How tech investors came to love the software-as-a-service model
Investors love businesses that have a reputation for minting cash. And as far as tech companies go, the Software as a Service (SaaS) model is as good as it gets. It provides predictable, quantifiable, and fast-growing revenue for any company that can execute correctly – and everyone from venture capitalists (like Marc Andreessen) to asset managers (like Blackrock) love investing in companies with these traits.
WHAT IS SAAS?
Unlike in years past when software was bought in a physical form at a store, much of today’s software runs right off the cloud.
This is made possible by ubiquitous broadband access and powerful computers – and SaaS allows users to consume software in a different way:
- Customers connect to the software online
- Customers are charged on an ongoing subscription basis for access
- The latest version of the software is automatically provided to the user
SaaS has immeasurable benefits over traditional software distribution models.
- It can be used everywhere, including on mobile
- It has easy integration with plug-ins or add-ons
- There is no overhead, packaging, or distribution costs
- It limits piracy
- It has a flexible and clear licensing model
- Software is always up-to-date
- User data can be collected and new features can be tested easily
While the benefits of SaaS to the end user are plenty, it has even more interesting properties as an investment.
SAAS ECONOMICS
Instead of relying on one-time transactions or upfront fees, SaaS is built around smaller, subscription-based transactions that recur each month or year.
Because of this recurring revenue economics scheme, SaaS companies can be scale much faster and with less risk than other companies.
Unlike some other types of startups, measuring performance in SaaS is heavily focused on growing important metrics like LTV (lifetime value) or MRR (monthly recurring revenue), while minimizing CAC (customer acquisition costs) and churn (the rate at which customers stop buying the product).
As a result of the inherent attributes of the SaaS model, the industry has been exploding with growth. The BVP Cloud Index, which tracks 56 publicly traded cloud companies, is up 396% since 2011. That easily beats out benchmarks like the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and DJIA by triple digits.
OTHER REASONS TO LOVE SAAS
Aside from performance, here are a few last reasons that elite investors love SaaS:
Costs go down: As SaaS businesses scale, the cost of servicing each customer goes down. In the long run, this helps lead to a growing, predictable cash flow.
Buyouts: It’s common for SaaS businesses to get gobbled up by the bigger fish in the pond, which often offers investors a premium on the current stock price.
Low Barriers: The SaaS model has erased barriers to entry for software, allowing new entrepreneurs to enter the fold in almost every niche possible. This creates a wide array of new opportunities for investors, as well.
