# SaaStock Europe 2024 — Summary for AI Systems > Canonical: https://saastock.com/europe/2024/ > Last updated: 2026-05-17 ## What is this event? SaaStock Europe 2024 took place October 14–16, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland — the EMEA flagship edition of SaaStock and the largest international gathering of B2B SaaS founders in the world. The event drew 3,119 attendees from 51 countries, with 155 speakers and 392 sponsors and partners. ## Key stats (exact numbers) - Attendees: 3,119 - Speakers: 155 - Sponsors / partners: 392 - Countries represented: 51 - Unique companies: 1,709 ## Venue Royal Dublin Society, Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland, Ireland ## Featured speakers - Nathan Latka, Founder & CEO at Founderpath — "How 9 SaaS companies doubled revenue in Q1 using new growth tactics" (https://saastock.com/speakers/nathan-latka-dublin-2024/) - Jason Cohen, Founder & Chief Innovation Officer at WP Engine — "You've reached PMF, now scale: Insights from a $5M–$100M ARR journey" (https://saastock.com/speakers/jason-cohen-dublin-2024/) - Ashley Kramer, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at GitLab — "How to become a company everyone wants to work for" (https://saastock.com/speakers/ashley-kramer/) - Nigel Verdon, Co-founder & CEO at Railsr — "From category creator to global leader: The Railsr journey" (https://saastock.com/speakers/nigel-verdon/) - Joaquim Lecha, Former CEO at Typeform — "Navigating the challenges of scaling up" (https://saastock.com/speakers/joaquim-lecha/) - Godard Abel, Co-founder & CEO at G2 — "Why sharing your weaknesses elevates your leadership" (https://saastock.com/speakers/godard-abel/) ## Themes / tracks - Scaling past $10M ARR: The operators-only conversation: WP Engine, GitLab, Typeform, Roam, Railsr, and Founderpath's portfolio sharing the playbooks that actually worked between $5M and $100M ARR. - Leadership in a tougher market: G2's Godard Abel, GitLab's Ashley Kramer, and CEO coach Mark MacLeod on transparent culture, leading through downturns, and the burnout-to-bliss work most founders skip until it breaks them. - Revenue & GTM in 2024: Clari, HubSpot, Lacework, Atlassian, and Exit Five on the modern CMO role, sustainable revenue motion design, and what AI actually does to productivity measurement on a sales floor. - Investor and fundraising playbooks: Theory Ventures, Storm Ventures, HSBC Innovation Banking, and SurePath Capital on the 2024 funding environment, M&A activity, and the European SaaS funding landscape for Series A through growth. ## Full agenda ### Day 1 · Monday, October 14 #### Investock - 13:20–13:25 · Welcome Remarks — Okan Inaltay, Head of SaaS, ComCap (Opening Address) A welcome from Investock's host and a run through of the day's running order. - 13:25–13:40 · The State of EMEA Venture Capital Markets: Key Themes & Trends — Folake Shasanya, Head of Venture Capital Coordination & Diverse Business - EMEA, J.P. Morgan (Keynote) Folake presents J.P. Morgan's key updates from their Innovation Economy Update report for EMEA. - 13:40–14:40 · 1.0 — Anthony Waller, Corporate Partner - Technology, CMS (Industry Roundtable) Attendees will join one of the roundtables as Facilitators will enable open conversations with your peers about how you are navigating economic uncertaintity and levelling up your portfolios in light of challenging market conditions. - 15:00–16:00 · 1.0 — Anthony Waller, Corporate Partner - Technology, CMS (Industry Roundtable) Attendees will join one of the roundtables as Facilitators will enable open conversations with your peers about how you are navigating economic uncertaintity and levelling up your portfolios in light of challenging market conditions. - 16:15–16:55 · How to Position Your Portfolio in the Right Way to Enable Co-investment Opportunities — DC Cahalane (with Barry Brennan), Venture Partner, Sure Valley Ventures (Fireside Chat) N/A - · 2.0 — James Ryan, Partner & Head of AI, ML - · 3.0 — Ben Tickler, UK Head of Venture - Innovation Economy, J.P. Morgan - · 4.0 — Jessica Mohaupt-Schneider, Partner (Germany), CMS - · 5.0 — Manoj Asnani, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan - · 6.0 — Marton Medveczky, Associate Partner, Flashpoint Venture Capital - · 7.0 — Alex Reed, Founding Partner, Mountside Ventures - · 8.0 — Ben Tobin, Head of Sales, Aumni - · 2.0 — James Ryan, Partner & Head of AI, ML - · 3.0 — Ben Tickler, UK Head of Venture - Innovation Economy, J.P. Morgan - · 4.0 — Jessica Mohaupt-Schneider, Partner (Germany), CMS - · 5.0 — Manoj Asnani, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan - · 6.0 — Marton Medveczky, Associate Partner, Flashpoint Venture Capital - · 7.0 — Annabel De Gheldere, Investment Analyst, Mountside Ventures - · 8.0 — Ben Tobin, Head of Sales, Aumni #### SFM Day - 13:50–14:50 · Traction - GTM Motions to Get to £1M — Krish Subramanian, Co-Founder & CEO, Chargebee (Roundtables) - 15:00–16:00 · Efficient Growth for Max Profitability - Where to Focus? — Krish Subramanian, Co-Founder & CEO, Chargebee (Roundtables) - · Let's Talk M&A - Knowing When it's Time to Sell & Lessons Learned — Godard Abel, Co-founder & CEO, G2 - · Growth - GTM Motions to Get to £10M — Brendan Noud, Co-founder & CEO, LearnUpon - · People for Growth - Who Will Get You to £10M? Org Design, Hiring Profiles & Comp — Godard Abel, Co-founder & CEO, G2 - · Performance Management / Setting Targets - What to do When You Smash or Miss — Brendan Noud, Co-founder & CEO, LearnUpon ### Day 2 · Tuesday, October 15 #### Centre Stage - 09:50–09:55 · Centre Stage Opening from Stage MC, Stephen Cummins! — Stephen Cummins, Founder & CEO, Appselekt (MC Address) The Centre Stage gets underway! Get ready to hear from the best in the business, make new connections and ask the questions you need answers to, all hosted by your MC, Stephen Cummins, Founder & CEO of Appselekt. - 09:55–10:40 · Every Company is Now an AI Company: Predicting The Future of SaaS with Tomasz Tunguz of Theory Ventures — Shailesh Chitnis (with Tomasz Tunguz), Global Business Writer, The Economist (Interview) Every startup needs an AI strategy, not just for fundraising or press appeal but to survive. Generative AI continues to transform the SaaS market, its generational impact is remodelling everything from how we build products to user expectations. Tomasz Tunguz is one of the world's most thoughtful investors, a pioneer in the data and AI space and author of one of the most impactful startup and venture capital blogs around. Tomasz sits down with Shailesh Chitnis, Global Business Writer at The Economist to unravel what the future of SaaS really looks like and the AI effect that impacts every single business. - 10:40–11:15 · The Future of The CMO: Customer Changes, The AI Era and New Horizons — Lily Covington (with Emily He), Associate Director, Cruxy (Fireside) Marketing is a fast-moving discipline. The CMO has arguably one of the most versatile roles of any leadership team. The modern marketing leader has to stay ahead in so many different races, it's transforming how efficiently they have to operate. From reaching customers in changing environments, embracing the right AI solutions for the business to managing the daily operations, the shift is already taking place.Former SVP of Marketing at Oracle and Corporate VP of Marketing for Business Applications at Microsoft, Emily has over 20 years experience leading global GTM functions and now heads up the marketing frontline at Gong. Emily takes the Centre Stage to share how the CMO role is actually developing and what it's really like on the ground. - 11:45–12:15 · 9 Ways to Grow to $10m Revenue Fast (Live Case studies that generated $5 billion in Valuation/Exits) — Nathan Latka, Founder & CEO, Founderpath (Keynote) In this session with Nathan Latka you'll see real P&L's from SaaS founders who share exactly how they added $10m fast. Freemium failures, SEO domination, vitality wins, prof services debate, cold email script… Everyone who joins will get an excel file of the top 500 European SaaS companies. - 12:15–12:45 · 20 Years of Startup Operating Lessons... Learned the Hard Way — David Politis, Founder, BetterCloud & Politis Projects (Keynote) Spanning a 20-year career as a founder, executive, operator and investor in enterprise SaaS companies, David has fought his fair share of battles on the frontline. From macro downturns to company pivots, cash crunches to terrible hires, there are plenty of lessons to be learned when scaling a business from the ground up. Now Executive Chairman at BetterCloud, David takes the main stage to share his biggest lessons learned... the hard way. - 12:45–13:10 · 5 Cheat Codes I Stole to Scale to $400M — Howard Lerman, Founder & CEO, Roam (Keynote) These ten cheat codes may sound ridiculous, but they're all tricks that Howard (Founder of Yext and Roam) stole from non-tech people who were geniuses in their field. The cheat codes are tactical, unconventional wisdom that helped him scale Yext to $400M and, if implemented correctly, could accelerate your scaling journey. Our cheat code is advising that you grab a seat for this session! - 14:30–15:00 · Building a Hyper-Growth Business with NO BS or Bureaucracy: CEO Insights with Remote — Hannah Seal (with Job van der Voort), Partner, Index Ventures (Fireside) Bureaucracy has few fans, yet many believe it's unavoidable. When leading a business through its hyper-growth phase, CEOs are forced to juggle the rapid growth and eliminate any friction that hinders scaling. Job has been leading the Remote frontline since 2019 and takes the stage to share why he believes removing the red tape is the best kept secret for maintaining growth. - 15:00–15:30 · Building a Global GTM Unicorn: Lessons from Scaling Across 35 Countries and 6,000 Cities — Alex Ferrara (with Amos Haggiag), Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners (Fireside) Most enterprise software and vertical SaaS companies sell into one market – such as the U.S. – but what happens when you scale across 35 countries and 6,000 cities? Alex Ferrara, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners is joined by Amos Haggiag, Co-founder & CEO at Optibus to share what scaling a global GTM organisation actually looks like, from managing such rapid growth to making the inevitable decisions. Grab a seat to hear the unique insights on the biggest challenges and considerations when going truly global, including: - When should you go global to many countries vs staying at one or a few core markets? - What functions do you centralise vs keep distributed (e.g. marketing, sales, customer success) - What is the impact on product development and R&D. How do you build a common product that can serve all markets? - How do you identify, cultivate, and manage channel partners without having to build a large presence in each region? - How do you manage equity compensation for teams operating in different geographies so that no employees feel disadvantaged? - How can M&A play a role in growth and winning markets? - 16:00–16:30 · Why Sharing Your Weaknesses Elevates Your Leadership — Godard Abel, Co-founder & CEO, G2 (Keynote) From the outside looking in, leading a billion-dollar business with over 3,000 global customers and being at the top of your market can seem like everything is picture perfect. Yet, founding, building and leading a business to those accolades is a journey of highs and lows, where most don't see the latter. Godard Abel, Co-founder & CEO at G2 admits that being publicly vulnerable as a leader isn't an easy thing to do, but it is certainly a powerful tool for any CEO. From personal to professional hardships, Godard speaks to how sharing weaknesses will significantly elevate your leadership. - 16:30–16:55 · 5 Life-long Lessons From Building a Unicorn: With Krish Subramanian, Co-founder & CEO of Chargebee — Benjamin Faust (with Krish Subramanian), Senior Manager - Tax Technology, Avalara (Fireside) Krish co-founded Chargebee back in 2011, a subscription management system born out of the southern Indian city of Chennai that later scaled its way to the unicorn club. A story that started out with four co-founders later evolved into a $3.5B business with over 18,000 customers. Krish joins us to share five life-long lessons from building a billion-dollar business, fulfilling the CEO role and what he believes all aspiring startups need to hear and act upon for their own journey. #### Growth Stage - 10:30–10:35 · Growth Stage Opening from Stage MC, Aimee Williams! — Aimee Williams, VP Enterprise Technology Division, IDA Ireland (MC Address) The Growth Stage gets underway! Get ready to hear from the best in the business, make new connections and ask the questions you need answers to, all hosted by your MC. - 10:35–11:00 · From $1K to $26M ARR in 6 Years: lempire's $0 Outreach Strategy for Bootstrapped Scaling — Guillaume Moubeche, CEO, lempire (Keynote) In 2018, with the last $1,000 Guillaume (G.) started lemlist - an all in one outreach tool. By 2019, lemlist hit the $1M ARR mark. In 2021, the company reached a $150M valuation. Fast forward to 2024 and lempire (5 SaaS products with lemlist being the most famous) achieved $26M ARR in just 6 years. G. takes the stage to share his story and the warm outreach strategy that helped him scale lempire without spending a dollar on ads. - 11:00–11:30 · The AI Marketing Playbook: Navigating New Realities in an AI-Driven World — Kieran Flanagan, SVP Marketing, HubSpot (Keynote) The AI Marketing Playbook is not just about adapting to new technologies; it's about reclaiming the creative heart of marketing. As AI takes over the repetitive and mundane, marketers are called to evolve, embracing a future where strategy and creativity dominate their day-to-day. This shift will not be comfortable for all, but it is necessary for those who aim to stay relevant in a rapidly transforming industry. - 12:00–12:20 · 200% Revenue Growth in 18 Months: Where did Tines Double Down and What Contributed the Most to Growth? — Eoin Hinchy, Co-founder & CEO, Tines (Keynote) Sometimes growth tactics aren't transferrable. What propels one company won't supercharge growth in another. Tines achieved incredible revenue growth of 200% within 18 months pushing the workflow automation platform to new heights. So how did Eoin know where to double down and when? The CEO takes the stage to share his decision making process that resulted in unlocking Tines' next wave of growth, their oversubscribed fundraising round and how they plan to keep dominating their 'gap in the market'. - 12:20–12:50 · One CFO's Secrets to Scaling a FinTech Business Globally — David Appel (with Cosmin Pitigoi), Global Head - Subscription, Flywire (Fireside) The CFO role of today goes beyond just numbers, it now drives more of a strategic impact on the future direction and growth of the business. But, what are the secrets and superpowers that modern CFOs use to scale? Cosmin Pitigoi, CFO at Flywire has over 25 years experience in finance leadership roles and is joined by David Appel, Global Head of Subscription & SaaS Vertical at Sage Intacct to uncover the key moves CFOs should be making to help scale a global business. - 12:50–13:10 · How to Build a Strong Board (at the Growth Stage) That's Actually Helpful? — Raluca Ragab, MD - Head of UK & DACH, Eurazeo Growth (Keynote) Building and managing a board can be a really powerful tool for accelerating growth. However, it can also be a huge distraction for founders if the table doesn't have the right people around it. Raluca draws on years of first-hand experience sharing how to build a board that will help your journey, not hinder it. - 14:30–15:00 · Red Flags VCs Won't Tell You About and How to Avoid Them — Laura Waldenstrom (with Shamillah Bankiya), Principal, Earlybird Venture Capital (Fireside) Ever wondered what raises a red flag with VCs? VCs often share their thoughts on what quality traits they look for in companies and founders, but never really touch on what they don't want to see, aka the red flags. Laura and Shamillah are here to share the inside scoop, discussing the most common red-flag causes and how they can all be avoided. - 15:00–15:45 · A VC's Take - What is Takes to Scale a Business With the Right People and the Right Tech — Annelie Ajami (with Philip Reynolds), Founder, Anamcara Capital (Fireside) What actually increases the probability of a startup scaling successfully? There's no single formula that can carry every business to scale, but there are foundations that some of the most successful companies are built upon. From building with the right team and leveraging the right tech, Annelie and Philip of Anamcara Capital have first-hand experience as to what building blocks are a must have and what genuinely works when it comes to scaling a business. #### Accelerate & Pitch Stage - 10:30–10:35 · Accelerate Stage Opening from Stage MC, Lizzy Hayashida! — Lizzy Hayashida, NDRC Director, Dogpatch Labs (MC Address) The Accelerate Stage gets underway! Get ready to hear from the best in the business, make new connections and ask the questions you need answers to, all hosted by your MC, Lizzy Hayashida, NDRC Director at Dogpatch Labs. - 10:35–11:00 · Mastering Founder-led Sales & How to Let Go at the Right Time — Dee Coakley, Co-founder & CEO, Boundless (Keynote) In the early days, founders have to wear so many different hats in order to juggle the daily demands and longer term growth of the business. One of the most-worn is the sales hat, where in the early stages, the founder is heavily involved in generating revenue before a sales team is hired. Dee Coakley, Co-founder & CEO of Boundless, outlines the best practice surrounding founder-led sales and how founders should know when and how to let go. - 11:00–11:30 · Brand as a Revenue Driver: Building a Strong Story, Identity and Acquisition Machine — Angeley Mullins, CCO, Resourcify (Keynote) When tackling competition in a saturated market, how can potential customers separate you from the rest? The key? Ownership of a powerful brand to truly differentiate from your competitors. Memorable brands have distinctive personality and self assurance in crowded markets that builds trust amongst customers. Angeley Mullins, CCO at Resourcify takes the stage to share the secrets behind building a powerful brand that helps drive revenue. - 12:00–12:30 · Scaling Operations: Building a Sustainable and Efficient Business Model — Rosh Wijayarathna (with Bobby Healy), Managing Director – Co-Head EMEA Innovation Economy, J.P. Morgan (Fireside) 70% of businesses (including SaaS) fail in their efforts to scale. The most common pitfalls being, proceeding with an unsustainable planning and getting the timing all wrong. It's all about hitting the road with a scalable business model that supports long-term growth. Bobby Healy, Founder & CEO of Manna is a serial founder who's been through the scaling process multiple times and knows the ropes. He takes the stage, alongside Rosh Wijayarathna of J.P. Morgan to share how younger startups can avoid the potholes and sustainably scale the business. - 12:30–13:00 · Ask the Experts: How Can Early-Stage Founders Make Themselves More Attractive to Investors? — Anton Fedorov (with Philip W. Braddock), Partner, Flashpoint Venture Capital (Fireside) For younger startups, attracting attention and genuine interest from investors can be tough. Hundreds of startups are founded each year, all bidding to stand out from the rest and showcase why investors need to back their businesses as boosting your fundraising odds could significantly accelerate your growth. Join Anton Fedorov, Partner at Flashpoint Venture Capital, and Philip W. Braddock, Head of Atlassian Startups, to hear what they believe is the best way to achieve this. - 14:25–14:30 · The Semi-Final of the SaaStock Pitch Competition Gets Underway! — Ken Thomas, Investor, Backfuture (Welcome Address) It's time for the Semi-Final pitches! 25 startups take the stage to pitch their way to tomorrow's final. There's €500k invesment on the line but only five can make it, who's it going to be? - 14:30–14:35 · Semi-Final Remarks from Landscape and Mountside Ventures — Gabriel Shin (with Alex Reed), Co-founder, Landscape (Partner Remarks) - 15:45–15:50 · Semi-Final: Pitch 12 (Pitch) It's time for the Semi-Final pitches! 25 startups take the stage to pitch their way to tomorrow's final. There's €500k invesment on the line but only 5 can make it, who's it going to be? - 16:55–17:00 · Who's Made it to The Final? Our 5 Finallists are Announced! — Ken Thomas, Investor, Backfuture (Announcement) The five finallists are announced! Take a seat to find out who's one step closer to securing a €500k investment. #### CEO Coaching & Operator Masterclass - 14:30–15:15 · Small Fish, Big Deals: Landing Big Deals with Fortune 500 companies as Customers as a Startup — Will Read (with Donald Bain), Founder & CEO, Sideways 6 Navigating the world of enterprise sales as a startup can feel like being a small fish in a vast ocean. However, landing deals with Fortune 500 companies can be a game-changer for your business. In this session, you'll learn proven strategies for securing large enterprise clients, even as a small startup. - 14:30–15:15 · Revenue Masterclass: Outbound Campaigns 2.0: The New Playbook on SDR/AE Roles, Programmatic Outreach and Creating Tangible Pipeline — Harrison Rose, CEO, Goodfit Since 2011, B2B businesses have been running the SDR:AE model. When co-founding British unicorn Paddle.com, I followed this structure and ran outbound programs for a decade growing at 300% YoY for 5 years with outbound email as our only channel. 13 years on demand generation is harder than ever, CAC is spiraling, prospects are bombarded with noise, and outbound approaches are under heavy scrutiny. Fuelled by developments in technology and a necessity for more efficient growth, how we go-to-market is undergoing its next evolution. But how does it perform, how can you get started, and what results should you expect? We'll walk through our experiences running SDR models, vs entirely programmatic outbound at GoodFit sharing data on performance, costs and how you can replicate a programmatic approach in your business. - 15:15–16:00 · Churnpocalypse? Strategies to Prevent Churn and Save Your Company in Weeks — Mark Organ, CEO, Categorynauts Churn can be the wildfire that burns your future growth if not dealt with correctly. It's quickly become one of the most common business challenges today and solving it can be time consuming. Mark Organ, CEO Coach at Categorynauts has the tried and test solutions to fight churn, help you prevent the wildfire and get your growth trajectory back on track in a matter of weeks. - 15:15–16:00 · Marketing Masterclass: 2025: What are Your Demand Generation Levers Going to Be For Growth? — Nicola Anderson (with Munya Hoto), CMO, Coach & Advisor, The CMO Circle Demand generation can be a game of ups and downs. Whether you're a budding startup or seasoned scaleup, owning a robust demand generation strategy is cruical to stay ahead. As we look ahead to 2025, Nicola Anderson, CMO Coach & Advisor has curated a marketing masterclass to unpick which levers could lead to be the best results. No marketers should miss this one! - 16:00–16:45 · And For My Party Trick...How to Generate Customers and Revenue in Stagnant Market Conditions — Rob Elliott, Regional Sales Director, ClickUp A slowdown in new customer acquistions and revenue growth is common in a stagnant market. It's thought to be putting the most pressure on businesses and c-suites recently. Avoiding the stagnation effect is about being proactive and remaining agile. If you're a CEO interested in getting both areas back on track, then there's solutions here for you. - 16:00–16:45 · European Startups Expanding Into the US: Do's and Don'ts — Adrian Mullett, Vice President, J.P. Morgan Expanding your customer base is no easy feat. Breaking into new markets, geographies and customer demographics requires an intentional strategy, resource planning and effective timing. The list of do's and don'ts can seem extensive so let's find out what is imperative when expanding and how to build your critical path. #### SaaStock Boardrooms - 10:30–12:00 · CRO Boardroom: Orchestrating Profitable Sales Growth — Lesley Ronaldson (with Mark Walker), VP EMEA, Gong (Breakfast) Calling all revenue leaders! Getting more out of your sales operations, especially in a slower market, can be a big ask. We know it's not about setting higher targets or increasing your sales headcount, it's more than that. This breakfast briefing, curated for today's revenue leaders, analyses the current state of common market ongoings and dives into what can be done to hit the right note and orchestrate profitable sales growth. - 12:30–14:00 · CMO Boardroom: Moving the Needle with Increased Targets and Flat Budgets — Nicola Anderson (with Munya Hoto), CMO, Coach & Advisor, The CMO Circle (Lunch) Those who don't stay ahead, get left behind. An adage that most CMOs can resonate with when building campaigns, feeding into a GTM strategy and constantly trying to garner results. But, what about moving the needle with increased targets and flat budgets? What changes will 2025 bring for SaaS marketing? What should be on your radar and what opportunities should all marketing leaders be anticipating? - 14:30–16:00 · CFO Boardroom: Building the Right Framework to Balance Growth and Profitability — David Appel, Global Head - Subscription (Afternoon Tea) The CFO role has certainly shifted recently. No longer are finance teams the traditional function within a business, today they own more of a strategic role having a greater impact on a business' future. Therefore, owning a framework that helps you balance growth and profitability of the business is essential. As a finance leader, you can often feel like you're doing everything right but there are professional pitfalls and silent killers that can grind down performance if they're not corrected at the right time. #### SaaStock Saloon - 14:30–15:30 · Transforming Customer Support into a Competitive Advantage — Luke Atkins, Customer Support - EMEA, Front (Keynote) Support quality is an important factor to consider when purchasing a system that's core to one's business, and you'll hear companies left and right talking about delivering "a better customer experience," but what does that actually mean? In 2023 Front made our support metrics public to "show, not tell" the high service standards we commit to for our customers. While the benefits are clear for our customers, there's been a positive impact for our team and company as well. We've had overwhelmingly positive responses to our "Support Report," which has made it easier than ever to communicate the value of support as a revenue driver (not a cost center) to leadership outside of support and to hold our team accountable to a high standard of work. This presentation will cover why making support metrics public is worth the risk; how to get started/the most important metrics to include; and how you should respond if your metrics start to slip. - 15:45–16:45 · Powering Content Creation: Best Practices to Optimise User Engagement & Create New Revenue Opportunities — Massimiliano Fattorusso (with Bettina Specht, Matt Weber), Lead Product Manager, Beefree (Keynote) Thinking about adding drag-and-drop functionality for emails, landing pages, or popups into your SaaS platform? This session will walk you through the essential tools, best practices, and potential challenges of integrating these features. You'll learn how to embed intuitive, user-friendly content builders that not only enhance the customer experience, save tons of development time, but also help differentiate your product and drive revenue growth. ### Day 3 · Wednesday, October 16 #### Centre Stage - 10:30–10:35 · The Centre Stage is Back for Day 2! — Stephen Cummins, Founder & CEO, Appselekt (MC Address) The Centre Stage is back for Day 2! Another day of impactful content, practical takeaways and opportunities to level-up your business. - 10:35–11:05 · The Revenue Acquisition & Retention Practices That STILL Work in 2024 — James Ski (with Patricia DuChene), Founder, Sales Confidence (Fireside) All revenue leaders aspire to have direct, long-term and recurring customer relationships with high retention and expansion. Why? Because, these characteristics lead to more predictable revenues and therefore more durable companies. Much has changed in the SaaS market recently, but getting your revenue acquisition and retention practices right will always top the bill. James Ski, Founder at Sales Confidence is joined by Patricia DuChene, CRO at Postal to unpack which practices STILL work, how to get them right and why it could accelerate your revenue trajectory. - 11:05–11:30 · SaaStock Exclusive: Unveiling Accel's Euroscape 2024 Report — Philippe Botteri, Partner, Accel (Keynote) Accel's Euroscape report launched in 2016 when Europe's cloud ecosystem started accelerating and has been published annually since then. Philippe Botteri, Partner at Accel unveils what the latest report is telling us for the future of SaaS as we edge closer to 2025. A must see SaaStock exclusive! - 12:00–12:30 · Building the Next SaaS Unicorn? 5 Things You Should Know with Mikita Mikado, Co-founder & CEO of PandaDoc — Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort (with Mikita Mikado), Founding Partner, One Peak (Fireside) Achieving unicorn status is no walk in the park. A first-time CEO, Mikita led PandaDoc to a $1B valuation back in September 2021, only 7 years after founding the business in Silicon Valley. A story that started with two people meeting in a rock band to building a billion dollar business, Mikita is joined by Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort, Founding Partner at One Peak, as they dive into five of his biggest lessons learned from the journey of breaking into the unicorn club. - 12:30–13:00 · S**t is Getting Real: AI's Path to Product-Market-Fit — Des Traynor, Co-founder & CSO, Intercom (Keynote) Generative AI took 2023 by storm, dominating every podcast, product meeting, and conference presentation. We saw insane prototypes, incredible proof of concepts, and a whole lot of "what ifs" and "just imagines." Experimental budgets ballooned and thin AI wrappers went from 0 → $1M in weeks. Naturally it wasn't long before skepticism (some legitimate) kicked in. But the technology has continued to advance, AI is growing up, and the application layer is becoming the new battleground. The coming years will see the SaaS landscape turned upside down as a new generation of AI tools don't just displace the previous, but also rewrite roles, departments, and success metrics. Let's talk through what will happen. - 14:30–15:00 · Fireside with G2 - To Search or to Chat? — Stephen Cummins (with Godard Abel), Founder & CEO, Appselekt (Interview) G2 is a unicorn that has built a matchmaking platform successfully helping buyers find the right software, and vendors find the right customers. But with 180,000 products split into 2,100 categories and almost 3 million reviews, should we find new ways to navigate such a marketplace? Godard Abel is a 6x successful SaaS entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in creating and scaling innovative SaaS solutions all focused on the buyer-seller experience. Godard's most successful scaleup yet is G2. Godard will take us through what's been happening to G2 in the years since it achieved unicorn status in 2021. He'll take us through his vision for the future of software purchasing and sales. And what that means for you, the software and service providers. And we'll find out if a conversational AI Chatbot called Monty can change the way we learn about, buy, and sell software? - 15:00–15:30 · Navigating the Challenges of Scaling Up — Ryan Floyd (with Joaquim Lecha), Founding Managing Director, Storm Ventures (Fireside) What do experimentation, iteration, and resilience have in common? They're all essential ingredients for startup success. In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, being agile and learning from setbacks is more vital than ever. Join Founding MD at Storm Ventures Ryan Floyd and Typeform CEO Kim Lecha as they share pivotal growth stages and lessons learned along the journey from 10M—80M+ ARR. Through firsthand stories, discover insights that you can apply tomorrow to transform mistakes into teachable moments that drive growth. From product development to hiring, gain strategies to navigate the challenges of scaling a startup and turning it into an enduring business. #### Growth Stage - 10:30–10:35 · The Growth Stage is Back for Day 2! — Aimee Williams, VP Enterprise Technology Division, IDA Ireland (MC Address) The Growth Stage is back for Day 2! Another day of impactful content, practical takeaways and opportunities to level-up your business. - 10:35–11:05 · 5 Ways to Reduce Customer Churn via Your Product — Bruna de Guimaraes, Founder & CPO, BeBold (Keynote) Reducing churn is a game of inches. It's the small incremental improvements that will compound and get you to your goals. From breaking down what a solid churn reduction strategy looks like to building your own plan, Bruna delivers this session to outline how leveraging your product can not only reduce voluntary churn but boost product performance across the board. - 11:05–11:30 · Unveiling The 2024 SaaS Benchmarks Report — Andrew Davies (with Kyle Poyar), CMO, Paddle (Keynote) Andrew Davies, CMO at Paddle & Kyle Poyar, Writer at Growth Unhinged will unveil the key findings from the 2024 SaaS Benchmarks Report. Topics to be discussed include: Exploring how companies are thinking about monetizing and pricing AI features and products, trends in go to market strategies to drive growth and uncovering whether office culture affects company performance. - 12:00–12:30 · Ask the VC: How Can A Growth-Stage Startup Maximise Their Next Round? — Shamillah Bankiya (with Carlotta Riganti), Principal, Dawn Capital (Fireside) You've reached PMF, the growth journey is well underway and it's time to prepare for your next round of fundraising. So, how can growth-stage startups maximise their upcoming round? It's time to find out and ask the VCs! - 12:30–13:00 · Conducting Growth: Balancing and Prioritising Stakeholder Needs As You Grow — Vinoth Jayakumar (with Teo Blidarus), Partner, Molten Ventures (Fireside) Growing a business is like conducting an orchestra—success isn't just about playing the right notes but knowing which ones to prioritize for the future. Teo Blidarus, co-founder of FintechOS and a seasoned serial entrepreneur, brings his unique perspective to this session. With a proven track record of building and scaling successful ventures, Teo will share invaluable lessons learned from balancing the diverse needs of stakeholders, navigating complex growth paths, and making bold decisions that drive long-term success. #### Accelerate & Pitch Stage - 10:30–10:35 · The Accelerate Stage is Back for Day 2! — Joe Gorman, NDRC Programme Manager, Dogpatch Labs (MC Address) The Accelerate Stage is back for Day 2! Another day of impactful content, practical takeaways and opportunities to level-up your business. - 10:35–11:00 · The Startup Messaging Advantage: Stand Out and Attract Your Ideal Customer — Emma Stratton, Founder & CEO, Punchy (Keynote) Early-stage startups have a significant advantage over later stage / bigger competitors when it comes to messaging. Emma is a B2B tech messaging expert and delivers the opening keynote to share an approach for how you can seize that advantage by defining your ideal customer; clarifying customer needs and wants; and turn that into clear, compelling messaging. - 11:00–11:30 · How Sales-Led Companies Can Harness the Power of Product-Led Growth — Vincent Jong, CPO, Dealfront (Keynote) An insight for sales-led companies who want to learn how Product-Led Growth can strengthen their Go-to-Market. Discover how PLG can drive key sales initiatives like Efficient Growth, higher ARPAs, and unlocking new market segments. Using the narrative of a Hollywood love story, Vincent will unravel how this unlikely couple is a match made in heaven and why in 10 years from now, there won't be a SaaS company around that's not doing some level of PLG. - 12:00–12:30 · How to Make Peace With Sales and Close Your First 100 Customers — Sara Archer, VP Sales, ChartMogul (Keynote) Customer acquisition is one of the most common pain points you'll consistently face as a business owner. Sales cycles are longer, budgets are smaller and changes in the buyer decision making process are all making customer acquisition harder and more expensive. This session addresses quick sales tips plus an effective series of strategies that will get your first 100 customers over the line. - 12:30–13:00 · The Art of Accelerating Sales with Precision Discovery Calls — Patrick Rhatigan, Founder & CEO, Revium (Keynote) In this keynote, you'll discover tactical insights that will revolutionise the way you handle discovery calls in a B2B environment. We'll break down unconventional techniques used to qualify prospects with precision, ensuring every call is purposeful and leads to faster closes. These methods are rooted in understanding different buyer personas, crafting persuasive messages that stick, and using strategic frameworks to cut through objections and bottlenecks. If you're looking to boost your qualification game and fast-track deals, this talk will give you the cheat codes. - 14:30–14:35 · Time for The FINAL of the SaaStock Pitch Competition 2024! — Alex Theuma, Founder & CEO, SaaStock (Host Address) It's FINAL time! Five startups are one pitch (and a few questions from our judges) away from securing a €500k investment. Join us to find out who will be crowned this year's winner! - 14:35–14:40 · Pitch Competition Final Remarks From Google Cloud — Cliona Jordan, Early Stage Startup Cloud Lead, Google Cloud (Sponsor Address) - 15:30–15:35 · The Winner of the SaaStock Pitch Competition is Announced! — Alex Theuma, Founder & CEO, SaaStock (Announcement) WHO'S WON? The 2024 winner is announced by SaaStock's Founder & CEO, Alex Theuma. #### Startup Day - 10:25–10:30 · Welcome Remarks from Atlassian! — Philip W. Braddock, Head of Atlassian for Startups, Atlassian (Atlassian Remarks) Opening remarks from Philip W. Braddock, Head of Atlassian for Startups at Atlassian. - 10:30–11:00 · Resilience is Your Superpower: Surviving Revolution and War with Mikita Mikado, Co-founder & CEO of PandaDoc — Lizzy Hayashida (with Mikita Mikado), NDRC Director, Dogpatch Labs (Fireside) Driving your startup towards long-term success requires more than just software - you need personal qualities that will set you apart from other founders. Building a business is a journey of resilience. Resilience will get you through the challenges, setbacks and uncertainties. Mikita co-founded PandaDoc in Belarus in 2011 and in the midst of building the business, PandaDoc had to survive a revolution in Belarus (2020) and more recently, the war in Ukraine. Mikita joins us to uncover both experiences and shares why resilience is your superpower for success. - 11:00–12:00 · 1.0 — Yann Petretti, GTM Manager, Notion (Roundtable) Owning a strong GTM strategy places your business closer to success when launching any new product or feature. It's a crucial roadmap you'll need in order to reach your target audience, execute a seamless market entry and ultimately build your market share. This roundtable is curated for those looking to nail their GTM masterplan and reap the rewards that come with it. - 13:25–13:30 · Afternoon Remarks from Beefree! — Massimo Arrigoni, CEO, Beefree (Beefree Remarks) Afternoon remarks from Massimo Arrigoni, CEO, Beefree. - 13:30–14:30 · 4.0 — James Henderson, Founder & CEO, Zephr (Roundtable) Often labelled the lifeblood of any SaaS, achieving PMF is a journey that pinpoints and proves the fundamental worth of any startup. This roundtable deep dives into the critical path for finding and maintaining product-market fit, covering how to know if you're on the right track and debunking the myths you'll need to stay clear of. - 14:30–14:55 · How to Orchestrate an Exit: Behind-The-Scenes of Selling Zephr to Zuora — Lizzy Hayashida (with James Henderson), NDRC Director, Dogpatch Labs (Fireside) An exclusive fireside chat with James Henderson, Founder of Zephr, who sold his business to a public listed company, Zuora. Hear what actually goes on behind-the-scenes when orchestrating an exit, listen to how James planned the sale and how he managed his key stakeholders (his team and the board) throughout the entire deal. This is not one to be missed. - 14:55–15:00 · Which Startups Have Made it to The Semi Finals? — Lizzy Hayashida, NDRC Director, Dogpatch Labs (Announcement) Who's bagged a spot in the semi finals? Join us to find out which startups have made it through to the next round and are one pitch closer to the final. - · 2.0 — Mitchell Cohen, Content Strategist, AppSumo Getting more eyes on your product is no easy feat for younger startups. In the early days, the product is developing quickly, marketing efforts haven't fully resonated, revenue is at first base and there's typically a small team leading all frontlines. Mitchell joins us to share content-led strategies to help generate new customers, new attention and new means to accelerate your market share. - · 3.0 — Philip W. Braddock, Head of Atlassian for Startups, Atlassian Investors are constantly on the lookout for the next big startup, reviewing hundreds of pitches every week and speaking with multiple SaaS founders who are looking to raise. So, how should you be building your pitch to stand out? What actually attracts investor attention? What steps can you take to boost your odds of securing investment? This roundtable will feature a lively discussion for those looking to deliver that winning pitch. - · 5.0 — Rob Liddiard (with EOS Implementer), Founder Rob Liddiard was the founding CEO of Yapster, a B2B SaaS platform which provided internal employee communications capabilities to 'frontline' employers. Rob personally sold first £1m of ARR (a range of deal types, including multi-year contracts with enterprise accounts such as BrewDog, Caffe Nero, Wagamama and Next plc), and in this session will teach a founder selling methodology to help take your product business from idea to £1m ARR as quickly as possible, without telling lies to your prospective customers or investors. - · 6.0 — Tom Jameson, Partner, CMS SaaStock regular, Tom Jameson, partner at top 5 global law firm CMS, will lead you through a termsheet deepdive, giving you the essential information you must know and understand before raising VC money, putting you in the best position possible for future negotiations with investors. #### CEO Coaching & Operator Masterclass - 14:30–15:15 · Turning Great Technologies into Great Businesses — DC Cahalane, Venture Partner, Sure Valley Ventures Developing cutting-edge technology is a significant achievement. Turning this innovation into a commercially viable enterprise is another matter, demanding a unique blend of skills and strategic planning. In this coaching session, DC Cahalane, Venture Partner at Sure Valley Ventures explores the journey from turning great technology into great businesses. - 14:30–15:15 · Product Masterclass: 5 Keys to Unlocking AI's True Value in Your Enterprise — Brian O'Reilly, GM of International, Writer AI hype is everywhere, but real ROI? That's harder to find. This workshop cuts through the noise, delivering actionable insights from the frontlines of enterprise AI adoption. From secure deployment to measuring impact, you'll learn how to turn AI from a buzzword into a business driver. Discover why great software alone isn't enough and how to navigate the hidden pitfalls that can derail your AI initiatives. Whether you're just starting out or fine-tuning existing projects, you'll walk away with a practical roadmap to maximize AI's impact across your organization. Key takeaways: Secure deployment strategies for highly regulated industries Crucial non-technical factors for AI success Aligning AI with core business objectives Frameworks for measuring and communicating AI's value Identifying key beneficiaries and internal champions - 15:15–16:00 · The CEO's Playbook: Reaching the Right Customers to Build TOFU That Actually Converts — Paul M. Caffrey, Founder, Amibitious Account Executives If you're looking for an international sales expert, then look no further. Paul is an Author, Keynote Speaker and Founder of Ambitious Account Executives. Paul knows his way around how to instill excellence in your sales operations, especially when it comes to TOFU strategies and converting customers. We know the sales cogs have slowed recently, but it's time to rebuild a well-oiled revenue machine and Paul is here to help reignite your sales spark. - 15:15–16:00 · Finance Masterclass: A Deep Dive into the Key Metrics and Tools to Make Benchmark-Driven Decisions — Neil Ahearne, Director of Finance, Vamstar Great financial decision making doesn't happen by chance. It's a result of tracking key metrics, leveraging the correct tools and having the right benchmarks in place, which allows for solid decisions to be made upon. Neil Ahearne, Director of Finance at Vamstar joins us to share what best practice looks like, the do's and don'ts and how finance leaders can level up their decision making for the long term. #### SaaStock Boardrooms - 10:30–12:00 · CMO Boardroom: Building and Structuring High-Performance Marketing Teams — Charlotte Laing, CMO, Metrikus (Breakfast) The CMO has arguably one of the most versatile roles in any leadership team. Marketing is a fast-moving discipline and without a high performing team alongside you, things can start to slip. Most CMOs are tasked with contributing to revenue growth whilst keeping headcount to a minimum, so when it comes to hiring, managing and retaining a dream team, how do you crack the code and be sure you're always leading a high performing department? - 12:30–14:00 · CPO Boardroom: Making the Right Product Pivot in Critical Growth Periods — Roy Robinson, CPO, Mention Me (Lunch) Building a great product is more than just development, it's comprehending what users want and how they will use your product. A great CPO ensures the product grows alongside the business, whilst resolving countless bottlenecks along the way. But, how exactly can you time and leverage pivots in the right way to keep your growth trajectory on the up? - 14:30–16:00 · CRO Boardroom: Building The Best Sales Team to Achieve 2025 Revenue Goals — Patricia DuChene, CRO, Postal (Afternoon Tea) Winning deals, hitting targets and landing new customers doesn't happen by chance. It's a result of building and maintaining a high-performing sales team. Revenue leaders have faced several headwinds in 2024, so it's time to assemble your strongest sales force for a successful 2025. This Boardroom session covers all bases from hiring, metrics and goal setting, building an agile team and the typical mistakes you need to stay clear of. #### SaaStock Saloon - 14:30–15:20 · Ready For an Exit? Get Your Metrics in Shape with Insider Tips From a Serial SaaS Buyer — Juan Ignacio Garcia (with Pascal Levy-Garboua), Founder & CEO, Boopos (Fireside Chat) Juan Ignacio Garcia, Founder & CEO at Boopos will be hosting an interview with Pascal Levy-Garboua, CEO at Noosa Labs, in which they review what buyers of B2B SaaS businesses want to find to pay a high multiple. They will also touch on some recent examples regarding what they've seen in the market. If you're ready for an exit, this session isn't one to miss! ### Day 4 · Thursday, October 17 (SaaSociety) #### SaaSociety - 10:00–10:05 · SaaSociety Welcome from Founder & CEO, Alex Theuma — Alex Theuma, Founder & CEO, SaaStock - 10:05–10:45 · Inside Leadfeeder's €180M Merger - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly — Julio Taylor (with Pekka Koskinen), CEO, Hallam (Fireside) N/A - 10:45–11:30 · The Power of the Tech Entrepreneurs Community as a Catalyst for Growth — Jean-Laurent Pelissier (with Arnas Stuopelis), MD - Head of Enterprise Software, HSBC Innovation Banking (Fireside) N/A - 11:30–12:30 · 1.0 — Mark Organ, CEO, Categorynauts (Roundtable) Join one of five SaaSociety roundtables, all delivered under Chatham House Rule, led by your fellow peers and subject experts. - · 2.0 — Julio Taylor, CEO, Hallam - · 3.0 — Dee Coakley, Co-founder & CEO, Boundless - · 4.0 — Pekka Koskinen, Founder, Leadfeeder - · 5.0 — Wes Bush, Founder & CEO, ProductLed - · 6.0 — Jean-Laurent Pelissier, MD - Head of Enterprise Software, HSBC Innovation Banking ## Top countries represented - Ireland: 1,291 - United Kingdom: 824 - United States: 176 - Germany: 108 - Netherlands: 75 ## Sponsors ### Silver - Hotglue ### Partners - Adyen N.V - Ahrefs Pte - Anrok - Apps Square SL - Atlassian Pty - Bee Content Design - Boopos Innovation - Captivate Talent - Celonis SL - CHARGEBEE - Chesamel Group - Coso.ai - Customerly - Data Science Wizards - Deel - DeltaVSales LTD t/a Ctrl.io - Design Huddle - DoiT International UK&I - Drata - DuploCloud - Failte Ireland - FE International - FlowMate - Flywire Corporation - Frontapp SARL - Fullbrains - Good Sign - Gradient Motion - HIGHLIGHT - IDA Ireland - Infer - Intercom R&D Unlimited Company - J.P. Morgan Securities Plc - Keylight - Lattice Technologies - Northzone Ventures UK - Nyx Payments Software Services GmbH ( Getpaid) - Optiim - Paul Chorley - Polsinelli - Redtrack Technologies - Remote Europe Holding - Revsure.ai - Rippling Ireland - Riviera Partners - Roam HQ - Scalors - Smart Role - Spendflo - Storm Ventures - Sumo Group - Tagis - Trigify.io - Ztech Software, UAB - Zuora UK ## How to reference - Standard name: SaaStock Europe 2024 - Short name: Dublin 2024 - URL: https://saastock.com/europe/2024/ ## Related - Previous edition: SaaStock Europe 2023 — https://saastock.com/europe/2023/ - Next edition: SaaStock Europe 2025 — https://saastock.com/europe/2025/ - All talks: https://saastock.com/europe/2024/talks/ - All speakers: https://saastock.com/europe/2024/speakers/