On this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, Ben sits down with Giacomo Marchiori, CEO and founder of Talentware, an AI-native skill intelligence platform transforming the HR tech landscape.

From his unique career path in engineering and automotive manufacturing to founding a rapidly growing SaaS company, Giacomo Marchiori shares the story behind Talentware’s creation, its innovative approach to skill assessment across industries and job functions, and the company’s impressive growth fueled by recent fundraising rounds.

Join us as we dive into lessons learned in startup fundraising, navigating the crowded AI space, scaling go-to-market efforts, and building a tech company poised for expansion throughout Europe.

Show Notes:

00:00 Improving Talent Management Processes

04:03 Mapping and Assessing Skills

06:56 Initial VC Fundraising Stages

10:25 Starting VC conversations early

14:20 Choosing a Technology Investment Strategy

17:54 Upcoming events and expansion plans

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/talentware-secures-800-000-in-pre-seed-funding/

https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/talentware-raises-3-3m-seed/

Giacomo Marchiori’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giacomo-marchiori/

Talentware’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentware-ai/

Talentware’s Website: https://talentware.ai/en/home/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

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Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben Murray is joined by Alex Lee, CEO and co-founder of Truewind, a company on a mission to build cutting-edge AI tools for accountants. With a background that uniquely spans aerospace engineering, venture capital, and SaaS startups, Alex Lee brings a fresh perspective to the future of finance.

Listeners will hear how Truewind fits into the accounting close process, empowering accountants with AI-driven workpapers, journal entry automation, and digitized standard operating procedures. Alex Lee explains how the platform streamlines financial operations—without replacing ERPs—and discusses its impact on everything from audit readiness to accelerating the value delivered to customers.

The conversation also explores the evolving role of accountants in an AI-powered world, lessons learned from raising $17 million in venture funding, and thoughtful go-to-market strategies tailored for CFOs and controllers. Don’t miss this episode if you’re interested in AI, SaaS, fundraising, or the future of accounting technology.

Show Notes:

00:00 Building First Startup Blue Light

03:30 Integrating AI with existing ERP

06:40 Benefits of TruWind API integration

10:07 Evolving roles in accounting

14:37 Key fundraising lessons for startups

16:56 Choosing the Right Investor Fit

19:57 Understanding Partnership Tiers

23:09 Tracking Customer Value and Engagement

26:00 AI infrastructure in finance

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/truewind-raises-13-million-in-series-a/

https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/truwind-raises-3-million-in-seed-round/

Alex Lee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlee611/

Truewind’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truewindai

Truewind’s Website: trytruewind.com

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben sits down with Ali Mirzaei, CEO and founder of Dimension Studios. Dimension Studios is leading the charge in AI-powered automation for TikTok Shop operations with their flagship software, Seller OS. Ali Mirzaei shares the unexpected journey from building the top shop on TikTok to founding Dimension, discusses lessons learned in fundraising, and reveals how the company's unique AI agent—trained on real shop data and industry expertise—is leveling the playing field for brands of all sizes. Tune in to hear how Dimension Studios is scaling quickly, keeping customer acquisition costs low, and balancing both service and SaaS models while navigating the fast-evolving landscape of AI and e-commerce.

Show Notes:

00:00 AI Operator for TikTok Shop Support

06:14 Advice for startup founders

09:57 Analyzing user updates impact

12:04 Macroeconomics and AI impact

14:10 Sharing Ali's journey

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/dimension-raises-1-65m-seed/

Ali Mirzaei's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-mirzaei-a411791b4/

Dimension Studios' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dimensionstudios/

Dimenstion Studios' Website: https://www.dimensionstudios.co/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, the conversation focused on one of the hottest topics for finance leaders and founders: managing and tracking AI spend within SaaS businesses. The discussion explored the rise of agentic AI platforms like Stackpack, which help companies take control of rapidly increasing vendor costs, manage contracts, and bring greater visibility into how AI tools are used across teams and departments.

A key theme that emerged was the shift from traditional software spend management to new challenges presented by AI tools, which are often priced on usage, tokens, or credits. Several points were raised, including the limitations of invoice-level tracking, the difficulty in breaking down spend by employee or department, and the importance of integrating HR and SSO data to unlock more granular attribution.

The episode also delved into the creation of effective dashboards for CFOs, strategies for governing AI usage and cost allocation, and tips for budgeting in a landscape where model choice, usage intensity, and pricing models are constantly evolving. The discussion wrapped with insights on measuring ROI from AI investments and how to adapt traditional software spend frameworks for the new era of agentic AI. If you’re a finance leader navigating the complexities of AI spend—or just trying to look good in front of your board this budget season—you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Show Notes:

00:00 Tracking AI Usage Costs

06:32 Teams plan data management

08:29 AI dashboard essentials and trends

13:26 Setting AI policy and costs

14:24 Discussing AI budgeting tips for CFOs

20:33 Increasing sales team output with AI

21:51 Discussing the ROSE metric

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/stackpack-raises-6-3-million-in-seed-round/

https://techfundingevents.com/companies/stackpack.ai

Sara Wyman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-wyman/

Stackpack's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stackpack-ai

Stackpack's Website: https://www.stackpack.ai/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, Ben Murray sits down with Yagiz Abik, CEO and co-founder of 5U AI. Yagiz shares his journey from building businesses in Turkey to immersing himself in Munich's startup scene, ultimately founding 5U AI—a company delivering digital employees to automate repetitive tasks for logistics companies.

The conversation explores the challenges of selling AI-driven solutions to a traditionally tech-resistant industry, how 5U AI is carving out its niche with mid-market logistics firms in Europe, and the strategies Yagiz used to raise $3.2 million in pre-seed funding within just two weeks. Yagiz dives into the evolving financial metrics for AI-native SaaS, lessons from rapid growth, and what it's like to build a team and product from scratch.

Whether you're a SaaS founder, investor, or curious about the impact of AI in legacy industries, this episode is packed with actionable insights and candid stories from the trenches.

Show Notes:

00:00 Pivoting to New Opportunities

04:45 AI adoption in logistics industry

10:02 Challenges of Raising Pre-Seed Capital

13:32 Charging per task done

15:50 Optimizing with open source models

19:48 Reaching out via LinkedIn

20:49 Wrapping up and looking ahead

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/5u-ai-raises-3-2m-pre-seed/

Yagiz Abik's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abik/

5U AI's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5u-ai/

5U AI's Website: https://5u.ai/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben sits down with Dori Yona, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Simple Closure. Dori Yona shares lessons from building three companies, taking us on Simple Closure’s journey to becoming the go-to platform for automating and simplifying the process of shutting down businesses. With millions of US companies dissolving each year, Simple Closure is changing the landscape by offering tech-driven solutions that save founders time, money, and the hassle of compliance headaches. From monetizing overlooked assets to fundraising insights and AI-powered operations, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways for SaaS founders, CFOs, and startup leaders navigating growth and closure alike.

Show Notes:

00:00 Business closures and market stability

05:44 Vision and launch of Asset Hub

09:30 Creating FOMO in Fundraising

11:22 Partner-driven revenue strategy

15:29 Understanding the recurring market

16:48 Tracking customer impact metrics

Links:

Dori Yona's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dori-yona-b8369877/

Simple Closure's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simpleclosure/

Simple Closure's Website: https://simpleclosure.com/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast. In this episode, Ben welcomes Ramsey Al-Ramahi, founder and CEO of RevReply, who shares his journey from scaling a lead gen agency to creating an AI-powered SaaS platform for sales conversion.

Ben and Ramsey Al-Ramahi discuss the transition from services to software, the unique challenges of building a platform, and how RevReply found traction with B2B sales teams. They also cover the experience of fundraising, joining the Berkeley Skydeck accelerator, and raising a $1 million seed round.

Ramsey Al-Ramahi opens up about the metrics that guide his business and the ongoing challenges—and opportunities—of leveraging AI in sales. Tune in for actionable insights and an inside look at building a SaaS company in today’s fast-changing landscape.

Show Notes:

00:00 Refining sales techniques with experience

05:06 Evaluating Meeting Productivity Issues

07:11 Target customers: high-volume or complex workflows

12:30 Scaling up and resource allocation

14:27 Managing overwhelming inbound demand

19:07 Focusing on customer retention

22:00 Weighing AI vs. human costs

23:31 Offering free pipeline advice

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/revreply-raises-1m-seed/

Ramsey Al-Ramahi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramseyalramahi/

RevReply's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revreply/

RevReply's Website: https://www.revreply.com/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, Ben Murray sits down with Mahdi Abdulzarak and Kim Van Lavieren, the co-founders of Dawnguard—an innovative SaaS platform aiming to transform how large enterprises design, secure, and manage their cloud infrastructure.

Mahdi Abdulzarak, CEO, brings decades of cybersecurity leadership, while CTO Kim Van Lavieren draws on deep technical expertise from organizations like Amazon and the military. Together, they share the Dawnguard founding story, insights on fundraising as experienced founders, building with design partners, and how AI-driven solutions are changing the game in cloud security.

From go-to-market strategies to engineering harnesses and pricing AI-powered products, this conversation delivers a behind-the-scenes look at launching and scaling a SaaS startup in a rapidly evolving industry.

Show Notes:

00:00 Improving IT system design process

05:26 Starting a company from a deck

08:46 Advice for working with VCs

09:56 Finding the right co-founder

16:17 Determining sustainable pricing strategy

17:08 Shifting AI pricing models

22:05 Using AI tools effectively

23:43 CEO and CTO priorities 2026

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/dawnguard-raises-3-4m-pre-seed/

Mahdi Abdulzarak's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahdiabdulrazak/

Kim van Lavieren's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-v-0645931b4/?locale=en

Dawnguard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dawnguard/

Dawnguard's Website: https://dawnguard.ai/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray