What Happens After You Sell Your Startup - TC Sessions: SaaS
The Post-Acquisition Landscape for Startups
Many startups aim for an exit through an Initial Public Offering (IPO), or alternatively, through acquisition. A sale often allows founders to return capital to investors and compensate dedicated employees. However, what unfolds once the acquisition agreement is finalized and the reality of being integrated into a larger organization sets in?
Insights from Founders Who've Been There
We will explore this topic with three founders who have successfully sold their companies, during a panel discussion titled ‘What Happens After Your Startup is Acquired’ at TC Sessions: SaaS this Wednesday, October 27th.
Meet the Panelists
- Monica Sarbu: Founder of Packetbeat (sold to Elastic in 2015), she led the Beats team for nearly three years post-acquisition. Currently, she is the founder and CEO of Xata, and also operates Tupo.io, a mentorship initiative for underrepresented tech professionals.
- Jyoti Bansal: Sold AppDynamics to Cisco for $3.7 billion in 2017, just prior to its planned IPO. Bansal departed the company following the sale and now leads Harness and Traceable, alongside founding the venture capital firm, Unusual Ventures.
- Nick Mehta: Founder and CEO of Gainsight, previously sold LiveOffice to Symantec in 2012 for $115 million. He remained with the company for a short period after the acquisition, but his involvement diminished following the closure of the deal.
Navigating the Sale Process
These founders’ experiences demonstrate that each acquisition is unique. Selling a company is not a conclusion, but rather a transition. We will delve into the factors that influence the decision to sell, the process involved, and the challenges of shifting from a leadership role to that of an employee within a larger organization.
The discussion will also address the emotional aspects of relinquishing a venture built with significant time and effort. Understanding the lessons learned from these experiences can provide valuable guidance for other founders.
A Broader Look at SaaS
This panel is part of a comprehensive agenda focused on the impact of Software as a Service (SaaS). Additional sessions will cover open source technologies, the importance of data, and the role of automation.
Distinguished speakers include Jared Spataro from Microsoft, Abby Kearns of Puppet, and Javier Soltero from Google. We encourage you to join us for a full day of insightful discussions.