Automation's Moment at TC Sessions: SaaS

The Rise of Automation and its Current Impact

This year marked a significant turning point for automation as UiPath, a leading robotic process automation (RPA) vendor, became a publicly traded company following a $2 billion private investment round. Early investors experienced substantial returns when the company’s initial public offering exceeded its prior valuation.

Concurrently, established technology firms such as ServiceNow, Microsoft, and IBM recognized the strategic importance of integrating automation capabilities directly into their existing product offerings.

Panel Discussion: “Automation’s Moment Is Now”

TechCrunch Sessions: SaaS, scheduled for October 27th, will feature a panel discussion titled “Automation’s Moment Is Now.” This event will host three prominent figures deeply involved in the evolution of this trend.

The panelists include Daniel Dines, CEO of UiPath; Laela Sturdy, General Partner at CapitalG; and Dave Wright, Chief Innovation Officer at ServiceNow.

Exploring the Dimensions of Automation

While UiPath initially gained prominence through its focus on RPA – currently holding the market leadership position as recognized by Gartner – the broader landscape of automation encompasses a variety of approaches.

These include no-code/low-code tools and comprehensive workflow automation solutions.

As previously discussed in an article detailing the burgeoning automation market, RPA excels at automating repetitive, often legacy, tasks.

Consider the example of processing an insurance claim: extracting data, populating a spreadsheet, and notifying an administrator – all accomplished without manual intervention.

ServiceNow’s Automation Strategy

ServiceNow expanded its automation portfolio in March with the acquisition of Intellibot, an Indian startup.

Beyond this acquisition, ServiceNow offers a suite of low-code and workflow automation tools, and has strategically integrated automation throughout its entire platform through both organic development and further acquisitions.

Panelist Backgrounds and Expertise

Laela Sturdy played a key role as an investor in UiPath and currently serves on its board of directors.

Her investment portfolio also includes notable companies like Stripe, Cloudflare, and Credit Karma, which was acquired by Intuit for $7.1 billion last year.

Notably, Sturdy was also a captain of the Harvard women’s basketball team, leading them to a significant upset victory over No. 1 Stanford in the 1998 NCAA tournament.

Key Discussion Points

The panel will delve into the factors driving the current surge in automation adoption.

It will also explore the impact of the pandemic on its increased popularity and address the ongoing debate regarding its potential effects on employment – whether it leads to job displacement or enhances employee productivity.