SaaS Weekly Roundup #39

Rajat Gupta

Weekly SaaS Roundup

Stay updated on the latest SaaS news: BlueFlag Security raises $11.5 million in seed funding; Frontline Ventures raises $200 million for B2B software startups; GitLab has acquired Oxeye;…

SaaS Funding News

BlueFlag Security Raises $11.5 Million in Seed Funding

BlueFlag Security, a developer security company focusing on identity protection, secured $11.5 million in seed funding led by Maverick Ventures and Ten Eleven Ventures led the round, with Pier 88 Investment Partners also participating.

The investment will support BlueFlag’s development of its software development lifecycle (SDLC) security and governance platform. This platform offers comprehensive identity-centric protection throughout the development lifecycle, spanning from code creation to production deployment.

Zenapse Raises $8 Million in Seed Funding

Zenapse, an AI SaaS marketing platform, has secured $8 million in seed funding led by Naples Technology Ventures (NTV), with contributions from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Broad Street Angels, and BaseCamp Ventures. This investment will fuel the company’s mission to assist marketers in creating emotionally intelligent experiences through its unique Large Emotion Model (LEM).

Frontline Ventures Raises $200 Million for B2B Software Startups

Frontline Ventures announced it secured an additional $200 million to boost the expansion of B2B companies across the U.S. and Europe. The funds will be divided between their two investments: Frontline Seed, which supports early-stage European startups aiming for Series A and beyond, including expansion into the U.S., and Frontline Growth, which helps U.S. companies at Series B to D stages to succeed in Europe, providing direct CEO support.

Showpad Co-founder Pieterjan Bouten Launches Entourage, Venture Studio and $30M Early-stage VC Fund

(Image Credit: Frontline Ventures)

SaaS M&A

GitLab Acquires Oxeye

GitLab, offering the most comprehensive AI-powered DevOps platform, announced its acquisition of Oxeye, the provider of a cloud-native application security and risk management solution. This strategic move aims to expedite GitLab’s roadmap for Static Application Security Testing (SAST). Oxeye’s capabilities will also augment GitLab’s software composition analysis and compliance tools.

The collaboration between GitLab and Oxeye teams, leveraging their combined strength and security expertise, will assist more organizations in mitigating security and compliance risks as they expedite their digital transformation initiatives.

JumpCloud Acquires Resmo

JumpCloud, a provider of cloud-based directory platform for identity management, ~~has acquired Resmo~~, an asset management and SaaS security solution for cloud-native IT and SecOps teams. The integration of Resmo into the JumpCloud platform provides organizations with a comprehensive solution to address emerging needs in SaaS management, IT security, and asset management. The financial details have not been disclosed.

Listen to the SaaS Postcast

How to Price and Package AI SaaS Products

Pricing AI products and SaaS tools with custom AI features and integrations poses challenges due to the rapidly evolving landscape and the need for reliability and predictability in value. Sandhya Hegde, General Partner at Unusual Ventures, a seasoned expert with 15 years in the startup ecosystem, emphasizes the complexity of pricing AI products. Factors like subscription models, usage-based pricing, or tailored solutions come into play. With AI-native startups, particularly in enterprise software, navigating competitive pressure adds to the difficulty of establishing pricing strategies.

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Must-Read

Enterprise SaaS investment makes a comeback — but not where you’d expect

According to Gartner, the software market is experiencing rapid growth, with software spending being the fastest-expanding segment of IT spending, projected to potentially surpass $1 trillion in 2024.

Startups focus on software development, with many adopting the SaaS model due to its subscription-based approach. While investment in enterprise SaaS startups has slowed since the last venture boom, recent data from PitchBook suggests some positive signs for founders seeking to build the next generation of enterprise software companies.

2023 State of SaaSOps

Here is BetterCloud’s report that explores trends in SaaS operations in 2023.