HubSpot Introduces New Program to Help Series A Startups Grow Faster

As a former startup, HubSpot uniquely is positioned to understand the many pain points that young companies face. We also know that startups have enough to worry about without losing sleep over how to set up exceptional marketing and sales systems. In 2016, we introduced the HubSpot for Startups program to help seed-stage startups working with accelerators, incubators, and entrepreneurial organizations to gain traction on their marketing and sales at an accelerated pace. Now, we’re ready to take that to the next level.

We’re excited to announce today that we’re launching the HubSpot for Startups Series A program. In addition to receiving access to HubSpot’s world-class education resources, Series A startups will also receive executive mentorship and a 50% scholarship on HubSpot marketing and sales software.

“We started HubSpot for Startups because we’re passionate about supporting high-growth companies as they get off the ground. As a former startup ourselves, we understand the pain points and know that it takes more than just software to build a successful business,” said Brian Halligan, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot. “With this new Series A program, we’ll be offering startups the executive mentorship and support they need to go from startup to scale-up. We can't wait to see what they're able to achieve.”

According to CB Insights, less than half of the US tech companies that raised seed rounds in 2008-2010 managed to raise a second round of funding. Less than a quarter of those that raised a second round went on to raise a fourth round, or Series C. With the advent of the internet and free or freemium sales and marketing tools, it’s cheaper than ever to start a company. However, startups still struggle with taking their business to the next level.

“Starting your company is the easy part -- scaling it is what’s hard. You’ve got all these Series A companies with a fresh injection of cash but no need to build a customer acquisition machine,” said Larry Bohn, General Catalyst. “This program is going to give them a fast start on the right path.”

“It’s a pretty big deal in the startup world when you close your Series A round of financing, but from working with startups I’ve noticed that not many of them have deep go-to-market backgrounds needed to take their product to market and scale it,” said David Skok, Matrix Partners. “This Series A program fills a unique gap in startup knowledge through its tools, education, and executive mentorship.”

The program is currently in beta and is open to Series A startups that have received funding within the last six months from the top 100 VCs around the globe, as determined by CB Insights. All startups that join the program can fuel their marketing and sales growth entirely through HubSpot with access to assets like HubSpot’s free CRM, dedicated consulting, 24/7 technical support, and more. The combination of software, support, and mentorship gives startups the tools they need to address the challenges of finding and acquiring customers.

“Marketing and sales are dirty words to many startup founders. They’re product people. I get it. But the truth of the matter is: if you want your product to make an impact, marketing and sales are your best friends. They’re your amplifier. They’re your path to scale,” said Pat Grady of Sequoia Capital. “This program with its education, mentorship, and platform is going to help more founders make an impact.”