Every SaaS company, regardless of the size, wants to garner success in terms of customers, leads, and brand recognition. They wish to accomplish goals, such as customer acquisition, increased subscriptions, reduction in expenses, customer retention, business expansion, and more. These goals collectively contribute to business success.
According to Statista, the SaaS market is expected to reach $208 billion by 2023. To stand out and be successful in this rapidly growing market, SaaS businesses have to develop and deliver relevant products to users while optimizing their processes and managing the funds.
When it comes to funding small SaaS businesses that are generating revenue, venture capital seems to be the best option. They usually offer funds to support startups and SMEs that have long-term growth potential.
In this post, we will specifically talk about VC firms that invest in US-based SaaS businesses.
But first, let’s understand more about VCs and their interest in funding businesses.
Venture capitalist firms have a keen interest in investing in companies that have the potential to generate excellent ROI. With the SaaS industry growing at the rate of 500% over the last seven years, cloud-based systems are likely to take over the on-premise software for good.
VCs prefer SaaS because of the following reasons.
1. They Are Capital-Efficient
If a SaaS company utilizes the capital to develop a product methodically then its chances of gaining profitability are greater. In fact, Sarah Nöckel, seed investment manager at VC firm Northzone says it is possible to build a profitable SaaS business with funding of less than $10M.
2. They Offer Recurring Revenue
The SaaS business model follows a recurring pattern. It focuses on selling a monthly subscription plan to customers while providing them access to desired features.
Further, if any customer wishes to use additional features, they can subscribe to a premium plan.
In other words, customers are renting the software on a monthly or yearly basis instead of buying it. This ensures constant and growing revenue flow through the month.
3. They Cater to Growing Customer Demand
Instead of investing a large sum in one software and using it for years, customers are now drawn to more flexible options. The subscription-based payment model and regular feature updates make it easy for customers to have access to the latest version of the software without any hassles. No wonder, customers are preferring SaaS over traditional on-premise software.
With SaaS becoming the heart of the software industry today, VC firms have realized its potential to capture the market and earn the best ROI.
Accel Partners is an American venture capital firm with offices in California and San Francisco. Being one of the most well-known VC firms in the world, Accel Partners brings in 35+ years of experience in building, funding, and supporting SaaS startups with seed, early, and growth-stage investments. This VC has funded over 500 companies with funds amounting to $19.56 billion.
Their immense experience in business and entrepreneurship helps them identify and invest in SaaS companies building next-generation products. For example, Accel has backed AssemblyAI, a tool designed to convert audio and video files into text with the help of Speech-to-Text APIs with $28M via Series A funding.
Bessemer Venture Partners is one of the oldest and most respected SaaS VC firms of current times. BVP began its operations by investing in life sciences and health startups and gradually moved to investing in the SaaS industry.
With its extensive experience of over 50 years, BVP builds strong foundations for companies via continuous funding and support at every stage of their growth. In addition to the funding, BVP advisors collaborate with entrepreneurs to guide them in scaling businesses to strengthen product value.
Its impressive track record spans over 130 IPOs since its inception.
Emergence Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in cloud and SaaS companies in the early and growth stage of the business.
The team believes in sharing a committed relationship in every investment they make. Bringing in immense enthusiasm and technological expertise, Emergence Capital makes just 5-7 investments in a year by selecting SaaS companies strategically via independent thinking, constant evolution, and thoughtful experimentation.
Humility, integrity, and fairness are the values they believe in. Their values coupled with hands-on real-world market experience allow them to build successful scalable SaaS companies.
Matrix Partners is a US-based venture capital investment firm funding seed and early-stage startups, particularly in SaaS. The VC brings in its vast experience of 40+ years and has invested $4B in leading SaaS companies.
Matrix Partners focuses on the potential and merit of the SaaS ideas rather than the pitch. While being thoroughly engaged in the scaling process, Matrix Partners builds lasting long-term relationships with founders. They discuss the challenges, debate and have honest discussions, and solve problems to contribute to building an excellent product. No wonder, Matrix Partners is one of the most esteemed SaaS investors in the world.
Point Nine Capital is a venture capital firm based out of Berlin, Germany. Although the firm is based in Europe, they do invest in companies based in the US, Canada, and other countries. Point Nine Capital has invested in over 140 companies across 28 countries over the past 10 years.
Point Nine Capital mainly invests in early-stage B2B SaaS companies and B2B marketplaces. In addition to the investment, Point Nine Capital offers mentorship and guidance to the funded companies and assists them with acquisitions as well as employment.
Notion Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm based in London, United Kingdom. Although the European market has been their primary focus, this VC firm has invested in some leading US SaaS businesses.
This firm was founded to provide talented entrepreneurs with expert industry insights, networking opportunities, and excellent business knowledge along with the funding capital.
This VC firm has recently founded an eight-month fellowship program, Included VC, to guide aspiring venture capitalists with education and mentorship from the best VC talent across the world.
DN Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in California that primarily invests in companies based in North America and Europe. DN Capital is a strong advocate of continuous investment across all stages of business growth.
This firm has made about 269 investments amounting to more than €20m.
SaaStr Fund is a result of a blog that focused on guiding founders with the launch and scaling of SaaS startups. It invests in early-stage startups exclusively in SaaS and B2B domains.
SaaStr Fund invests in 4 to 5 startups every year and guides them in running the business operations. The amount they dedicate to each startup varies from $500K to $6 million. In addition to investments, SaaStr Fund independently organizes and manages the largest SaaS conference globally.
Headquartered in California, Scale Venture Partners has come a long way, supporting over 278 companies across the globe. It usually participates in Series A and B funding deals thereby investing about $10 million to $15 million.
ScaleVP has also launched Scale Studio, a set of intuitive tools designed to understand performance and make better business decisions accordingly.
AngelPad offers investments, mentoring, and coaching to startups in the internet, SaaS, and technology sectors.
This firm has launched over 150 companies by providing them with 1:1 mentorship and guidance in addition to the funding. They do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach and work with startup founders to devise a strategic plan for startup growth.
Sequoia Capital brings 48 years of experience in building successful companies from ideation to IPO. This firm invests in private technology companies in the seed, early, and growth stages across the US, Southeast Asia, India, and China.
Andreessen Horowitz (or a16z) is an American venture capital firm headquartered in California. This firm invests in early-stage startups and established companies in SaaS, cloud computing, cryptocurrency, eCommerce, and gaming domains.
Being at the forefront of new technologies, Andreessen Horowitz focuses on helping companies build outstanding products to bring about a change in the world.
Costanoa Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based out of California. This firm invests in industry-changing companies, particularly in SaaS, fintech, security, and machine learning domains.
Their strong hands-on experience, sharp instincts, and deep industry knowledge give them an upper hand in guiding startups on their way to success.
Boldstart Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in New York City investing in enterprise SaaS companies.
With a strong focus on turning bold ideas into iconic companies, this VC firm aims to build long-term strategic relationships with the technical founders and accelerate the product market process. Their vast experience and expertise in working with fast-moving startups give them deep knowledge and relevant connections to build great companies.
Boldstart Ventures is listed as Venture Capital’s Rising Stars for 2022 in the Midas Brink List.
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a venture capital firm headquartered in California and Washington DC. Since its inception, NEA has invested in over 600 companies all around the world.
With over $20 billion in cumulative capital, NEA has a successful track record of more than 210 portfolio company IPOs. The passion for innovation and technology fuels this VC firm to invest in companies building transformational businesses across various industry verticals.
500 Startups is a global venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies in the internet, software, hardware, and mobile sectors. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, 500 Startups is one of the most active early-stage investors today.
Having invested in over 2600 companies, 500 Startups has an experienced team of entrepreneurs and investors who provide outstanding operational expertise and guide startups on their paths to success.
Further, their large network spans over 60+ countries, giving the budding entrepreneurs access to a global network of data-driven resources
Northzone Ventures is a venture capital firm based in North America and Europe. This VC firm invests in companies in the SaaS, hardware, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and gaming sectors. Since its inception, Northzone has invested in over 175 companies and raised about $1.7 billion.
Their unwavering commitment to scaling SaaS businesses and the support they offer to startups are a few reasons why entrepreneurs choose this firm as their long-term growth partner.
Battery Ventures is a global venture capital firm that invests in application software, mobile services, IT infrastructure, industrial technologies, and mobile services in early-stage and growth companies. The firm has over $4.5 billion in committed capital and invested in over 400 companies.
While following a sector-focused investment approach, Battery Ventures invests in companies that have the potential to create significant value. The talented team partners with startup founders to build cutting-edge businesses and supports them throughout their growth. Their expertise includes business development, growth and leadership, recruiting and hiring, and marketing and communications.
SaaS Venture Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in SaaS startups to create successful enterprises. Being entrepreneurs themselves, the experienced team of advisors knows the importance of proper funding for budding startups and focuses on offering the same investment.
OpenView Ventures is an expansion-stage venture capital firm that helps software companies to grow into market leaders via continuous investment and guidance. This VC firm provides tailored operational support to portfolio companies.
By devoting time and effort to organizing and prioritizing, OpenView Ventures contribute to the company’s success by hiring the best talent and acquiring and retaining the right customers.
Further, their partnerships with top industry leaders aid in extending their reach in areas, such as corporate development, business expansion, and more.
Atlanta Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in seed-stage SaaS startups. This firm empowers SaaS companies to achieve success with the help of continuous capital, engaging content, and a strong community of market leaders.
The main objective of Atlanta Ventures is to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Besides investments, Atlanta Ventures launches companies by co-founding them with passionate entrepreneurs from their in-house studio.
Atlanta Ventures has worked on an exclusive resource containing the necessary tools to evaluate the ideas before launching a business. This resource contains questionnaires, templates, examples, case studies, ebooks, and more.
Eight Roads Ventures is a global venture capital firm that was founded in Boston. Over the last 50 years, this firm has invested in 300+ companies across the world. With a working capital of $8 billion, Eight Roads Ventures has successfully invested in top companies across the world.
Originally known as Fidelity Ventures, this VC firm offers entrepreneurs a unique platform with access to a global technology ecosystem.
Forum Ventures (formerly known as Acceleprise) was founded with the sole objective of helping SaaS startups establish themselves in the competitive software market. They aim to simplify the SaaS journey for startup founders through pre-seed and seed-stage investments.
Their pre-seed program, also known as the Forum for Founders program, provides startup founders with an investment of $100k, mentorship and 1:1 guidance, and exclusive access to events and talk sessions. While the seed-stage funding, also referred to as Forum Seed, provides investments to exceptional SaaS startups across the world.
Forum Ventures has set up a private community for founders named InnoForum to share industry insights, best practices, and reports, organize collaborative events, and promote emerging technologies.
Insight Partners (formerly known as Insight Venture Partners) is an American venture capital firm based in New York City. This VC firm invests in software companies and internet businesses in the growth stage.
Having invested in over 600 companies across the world, Insight Partners aims to partner with great software leaders in their growth journey from its inception until its IPO. Their result-driven approach helps companies create value and generate long-term success for the businesses.
Molten Ventures (formerly known as Draper Esprit) is a venture capital firm founded in London, United Kingdom. Since its inception, Molten Ventures has been actively investing in high-growth, disruptive technology companies.
This firm brings in decades of experience to transform an idea into a successful company. It provides a solid base to firms for scaling the work processes to emerge as global leaders.
CloudApp, M-Files, Lifesize, and UiPath are some of the leading US companies this VC firm has funded.
Index Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in SaaS and technology companies around the world. Based out of San Francisco, this firm invests in eCommerce, gaming, fintech, infrastructure, and now, SaaS companies.
The goal of Index Ventures is to help entrepreneurs convert their bold ideas into transformative global businesses. They are passionate about fostering lifelong relationships with entrepreneurs and contributing to building a technology-powered world.
Headquartered in California, Redpoint Ventures was founded to help companies with seed, early, and growth-stage funding. This VC firm aims at redefining existing markets and building exceptional startups in SaaS, consumer, healthcare, fintech, and infrastructure sectors.
LTV SaaS Fund is an investment firm based in New York City and San Francisco that funds SaaS companies and marketplaces apps based in the US. This VC firm seeks short and long-term funding opportunities and focuses on delivering consistent growth at scale.
Leveraging their industry and operations experience of over 50 years, LTV SaaS Fund identifies scalable SaaS businesses and provides investments to augment their position in the competitive SaaS market.
Getting funding for your SaaS startup is essential. However, it is critical to choose the right investors who align with your vision. Before connecting with venture capital firms for investment partnerships, you should –
Do not forget to mention your company’s growth rate and plans. Create a pitch deck containing a maximum of 15 slides focusing on your product.
Make sure you include the following points –
Check out this sample Airbnb pitch deck.
Notice how the company presents the problem and solution slides in a straightforward manner.
The product slide explains clearly what the platform does without going overboard about the features of the product.
Lastly, the business model slide showcases the revenue model in the most comprehensible manner. This pitch deck is straightforward and visually appealing.
That brings us to the next section on how to choose a suitable VC firm for your business.
Before you start meeting potential investors, it is ideal to research and identify the best one for your SaaS startup.
Here are a few factors to consider when looking for a VC firm.
1. Relationships
Most VC firms are connected with other investors and industry experts. This network can provide you with an opportunity for additional fundraising, finding new customers or team members, and collaborating with experts.
The VC firms might also recommend your SaaS product to other businesses in the portfolio, thereby boosting the business growth. Hence, try to understand the VC’s relationships with other entrepreneurs and investors. Go through the testimonials to understand their portfolio and working style.
For example, Accel Partners has listed its investments on the website.
2. Performance
Talk to other startup founders and ask for their experiences and opinions. Gain insights into the number of companies they have funded, the funds raised, and more. This will help you determine if the VC is a good fit for your venture.
3. Knowledge
Tap into their portfolio to know more about the funded companies in terms of revenue, customer base, company size, product fit, target market, and others. Gauge if the VC firm has the required industry and domain knowledge. Check if they provide mentorship opportunities that are beneficial for businesses, especially at the early stages.
4. Integrity
Work ethics define a company. Understanding the work procedures and environment will give you a gist of the VC firm’s work ethic and integrity.
In addition to the funding, the VC must also be available whenever you need them. Remember VC funding is a long-term partnership. Hence, getting along with the investors and understanding their vision and values is essential for the success of your business.
If you are a SaaS business owner, venture capital can provide you with the required funds for business operations. This can help you scale the business operations by employing talented professionals and investing in the right tools and technology. Further, the guidance you receive from the VCs will empower you to make better business decisions.
We hope this list will help you in your search for a suitable US-based VC for your venture.
1. What are the different stages of VC funding?
The five stages of VC funding are –
2. What communication channel should I use to contact an investor?
It is ideal to get in touch with an investor via mutual connection or a SaaS event. However, if both these ideas are not applicable, you can consider emailing or connecting with them via LinkedIn.
3. What questions are startups asked when looking for investment?
Here are some of the most common questions.
4. What are the things that I shouldn’t do when contacting a VC?
Image Source – Accel
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