Christophe Primault, co-founder (along with Manuel Jaffrin) and president of venture-backed GetApp.com, speak with us about the features and advantages of the SaaS-based app marketplace, the team, the funding and future plans.
FinSMEs: Hello Christophe, thank you for joining FinSMEs. Could you tell us something more about GetApp.com?
Christophe: GetApp.com is a marketplace designed to connect SaaS-based application vendors and small-to-medium sized businesses globally. SMB managers who don’t know which application or deployment method to use, can search, find, compare and review web-based software, cloud applications and solutions.
FinSMEs: Which is the advantage for app providers?
Christophe: They can be found by decision makers and prospective buyers and get high quality traffic and leads directed to their websites.
FinSMEs: …and for businesses?
Christophe: They can find and compare SaaS-based applications and solutions focused on increasing their productivity, reducing cost, building customer loyalty and accelerating revenues. I’m speaking about software for CRM, and social CRM, ERP, accounting, project management, email marketing, billing and invoicing, Internet, collaboration, HR, applicant traking, customer service, help desk, task management, etc.
FinSMEs: I guess GetApp.com is successful. Can you give us some numbers?
Christophe: We launched in January 2010, and today the service is one of the largest vendor independent Business Applications Marketplace. Every month, thousands of businesses around the world use GetApp.com. In addition, more than 1,400 cloud-based application vendors have registered to generate new business online.
FinSMEs: Where are you based?
Christophe: the company is headquartered in Barcelona, but the majority of GetApp.com’s users are located in the USA and in the UK.
FinSMEs: What about your team?
Christophe: the team currently includes me, Manuel, who was EMEA Web Industry Sales & Business Development Manager at SUN Microsystems, and other eight people with development and marketing skills. But we are agressively hiring in the business development, marketing, and web areas at the moment. (http://getapp.mytribehr.com/careers/).
FinSMEs: You recently closed a venture funding (read here)? Why did you decide to raise capital? Why Nauta? Was it difficult to close the deal?
Christophe: We wanted to expand our business and we chose Nauta for proximity reasons and for their network. Having an office in the US, they can support better our growth plans.
For these reasons, it was easy to reach an agreement with them.
FinSMEs: How are you using the funds?
Christophe: We are using the capital for product development and marketing initiatives.
FinSMEs: Can you tell me something on your future plans?
Christophe: on the medium term, we plan to open a Silicon Valley office to better serve our several customers in the U.S.
FinSMEs
26/10/2011