The SaaS Metrics that Matter Most with Snita Balsara, Graphite Ventures
As an evolution of the MaRS IAF, Graphite Ventures is one of Canada’s most active venture capital firms focused on early stage opportunities in B2B software, fintech and digital health. Since 2010, they have invested in 130+ companies across three core funds and delivered strong performance with consistency. Portfolio companies include:
Axonify – Axonify is the modern learning and communications solution for frontline employees that actually works. Employees love the fun, fast, personalized experience so much that 83% of them come back to train 2-3 times a week. The result? Behaviors on your frontline change in all the right ways to make a meaningful impact on your business results.
Ideal – Ideal is a talent intelligence system that enhances HR software to help teams make more accurate, efficient, and fair talent decisions. With this technology, Ideal accurately automates administrative tasks, as well as screens and matches talent – while also providing concrete, data-driven insights on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
MindBridge – The platform is the world’s first and only AI powered auditing solution that leverages advanced machine learning and AI techniques to augment human capacity and cope with the enormous amounts of financial data that exist within organizations.
Investor Snita Balsara and the Graphite team highlight 8 key metrics founders should consider at the Seed stage. Of utmost importance at the Seed stage is seeing the repeatability of Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). Snita also advises companies to analyze data in cohorts of time and by customer segment, and to look at the company holistically versus just at points in time.
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Unit Economics Metrics, for example Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Payback Period
Conversion Metrics that show how customers are moving through the stages in the sales cycle.
About SaaSCan
SaaSCan was created to bring deep experience in customer-centric growth and SaaS metrics to Canada’s growing SaaS ecosystem.
SaaSCan for Startups services were born in the early days of COVID-19 to help Canadian SaaS companies understand COVID’s impact on churn and retention. We have expanded to provide enablement for SaaS startups on SaaS metrics and benchmarks.
SaaSCan for Early Stage Growth services emerged from the need startups have to adopt a customer-centric approach as they grow, so they can deliver ongoing value to existing customers and optimize key SaaS retention, expansion, and efficiency metrics.
SaaSCan for Later Stage Growth services empower SaaS companies to be customer-centric and metrics-savvy at scale, further optimizing customer retention, SaaS metric performance, and company valuation.
To learn more about our Advisors, Partners, and Services, please visit www.saascan.ca.
