Today's SaaS Pulse
Salesforce Launches AgentExchange, a Unified AI Marketplace with $50M Builder Fund
Salesforce has merged its three app and AI stores into a single AgentExchange marketplace, offering over 13,000 ready‑made apps, AI agents, and automation components. The platform features intent‑aware search, one‑click buying, and instant activation within Salesforce or Slack, and includes a $50 million builder fund to encourage partner development.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Loop raises $95M to scale its supply‑chain AI platform
Flowla Raises $2.5M to Scale Sales and Customer Automation
London‑based Flowla, an AI‑assisted automation platform for sales and customer success, closed a $2.5 million seed round led by Revo Capital. The funding will accelerate development of its buyer‑journey automation engine and fund a U.S. go‑to‑market team. Flowla’s no‑code digital sales room consolidates proposals, onboarding, and communications, triggering actions based on real‑time buyer behavior. Founders Erdem and Oguz Gelal say the solution shifts revenue execution from manual memory to structured, automated processes.
Wonderful Announced the Launch of Agent Builder
Wonderful introduced Agent Builder, an autonomous AI system that creates, tests, and refines enterprise agents. Powered by Anthropic’s Claude, it ingests policy documents, knowledge bases, and call recordings to iteratively meet production standards. The tool claims up to 50% faster...
Roots Is a Game Server Daemon that Manages Docker Containers for Game Servers
Roots is an open‑source daemon that orchestrates Docker containers for game servers, exposing a full‑featured HTTP/HTTPS API, WebSocket console streams, and SFTP file access. It reads a YAML configuration (default /etc/roots/config.yaml) that defines panel integration, daemon networking, Docker settings, storage...
Seeing Through the Marketing Data Mirage - and How to Avoid It!
DemandScience’s 2026 State of Performance Marketing reveals a pervasive "Marketing Data Mirage," where 99% of marketers rely on signals that don’t reflect real buyer intent. AI tools amplify the problem by producing generic, non‑data‑driven content that erodes brand distinction. The...
Compa Gets $35M Series B for Real-Time Pay Analytics
Compensation platform Compa secured $35 million in Series B financing, led by Jump Capital with participation from Crosslink, Storm Ventures and others. The AI‑driven solution aggregates nine million real‑time market observations to replace traditional salary surveys, delivering instant pay analytics across salary,...
VC Deals Flat, Funding Doubles – Concentration Rises
Per latest data from @cartainc, from 2023-2025: VC Deals Up Only 3%, But Dollars Up 130% From Q1 2023 to Q4 2025, the number of deals went from 802 to 823. Basically flat. But dollars deployed? $12.8B to $29.5B. That's 2.3x. VCs...
Introducing Infinite-Memory AI for Your Business
Claude and ChatGPT have very limited memories So I decide to build one with an infinite memory To remember everything about your business, goals, plans, etc. Try it and LMK what think -> https://t.co/KDuiuVY1GI https://t.co/4uuvWjUo8J
‘I Can’t Actually Keep Working on a Long, Manual Task Like This in the Background Once a Message Turn Ends’...
ChatGPT cannot continue a task once a reply turn ends, meaning it cannot run background processes such as long‑hand OCR transcription. The model’s “helpful” prompts often overstate its capabilities, leading users to expect continuous work that never materializes. In a...
Skip SaaStr AI, Watch Rivals Leap Ahead
Your competitors are sending their whole leadership team to SaaStr AI 2026. You can skip it. But don't be surprised when their AI roadmap is 6 months ahead of yours by June. May 12-14. SF Bay. https://t.co/4U2DOAE1gc
Meta to Test Premium Subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp
Meta announced it will pilot premium subscription plans across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, offering exclusive features and enhanced AI capabilities. The bundles will integrate the recently acquired Manus AI agent and the Vibes video‑generation tool, while Instagram users could gain...
Gemini In Google Calendar Now Helps You Find the Best Meeting Time For All Attendees
Google has integrated its Gemini generative AI model into Calendar, introducing a "Suggested times" feature that automatically scans attendees' calendars to recommend optimal meeting slots based on availability, work hours, and conflicts. The tool also provides a one‑click rescheduling banner...
This Week in SaaS - Jan 20 - 26, 2026
This week SaasRise beta‑launched Pulse, an AI‑curated technology news app that pulls articles, videos and social posts into a single daily feed for community members. The edition also spotlighted a surge of large SaaS funding rounds, including €175 M for Pennylane...
Ask “What Made You Cancel?” To Uncover True Reasons
My biggest takeaways from Jason Cohen : 1. “Too expensive” is never the real reason customers cancel. They already saw your pricing and decided to buy, so something else changed. When customers cite price, dig deeper—the actual reason might be...
It’s Planning Season, Don’t Let Your Tech Stack Lock You Into Another Year
The episode highlights why early Q1 is the ideal time for founders to reassess their email and SMS platforms, emphasizing that many stay on suboptimal tools out of fear of disruption during peak seasons. It explains that switching during low‑traffic...
GEO Anxiety Replaces FOMO as AI Search Disrupts Marketing
GEO anxiety is the new FOMO. And it's everywhere. We just surveyed 50 mid-market B2B marketing leaders through Wynter platform. Everyone is scrambling to figure out AEO/GEO. Why? Because the old playbook is bleeding out. 46% of these leaders are actively pulling back...
A 2026 Retailer’s Guide to the Best People-Counting Systems
The episode walks listeners through the importance of accurate people‑counting for modern retailers, outlining how precise foot‑traffic data drives better staffing, conversion‑rate calculations, marketing attribution, and store layout decisions. It evaluates key criteria for selecting a system—accuracy, privacy‑friendly sensors, intuitive...
Founders: Content Is Your Ultimate Business Landing Page
Every founder should be creating content and that’s a hill I’ll die on. Your content is a landing page for literally everyone. - Investors - Agencies - Partners - People you want to hire They are all going to your profile to figure out what...
Notice of Collective Action Lawsuit Against Workday, INC
A collective‑action lawsuit has been filed against Workday, Inc., alleging that its AI‑driven hiring platform discriminates against applicants aged 40 and older, violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The court has provisionally certified a class of anyone 40+ who...
This Week in SaaS - Jan 20 - 26, 2026
SaasyRise introduced Pulse, an AI‑curated news app for its community, alongside a series of SaaS‑focused blogs and videos. The week featured sizable VC rounds, notably €175 M for Pennylane and $150 M for Claroty, and high‑profile M&A activity such as Capital One’s...
Show HN: Ourguide – OS Wide Task Guidance System that Shows You Where to Click
Ourguide is an OS‑wide task guidance platform that overlays real‑time, click‑by‑click instructions on any application. It replaces static tutorials and chat‑based help with interactive pointers that move with the user. Early users report up to a 75% reduction in onboarding...
AI Turns First Sales Hire Into Pure Discovery Role
Nailing the first sales hire has historically been one of the biggest hurdles in kicking off the scaling process. They’re a unique breed: half Account Executive, spending all week in conversations with prospective customers, and half Product Manager, distilling those...
ThoughtSpot CEO - ‘Most AI Agents Are Confident Idiots’
ThoughtSpot CEO Ketan Karkhanis warned that most AI agents are "confident idiots" because they operate without a solid analytics foundation. He emphasized the need for a deterministic intelligence layer—its semantic layer that translates natural language into SQL—to avoid hallucinations. The...
Hackers Are Using LLMs to Build the Next Generation of Phishing Attacks - Here's What to Look Out For
Security researchers at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 have demonstrated a proof‑of‑concept where generative AI models produce on‑the‑fly JavaScript that creates personalized phishing pages. The technique sends prompts to a legitimate LLM API, receives unique code for each visitor, and executes...
AI Assistants Boost Output, Spark New Micro‑anxiety
As @jasonlk said a few days ago, it won’t be long until most of us have at least one agent working for us almost 24/7. More and more, I give an agent (usually coding or research) a task before jumping on...
6 Okta Security Settings You Might Have Overlooked
Okta is the backbone of many SaaS‑first enterprises, making its security settings critical. The article outlines six often‑overlooked configurations—password policies, phishing‑resistant MFA, ThreatInsight, admin session ASN binding, session lifetimes, and behavior rules—that strengthen identity protection. It also highlights how continuous...
Turn Customer Wow Moments Into Your Best Sales Tool
Most B2B SaaS companies are sitting on a goldmine. (they just don't know it). Here's what I see: A customer gets their first win. They're excited. They tell their team "this works." That's a wow moment, but nobody captures it....
Nationwide Signs New Contract with AWS
Nationwide Building Society has signed an expanded agreement with Amazon Web Services to deepen its cloud footprint and accelerate digital transformation for its 17 million members. The partnership builds on existing use of Amazon Connect, which powers the new Call Checker...
Lower‑Middle Market M&A Thrives;
I’ve had so many conversations with founders who tell me they almost sold during ZIRP, then decided to wait because they were sure the market would only get better. They expected multiples to keep rising, capital to stay cheap, and buyers...
What Is a Website Integration? How Integrations Expand Functionality
The episode explains website integrations as connections between a site and external apps or services that enable data exchange and expanded functionality. It outlines four main categories—ecommerce data, marketing, analytics, and chatbot integrations—highlighting how each can streamline operations, personalize experiences,...
Vennre Completes $9.6M Round to Grow Private Market Platform in MENA
UK‑based wealth‑creation platform Vennre closed a $9.6 million pre‑Series A round structured as equity and debt. The financing was co‑led by Vision Ventures and anb seed Fund, with participation from Sanabil 500, Ace & Co, Plus VC and strategic angels. Vennre’s technology‑driven platform gives high‑earning professionals...
Human SDRs Mastering AI Can Earn $250K
"The top leaders in AI+B2B are hiring tons of sales execs. Tons. But it's not enough to offset the shrinking hiring of mature tech companies. Jobs won't be growing in sales overall. But the silver lining? The Human SDR that owns the...
Claude Adds MCP Apps, Enabling Box File Previews in Chat
Claude now supports MCP Apps, which means you can get interactive experiences in Claude responses. We're excited to partner with Anthropic to support Box file previews for nearly any file type directly in your Claude chat experience.
Rainbow Weather Raises $5.5M Seed to Build Real-Time Environmental Intelligence for a Climate-Volatile World
Rainbow Weather, a climate‑tech startup, announced a $5.5 million seed round to scale its AI‑driven, hyper‑local weather intelligence platform. The platform fuses satellite imagery, radar, ground stations and smartphone barometer data to deliver minute‑by‑minute precipitation forecasts with 1 km resolution, updating every...
Launching a Billion‑Dollar SaaS: Episode One Begins
I’m building the next billion-dollar SaaS. (At least that’s the goal) I’m documenting the whole thing so you might be able replicate it. Welcome to episode 1.
Axos Bank’s Kevin Hearn Simplifies, Trains and Embraces AI
Axos Bank’s SVP Kevin Hearn has overhauled the bank’s technology stack, retiring legacy tools like SharePoint and K2 in favor of the OutSystems low‑code platform. The shift has accelerated application delivery to eight‑week cycles, delivering a 60% productivity boost and...
Introducing the Sunday Times Tech 100: Life Sciences Part 1
The Sunday Times Tech 100 list shows that 23 of the 100 fastest‑growing UK private tech firms operate in life sciences, underscoring the sector’s momentum. The list aggregates £3.7 billion in revenue and 23,100 jobs, with a focus this week on five...
Getting Your Work Apps up to Speed with AI Can Really Pay Off
Cloudflare’s new report warns that legacy applications and outdated infrastructure are creating a technical glass ceiling that hampers AI adoption. Companies that modernize their software are three times more likely to see clear ROI from AI tools, and when security...
How Children with Cancer UK Is Getting a Fundraising Boost with Salesforce
Children with Cancer UK, which has raised over £300 million and helped lift childhood cancer survival from 67 % to 85 % since 1990, embarked on a digital transformation using Salesforce. The charity migrated to Salesforce CRM, Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud, creating...
MyARC Launches New Platform for Fitness Creators Following €2M+ Funding Round
London‑based MyARC has raised over $2 million from investors including Araya Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Techstars and G Fund. The capital backs the launch of a next‑generation platform that automates personalized training, nutrition and app creation for fitness creators. MyARC claims its...
Michael Allain Joins Red Oak as Chief Revenue Officer
Red Oak, a compliance connectivity platform for financial services, has appointed Michael Allain as chief revenue officer to drive scalable revenue growth and operational excellence. Allain arrives with over 30 years of B2B sales experience, including two decades in highly...
Scanifly and IronRidge Integrate Drone-Based PV Design with Racking Layouts
Scanifly has launched a direct API integration with IronRidge, linking its drone‑derived PV layout data to IronRidge’s Design Assistant. The connection automatically transfers panel placements into the racking and bill‑of‑materials (BOM) workflow, removing the need for manual data entry. Contractors...
Synthesia Hits $4B Valuation, Lets Employees Cash Out
British AI startup Synthesia closed a $200 million Series E round, lifting its valuation to $4 billion, up from $2.1 billion a year earlier. The funding, led by GV and backed by existing investors, coincides with the company surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue...
Smart Office Ecosystems: Designing Tech That Supports Focus and Energy
Smart office ecosystems use adaptive lighting, climate control, acoustic zoning, and integrated digital tools to cut distractions and sustain energy for SaaS teams. By making the physical environment respond to occupancy and daylight, these systems keep eyes comfortable, temperatures stable,...
The Pillars of a Successful Artificial Intelligence Strategy
Digital workplace leaders must craft an AI strategy that starts with a clear vision aligned to business goals, identifies market drivers, and maps compliance and ethical risks. The strategy translates into an AI portfolio that prioritizes initiatives, balances ambition with...
Show HN: SF Microclimates
Solo Founders launched a free, no‑key API that provides real‑time weather and air‑quality data for all 50 San Francisco neighborhoods. By aggregating over 150 PurpleAir outdoor sensors, the service delivers hyper‑local temperature, humidity, PM2.5 and AQI readings instead of a single...
The Model T Comes to Silicon Valley
The early 20th‑century assembly line slashed Model T production time by 90%, triggering a wave of consolidation that left only 44 automakers by 1929. Today, AI‑driven coding assistants are delivering comparable productivity gains—55‑81% faster development—in roughly five years. The auto boom...
Show HN: FaceTime-Style Calls with an AI Companion (Live2D and Long-Term Memory)
Beni AI launched a FaceTime‑style AI companion that supports two‑way voice, video, and text with live captions. The platform includes an opt‑in memory layer that preserves context across sessions and perception‑aware features such as expression detection. Users can extend functionality...
Ask These 5 Questions to Fix Stalled Growth
5 questions to ask when your product stops growing Jason Cohen is a four-time founder (including two unicorns, one being WP Engine ), and one of the most prolific and beloved sharers of product and startup wisdom (at asmartbear.com )....
Entrepreneurs Often Run Jobs, Not Independent Businesses
Many entrepreneurs think they’re independent simply by starting their own business, but if you have a complex cap table, a bank loan that’s always on your mind, or silent (or loud) partners who see things different ways, there’s a very...
Built a DIY AI Knowledge Base in 13 Days
As you may know, I decided to build a knowledge aggregation system. Having seen a steady stream of similar projects on my T̶w̶i̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ X timeline, I wanted to build something like a “second brain” that would sync all of our...