Clazar simplifies cloud GTM for companies big and small
My favorite investments are the ones that speak to my inner CIO—those visionary products solving problems that once left myself and other enterprise tech buyers with many a migraine. This has been a common theme since I first moved to the role as investor.
Clazar is one of these rare solutions. Recently, I had the privilege of spearheading Ridge Ventures ’ lead investment in the company’s $10M Series A, joined by our friends at Ensemble VC and The General Partnership along with existing investors. It’s a massive pendulum swing for both Clazar and the larger SaaS sales environment that’s quickly shifting to cloud marketplaces.
Here’s a closer look at the profound significance of the cloud marketplace migration for buyers and sellers, and how Clazar helps the latter automate cloud go-to-market (GTM) and drive revenue.
Must be this tall to ride
For enterprise software companies and their customers, the cloud marketplace is the place to be.
Experts estimate that cloud marketplaces will drive $45 billion in third-party software sales by 2025. Clazar expects cloud marketplaces to become the de facto GTM sales machine in 5-10 years (if not sooner). It’s easy to see why. Buyers appreciate the streamlined procurement process which, for SaaS businesses, translates to up to 40% faster sales cycles and 80% larger deals, plus a 27% boost to win rates.
The efficiency and revenue potential afforded by cloud GTM is catnip for enterprise businesses of all sizes. But access to this nascent sales channel is far from democratized. Registering, getting listed, managing co-sell opportunities, and monitoring marketplace updates—among other responsibilities—requires technical chops, ample resources, and engineering power that only sizable companies can take on.
What does this mean for smaller teams? Stick to archaic sales tactics like cold calls and email blasts while the “big kids” increase their revenue by upwards of 20%?
Not today, says Clazar.
Everybody eats
Clazar is the cloud GTM equalizer. It removes the technical and operational roadblocks that prevent many companies from selling on cloud marketplaces. SaaS behemoth or promising up-and-comer, now all enterprise software businesses can have a seat at the table. Everybody eats.
Clazar is a lifesaver for sales teams, a guiding hand that seamlessly ushers them into the world of cloud GTM. As Clazar co-founder/CTO Aayush Bahuguna explained to VentureBeat:
"Bridging the gap between CRM systems used by sales teams and the technical interfaces of cloud marketplaces, while providing a unified architecture, is a complex challenge. By integrating these systems, we’re empowering sales teams to seamlessly manage the full quote-to-cash process on cloud marketplaces."
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With Clazar, sellers get listed on cloud marketplaces in weeks instead of months. Its fully automated solution checks off the laundry list of items required to go live: buyer registration, pricing, technical integration, integration testing, the whole nine. Additionally, Clazar users gain access to easy private offer transactions, usage tracking, and metering. More transaction volume, turbocharged time-to-value.
Clazar also equips sellers with data-driven decision-making—a virtual must-have for the modern enterprise—and makes it easy to monitor buyers, contracts, and insights related to performance and revenue. Expanding from single- to multi-product listings is incredibly fast and cost-efficient, as is co-selling.
A dynamic duo
Clazar founders Trunal B. and Aayush Bahuguna possess the requisite domain expertise (and then some) to level the cloud GTM playing field. Both know firsthand that entering the cloud marketplace is tough sledding for companies lacking resources and technical savvy.
Trunal, CEO, encountered the issue head-on as Director of Engineering at Confluent . Leading Confluent’s lifecycle engineering team—tasked with building and overseeing cloud marketplace ops—he saw how resource-intensive cloud GTM was for sellers, a resource load far too heavy for smaller software peddlers.
This inspired the launch of Clazar with co-founder Aayush Bahuguna, who worked on cloud marketplace and infrastructure products with Trunal at Airbnb. Collectively, their high-level engineering experience spans 20+ years at companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, Zenefits, and Yahoo.
Fundamentally changing the way software is old—that’s not small potatoes. It takes an amazing team to pull off such a feat. In just a year’s time, Trunal and Aayush have shown they’re up to the challenge with a top-notch product that’s already attracted more than 100 paying customers.
Leading the future of software procurement
Clazar’s fresh round of funding will further bolster its product, reach, and team as the company continues to zero in on a tremendous market opportunity. Software businesses of all sizes are racing to cloud marketplaces and Clazar is uniquely positioned to facilitate this transition.
By 2026, it’s estimated that cloud marketplaces will account for 75% of SaaS sales. That’s roughly a 50% increase in less than two years; things are just starting to heat up.
I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Clazar’s A+ team at such a vital inflection point for the software industry. Congrats to Trunal, Aayush, and all of Clazar’s customers who reap the benefits (and revenue) of an automated cloud GTM experience.
Excited to shape the Cloud GTM landscape with your support!
Strategics at Imply | Streaming Services | SaaS | Silicon Valley | Los Angeles
7moYousuf Khan - I just used Clazar this week, fantastic product. Not surprising you invested!! 👏💯
Principal @ Ridge Ventures
7moHighly recommend!