Lead Edge Capital

As the year winds down, we asked the Lead Edge Capital team what they’re looking for in 2025. The result? A series of insights highlighting the trends, innovations, and opportunities shaping the year ahead. Kicking things off, we have Zach Ullman sharing his thoughts on connected hardware: "There has long been a question for businesses: Should I buy it, or should I build it? In today’s world, that question is evolving. Businesses are now not only considering buying or building but also recognizing that if they build something, they can sell it too. We’re excited to see how new businesses—some with revenue lines under two years old—scale rapidly and become the next growth act for established companies." 💡 What are you looking for in 2025? #LeadEdgeCapital #2025Predictions #GrowthInAction #ConnectedHardware #Software #PrivateEquity

🔷 We’re excited to announce that Brian Lobdell has been promoted to Partner at Lead Edge Capital!   Since joining the firm in 2017, Brian has played a key role in driving growth and strengthening both our team and portfolio companies.   Brian has been deeply involved in many of Lead Edge’s key investments, including Arrive Logistics, Grafana Labs, GlobalVetLink, Hakkōda, Help Scout, Holistiplan, Lean Solutions Group, Level Access, LVT (LiveView Technologies), SafeSend, and Wise, among others. He currently serves as a Board Member or Board Observer at Holistiplan, Level Access, LVT (LiveView Technologies), and SafeSend.   Please join us in celebrating Brian’s well-deserved promotion!

Our Partner Susan Bihler spoke with Fortune Term Sheet about why she anticipates a wave of increased regulation and compliance in the AI sector. Watch her full video below. 🔮 Read more from Allie Garfinkle about how AI will shape our world in 2025: https://lnkd.in/e7VY6yhs

Our Partner Daniel Lynn spoke with Fortune Term Sheet about why he thinks 2025 will be the year of the “unroll-up". Watch his full video below. 🔮 Read more from Allie Garfinkle about the 2025 outlook for IPOs, M&A, and the regulatory landscape here: https://lnkd.in/eeF7URtz

🗞️ Portfolio News: SafeSend Joins the Thomson Reuters Family We’re excited to announce Lead Edge Capital portfolio company, SafeSend, has been acquired by Thomson Reuters! Based in Michigan, SafeSend’s cloud-native SaaS software has revolutionized the tax and accounting profession by automating key tasks for U.S. accounting firms and taxpayers. From simplifying workflows to delivering an end-to-end solution, SafeSend has become a trusted partner to 70% of the country’s top 500 firms. 💬 “Since our partnership began in 2021, SafeSend has transformed how tax and accounting professionals work. Today’s acquisition underscores the tremendous value SafeSend has created and its potential to continue empowering professionals with the best technology to simplify workflows, improve efficiency and delight customers.” - Nimay Mehta, Partner 💬 “We’ve been proud to support SafeSend’s mission to redefine how tax and accounting professionals work. Together, we’ve expanded product offerings, accelerated growth, and built a robust team that continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in tax workflow automation.” - Brian Neider, Partner 💬 “From the start, we saw SafeSend as a high-growth company solving real-world problems for its customers. Their vision and dedication have earned them the trust of accounting firms nationwide.” - Brian Lobdell, Partner At Lead Edge Capital, we’re proud to back exceptional companies like SafeSend and put #GrowthInAction to work. We’re excited to see SafeSend & Thomson Reuters continue to drive efficiency and innovation across the profession. Congratulations to the entire team! #GrowthInAction #PortfolioWin #SafeSend #ThomsonReuters #Innovation #GrowthEquity

Happy New Year! In case you missed it, we’ve already shared some of the Lead Edge Capital team’s predictions for private equity, M&A, and IPOs in 2025. But we’re just getting started—there’s more on the way! Stay tuned for the rest of this series in the coming weeks. 🔮 What are your predictions for 2025? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you! #PrivateEquity #MergersandAcquisitions #IPOs #VentureCapital #GrowthEquity #InvestmentTrends

Adam Stein, Head of Talent at Lead Edge Capital, shares his perspective on navigating the evolving talent landscape in 2025: "Executive compensation has steadily risen over the past five years, and we expect this trend to continue into 2025. In uncertain markets, executives are less inclined to make career moves, tightening the talent supply and driving hiring costs higher. To combat this, we’re increasingly focusing on 'step-up' executives—rising stars ready to assume larger roles. This approach allows us to secure exceptional talent without paying the significant premiums often associated with seasoned hires, creating exciting opportunities for both our portfolio companies and their leadership teams." 💡 How do you see the talent landscape shifting in 2025? #LeadEdgeCapital #2025Predictions #GrowthInAction #TalentStrategy #ExecutiveLeadership #PrivateEquity

Emila Damjanovic, Partner at Lead Edge Capital, shares her perspective on the evolving role of investor relations and why transparency, building meaningful relationships, and strong communication are more important than ever: "In an industry where transparency and strong communication are more important than ever, building and fostering meaningful relationships with our investors remains central to what we do at Lead Edge. These connections not only strengthen our network but also enable us to provide unparalleled support to our portfolio companies and CEOs. As we head into 2025, maintaining accessibility and collaboration across our team and with our investors is key to driving success. Investor relations isn't just a function—it’s a cornerstone of our strategy, fueling growth and innovation across the board." 💡 What trends do you see shaping investor relations in the coming year? #LeadEdgeCapital #2025Predictions #GrowthInAction #InvestorRelations #PrivateEquity #Transparency

Next up is Daniel Lynn, a Partner at Lead Edge Capital, who shares his thoughts on the growing opportunity within GovTech in 2025 as governments continue to modernize legacy systems: "Government teams are navigating an ever-changing regulatory and compliance landscape, creating an incredible need for modern tools and technologies. We see a huge opportunity for software companies to innovate in this space, addressing the needs of younger, digitally fluent users. Best-of-breed solutions that modernize legacy ERP systems—making them more user-friendly, intuitive, and easier to report on—are particularly exciting. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, GovTech represents a significant investment opportunity, and we’re eager to partner with businesses leading this transformation." 💡 How do you see GovTech evolving in the coming years? #LeadEdgeCapital #2025Predictions #GrowthInAction #GovTech #Software #PrivateEquity #Innovation #Government

Brian Neider, Partner at Lead Edge Capital, shares what he predicts for the future of M&A in 2025: "I believe 2025 is going to be the year of the great unlock. There’s been a regulatory overhang within the M&A landscape, but I expect we’ll see a significant increase in activity. If you look back to 2018 and 2019, the top ten software companies by market cap collectively acquired around 120 companies. Compare that to 2023 and 2024, where they acquired about half that number. We believe 2025 will unlock growth for both large acquirers and smaller players, creating a dynamic and exciting environment for M&A." 💡 Do you agree 2025 will be the year of the great unlock? #LeadEdgeCapital #2025Predictions #GrowthInAction #MAActivity #Software #PrivateEquity #InvestmentOpportunities