Awesomic, Fibery, Spot, Pangea.app, HelloFlow— 2nd August, 2021
We see about 5,000 startups each week, and I want to give you a glimpse into how we at Headline think about trending tech companies and tracking new investment opportunities. In this post, I’m highlighting top tech companies that have announced or raised a seed round within the past week.
Awesomic
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Vetted marketplace connecting business with designers that perfectly suit their needs and turn around timeline
Lead Investors:
Y Combinator
Total Raised:
$125K (One Angel round undisclosed so this figure is not accurate)
Comparables:
Upwork, Fiverr
My Thoughts:
We at Headline love working with freelancers but will always hire at least two individuals for any job, to make sure that at least one gets the job done right in the needed time frame. I, therefore, find Awesomic’s focus on selectively matching businesses and designers very compelling and think they could take significant market share from UpWork in this vertical if they get this right.
Fibery
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
No-code platform that enables businesses to easily build their own integrated workspace and workflows
Lead Investors:
AltalR Capital
Total Raised:
$3.1M
Comparables:
Odoo, Notion
My Thoughts:
Most companies have similar yet nuanced needs in terms of workflows, collaborations, and integrations. Fibery’s approach of letting businesses easily build their own custom set-ups looks incredibly intriguing and should act as a very sticky product once properly adopted by an organization.
Spot
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
On-demand accident insurance that gives an individual up to $20k in global health care coverage for a $25 per month subscription
Lead Investors:
GreatPoint Ventures
Total Raised:
$20.8M
Comparables:
Safteywing
My Thoughts:
Being a prolific surfer that often travels to remote locations (like dead-end of nowhere) and exposing myself to dangerous conditions, this product really resonates with me. Knowing that no matter what, I’ll be covered for a serious accident, no matter where I am, for an affordable price, makes it a no-brainer for any traveler or extreme athlete.
Pangea
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Freelancer marketplace connecting businesses and college talent
Lead Investors:
IDEA Fund Partners
Total Raised:
$3M
Comparables:
Fiverr, Upwork
My Thoughts:
I have been covering a bunch of freelance marketplaces lately because I think the category is still in its first inning. Hiring junior talent can not only potentially act as a cost-effective way to complete work, but also a great hiring pipeline. If Pangea finds a defensible way to aggregate superior junior supply I see a world where they could build a big reputable business, that becomes a defensible flywheel of:
1. the best talent is on Pangea
2. so the best employers go to Pangea
3. so the best talent goes to Pangea
HelloFlow
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Plug and player platform to enable businesses to create polished customer onboarding flows
Lead Investors:
Undisclosed
Total Raised:
$3M
Comparables:
GuideCX
My Thoughts:
Two of the most important elements of product-led growth strategies are a frictionless customer onboarding experience and fast time to value. I love Hellow Flow’s ability to become an educator here as well by showing their clients best-in-class practices and become the platform that lets start-ups win at customer onboarding.
Hi, I am Nicolas von Blottnitz, an Associate at Headline’s SF office focusing on Consumer, Fintech, and SaaS businesses. Since joining in 2018, I have led our investments in Tabnine, Polygon, Flockjay, Solid, and Grin.
What is the EVA Growth Index?
The EVA Growth index is a composite of third-party data sources around a company’s website traffic. The vertical green lines in the charts represent a point in time where the company raised outside capital.
