Anaqua joins forces with Astorg
Bob Goodman & Alex Ferrara
Published on Apr 24, 2019
Bessemer Venture Partners invested in Anaqua at the growth stage back in 2013. After years of organic sales and a successful acquisition strategy, the leading provider of intellectual property (IP) management solutions has joined forces with Astorg, a European private equity firm.
We were first motivated to invest in IP and patent management technology because it’s not just a best practice for enterprises that have thousands, if not, tens of thousands of assets to manage-at-scale. It’s also a strategic advantage.
The shift in U.S. law from ‘first to invent’ to ‘first to file’ has made it even more important for companies to be proactive and systematic when it comes to managing their IP.
Anaqua’s recent product innovations, such as the AQX platform, provides customers including Sony Corporation, Western Digital, and McDonald’s with a simplified user interface, data-rich analytics and business intelligence tools, and end-to-end financial management capabilities. We look forward to seeing how Astorg’s new partnership will continue to drive Anaqua’s market leadership.
As intellectual property increasingly drives the value of modern enterprises, Anaqua’s ability to catalog, analyze, and optimize IP is foundational for companies that want to compete in today’s global economy.
The sale of Anaqua marks another successful exit for Bessemer’s ever-growing vertical SaaS portfolio. Since 2017, Bessemer has one of the largest vertical software portfolios in the venture business with more than 30 investments across education, real estate, construction, healthcare, and legal technology, which includes companies such as Disco and Clio.
We continue to see that there’s plenty of opportunity for a new generation of leaders to build and grow cloud entrants across the largest industries in the world.
Contributors
Bob Goodman
Partner
Bob Goodman is a partner in the New York office where he has been a leading investor in enterprise software, mobile, and B2B marketplace companies for over 20 years. In that time he has helped over 15 companies reach successful M&A and IPO exits, including BladeLogic (IPO in 2007), Broadsoft (IPO in 2010), Intucell (acquired by Cisco) and Flarion Technologies (acquired by Qualcomm).
Bob currently sits on many boards, including ACV Auctions, Sisense, and many other startups. Bob is there for the highs and lows of building great companies. He is passionate about partnering with early-stage founders and being one of the first investors they call.
Before becoming an investor, he founded two successful telecommunications companies. While building his second company, Celcore, Bob raised his Series A from Bessemer in 1994. After Celcore was acquired by Alcatel through the acquisition of DSC in 1997, Bob decided to join the firm as the first partner in New York City. Prior to Celcore Bob founded Boatphone, a group of cellular operating companies in the Caribbean. Having served as CEO of both companies, Bob offers a dynamic combination of entrepreneurial, operating, and investment expertise to his portfolio companies. He holds a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.
Alex Ferrara
Partner
Alex Ferrara is a partner based in Bessemer's London office where he leads Bessemer's European efforts and primarily focuses on B2B SaaS, fintech, and cybersecurity.
Alex joined Bessemer in 2005. He led Shopify’s Series A in 2010, Pipedrive’s Series A in 2015, and has backed a range of successful cybersecurity startups.
Alex is a recovering gamer, avid cyclist, and trying to learn tennis.
