Why Netlify is the architecture for the next generation of web development
Bessemer Venture Partners leads the $105 million Series D in Netlify, the evangelists of the Jamstack revolution and leaders in the modern web ecosystem.
Elliott Robinson & Janelle Teng Wade
Published on Nov 17, 2021
When Matt Biilmann and Chris Bach, co-founders of Netlify, first pitched Jamstack as the new front-end approach at SmashingConf in 2016, it was a novel paradigm compared to the traditional industry standards for web development. The Jamstack was radically different from the traditional LAMP and MEAN stack approaches, fundamentally decoupling the front-end layer of the web from the back-end business logic layer.
To say that Matt and Chris were ahead of their time in recognizing the potential of the Jamstack would be a gross understatement. Fast forward a few short years, and the power of the Jamstack is no longer a secret. Bolstered by tailwinds including the rise of Git, the popularity of Javascript, and the API economy boom, the Jamstack has gained mainstream adoption and it’s been embraced by small and large companies alike—across all levels of technical sophistication—for its tangible advantages over traditional web development approaches. Jamstack has also powered the rise of other market segments, including headless CMS, headless commerce, front-end-as-a-service, and more. The ecosystem is only growing from here.
At Bessemer, we also know the magic of Jamstack firsthand, not just via hearsay from experts, developers, and organizations. As a long-time Netlify customer, Bessemer runs the firm’s website and media platform on Jamstack architecture, and we’re excited to be part of their growth story as we lead the $105 million Series D in Netlify at a $2 billion valuation.
JavaScript is the most popular programming language in the world, used by nearly 14 million developers globally who speak about the Jamstack with effusive love. Today, more than 2 million of those developers also use Netlify, with over 1 million developers joining the platform this past year alone.
As we developed Bessemer’s thesis on the future of web development, we knew we could not tell the story without Netlify as a leading protagonist.
Companies across all industries from Affirm to Unilever to Twilio have leveraged Netlify to build, deploy, and scale modern websites and apps using the Jamstack approach. With Netlify, they have been able to take advantage of better developer productivity and satisfaction with improved collaboration, scalability, security, and end-customer experience.
Ushering in this next era of the web ecosystem couldn’t be done without the product innovation from Netlfiy’s co-founders: Matt and Chris are not only category leaders and technological whizzes, but also leaders of high-integrity who have brought on an equally exceptional All-Star team, including COO Marcus Bragg (of AlienVault, AT&T), CRO Zeeshan Yoonas (of Twilio, AWS), SVP Engineering Dana Lawson (of GitHub, InVision), and VP Product Akram Hussein (of Uber, Microsoft Azure).
And the most exciting realization is that Netlify’s story is just beginning. Alongside the investment, Netlify announced its purchase of OneGraph, which provides the easiest way to build and manage integrations with third-party services through its consistent GraphQL interface. This acquisition is core to Netlify’s journey to unite the Jamstack ecosystem and to deliver the best developer experience for the web.
On Bessemer’s Growth team, we’re looking to partner with companies that will define the next century of how we live, work, and do business. Netlify is one of those companies. We are confident that Netlify will continue to lead the Jamstack revolution and make an indelible mark on the future of web development. We are thrilled to be partnering with Matt, Chris, and the team on that journey.
Contributors
Elliott Robinson
Partner
Elliott Robinson is based in the NYC office and a partner of the growth investment practice at Bessemer, where he focuses primarily on Cloud software investments. He co-authors Bessemer’s iconic 10 Laws of Cloud Computing and the annual State of the Cloud Report. He looks to partner with companies and management teams that are defining their market category while also maintaining a set of core values that will allow them to expand and solidify their leadership position. Elliott is currently a board member for Coactive AI, Databook, Hinge Health, Hyperscience, Imply Data, Netlify and Render. Additionally, he has led Bessemer’s investments in Forter, Statespace, and Canva.
Prior to joining Bessemer, Elliott was a partner with M12, leading investments in companies such as Livongo (IPO: LVGO), BlueVine, Trusona, and Cooler Screens. Elliott started his career with Syncom Venture Partners, investing in both early and growth stage enterprise software and frontier tech companies such as CLEAR and Iridium Communications (IPO: IRDM). After six years with Syncom, he joined Georgian Partners, investing in a number of successful growth stage software companies such as TurnItIn (acquired by Advance), Kinnser (acquired by Mediware), and eSentire.
Elliott earned his M.B.A from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Morehouse College. He is a board director of Venture Forward, BLCK VC, and a member of the Kauffman Fellows Class 22.
Janelle Teng Wade
Partner
Janelle Teng Wade is a partner at Bessemer where she leads the firm’s early-stage investment roadmaps in AI/ML, data infrastructure, developer platforms, and defense tech. She is passionate about supporting highly technical teams and founders from research backgrounds pushing on the technological frontier.
Before joining Bessemer, Janelle was a product manager at SalesforceIQ (formerly RelateIQ) where she led mobile development for Salesforce Inbox and was one of the inventors of Einstein Email Insights. She began her career as a business analyst at McKinsey and Company.
A science enthusiast at heart, Janelle studied biology and economics at Stanford University, where she graduated with academic distinction and departmental honors. She also earned an MBA at Harvard Business School. Outside of work, you can find Janelle skiing, hiking, or writing her Substack.
