Cledara

How Strategic Changes Propelled Cledara to Nearly $30M ARR

February 22nd, 2025

Founded By

Cristina Vila

Monthly Revenue

$2.5M

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2018

Founded By
Cristina Vila: Monthly Revenue
$2.5M

Founders
2: Profitable
Yes

Year Started
2018

Who is Cristina Vila?

Cristina Vila, co-founder and CEO of Cledara, previously worked in banking and fintech, drawing on her financial services experience to address software management challenges for businesses. She hails from Catalonia and founded Cledara in 2018.

What problem does Cledara solve?

Cledara helps businesses easily manage and control their software subscriptions, saving them money and avoiding the chaos of untracked and unused tools.

How did Cristina come up with the idea for Cledara?

Cristina Vila, the co-founder of Cledara, observed firsthand the chaos that unmanaged SaaS subscriptions could create while working in a fast-paced fintech startup. There was a constant struggle to keep track of multiple software tools, understand who was using them, and manage the costs effectively. This personal experience with the challenge of managing numerous SaaS tools sparked her interest in finding a solution that helps companies regain control over their software usage.

Determined to validate her idea, Cristina started conversations with other startup founders who shared similar challenges of managing software subscriptions within their companies. These discussions confirmed that many organizations faced the same problem, relying on manual processes like spreadsheets that were both ineffective and time-consuming. Armed with this feedback, Cristina set out to develop Cledara as a tool to simplify and centralize SaaS management.

During the ideation phase, the challenge was to refine the concept into a product that not only saved time and money but was also easy to use. Cristina and her team focused on offering a solution that addressed the pain points highlighted by early feedback, ensuring that Cledara aligned with the real needs of businesses. This careful approach to understanding and solving a common operational problem became the foundation upon which Cledara was built.

How did Cristina Vila build the initial version of Cledara?

Cledara began by developing a SaaS management platform with a keen focus on streamlining the discovery, purchase, management, and cancellation of subscription software. The development process involved utilizing a tech stack capable of handling complex data aggregation and synthesis across multiple companies, enabling them to gather valuable insights into software usage and spending. The initial prototype centered around a simple yet robust interface allowing businesses visibility over their software subscriptions. Building the MVP required significant iteration to ensure seamless integration with existing business processes, such as finance and IT operations, and took several months to refine. Challenges arose, particularly in balancing the aggregation of comprehensive data with maintaining an intuitive user experience, which required sophisticated backend solutions and responsive customer feedback loops to iterate effectively.

What were the initial startup costs for Cledara?

Funding: Cledara raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by CommerzVentures, with participation from Carbide Ventures, Massive, Nauta Capital, and Notion Capital.

What was the growth strategy for Cledara and how did they scale?

Adjusted Pricing Strategy

Cledara revised their pricing structure, which had a significant impact on their pipeline. They lowered the entry price for smaller businesses, driving interest and conversions. By simplifying their product offerings and creating separate add-ons for IT features, they catered to a more targeted buyer group.

Why it worked: Lowering prices for smaller buyers coincided with better performance for this segment, as Cledara’s data demonstrated. This strategy attracted more businesses, offering them easier entry into Cloudera’s ecosystem, which in turn increased their pipeline significantly.

Conversion Optimization

They shifted their call-to-action from "Book a Demo" to "Get Started Free". This change resulted in a ninefold increase in click-through rates. They also shortened the discovery phase in their demos to focus on customer pain points, aiming for a one-call close.

Why it worked: Offering a "Get Started Free" option lowered the barrier to entry and appealed to prospects looking for immediate engagement without a lengthy demo process. This encouraged more sign-ups and ultimately increased engagement with potential customers.

Focus on Data-Driven Decision-Making

Cledara used their unique data insights to refine their go-to-market strategy. By analyzing SaaS buying behaviors among their customers, Cledara adjusted their focus towards smaller, more agile companies during times when these businesses were more active in the market.

Why it worked: Leveraging data allowed Cledara to predict market trends and adjust their strategies accordingly. This ensured that their sales and marketing efforts were aligned with the segments showing the most potential growth, effectively tripling their pipeline in a short timeframe.

What's the pricing strategy for Cledara?

Cledara offers a free plan to attract smaller buyers and utilizes a tiered pricing structure, allowing companies to add IT features as needed through add-ons to scale costs effectively.

Cledara Pricing

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Cledara?

Embrace Data for Decision-Making: Cledara effectively used their customer data to adapt their sales strategy, showing the importance of leveraging insights to inform business decisions. Regularly analyze and act upon data to help your business evolve.
Simplify Your Offering: By streamlining their product features and simplifying pricing, Cledara made it easier for customers to say yes. Avoid complexity that slows down decision-making; clarity can boost sales.
Test and Adapt Quickly: Cledara's shift from a demo booking CTA to a "Get Started Free" offer significantly increased conversions, underscoring the need for continuous testing and willingness to pivot. Keep experimenting to find what resonates with your audience.
Optimize Buyer Experience: From reducing discovery call time to implementing a free plan, Cledara focused on making it easier for buyers to engage. Ensuring a seamless and quick customer journey can lead to faster growth.
Focus on Core Customers: Despite initially trying to expand their market, Cledara returned focus to their core customer base, which matched their growth data. Identifying and sticking to your Ideal Customer Profile can drive more predictable and scalable success.

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