Attentive, a text-messaging SaaS platform, has raised $230 million in Series D funding in what it says is a $2.2 billion valuation.
The round was led by Coatue, with participation by new investors Tiger Global, Wellington Management Company, D1 Capital Partners, Atomico, and Sozo
Ventures.
They join existing investors Bain Capital Ventures, Sequoia, Sequoia Capital Global Equities, Coatue, IVP, Eniac Ventures,
NextView Ventures, High Alpha, and Sapphire Ventures.
Attentive will use the funds to develop products and hire and develop talent. The firm has over 400 full-time employees, a 310% increase year-over-year.
In April, Attentive raised $110 million in a Series C
round.
Attentive facilitates purchasing via mobile for such brands as Sephora, Tapestry
Urban Outfitters, Michaels, Steve Madden, and Jack in the Box.
"Mobile and e-commerce growth have been accelerated over a matter of months this
year, creating a lasting impact on consumer behavior,” says Attentive CEO and co-founder Brian Long.
Earlier this year, a survey by Yotpo
showed that 51% of consumers would welcome getting texts from their favorite brands, and that 54% would like to receive coupons and promotional offers via SMS.
The same poll placed text messaging as a close second to email as a preferred channel.
Long argues that, in a
few years, “consumers will expect all of their favorite brands and businesses to support real-time conversations via text messaging.”
NOW, IF PEOPLE WOULD ONLY ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!