Mailchimp, 2000s
Did Mailchimp ever take venture capital?
The short answer
No. Mailchimp grew on its own profits and turned investors down for years. In 2021 Intuit bought it for $12 billion, one of the biggest sales ever for a company that never raised venture money.
The situation
Your email marketing company is profitable and growing. Venture capitalists keep calling, and everyone says you need funding to scale.
The options on the table
- Take the money and grow fast
- Raise a small round just in case
- Sell early while it's hot
- Turn them down and keep growing on your own profitsWhat they did
What happened
Mailchimp never took venture money. In 2021 Intuit bought it for $12 billion, one of the biggest sales ever for a company that grew without investors.
Sources: Axios
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