This article was originally featured on Business Insider.
A startup founded by ex-Salesforce execs that aims to boost sales by transforming company websites into "sales and marketing machines" has raised $95 million from investors, including hedge fund giant Tiger Global.
San Francisco-based Qualified operates a platform aimed at helping teams using customer management software from Salesforce improve pipeline generation, with companies such as Adobe, Carta, Databricks, Grubhub, and VMware among the users of its platform.
The startup wants companies to "meet with the right buyers at the right moment" by ensuring revenue teams have appropriate means of engaging potential customers on their websites through tools such as live chat and chatbots. The company claims its platform can help companies identify who their most valuable buyers are visiting their website while also uncovering signals of buying intent.
Qualified raised the funds in a Series C round led by venture capital firm Sapphire Ventures, with significant participation from Tiger Global and additional backing from existing investors including Norwest Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and Salesforce Ventures.
"Our investors recognize that we have a unique opportunity to disrupt the legacy B2B pipeline generation process," said Kraig Swensrud, CEO of Qualified and former chief marketing officer at Salesforce.
The company claims it has driven sizable revenue growth for clients already, including $6 million in new product sales for Adobe and $19.3 million in net new pipeline for software firm Granicus.
The startup recently announced a tool called "Pipeline Cloud," which it describes as "a set of processes and technologies" designed to help chief marketing officers meet "the evolving needs of B2B buyers."
Qualified will use its investment to grow its team and innovate new products to support revenue teams further following a period of rapid growth, in which revenue grew 400% year-on-year, the company said.
Check out the 16-slide pitch deck Qualified used the raise the fresh funds below:
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