Excuse the jumping up and down, but we’ve just secured $43M in Series B funding so some excitement is justified, we think. If we seem a little dizzy, it’s partly because we’ve been running round in circles doing laps of honour in our offices in New York, London and Lisbon but mainly because of the crazy ride Reachdesk has had so far. Let’s see... Only in the past 12 months we’ve grown by more than 600% in Europe and the US, we expanded our presence into Australia and New Zealand, we grew our team from 40 to 120 people, and G2 named us one of the top 5 fastest growing products in 2021! We’ve been busy, to say the least. And we’re only getting started!
The new funding round led by Highland Europe will accelerate our growth and allow us to focus on delivering even more for our customers and people. With this investment we can double down on the areas that have driven our incredible growth – our truly global approach, our leading AI and software, our market-defining ROI and tracking tools, and our partnerships with logistics and marketplace vendors. In between celebratory drinks, we sat down with our CRO and co-founder Alex Olley and our CEO Temy Mancusi-Ungaro to talk about what this huge milestone means for Reachdesk and how it’s going to propel us to the next stage of our journey.
How does it feel to see Reachdesk grow so fast?
Alex: It feels amazing to not only see our idea come to life but to see it grow at such an incredible pace. We feel blessed that some of the most incredible companies in the world are on board as our customers. We’d like to thank all of our customers for jumping on this journey with us, for their support, and for helping us improve every day.
Temy: The reality is, we’re just getting started and we can’t wait for what happens next. From here, I believe our growth will happen even faster, so I want to ensure we enjoy every moment of the crazy ride.
How is the funding going to be used?
Alex: We will be using this funding to build on the success we’ve already had internationally. Our customers want a partner who can help them across numerous territories and we want to continue to be the global leader in our space. We have a strong presence in EMEA and the US and we’re growing our presence in Australia and New Zealand. This funding will allow us to expand further into new territories.
Temy: We’ll invest a lot into product development and expand our capabilities into new verticals so we have a more comprehensive offering for more use cases. Ultimately, the next big thing for us is helping our customers decide what to send, who to send to and when to send. Using data and analytics to simplify the gifting process is the future for Reachdesk.
What’s the key ingredient to Reachdesk’s success so far?
Alex: The key ingredient to our success is our people. Our people are deeply connected to one another and what we are trying to achieve. We have an incredible team of innovators that is bold and can move fast.
Temy: Our people are everything, but it doesn’t just stop with the talent. It’s how we treat our customers and vendors. Reachdesk’s goal is to create a vibrant ecosystem around gifting and to do so we enforce being honest, transparent, and going the extra mile with everyone we work with.
What’s a problem worth fixing in the world of direct mail and gifting?
Alex: Corporate gifting is different from gifting to our loved ones and the ones because we don’t have enough context most of the time. People don’t know who to send to, what to send, and when to send it. Our offering is evolving to answer those questions to help our customers turn direct mail and gifting into an incredible experience for the people that matter to their business.
Temy: At the same time, most companies don’t know whether sending direct mail or gifts works and they can’t measure the ROI of their campaigns. How do you know how to do it better if you don’t know how and where it’s working in the first place.These are real problems we are solving right now for our customers.
If you had a magic wand what would you change about B2B marketing and sales?
Alex: I’d remove MQLs from the history of marketing once and for all. I don’t believe people are leads. I don’t believe we should categorize based on this definition. Treat people like people.
Temy: I know it sounds a bit self-serving, but I would make it more personal and less transactional. I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve gotten from people who don’t understand my business trying to sell me something. Spend more time understanding the problem and less pitching your solution.
What’s the most rewarding part of your work at Reachdesk?
Alex: The ideas that come from my team. I believe sales and marketing tactics change every month. The continuous improvements we make and the innovations that are brought to the table allow us to stay ahead of the curve. It’s so rewarding to be part of a team that not only takes innovation seriously but actually executes on ideas.
Temy: In the end, I believe we are really building something that will bring happiness to people. It sounds a bit cliche but I feel that as we fulfil our mission at Reachdesk, businesses will not only be more successful but will also have happier customers and employees and hopefully deeper connections, which these days is ever more in need.
What’s your vision for Reachdesk?
Alex: Our vision is a world where every business is loved by their customers, employees, and the planet. We have created a company that can help businesses spread happiness to their future and existing customers as well as their own employees.
Temy: We’re also conscious of how direct mail and corporate gifting impact the planet. We want to leave the world in a better state than the one we found it in. There are so many ways we can achieve this through charitable donations, reducing our carbon footprint, creating more sustainable packaging, and supporting more local businesses in our marketplace. We are all connected and we never lose sight of that.
As we take a moment to celebrate this huge milestone, we’d like to raise a glass to our amazing customers and employees who make Reachdesk a company we’re proud to be a part of. We’re incredibly blessed to work with top talent and industry-leading customers who share our belief that B2B marketing is about building deeper, human connections and who live by the mission of delivering the moments that matter every day. Thank you for your hard work, honest feedback, fierce ideas, and zealous advocacy!
