8 Startups That Are Thriving & Challenging The SaaS Industry

For many SaaS businesses that may just be starting their journey into the industry, it can be useful to have someone to look up to.

Having knowledge of those SaaS businesses that are thriving and challenging the industry as we know it, is helpful for those in their first year or two, to make impressionable strides towards success.

In this article, we’ll look at several startups that have made a substantial influence on the market and are paving the way for future SaaS as we know it.

What is SaaS?

SaaS is short for Software as a Service. It’s a centralized host that delivers software that the user subscribes to. It’s considered one of the biggest industries for 2022, with a whopping 80% of businesses planning to make all their systems SaaS by 2025.

Businesses love SaaS products due to the help and support that they provide. It gives smaller businesses the opportunity to scale their organizations faster with the help that some of these products can provide.

For example, video conferencing platforms like Zoom help save a lot of time at meetings. Typically, meetings held in an office environment required organizing and time spent commuting to and from that meeting. Influenced heavily by COVID-19, 43% of remote and in-house teams now use a video conferencing tool.

The SaaS industry in 2022

The SaaS industry shows no real signs of slowing down any time soon, especially with the internet cemented firmly in most people’s activities. As an industry, it’s forecasted to reach an estimated $55 billion by 2026.

With approximately 15,000 software as service companies existing in the US alone in 2021, there’s clearly a need in the market for these software companies.

Startups that are thriving in the SaaS industry

That brings us nicely to the startups that are making a permanent mark on the SaaS industry. From humble beginnings, these organizations have managed to ride the waves of this growing market to deliver excellent services to their clients.

Here are several startups that are thriving and challenging SaaS in 2022.

1. bookafy.com – For scheduling software and real-time appointments

For those that are reliant on software that helps schedule appointments for their patients or customers, Bookafy is one of the platforms that has changed the technology landscape. With automated calendar syncing, businesses can reduce human error when customers book appointments.

Text reminders are an additional feature that can help drive the rate of successful appointments going ahead, rather than the customer forgetting. Offering a streamlined journey for your customers makes Bookafy one of the best scheduling software. Particularly as it integrates with other platforms like Zoom, Outlook, and MailChimp to name but a few.

2. TravelPerk – For business travel management

TravelPerk has seen some considerable growth since its birth in 2015. It was ranked 5th in SaaS 1000’s 2018 list It’s one of the only two European companies to be in the top 10 in 2019. It currently stands at 12th place in the list, as of 2020.

It’s the next generation in business travel, as this all-in-one platform offers everything travelers need for their trips. For the companies, it helps make planning business trips easier, allowing them to save time, money, and hassle. 

Aside from being the world’s largest travel inventory, it also has some great business travel management features. With 24/7 customer support and state-of-the-art technology, it’s one of the best for travel management across small to medium and large-sized businesses. It enables all companies to have the opportunity to travel the world for their business.

3. Grammarly – For improving the quality of content

Content is king in the digital world and it’s something that many businesses should continue to improve upon. There’s yet more competition cropping up as new start-ups and entrepreneurs utilize the wonders of the internet to make themselves a profit.

Grammarly has become a staple browser extension for many who need assistance when it comes to their grammar and spelling. According to the BBC, spelling mistakes cost businesses millions in online sales.

Seeing any type of content that doesn’t make sense or has multiple spelling mistakes is going to cause users to switch off. They’re likely to disengage with the content and click off the site they’re on.

With Grammarly, when it comes to any type of writing content, it works as a virtual assistant. Simply write up your content and watch as Grammarly makes suggestions and gives advice. It’s helped many create better content across multiple channels from their emails, to web pages, whitepapers, etc.

4. Zoom – For remote and flexible meetings 

Yes, ten years ago Zoom was a start-up, and look at where they are now. Before the pandemic, they were somewhat known but it wasn’t until COVID-19 that things really blew up for this video conferencing software company.

According to a report, Zoom stated that the company made a revenue of $1 billion this year, a figure that’s 54% higher than last year’s takings. As remote-working is heading in a more prominent direction for many businesses old and new, Zoom is a platform that is certainly leading the way for video conferencing software tools.

There’s a reason why Zoom is many businesses’ favorites. For one, it’s easy to use, with even the most basic of understanding where technology is concerned. Its free plan is also a steal of an opportunity for many businesses and individuals because you get free video conferencing for 45 minutes every time.

The premium plans for Zoom are also reasonable, making it an affordable option for those who need longer video conference calls.

5. Flodesk – For event invitation email template

Marketing is an important part of any business in order to promote the brand, increase traffic and most importantly, generate sales. One area of marketing that is a top performer is email. With over 4 billion daily email users, that’s a lot of people to reach out to.

Many marketing strategies involve email marketing, with 64% of small businesses using email marketing, having SaaS tools that assist with this type of marketing is useful. To make the most of your email marketing and of your mailing list, Flodesk is a great one if you’re needing an event invitation email template to elevate your marketing materials.

Built With found that 35,547 websites are Flodesk customers. As one of the world’s most intuitive email builders, it’s an affordable and highly professional way to manage your email subscribers. 

6. SurveyMonkey – For customer insights

Understanding your customers is key for your business, especially if you want to help retain those paying customers over a long period of time. Not every business though spends the time and effort getting to know its customers. That’s why SaaS tools like SurveyMonkey are thriving in an area of business that isn’t always focused on enough.

SurveyMonkey has had steady growth over the last five years. In 2017, the company made $218.8 million and by 2020, it grossed $376.6 million in revenue.

The online tool helps you create a range of different survey styles that are actually encouraging for your customers to fill in. From video questions to multiple-choice questions, you can create a survey to collect data that’s crucial for your business development.

SurveyMonkey offers a free plan but you can change your plan depending on how many questions you want to ask and the goals you’ve set as a company.

7. Aeroleads

If you are looking out for a solution to connect with the right leads for your business then nothing better than AeroLeads can work for you. This lead-generating Chrome extension works fine to help you find emails and generate more that you can send for lead generation of your business.

AeroLeads not only help you with lead generation but also makes you a tech-savvy marketer. If you are someone in for the long run and looking out for a way through which you can get more for your business without having to invest much then this might be your option.

8. My Bright Wheel – For daycare management software

Even within the education sector, SaaS is highly popular. My Bright Wheel is a shining example of how SaaS tools can benefit educators. As a daycare management software, it helps manage students, classrooms, families and for those that need it, the business too.

This platform has enabled many of its users to take control of their limited time available to deliver the very best experience for students and the families who hope to see their children flourish.

As a SaaS platform, it’s one to watch as it revolutionizes the classroom, helping some of the most important individuals in our society – teachers – to do their jobs efficiently and with great success.

Make use of SaaS tools for your business this year

There are hundreds of SaaS tools just waiting to be used for your business this year. Many of them are affordable, with some even being free to use. For small businesses and startups, it’s an obvious solution to providing that vital assistance during the early days of a company.

For bigger companies, it helps alleviate the pressures that some teams and employees face as the demand and workload grow. Investing your budget into SaaS tools is beneficial and should be fully utilized this year.