North American Startup Investment Q1 2024. A Mixed Bag of Performance, but Signs of Hope
SaaS VC investing is finally showing signs that the winter of VC investing is coming to an end.
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The Marketecture. Put Your Competitors Into Context
Product managers can analyze their market competitively using the Marketecture tool, which quickly compiles critical company information from various free sources. This framework includes seven key data points such as revenue, headcount, and web visits, effectively informing product and marketing strategies. The tool proves vital in understanding a company’s position in the competitive landscape, using factual data rather than speculation. An illustrative case involves constructing a Marketecture for a last-mile delivery management platform, demonstrating its practical application for informing business tactics.
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2023 SaaS M&A in Review
I regularly track SaaS M&A. The Software Equity Group regularly publishes great research on SaaS M&A. Recently they released their SEG 2024 Annual SaaS Report. The report includes:
An Overview of Public SaaS Companies. A thorough analysis of stock prices, financial data, and valuation performance for the 120+ publicly traded B2B software companies comprising their SEG SaaS Index™. SEG SaaS Index EV/Revenue by Product Category. Recapping SaaS M&A Activity. In 2023, there was a notable increase in M&A activity, showing a robust performance with a 9% rise over 2020, pre-COVID levels. Although the overall aggregate software M&A volume is now comparable to pre-2021 figures, the SaaS M&A segment continued its active momentum in 2023. -
30 of the Best Product Management Memes of 2023
I belong to a Facebook Group called Product Management Memes. It has over 7101 members and is simply a meme stash for product managers, marketers, and corporate life. People post amusing stuff every day. There’s no self-promotion or spam, just entertainment. Here are 30 of the most popular posts from 2023 based on likes and…
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Public and Private SaaS Valuations November 2023
I regularly track SaaS valuations as a part of my consulting business. Tracking the valuations of public SaaS companies is easy, privately held SaaS companies are a bit more challenging, but not impossible. Year to date, the median public SaaS company valuation is up about 18.5%, while the overall Nasdaq is up 36.7%. In the past month, public SaaS company valuations have improved 9.4% versus 9.1% for the Nasdaq and 6.1% for the NYSE. Private company valuations have followed the same trends. The median EnterpriseValue/Revenue (ttm) multiple for public SaaS companies was 5.8x down from 16.4x in February 2021
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Seed Stage VC Fundraising Q3 2023
The early stage VC funding market has experienced a significant decline since the market peak in February 2021. While most of my clients have viable products and market opportunities, fundraising has become a significant challenge.
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SaaS M&A and Valuation Trends 1H2023
I regularly M&A and valuation trends in the SaaS industry. One of my go-to resources is the Software Equity Group’s free research. Their recent report 2Q23 Quarterly SaaS Report shows a rebound in the public market and strong M&A volume point to the durability of SaaS in the current markets. In this article, we discuss:…
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PreSeed Fundraising Trends Q3 2023
I consult with a lot of early-stage SaaS startups. Many are trying to raise a PreSeed round of VC funding, and most are struggling. VC fundraising has declined by over 50% since the heydays of 2021, and while preseed and seed stage deals have been hit just as hard as Series A, B, C & D. Some recent data from CBInsights, Pitchbook, and DocSend provide great qualitative and quantitative insights into what has changed in 2023.
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Attract the Best, Forget the Rest: Perfecting Your Market Research Participant Pool
A guest post from Gloria Martinez (gloriamartinez@womenled.org) For modern businesses, market research is a practical necessity for successfully launching a new product or service. The utility of this research often depends on the quality of participation you attract. In this article from Development Corporate, we provide a streamlined pathway to recruit reliable and knowledgeable participants….
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The Apps That Business Leaders Need to Create More Free Time
A guest post by Gloria Martinez (gloriamartinez@womenled.org) As a business owner, you already have plenty of tasks on your plate, from marketing your products to managing your staff. Unfortunately, with so much to do, many executives fail to have a proper work-life balance. That means the job becomes the priority and they forget how to…