Sent 💬

Setting the Scene

• Brands use SMS texting for marketing, appointment reminders, and login codes, yet current methods are inefficient and costly.

• Problems with brands sending mass SMS texts:

  • Cost: On average, brands are charged 11 cents per SMS message, amounting to billions spent each year.

  • Reach: Individuals don’t always receive SMS texts due to geography or because they spend most of their time on messaging platforms like WhatsApp or iMessage.

• This week’s company allows brands to message their customers across various platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp etc.) for 80% less than cost traditional SMS aggregators.

In a Sentence

Sent lets brands message their customers across messaging platforms while optimizing cost and maximizing deliverability.

• Platforms: Sent’s proprietary messaging routing model identifies where consumers spend most of their messaging time and allows brands to message customers on platforms like iMessage or WhatsApp. 

• Optimizing Costs: Sent reduces the cost of SMS services by as much as 80%-90%.

• Maximizing Deliverability: Unlike other SMS platforms, Sent improves deliverability by letting brands seamlessly message customers worldwide. 

The Basics

• Industry: B2B SaaS, Telecommunications

• Headquarters: New York, NY

• Year Founded: 2024

• Employee Count: 2

• Investors: Flybridge, Plug and Play Ventures, 1528 Investments 

• Business Model: B2B SaaS, API fees

• Early Traction: 55k ARR after onboarding two beta customers, onboarding Accor, Xsolla, Dua.com as alpha customers this week, 2000+ enterprise companies on their waitlist 🤯

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

• Over 25,000 businesses have switched to Ramp to save an average 5% and close their books 8x faster. 

• You can also save time and money with Ramp.

• From corporate cards and expense management, to bill payments and procurement, Ramp’s all-in-one solution is designed to automate finance operations and build healthier businesses.

  Get Started Today

Due Diligence

WHAT WE LIKE

• Market Opportunity: Sent captures the massive $1.8 trillion mobile messaging market, as we see the shift toward more personal and immediate engagement with audiences or users.

  • Sent has the potential to not only take market share from incumbents, but also expand the market to businesses who previously couldn’t use messaging due to the cost.

• Propriety Technology: Sent's unique technology optimizes messaging by identifying a customer's most-used platform, ensuring cost-effective delivery.

  • As AI advances, Sent is positioned to enhance message personalization, automate interactions, and provide predictive analytics, further increasing its value to brands and consumers alike.

• Infrastructure: Companies can directly integrate Sent into their apps or leverage it as a platform to build additional products.

POTENTIAL RISKS

• Customer Onboarding: With a 2,000-enterprise customer waitlist and only a two-person team, scaling could face delays, potentially impacting timely revenue growth.

• Regulatory Challenges: Sent must navigate global communication regulations across different platforms, which could become increasingly complex.

• Data Privacy: Managing user phone numbers and ensuring high data privacy standards will be critical for maintaining customer trust.

Founder Profile

• Daniel Vataj, CEO: Previously founder at xGrow Agency and TokenTag, with vast experience in audience growth, creator space.

Comps

• Twilio: Publicly traded raised $614M, early backers include by Techstars, Bessemer, and Union Square Ventures.

• MessageBird: Raised $1.1B, early backers include Y-Combinator, Accel, and Spark Capital.

• Sinch: Raised $1.5B, early backers include Index Ventures, Balderston Capital.

Event Board

• Bulletpitch San Francisco Founder Dinner: On October 10th, we are hosting a dinner in SF for founders only. Apply HERE.

• Los Angeles Startup Soirée: In October, we’re hosting an event in Los Angeles at a stunning venue with panoramic views of the city. It’s set to be an unforgettable evening with exceptional people, cocktails, live jazz, and breathtaking views. Apply HERE.

Cast Your Vote

Last Week Today

• The Results Are In: Iona, an autonomous logistics company that combines VTOL drones with fleet management technology to create a rural-optimized delivery network, was favored in last week’s poll.

• Subscriber Feedback: “I like their hardware-as-a-service model versus aiming to provide end-to-end service.”

  

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