6Sense – History, Founders, Business & Revenue Model, Funding

6Sense is a San Francisco-based startup that uses artificial intelligence to help businesses identify and engage with their most valuable customers. The company’s platform uses a variety of data sources, including website traffic, social media activity, and purchase history, to create a detailed profile of each customer. This profile is then used to identify which customers are most likely to convert into paying customers or to make repeat purchases. In this article, we’ll explore the startup story, history, founders, business model, revenue streams, valuation and growth of 6Sense.

6Sense was founded in 2013 by Amanda Kahlow, Dustin Chang, Viral Bajaria, Premal Shah, and Shane Moriah. The company raised $200 million in Series E funding in January 2022, bringing its total valuation to $5.2 billion. 6Sense’s customers include some of the world’s leading brands, such as Microsoft, Salesforce, and Adobe.

6Sense’s platform is used by businesses to:

• Identify their most valuable customers: 6Sense’s platform uses machine learning to identify the customers who are most likely to convert into paying customers or to make repeat purchases. This information can be used to target marketing campaigns and to prioritize customer service efforts.
• Engage with their customers: 6Sense’s platform can be used to send personalized emails, social media messages, and in-app notifications to customers. This helps businesses to stay top-of-mind with their customers and to build relationships with them.
• Optimize their sales and marketing efforts: 6Sense’s platform can be used to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and to optimize sales funnels. This helps businesses to get the most out of their marketing budget and to improve their conversion rates.

6Sense is a leading provider of artificial intelligence-powered customer engagement solutions. The company’s platform is used by some of the world’s leading brands to identify and engage with their most valuable customers. 6Sense is well-positioned to continue to grow in the years to come as businesses increasingly adopt artificial intelligence to improve their customer engagement efforts.

Here are some of the key features of 6Sense’s platform:

• Customer segmentation: 6Sense’s platform allows businesses to segment their customers into groups based on their interests, purchase history, and other factors. This helps businesses to target their marketing campaigns more effectively and to deliver personalized experiences to their customers.
• Predictive analytics: 6Sense’s platform uses machine learning to predict which customers are most likely to take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service. This information can be used to prioritize customer service efforts and to target marketing campaigns.
• Personalization: 6Sense’s platform allows businesses to personalize their marketing campaigns and customer interactions. This can be done by sending personalized emails, social media messages, and in-app notifications.
• Reporting and analytics: 6Sense’s platform provides businesses with detailed reports and analytics on their customer engagement efforts. This information can be used to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and to optimize sales funnels.

6Sense is a powerful tool that can help businesses to improve their customer engagement efforts. The platform’s features and benefits make it a valuable asset for businesses of all sizes.

Founding History of 6Sense

6Sense was founded in San Francisco, California, in 2013 by a team of experienced entrepreneurs and data scientists who saw an opportunity to revolutionize B2B marketing and sales processes. The co-founders shared a common vision to leverage AI and predictive analytics to help businesses identify potential customers, predict their buying behavior, and deliver personalized and timely marketing messages to increase sales efficiency and drive revenue growth.

Amanda Kahlow (Former CEO): Amanda Kahlow, one of the co-founders and the former CEO of 6Sense, brought her vast experience in the marketing and technology industries. With a background in marketing and a passion for data-driven strategies, Amanda played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision and growth.

Dustin Chang (Former COO): Dustin Chang served as the co-founder and former COO of 6Sense. With a background in finance and operations, Dustin played a crucial role in building the company’s operational infrastructure and scaling its business processes.

Viral Bajaria: Viral Bajaria, another co-founder and the current CTO of 6Sense, brought his expertise in data science and technology. As the company’s CTO, Viral played a central role in developing the AI-driven predictive analytics platform that became the core of 6Sense’s solutions.

Premal Shah (SVP of Product Management): Premal Shah contributed his expertise in product management and marketing to the founding team. His insights into market needs and product development were instrumental in shaping 6Sense’s offerings.

Shane Moriah (Former VP of Customer Success): Shane Moriah, as a formr co-founder and the former VP of Customer Success, was instrumental in ensuring the success and satisfaction of 6Sense’s customers. His focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences helped build strong relationships with clients.

The founders of 6Sense recognized the challenges faced by B2B marketers and sales teams in identifying the right accounts to target and the right time to engage prospects. Traditional marketing approaches often relied on manual processes and were not always effective in reaching potential customers at the right moment in their buying journey. The vision for 6Sense was to create a platform that leverages data science and AI to provide real-time insights into buyer intent and behavior, enabling businesses to optimize their marketing and sales efforts.

Since its inception, 6Sense has grown rapidly and gained recognition for its innovative technology and solutions. The company secured early-stage funding from investors who saw the potential of their predictive analytics platform. As they continued to refine their product and expand their customer base, 6Sense gained traction and established itself as a key player in the B2B marketing and sales industry.

6Sense has made a significant impact on the B2B marketing landscape, empowering companies to be more data-driven and customer-centric in their approach. By leveraging AI and predictive analytics, businesses using 6Sense have reported improved conversion rates, increased pipeline visibility, and a more streamlined sales process. The platform’s ability to uncover hidden opportunities and prioritize target accounts has transformed how B2B companies engage with prospects, resulting in higher revenue growth and overall business success.

Business Model of 6Sense

6Sense operates as a B2B (business-to-business) software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, offering an account-based marketing and sales platform powered by AI and predictive analytics. The company’s business model centers around providing data-driven solutions that enable B2B companies to identify potential customers, understand their buying intent, and engage them with personalized and timely marketing messages. Let’s delve into the details of 6Sense’s business model:

Subscription-Based SaaS Model: 6Sense operates on a subscription-based SaaS model, where customers pay a recurring fee to access and utilize its platform. Subscribers gain access to the full suite of predictive analytics and AI-powered tools that help them optimize their marketing and sales efforts.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Solutions: The core of 6Sense’s business model revolves around account-based marketing solutions. The platform leverages AI and big data to analyze vast amounts of customer data, both explicit and implicit signals, to identify potential target accounts with the highest buying intent. This data-driven approach allows B2B companies to focus their marketing and sales efforts on accounts most likely to convert, increasing efficiency and ROI.

Predictive Analytics and AI-Powered Insights: 6Sense’s business model relies heavily on predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. The platform continuously monitors and analyzes customer behavior, online interactions, and buying signals to provide real-time insights into the intent of potential buyers. These AI-powered insights enable companies to deliver relevant and personalized content at the right moment in the buyer’s journey.

Data Integration and Visibility: 6Sense integrates with various data sources, including CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and other customer data repositories. By consolidating data from multiple sources, the platform provides users with a comprehensive and unified view of their target accounts, helping them understand their customers better and make data-driven decisions.

Sales and Marketing Alignment: A crucial aspect of 6Sense’s business model is facilitating sales and marketing alignment. The platform helps bridge the gap between marketing and sales teams by providing shared visibility into account engagement data, enabling seamless collaboration and ensuring that both teams are working towards the same objectives.

Customization and Personalization: 6Sense’s business model emphasizes customization and personalization for each customer. The platform allows users to tailor their marketing and sales strategies based on specific customer preferences, buying behaviors, and engagement patterns.

Revenue Growth and ROI Focus: The overarching goal of 6Sense’s business model is to drive revenue growth for its customers. By targeting high-value accounts with strong buying intent, B2B companies can increase their chances of successful conversions, leading to higher ROI on their marketing and sales investments.

In conclusion, 6Sense’s business model is based on providing a subscription-based SaaS platform that empowers B2B companies with AI-driven predictive analytics, account-based marketing solutions, and personalized customer insights. By delivering actionable data and fostering sales and marketing alignment, 6Sense helps businesses optimize their marketing and sales efforts, leading to increased revenue growth and improved ROI.

Revenue Stream of 6Sense

6Sense generates revenue through various streams, primarily centered around its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that offers account-based marketing and sales solutions. Let’s explore the revenue streams of 6Sense in detail:

Subscription: 6Sense’s main revenue stream is subscription fees. Businesses pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to access the company’s platform. The subscription fee includes access to all of the platform’s features, as well as technical support and customer service.

Professional services: 6Sense also offers professional services, such as implementation and training. Businesses can pay 6Sense to help them implement the platform and train their employees on how to use it.

Data licensing: 6Sense also licenses its data to other businesses. This data can be used to improve the targeting of marketing campaigns and to make better business decisions.

6Sense’s revenue streams are diversified, which helps to reduce the company’s risk. The subscription fees are the most important revenue stream, but the professional services and data licensing are also growing.

Valuation, Funding and Investors of 6Sense

Valuation of 6Sense

6Sense raised $200 million in Series E funding in January 2022. The valuation of the company after the Series E funding is estimated to be $5.2 billion.

Funding of 6Sense

6Sense has raised over $426 million in venture capital funding to date. Here is a breakdown of the company’s funding rounds:

Series A: In 2014, 6Sense raised $12 million Series A investment round led by Battery Ventures and Venrock.

Series B: In 2015, 6Sense raised $20 million Series B investment round led by Bain Capital Ventures (BCV), and brings the company’s total financing to $36 million. Battery Ventures and Venrock, who both contributed in 6sense’s successful Series A funding, also contributed to the round.

Series C: In 2020, 6Sense raised $40 million in Series C funding from Insight Partners.

Series D: In 2021, 6Sense raised $125 million in Series D funding at a $2.1 billion valuation. D1 Capital Partners led the round with participation from Sapphire Ventures and Tiger Global. Existing investor Insight Partners also participated.

Series E: In 2022, 6Sense closed $200 million in a Series E funding round co-led by new investors Blue Owl and MSD Partners and includes additional new investors SoftBank Vision Fund 2, B Capital Group, Franklin Templeton, and Harmony Partners.  Existing investors Insight Partners, Tiger Global, D1 Capital Partners, and Sapphire Ventures also participated in the round, bringing 6sense’s total funding to $426 million.  The new funding more than doubled 6sense valuation to $5.2 billion just ten months after its $125 million Series D round.