ Connect with Brooke Daniels:Website: https://thebrookedaniels.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrookedaniels/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrookedaniels LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrookedaniels/

This week's Espresso covers updates from Ualá, Xepelin, Clip, and more!Outline of this episode:[00:28] - Clip lands a $50M credit facility with Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and HSBC[00:58] - Cuéntame closes a $1.1M pre-seed round[01:27] - Pagaleve closes a $25M Series A round[01:55] - Credix raises $11.25M in a Series A round[02:27] - Ualá acquires Ceibo Créditos[02:52] - Xepelin secures a $140M credit line from Goldman Sachs[03:16] - Belo partners with Airtm [03:46] - New episode of Crossing Borders and Latamlist's featured articleResources & people mentioned:Companies & Startups: Clip, Cuéntame, Pagaleve, Ualá, Ceibo Créditos, Xepelin, Belo, Airtm, Wilobank, Empretienda.VCs, Accelerators, Institutions: Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Magma Partners, Impacta VC, Salesforce Ventures, Motive Partners, ParaFi Capital, People: Nathan Lustig, Laura Martínez, Alejandro Guízar.

In today's episode of How We Got There (which was recorded earlier this year, before the downturn), I talk with Doug Landis, who is a Growth Partner at Emergence Capital. Doug spent some time at Salesforce and Box before moving into his current role in helping Emergence's portfolio companies with go-to-market assistance. He was working in the early days of sales enablement and now recommends hiring rev ops and sales enablement roles earlier than you think, even at Series A, to drive productivity in the sales organization. Emergence Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in B2B Enterprise SaaS businesses for their Series A and B funding rounds. They've invested in Veeva, Steelbrick, Box, and many more household names in the Salesforce ecosystem. The biggest challenge every early stage company will face is pipeline and that can be helped by hiring Marketing leadership before sales leadership, because sales professionals won't enjoy being full cycle for very long. His message to early stage founders is to become obsessed with pipeline. In deals over $10k, there are normally 8-10 people in the buying decision even if there is a single major person that your solution will help. A good benchmark for any AE is they should be generating ~20% of their own pipeline. Key metrics to look at are by account, how many contacts are on each account and then dive deeper into touches by contact to know depth of engagement in a given opportunity. Looking at conversion rates can help you zero in on gtm priorities to work on. Technical founders make mistakes by hiring a salesperson too early because you need to learn how to sell early on. A good target is for you to sell the first $1M in ARR and collect insane insights along the way for your product while capturing referrals. Hiring customer success people early on the other hand is wise because your first few customers need to be successful, you can't afford to churn your first customers (unless you learn they aren't a good fit for where you're going). Before starting the process of fundraising, you need to know your data inside and out beyond your pitch deck that includes a strong “why”. Include customer stories to help tell your story. It's important to make a thoughtful list of potential investors that will be good long-term partners with you who will offer you the right level of engagement to guide you on the things you might be missing. For the ecosystem specific advice, he shares a word of caution for ISVs in getting Salesforce Ventures to participate in your round. Doug's view is when you take Salesforce Ventures money…..and it's cause for pause. If they build something like what you're offering, you could be in big trouble. He share the story of Steelbrick (Emergence was the lead investor here) and Apttus and how Salesforce leveraged their relationship to strong arm Steelbrick during the acquisition. Here's a closer look at the episode: 1:37 How did you find your way into the ecosystem? 5:13 Sales enablement 9:55 Who is Emergence and what's your role there? 14:16 What are some elements that make a great go to market approach in a series A or B company? 22:07 What's the biggest mistake you see technical founders make before they hire professional salespeople? 25:53 So founders in the ecosystem, if they're considering raising institutional capital, what should they know before starting the process? 34:15 What are you most proud of in your career? 36:10 The final three Doug's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglandis/ Emergence Capital's Website: https://www.emcap.com/ Emergence Capital's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emergence-capital-partners/

Brooke Daniels who is a Director at Salesforce Ventures. She spent years using Salesforce before joining the core team and working on the Mulesoft acquisition integration. In her role, she is the go-to-market expert for Salesforce Ventures portfolio companies and helps portfolio companies as needed. Brooke shares the variety of funds under the Ventures umbrella including the Impact fund (sustainability and re-skilling the workforce) and the Slack fund in addition to Salesforce Ventures. The Slack fund does more Seed and Series A where Salesforce Ventures focuses more Series B, C, and Growth stage investing so now that the Slack fund is under Salesforce Ventures, they have an even broader thesis. Brooke's advice about fundraising starts with ensuring that you as a founder understand the type of funding is right for your business. Can your business achieve the high levels of growth that is expected? She walks you through expectations at each round from Seed to Series A and beyond. If you want to connect with Ventures about funding, email the team at salesforceventures@salesforce.com The top two reasons they might not proceed is 1) not in their thesis so make sure to check their website and/or 2) it's too early. She recommends connecting ~1 quarter before you start fundraising. Brooke points to BetterUp as a great example of go-to-market as they've been success in both B2B and B2C markets. She cautions companies about the importance of go-to-market focus when nailing your initial niche vs. spreading yourself too thin, too soon. Here's a closer look at the episode: 1:52 What role does portfolio investment play at Salesforce Ventures? 3:57 Influence of the Slack acquisition 7:16 Understanding the Journey of VC funding 9: 34 How should someone reach out and what should they really come prepared with? 11:51 What are the expectations? 13:55 What are good go to market examples? 17:26 How if any involvement do you involve product management at Salesforce in any of your investment decisions? Resources: Email: salesforceventures@salesforce.com Website: www.salesforceventures.com Website: www.betterup.com Website: www.databricks.com This episode is brought to you by ISVapp. ISVapp is used by leading Salesforce ISVs and OEMs as the central toolbox to reduce churn, increase renewals, identify upsell potential, and close more deals. ISVapp is the only plug & play solution for the AppExchange AppAnalytics API and provides deep product insights. The set up is easy and takes less than 5 minutes. Visit isvapp.com to learn how you can take advantage of usage data in your app today.

Jason Smith has now launched at least five startups. He successfully exited his first. Which has propelled him through to his latest venture which has attracted significant funding to help businesses operate at their best in their competitive landscape. The company, Klue has successfully gained financing from top-tier investors like Salesforce Ventures, Tiger Global Management, BDC Venture Capital, and Rhino Ventures.

Claudine Emeott leads Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund – a $100M vehicle targeting venture capital returns in impactful companies that partner within the Salesforce ecosystem. With over 30 companies, Salesforce Ventures Impact is part of a growing number of corporate venture arms that are embracing impact to drive their balance sheet investing. A unique investor, Salesforce employees advise and mentor portfolio companies and often make joint introductions to key customers or even to potential vendor relationships with Salesforce itself in key focus areas: education & workforce development, sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion, and social sector technology.