Latest news with #HubSpot
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
AI Software Sales Could Soar 580% by 2028: 2 AI Stocks to Buy Now, According to Wall Street
Key Points Morgan Stanley estimates that AI software spending will increase by 580% over the next three years to top $400 billion by the end of 2028. AppLovin has recently been one of the best executors in the adtech industry due to its proprietary AI-powered targeting engine, called Axon. HubSpot has embedded AI capabilities throughout its CRM platform, and management highlighted strong demand on the recent earnings call. 10 stocks we like better than AppLovin › Artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly weaving its way into our daily lives. Goldman Sachs estimates that 9.2% of U.S. companies now use AI to produce goods and services, twice the number using the technology at the same time last year. And Morgan Stanley estimates that AI software sales will increase by 580% over the next three years, topping $400 billion in 2028. AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) and HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) are likely to benefit from that trend, and most Wall Street analysts see substantial upside in the stocks, as detailed below: Among 31 analysts that follow AppLovin, the median target price is $470 per share. That implies 29% upside from its current share price of $364. Among 38 analysts that follow HubSpot, the median target price is $750 per share. That implies 38% upside from its current share price of $542. Here's what investors should know about these software companies. 1. AppLovin AppLovin develops adtech software. For years, the company has focused on helping game developers market and monetize their applications, but it has recently introduced adtech software designed for e-commerce brands. Its platform features a targeting engine called Axon that uses artificial intelligence to match advertiser demand with publisher supply across connected TV and mobile devices. Morgan Stanley recently selected AppLovin as one of the companies best positioned to benefit from growing AI software spending. The analysts called Axon a "best in class machine learning ad engine," saying it has delivered superior return on ad spend for brands on the platform. The report also highlighted AppLovin's in-house creative agency, SparkLabs, which uses generative AI to develop ad content. AppLovin reported excellent first-quarter financial results. Total revenue increased 40% to $1.4 billion, as strong sales growth in the advertising segment offset a decline in the mobile games segment. Meanwhile, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) earnings climbed 149% to $1.67 per diluted share. And management guided for 69% advertising sales growth in the second quarter. Wall Street estimates that AppLovin's earnings will increase by 55% annually through 2026. That makes the current valuation of 66 times earnings look reasonable, especially since the company beat the consensus estimate by an average of 27% over the last four quarters. Patient investors should feel comfortable buying a small position today. 2. HubSpot HubSpot develops customer relationship management (CRM) software. Its platform comprises productivity applications for marketing, sales, customer service, and operations teams. It also includes solutions for content management and payments. HubSpot's focus on mid-market businesses (defined as those with 2 to 2,000 employees) differentiates it from industry leader Salesforce, which has designed its platform for large enterprises. HubSpot has embedded its platform with an AI engine called Breeze. It can summarize CRM records, draft emails, create webpages, generate social media posts, and provide customer support. It can also analyze information, surface insights, and make recommendations that improve efficiency across sales, marketing, and customer service workflows. HubSpot reported mixed first-quarter financial results due to the macroeconomic uncertainty created by tariffs. Customers climbed 19%, but the average existing customer spent 4% less. In turn, revenue increased 16% to $714 million, but non-GAAP net income increased just 6% to $1.78 per diluted share, as operating margin contracted due to ongoing investments in product development. Management provided positive updates on AI adoption on the earnings call. "Over the past year, Content Hub attach rates have tripled and Service Hub adoption has improved because of embedded AI," according to CEO Yamini Rangan. She also told analysts that the number of businesses engaging with Breeze Copilot more than doubled compared to the previous quarter. Wall Street estimates that HubSpot's adjusted earnings will increase by 19% annually through 2026. That makes the current valuation of 66 times adjusted earnings look expensive. But I think earnings could grow more quickly. HubSpot exceeded the consensus estimate by an average of 10% in the last four quarters, and the company could continue to beat estimates as it monetizes new AI features. Investors should consider buying a very small position today. Should you invest $1,000 in AppLovin right now? Before you buy stock in AppLovin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and AppLovin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,056,790!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025
India.com
21 hours ago
- Business
- India.com
Meet Woman, Once Served Food, Struggled To Pay Rent, Later Became CEO Of US Tech Giant Valued At Rs 2,14,66,95,60,000 — Find Out Her Net Worth
photoDetails english 2934131 Updated:Jul 19, 2025, 06:45 PM IST Humble Beginnings to Corporate Heights 1 / 8 Meet Yamini Rangan, one of the highest-paid Indian-origin CEOs in the U.S. She currently heads HubSpot, a leading software company valued at 25.66 billion dollars (around Rs 2 lakh crore), as per News18. Her story is not just about success but about resilience, ambition, and breaking barriers in the male-dominated tech world. Early Life & Leap of Faith 2 / 8 Born and raised in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Yamini moved to the U.S. at the age of 21 to chase her dreams. She arrived with little money, had no job, and faced a new culture and immense financial pressure. Most of her income went into rent, and at one point, she had only $150 left, News18 reported. First Job in the U.S. 3 / 8 Yamini's first job was far from what she'd eventually become. She worked as a food server in a football stadium in Atlanta. Despite the hardships, she didn't ask for financial help from her parents. She wanted to prove to herself that she could be self-reliant and independent in a foreign land. Building a Strong Educational Base 4 / 8 Before moving to the U.S., Yamini completed her Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. After relocating, she pursued an MBA from the prestigious Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, which laid a solid foundation for her career in the tech industry. Early Career Milestones 5 / 8 Over the years, Yamini worked for top technology companies, including Lucent Technologies, SAP, Workday, and Dropbox. At each company, she led roles focusing on customer success, digital transformation, and product strategy. Her ability to blend technical knowledge with business insight set her apart. Joining HubSpot & Fast Rise 6 / 8 Yamini joined HubSpot in 2020 as Chief Customer Officer. In just one year, she was promoted to CEO. Her leadership was marked by a customer-first approach, inclusive work culture, and innovative product vision. She took charge during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped the company navigate a complex digital landscape. Massive Net Worth & Recognition 7 / 8 According to QuiverQuant, Yamini Rangan's estimated net worth stands at around Rs 484 crore. Her rise has placed her among the most influential and highly-paid Indian-origin women CEOs in the United States. She frequently features in global power lists and serves as a role model for aspiring women in business. An Inspiration for Future Generations 8 / 8 Yamini's journey – from earning tips as a server to leading a multibillion-dollar tech firm – is nothing short of remarkable. Her story is a testament to what hard work, self-belief, and perseverance can achieve. She continues to inspire a new generation of Indian professionals around the world. (Image credits: @BrandonLeone/X, @heyshrutimishra/X,@crystalballmkt/X, @TiernanRayTech/X)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cursor snaps up enterprise startup Koala in challenge to GitHub Copilot
The startup behind the viral AI coding app Cursor is snapping up top talent from AI enterprise startups in a bid to bolster its competition with Microsoft's GitHub Copilot and win over businesses looking to supercharge their employees with AI coding tools. In one recent case, Cursor maker Anysphere struck a deal to acquire the AI-powered customer relationship management (CRM) startup Koala, two sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. As part of the deal, Cursor will bring on several of Koala's top engineers to build out a dedicated enterprise-readiness team. However, the entire Koala team will not be joining Anysphere, and Cursor does not plan to integrate the startup's core CRM product, a source told TechCrunch. Koala plans to shut down in September, the company said in a blog post published on Friday. The announcement comes just five months after Koala raised a $15 million Series A led by CRV, with participation from HubSpot Ventures, Recall Capital and Afore. Koala was nearly four years old, had roughly 30 employees according to LinkedIn, and had worked with clients such as Vercel, Statsig, and Retool. Sources in this story requested anonymity to speak with TechCrunch about private matters. Koala and its founders did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment. Cursor declined to comment. The Koala deal paints a picture of the two types of AI startups we're seeing in 2025. There's Cursor, a juggernaut of an AI tool that is growing so fast it's starting to encroach on the AI space's largest players, including Microsoft and Anthropic. At the same time, there's a growing number of startups like Koala: B2B AI startups that seemed promising — with a co-founder from Meta and advisors like Jack Altman — but have quickly run out of steam. Cursor is capitalizing on this disparity, leveraging middling AI startups as a means to build out its own enterprise offerings. Anysphere also recently hired the CEO of cybersecurity startup Resourcely, Travis McPeak, to lead the company's security teams, according to The Information. These deals look a lot like Big Tech's reverse-acquihires, such as Meta's recent deal to hire Scale AI's leaders. Much like in Meta and Scale's deal, Cursor can now move quickly to build out new business segments while leaving questionable businesses behind. Cursor hopes that Koala and Resourcely's talent will help it evolve from a personal developer tool that engineers quietly use at work and become an enterprise‑wide platform that companies pay large contracts to access. Most enterprises today that offer employees an AI tool choose Microsoft's GitHub Copilot, which works as an AI-powered extension to existing integrated development environments (IDEs) such as VS Code or JetBrains. Cursor, which is a standalone AI-powered IDE, needs to beat out GitHub Copilot to strike deals in many cases, and it often does in head-to-head tests. Still, Microsoft has the upper hand in the enterprise thanks to its long-standing relationships with legacy companies, as well as its large sales, security, and support teams. In the last year, Cursor has decisively built out its go-to-market and sales team — which now contains dozens of employees. Several Cursor employees now spend their days visiting the offices of Fortune 500 companies and showing them how they can integrate Cursor's AI tools into their business, according to a person familiar with the matter. Cursor's enterprise push seems to be gaining traction. Anysphere said it reached $500 million in ARR in June, and now works with more than half of the Fortune 500, including NVIDIA, Uber, and Adobe. A source familiar with the matter says that revenue has since grown, and an increasingly large share of that growth comes from enterprise deals. But as Cursor competes with Microsoft, it also needs to fend off a growing field of threats. The most pressing one is Anthropic, a crucial partner to Anysphere whose Claude Code product has grown rapidly in recent months. Cursor relies heavily on Anthropic's AI models to power its own coding products. (As one of its biggest customers, Cursor is also vital to Anthropic.) At the same time, Google just scooped up the leadership team of Windsurf, a major competitor to Cursor in the AI-powered IDE space. Cognition, the maker of the AI coding agent Devin, acquired the rest of Windsurf's team, potentially offering a significant lift to both businesses. It's worth noting that all of these are different types of AI tools, but employers tend to view the products similarly: as AI tools that can improve the productivity of software engineers. These employers might have the right idea. After all, Anthropic, Microsoft, Cursor, and Cognition are all developing AI coding agents which aim to automate workflows completely, which may be where the AI coding space converges. You might ask, why is everyone competing with everyone else to build AI coding products? Coding tools have become one of the first AI products to find 'product market fit' — the elusive goal that makes the ears of venture capitalists perk up. AI coding products are being used daily by millions of software engineers, and they have started to generate real revenue. Put another way, the race isn't just about building the best AI coding tool anymore. It's about who can scale their enterprise operations the fastest while the market is still up for grabs. With the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic all moving fast, Cursor's acquisition strategy may determine whether it joins their ranks or becomes another startup that couldn't scale fast enough.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Market Veep Launches HubSpot Onboarding Accelerator to Fast-Track Success for Sales Teams
New Guided Program Designed to Streamline HubSpot Setup and Boost Adoption BOSTON, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Veep, a leading Diamond HubSpot Partner Agency, is excited to announce the launch of its Onboarding Accelerator, a comprehensive self-guided program designed to help businesses achieve faster, more efficient HubSpot onboarding. The HubSpot Onboarding Accelerator offers new HubSpot users a seamless experience to quickly adopt and leverage HubSpot tools with step-by-step video tutorials, expert-led live Q&A sessions, team training resources, and more. This program is designed to reduce onboarding time and empower teams to start seeing results sooner. "As an Accredited HubSpot Partner, we've helped thousands successfully implement and optimize their HubSpot tools," said Jennelle McGrath, CEO of Market Veep. "We built the Onboarding Accelerator with this expertise in mind, offering an affordable, self-paced solution that allows teams to get up and running faster." Key features of the Onboarding Accelerator include: Step-by-Step Video Walkthroughs: Learn how to set up key features like email tracking, deal pipeline customization, social media setup, and more. Comprehensive Onboarding Checklist: Stay on track with a detailed guide to ensure every important step is completed. Weekly Live Q&A Sessions: Join live sessions hosted by HubSpot experts to get real-time answers to your questions. Team Training Resources: Share training videos with your team to facilitate smooth adoption and process implementation. 90-Day Access: Onboard at your own pace with unlimited access to training resources for 90 days after purchasing. Community: Share wins and build camaraderie amongst others learning HubSpot The HubSpot Onboarding Accelerator is currently available for both pro and enterprise level HubSpot subscriptions. "The reception to the Sales program has been great so far, and we already have versions in the works for the Marketing and Service Hubs to launch later this year," says Samantha Meza, Director of Operations. "It's never been easier or more affordable to onboard onto HubSpot than it is with this program. It really is a one-of-a-kind offering that's helping businesses get the most out of their HubSpot subscription." Excitement for this new product is building amongst HubSpot users due to: Proven Expertise: Developed by an accredited HubSpot Onboarding Partner, with years of experience helping businesses maximize their HubSpot investment. Self-Paced Learning: With 90-day access, your team can complete onboarding on your schedule, without the rush. Comprehensive Training: Hub-specific onboarding courses for Sales, Marketing, and Service tools. Exclusive Community Access: Engage with other HubSpot users who are also going through the onboarding process. The Onboarding Accelerator is the latest product released in Market Veep's full suite of HubSpot support offerings. Businesses looking for support with implementation and a more hands-on onboarding experience should explore their Discounted Onboarding, HubSpot Integrations, and HubSpot Migrations services. The Onboarding Accelerator is available for purchase today. Visit this link to learn more. For more information about Market Veep and their services, visit About Market Veep Market Veep is a two-time INC. 5000 winner, HubSpot-accredited and diamond-certified partner, INC. Best Workplace Winner, certified Best Places to Work, SBA certified Women-Owned Small Business, Netty winner for Boutique Agency of the Year, and Most Innovative Web Design. Since its founding, Market Veep has helped tech companies, service companies, distributors, manufacturers, and many other types of B2B businesses reach their marketing and lead generation goals. They're a full-service inbound marketing agency fiercely committed to helping every company they work with grow into the best version of itself that it can be. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Market Veep Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The AI Advantage: How Your Existing CRM Can Make You More Competitive
David Mattson—Executive Chairman, Sandler—The Next Evolution of Sales. In nearly every department of an organization—finance, operations, manufacturing—leaders can expect a baseline of consistency. Sales, however, is a different beast. It's a realm of wild variance: different skills, backgrounds, mindsets and habits. And with that comes friction. Sales leaders strive to create consistency wherever possible—in product messaging, value propositions and company storylines. CRM has always been on that list, but too often it's been a losing battle. Here's why: • Salespeople don't see the value. • It feels like 'Big Brother.' • The system doesn't match the way they actually sell. • Data goes in, but it's never looked at. • It takes time away from closing deals. Meanwhile, senior execs don't judge sales leaders by charisma; they judge by clarity. They say: Can you tell me—accurately—what's coming in this month or this quarter? Without that visibility, decisions get made in the dark. Resources become unaligned. Forecasts are missed. Opportunities are lost. CRM: The Weapon Hiding In Plain Sight If you gathered 100 CEOs into a single auditorium and handed each a blank sheet of paper with one prompt—list your top three weapons for gaining market advantage over the next six months—how many would write 'our CRM'? Not many. Perhaps none. But what if I told you that this often-overlooked system—your customer relationship management platform—could become the single greatest lever for growth in your sales operation? When optimized with modern AI capabilities, your CRM becomes more than a dashboard. It becomes a dynamic force multiplier. Imagine faster onboarding, smarter targeting, shorter sales cycles, larger average deal sizes and, critically, automatic visibility into patterns and outcomes without waiting for rep input. You'd know what's coming in, from whom and when. You'd stop guessing and start steering. The Tools Have Changed; The Advantage Has Shifted We're living through an arms race in sales technology. Every category has advanced: email automation, sales engagement, revenue intelligence. Teams now operate in real time—across time zones, across verticals—with precision and personalization. What's more surprising is that many of the most valuable capabilities are already embedded in the tools you have. That's especially true of your CRM. AI-Powered CRM: A Strategic Asset, Not Just A Dashboard Today's CRMs do more than store information. They generate momentum. When enhanced by AI, a CRM system becomes a strategic operating system—one that can: • Streamline workflows and reduce manual input. • Surface at-risk deals and stalled opportunities. • Personalize outreach based on behavior signals. • Forecast outcomes with accuracy. • Automate data entry, follow-ups and task management. • Flag upsell, cross-sell and churn indicators before humans ever would. Platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot are already deploying AI to scan deal data, extract patterns and recommend next moves. The result? A system that doesn't just record your activity but suggests your strategy. That's where competitive separation begins. Voice Intelligence: The New Pulse Of Sales Conversations Let's talk about what's quietly revolutionizing the sales call: voice intelligence. These tools transcribe, analyze and extract insight from sales conversations in real time. The best systems can now auto-summarize meetings; identify objections, gaps and action items; update CRM records with no manual entry; track patterns across hundreds of conversations; and prompt reps with next steps and guide them through AI-powered coaching. Tools like Gong, Chorus, Dialpad and Avoma integrate seamlessly into top CRM systems and offer real-time transcription, sentiment and keyword detection, coaching flags and automated suggestions, and CRM integration that's nearly invisible to the rep. Even though Salesforce retired Einstein Voice Assistant in 2020, many of those core features live on in integrations. HubSpot supports platforms like Aircall, Gong, Jiminny and Avoma, providing seamless workflows where your CRM fields are filled in before the rep finishes their coffee. Adopting AI Wisely: How To Future-Proof Your CRM Investment Before you leap into the AI pool, consider these grounding principles: • Audit existing tech. Ensure your current tools don't already offer the functionality you're seeking. • Check the roadmap. The features you want may be coming soon from your existing CRM vendor. • Standardize the stack. Don't let individual managers pick pet tools. Fragmentation kills momentum. • Separate "nice to have" from "must have." Don't chase hype. Chase outcomes. • Secure the data. AI is only valuable if your data is safe, private and protected. • Start with the problem, not the tool. Clarify the pain point first: long sales cycles? Poor qualification? Lack of visibility? • Get your data house in order. AI is only as good as the data it trains on. If your CRM is cluttered, fix that first. • Ensure system interoperability. Look for open architectures. Your CRM should be the command center, not an island. • Invest in change management. Without training, trust and user buy-in, even the best tool will go unused. • Start small, then scale. Roll out one team, one tool, one metric. Build internal proof. Then expand. • Define success up front. Know what winning looks like: faster onboarding? Higher conversion? Lower churn? What This Means For Leadership Let's be clear: The AI revolution in sales isn't coming; it's here. And the divide is widening between leaders who treat CRM like a compliance tool and those who weaponize it as a strategic asset. At Sandler, we have a simple mantra: AI won't replace salespeople, but salespeople who leverage AI will replace those who don't. The same holds true for leadership. CEOs who lean in—who modernize their systems and empower their teams—don't just get better reports. They win in the market. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
