Podium Named To The Forbes Cloud 100 For Third Time

LEHI, Utah, Aug. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Podium, the leading communication and payments platform for local businesses, has been named to the Forbes 2021 Cloud 100, the definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world, published by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures. Marking its third year on the list, Podium previously received the honor in 2018 and 2020.

"The first half of 2021 has been another tremendous period of growth for Podium as we continue helping local businesses around the world keep their doors open and elevate how they interact with their customers," said Eric Rea, co-founder and CEO of Podium. "This award is a testament to the work our team has done to help local businesses better navigate the impacts of the pandemic and anticipate the evolving changes."

Podium now serves more than 100,000 local businesses in the U.S., Canada and Australia -- more than 77 million people used it to connect with a local business in 2020. When the pandemic hit, there was a desperate need for retailers and service providers to bridge the sudden chasm that came along with it. Through Podium, these businesses were able to take orders, schedule virtual appointments, hold video chat and telehealth sessions, arrange curbside pickup and delivery, accept contact-free payments via text and more – using one system and one inbox. From appliance dealers to wedding dress designers, everyone was able to have a simple solution overnight that let them keep their doors open.

For the sixth straight year, the Cloud 100 reviews submissions from hundreds of cloud startups and private companies each year. The Cloud 100 evaluation process involved ranking companies across four factors: market leadership (35%), estimated valuation (30%), operating metrics (20%), and people & culture (15%). For market leadership, the Cloud 100 enlists the help of a judging panel of 34 public cloud company CEOs who assist in evaluating and ranking their private company peers.

"The companies of the Cloud 100 list represent the best and brightest emerging companies in the cloud sector," said Alex Konrad, senior editor at Forbes. "Every year, it gets more difficult to make this list — meaning even more elite company for those who do. Congratulations to each of the 2021 Cloud 100 honorees and to our 20 Rising Stars up-and-comers poised to join their ranks."

"The private cloud ecosystem continues to see historic rates of digital transformation," said Byron Deeter, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. "Private cloud valuations are getting bigger as the market's appetite for cloud continues to grow. These founders represent the absolute best in cloud computing today, and they appear likely to follow in the footsteps of our esteemed Cloud 100 alumni. Congratulations to these cloud leaders!"

"How we work has undergone a paradigm shift and businesses of all shapes and sizes are reimagining the tools that are needed to ensure working from anywhere is a sustainable, long-lasting solution," said Alex Kayyal, Managing Partner, Salesforce Ventures. "The last 18 months have made digital transformation an urgent imperative and the cloud has never been more pivotal in powering our new digital economy. The companies on this list represent the leaders and businesses shaping the future of the cloud ecosystem and we are excited to partner with Bessemer Venture Partners and Forbes to honor these trailblazers of the industry."

The Forbes 2021 Cloud 100 and 20 Rising Stars lists are published online at www.forbes.com/cloud100. Highlights of the list appear in the September 2021 issue of Forbes magazine.

The Cloud 100 and the 20 Rising Stars companies are publicly recognized at this year's virtual Cloud 100 experience, hosted by Bessemer Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures and Forbes on August 10th at thecloud100.com. A special thank you to virtual event sponsors Amazon Web Services (AWS), Bank of America, Cooley, FuelxMcKinsey, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Nasdaq, Qatalyst Partners, Silicon Valley Bank and WisdomTree.

About Podium
Podium is a customer messaging and payments platform that enables companies with a local presence to conveniently connect with their customers at critical touchpoints to help them strengthen their business. By conveniently facilitating millions of customer interactions, such as driving customer-generated online reviews and providing improved customer messaging tools, Podium serves more than 100,000 local businesses in the United States, Canada and Australia. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, and founded in 2014, Podium is currently backed by YC Continuity, Sapphire Ventures, Alkeon Capital, Recruit Co. Ltd., IVP, Accel, Summit Partners and GV. To learn more, visit www.podium.com or contact us at [email protected].

Bessemer Venture Partners
Bessemer Venture Partners is the world's most experienced early-stage venture capital firm. With a portfolio of more than 200 companies, Bessemer helps visionary entrepreneurs lay strong foundations to create companies that matter, and supports them through every stage of their growth. The firm has 130 IPOs, including Pinterest, Shopify, Twilio, Yelp, LinkedIn, Skype, LifeLock, PagerDuty, DocuSign, Wix, MindBody, and Fiverr. Bessemer's team of investors and partners are positioned all over the world in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Tel Aviv, Bangalore, and Beijing. Follow @BessemerVP and learn more at bvp.com.

About Forbes
The defining voice of entrepreneurial capitalism, Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 140 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE events, custom marketing programs and 40 licensed local editions in 70 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit the Forbes News Hub or Forbes Connect.

Salesforce Ventures
Salesforce Ventures is the global investment arm of Salesforce and is focused on partnering with the most ambitious enterprise technology companies at every stage in their journey. Since 2009, Salesforce Ventures has invested over $3 billion in over 400 leading companies including Auth0, Databricks, DocuSign, Guild Education, Hopin, monday.com, nCino, Snowflake, Snyk, Stripe, Tanium, Twilio, and Zoom. Salesforce Ventures provides portfolio companies with unparalleled access to Salesforce, one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies in the world, including strategic advisory, customer introductions, and the strongest cloud ecosystem. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 25 countries with offices all over the world including in San Francisco, Irvine, New York, London, Tokyo, and Sydney. Follow @SalesforceVC and learn more at salesforce.com/ventures. 

SOURCE Podium

Related Links

http://www.podium.com