Whatfix, a leading digital adoption platform, has successfully raised $900 million in its Series E funding round, spearheaded by private equity giant Warburg Pincus, with additional support from existing investor SoftBank Vision Fund 2. This new capital is set to fuel the company’s expansion into markets across the US, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), and APAC (Asia-Pacific) regions.
A New Era of Investment
This funding round comes at a pivotal time, as venture capital activity in India is gaining momentum again, especially within the AI and SaaS sectors, after a slowdown last year. Investors are starting to open their wallets wider, signaling a resurgence in funding for promising startups.
Khadim Batti, co-founder and CEO of Whatfix, shared his excitement about the expansion: “We’re hiring in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, including Dubai. The new funding will help us break into these fresh markets and strengthen our product offerings, particularly in generative AI.”
The Numbers Behind the Deal
Sources indicate that Whatfix’s deal was valued at $790 million before this round and around $870 million after. The company is also launching innovative products in the generative AI arena. Batti explained, “We’re introducing an intermediate product soon that can automatically generate content by understanding application knowledge and support data. This means we’re moving from manually creating workflows to a more automated approach.”
Funding for Growth and Innovation
Whatfix plans to use the funds to bolster its presence in key markets while also focusing on organic growth and potential acquisitions. Batti noted, “This investment will supercharge our innovation and enhance the value we provide to customers, reshaping the future of software adoption.”
While they haven’t pinpointed specific acquisition targets, the firm is open to bringing on board companies that could enhance their productivity tools or accelerate their generative AI offerings.
A Look Back
This latest round follows a $90 million funding round in June 2021, which was also led by SoftBank. Whatfix has a strong track record, with clients including Arrow Electronics, Schneider Electric, and Avnet, along with partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft and Salesforce.
Strong Financial Performance
For the fiscal year 2023, Whatfix reported impressive revenue growth of 65%, totaling ₹285 crores. However, losses did widen by 31% to ₹328 crores due to increased expenses. Despite this, Batti is optimistic, stating, “We expect to break even in terms of EBITDA within the next 7-8 quarters. Our growth strategy is working, and we’re investing in the future.”
Whatfix is also working on its own generative AI vision model, integrating it across its product suite to enhance user experience and digital adoption.
The Bigger Picture
As investors increasingly show confidence in startups, especially in fintech, AI, and SaaS, Whatfix’s successful funding round is a testament to the bright future ahead for innovative companies in these sectors.