• by Ray Schultz , September 27, 2022

Sendinblue, a digital marketing platform for small to medium-sized businesses, has acquired Yodel.io, a cloud-based business phone tool, its fifth acquisition in 12 months. Terms were not disclosed.

The firm is pursuing a mission of “reducing digital marketing costs for SMBs while creating additional touchpoints for customer success,” says Armand Thiberge, founder and CEO of Sendinblue.

Existing and future Yodel services will be offered under the Sendinblue brand.

Together, the firms are “the ideal match to address every pain point for e-commerce companies, shop owners, and software companies,” says Nina Hoedlmayr, co-CEO and co-founder at Yodel.io. 

Yodel.io’s digital phone system features a digital receptionist that uses advanced voice technology and is integrated with tools like Slack. It also provides interactive voice response (IVR), cross-device management, and improved call quality, the company states. 

“Research shows that buyers are increasingly digital-first; however, complex purchases and final approvals often benefit from interpersonal conversations,” says Roger Beharry Lall, marketing technology analyst at IDC. 

Yodel.io came into being when its founders needed better technology. 

"In 2016, we were working remotely for a small to medium-sized business, with a phone system that did not meet our expectations or requirements, so we developed our own fully integrable and automated solution,” says Mike Heininger, co-founder and co-CEO at Yodel.io. 

In March, Sendinblue acquired MeetFox, a scheduling and video-conferencing software company. And in September 2021, Sendinblue acquired three firms -- Chatra, Metrilo and PushOwl -- for a total of more than $47 million.

The company offers email tools, including an API for enterprise brands.