Holded, the Business Operating System for SMEs, has closed a €6M Series A round. The round was led by Lakestar, with existing early investors Nauta Capital and Seedrocket 4Founders Capital also contributing.
The fresh capital will accelerate the Barcelona-based start-up’s growth into international markets, enabling the company to double its team and strengthen the platform’s core functionality.
Founded in 2016 by Bernat Ripoll and Javi Fondevila, Holded is a Business Operating System specifically designed to help business owners seamlessly manage every aspect of their business from a single platform.
Holded gives its clients full operational capacity, from financial management such as accounting and invoicing to HR, CRM, and project and inventory management. In addition, Holded’s customisable platform offers multiple integration capabilities, allowing its customers to connect with popular solutions such as Amazon, Paypal and Shopify while simultaneously automating their core business tasks.
According to the European Commission Enterprise and Industry, more than 90% of the 23 million SMEs in Europe are micro-sized businesses employing up to 10 people. These entities often lack the resources needed to run their businesses efficiently – this is the problem that Holded is solving.
Since closing their seed round in early 2018 from Nauta Capital, Holded has grown significantly with the number of users increasing from 10,000 to 30,000 in just 12 months.
Bernat Ripoll, Holded’s co-founder said: “After launching Holded, we quickly noticed the virality of our software. We never wanted to be just another software – we wanted to develop a full Business Operating System – a next-generation Enterprise-Resource-Planning (ERP) – addressing the modern needs of modern companies. We provide a platform that addresses the key needs of small businesses, and one that lets users start working straight away from any location, on any device. This is our value-add as SMEs spend a lot of time searching for and evaluating new software; they then need to migrate their data, and finally integrate with the rest of their applications. With Holded, we are saving them time and resources and making their companies fit for a sustainable future.”
We have become the #1 cloud-based solution in Spain in just 24 months, and now aim to replicate this in other countries while continuing to consolidate the Spanish market, by continuing to add new product features and country-specific integrations.”
Commenting on the new round of investment, Javi Fondevila, co-founder of Holded, highlighted the company’s potential for growth:
“For us, securing this investment from an international VC such as Lakestar, is a strong sign of confidence. This move from one of the world’s most highly regarded investors, who have invested in disruptive and successful companies such as Facebook, Spotify and AirBnB shows that we are making an impact on how our SME clients run their businesses. We have become the #1 cloud-based solution in Spain in just 24 months, and now aim to replicate this in other countries while continuing to consolidate the Spanish market, by continuing to add new product features and country-specific integrations.” added Javi, co-founder of Holded.”
About Holded
Holded is a Business Operating System (BOS) for small and medium businesses to seamlessly manage every aspect of their company from a single platform. From best-in-class financial management such as accounting and invoicing, to powerful apps like HR, CRM, Project and Inventory management. Holded is reinventing the concept of ERP. The company’s cloud-based platform uses AI to automate administrative tasks and uses data to benchmark performance and provide managers with actionable insights into their business. In addition, Holded offers multiple integration capabilities, allowing its customers to connect with popular solutions such as Amazon, Paypal, Shopify and others. Holded helps SMBs increase their sales, reduce their expenses, and save time, giving them all the right tools they need to make better business decisions. Founded in 2016, Holded has received funding from Nauta Capital, Seedrocket 4 Founders and Business Angels.
About Lakestar
Lakestar is one of Europe’s leading venture capital firms investing in technology companies led by exceptional entrepreneurs. Early investments included Skype, Spotify, Facebook and AirBnB. Having raised their first fund in 2013, Lakestar currently manages an aggregated volume of €1bn across three early stage funds, and more recently a growth fund. Lakestar has expanded and broadened their portfolio, with investments in Harry’s, Opendoor, GoEuro, FiveAI and Revolut. Lakestar has a presence in Berlin, Zurich and London. Lakestar helps companies to identify new markets and expand into them rapidly, with a focus on the US and Europe. The team advises and supports portfolio companies in business development, recruitment, technology and marketing. The investments range from early-stage companies to those in their growth stage.
About Nauta Capital
Nauta Capital is a pan-European Venture Capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies, with offices in London, Barcelona and Munich. Nauta’s main areas of investment interests include B2B software propositions, disruptive digital media companies, and enabling technologies for mobile and the Internet. Nauta has €350+ million under management and invests in Western Europe. Nauta has led investments in more than 35 companies including Brandwatch, CloudIQ, Nextail, Marfeel, MishiPay, Mercaux, ForceManager, Scytl, Getapp, BeMyEye, Geoblink, Smarp, Aba English, Fizzback, Privalia and Social Point. www.nautacapital.com
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