While the pandemic unleashed a surge of growth for software, especially in the B2B space, the tidal wave is showing no signs of slowing down even as companies return to the office. The needs of increasing remote workforces for automation, distributed project management, digital-first sales, and marketing tools has never been greater.
It’s also led to angel investors and venture capitalists pouring unprecedented amounts of capital into building the next unicorns.
This article is for those who are passionate about technology, SaaS, and investing.
I’ve dug into some of the software companies that are leading their respective niches in 2021 and that are on the radar of customers and investors alike.
Here they are listed below:
CapLinked
With M&A and SPAC deals reaching a fever pitch over the past two years, one of the most important tools in the dealmaking process has become the virtual data rooms that are used by law firms, investment banks and dealmakers to securely share and transfer transaction documents. When much of dealmaking moved remote during the pandemic, the need for information security on Wall Street was exponentially exacerbated. Some of the top banks and investors rely on CapLinked as the leading secure provider of virtual data rooms.
ClickUp
ClickUp has quickly gained recognition as one of the project management platforms of choice for companies across myriad industries, especially in tech and creative industries. What’s further, companies that previously didn’t use virtual project management platforms were forced to make major changes to their operating procedures during the pandemic. While it’s a competitive space with many big players, ClickUp has consistently been cited as a favorite among mega brands and top startups alike.
Kaon Interactive
Kaon is perhaps the only player in their space that provides a highly agile platform for companies to design and deploy interactive sales and marketing experiences, both virtually and in physical locations. The B2B sales industry, which has long relied on face-to-face transactions, underwent historic disruption in 2020 as sales teams were forced to develop digital-first strategies that allowed them to complete complex sales transactions fully remote. Many Fortune 500 companies turned to Kaon’s platform for developing an interactive sales presentation that simplified complex B2B solutions while telling a compelling story to prospects in one-on-one sales environments as well as virtual events.
Stampli
While business functions like marketing and sales received tremendous attention in adapting to remote work, financial teams were often left feeling disconnected and isolated. What’s more, this was a trend that was already growing before the pandemic as financial professionals like controllers and AP managers faced communication bottlenecks with other departments and divisions when trying to track purchases, invoicing and ensuring vendors for each respective business function were paid on time. Stampli is the leading AP platform that speaks specifically to building transparency and seamless communication across companies so that invoices can be approved and paid faster– with less frustration on the part of finance teams. The platform is a darling of investors as well, recently closing a $50M Series C round.
Briq
When you think of the fastest-growing sectors of tech, construction-tech may not be the first group that comes to mind. But a culmination of multiple economic factors including housing shortages, labor shortages and the Biden Administration’s new infrastructure plan have thrust construction tech into the spotlight. Briq is a favorite among venture capitalists. The financial management platform helps construction companies of all sizes run more profitably in an industry that is plagued with tight margins and budget overages. Briq recently raised a $30M Series B led by the renowned investment firm Tiger Global.
IRA Financial
As the popularity of Bitcoin saw a resurgence and rose to historic highs, an unprecedented number of new investors started dipping their toes into the market’s volatile waters. Real estate has famously seen a similar surge over the past year. But with the buying frenzy taking place across the country, many wondered whether they could be using their tax-deferred investment accounts like IRAs to invest in alternative assets besides stocks and mutual funds. IRA Financial is the rare platform that allows investors to diversify their retirement portfolio across a number of alternative assets, including crypto and real estate. They have helped more than 17,000 customers invest more than $4 billion into alternative assets making them a force to be reckoned with in the fintech space.