“Where SaaS Meets Soul”
Walking into SaaStock Europe 2025 felt like stepping into the beating heart of the global SaaS ecosystem. The energy was electric — a vibrant hum of founders, investors, creators, engineers, and dreamers, all converging in one space to share, learn, and collaborate.
For the Napblog Team, this wasn’t just another tech conference. It was a pilgrimage. A chance to connect ideas with people, technology with purpose, and stories with strategies.
We arrived not just as attendees but as storytellers and students — eager to learn from those shaping the future of software, AI, and community-driven business.
The Pulse of SaaStock Europe
From the first morning keynote to late-night side conversations over espresso, SaaStock pulsed with one theme: connection.
The booths weren’t just product showcases — they were windows into new worlds. Founders weren’t pitching, they were storytelling. Every conversation felt like a spark, and every handshake opened a new path.
As the Napblog team moved through the halls, we met people who reminded us why SaaS is such a powerful space — not because of the software itself, but because of the human stories behind it.
Conversations That Shaped Our Experience
We started our journey with Florian Mayer, Founder of CNS Acoustics — a deep thinker whose work in acoustic and vibration analytics revealed how precision engineering still drives innovation. Florian shared how data and sound can tell hidden stories — a metaphor that stayed with us all week.
Then came Luca Migliorini, Go-to-Market Director EMEA for Launchpad from Pegasystems, whose energy could light up an entire session room. Luca spoke about how low-code platforms are empowering startups to bring enterprise-grade solutions to market faster than ever before.
In the afternoon, we met Nicholas Rooney from GoCardless, who explained the quiet elegance behind recurring payment systems. “Frictionless finance,” he said, “isn’t just about speed — it’s about trust.” That line became a recurring thought as we reflected on how many SaaS success stories start with reliable, transparent billing.
At the Salesforge booth, Damian Kielbasa, Co-Founder & CTO, showed us how data-driven sales enablement is transforming B2B teams. His belief that “automation amplifies authenticity” struck a chord with our team — because the best tools don’t replace relationships; they reinforce them.
Later, Oliver Gottlieb from Labforward shared insights on how digital lab notebooks are revolutionizing research. “Every experiment deserves a memory,” he said — a poetic reminder that SaaS often captures human progress in unexpected places.
By evening, we found ourselves in conversation with Adam Clarke, CRO at Roamlesscom, who spoke passionately about connectivity, mobility, and the power of communication across borders. SaaS, we realized, is really about connection in every sense — technological, human, and emotional.
Moments of Serendipity
Throughout the event, we experienced those serendipitous moments that make conferences magical — the unplanned encounters that shift your perspective.
One such moment was meeting Tracy Scott, CTO of XEYEX Ltd, who shared her story of building scalable digital imaging solutions. Tracy’s focus on precision and purpose mirrored Napblog’s own journey — balancing creativity with clarity.
We bumped into Ruben Westmeijer from Brand Agency x Kliffs, a connector of people and partnerships. Ruben talked about how branding isn’t a campaign — it’s a culture. That insight reshaped how we thought about Napblog’s storytelling approach.
Over lunch, Shaun Fleming, a CRO known for driving sustainable revenue models, reminded us that growth doesn’t always mean scale — sometimes it means stability.
And then there was Grant Cardwell, CPO of Xenon LUX, whose deep curiosity about design and materials reminded us that SaaS thinking can exist even in physical product spaces.
Founders Who Build for the Future
We had incredible exchanges with Joe Allen, Founder of Launched, and Michael Lyons, from Optik, both working on making technology more human-centered.
Ofri Cohen, VP of Global Sales at Lusha, spoke passionately about the ethical use of data in outreach — an issue we care deeply about at Napblog.
Guillaume Huynh-Ba, CEO of Synodal.ai, impressed us with his mission to harmonize data orchestration and decision intelligence.
In a coffee-line chat, we met Daniel Smyth and Donald Smyth, the visionary Founders of Tendril, along with Alexander Lynnyk, CEO of Invisly. Their collective enthusiasm for design, simplicity, and automation summed up what SaaStock 2025 was all about: systems that make life simpler, not busier.
Marco Lufen from Mendix demonstrated how low-code is transforming enterprise agility, while Ovi Anca, CTO & Co-Founder of Reditus, reminded us that growth must always be paired with gratitude.
We had long, thoughtful conversations with Nathan David and Justin Son from Design Huddle about how empathy should be built into every digital experience.
Alex Woffenden and Shahin Ketabchi from Lusha gave us practical insights into data integrity and sales culture, while Steven Johnson from Keboola shared how clean data leads to cleaner decision-making.
These weren’t quick exchanges — they were deep, human conversations about product, purpose, and people.
Themes Emerging Across Conversations
After dozens of meetings, demos, and dinners, a few themes began to crystallize:
- Data Integrity Is the New Differentiator
Everyone — from Keboola to Labforward to Synodal.ai — spoke about the same thing: meaningful data is clean, ethical, and contextual. - AI Needs a Human Compass
Conversations with Guillaume Huynh-Ba (Synodal.ai), Mariam Hakobyan (Softr), and Hakob Astabatsyan (Synthflow AI) echoed the same idea — AI is only as powerful as the empathy behind its design. - Community Is Product
Whether we were talking to Sam Jacobs (Pavilion) or Diane Wiredu (Lion Words), one truth stood out: in 2025, community isn’t a marketing strategy — it’s a moat. - Bootstrapping Is Back in Style
From Jonny White (Ticket Tailor) to Thomas Smale (FE International), founders shared stories of sustainable, profit-first growth — proving that capital efficiency can coexist with ambition. - Purpose Is the Ultimate KPI
Again and again, we heard leaders ask not how fast can we scale, but why are we scaling?
The Builders Behind the Brands
As the conference unfolded, we realized that SaaStock isn’t just about software — it’s about the builders behind the software.
Behind every booth, every pitch deck, and every handshake stood years of quiet work, long nights, and unshakable belief.
One of those builders was Tom Gilbank, Marketing Lead UKI at Mendix, who spoke about how the low-code movement is democratizing innovation. “Our job,” he said, “isn’t to make tech easier — it’s to make possibility accessible.” His colleague Steve Collins, Presales Consultant at Mendix, echoed that sentiment: innovation isn’t a privilege; it’s a process anyone can join.
A few steps away, we met Ruben Hernandez, Account Executive at Damson Cloud, whose work focuses on empowering companies through Google Workspace optimization. Ruben’s humble explanation of his work made something complex sound simple: “We help teams work together — that’s it.” That line stuck with us.
Then there was Kim Foster, Customer Success Manager at ReelFlow, who radiated a calm kind of confidence. She told us that true success management isn’t about fixing issues; it’s about foreseeing them. “We try to make sure our users never have to say ‘help,’” she smiled.
Macaulay McGrath from Deel reminded us how remote work has reshaped global employment. “Deel doesn’t just do payroll,” he said, “we enable freedom.” That’s a mission statement every modern SaaS company can admire.
Across the room, Kelly Walters, Marketing Director at G2, emphasized the power of social proof. “Trust travels faster than any ad,” she said. “And reviews are the new referrals.”
We couldn’t agree more.
When Vision Meets Execution
Some founders carry a quiet fire that doesn’t demand attention — it earns it.
Max Edwards, Co-Founder & CEO of airstride, spoke about mobility tech and the balance between engineering and experience. His approach — blending precision with empathy — reflected the same mindset we’re building at Napblog.
Tarek Hassan, Founder of Jump Start Journey, shared his story of guiding early-stage founders toward clarity, not just capital. “Most founders don’t need more investors,” he said. “They need more perspective.”
Chris Nelson, Founder of HumanVoice, showed us how AI and emotion can co-exist — building synthetic voices that don’t just sound human but feel human.
We then crossed paths with Richa Dayal, Senior Marketing Manager at Akamai Technologies, who spoke passionately about digital trust and internet reliability. Her insights reminded us that security is not a department — it’s a promise.
The SOCLY.io duo, Abhishek Janardhanan (CTO) and Karthik Rambhatla (Founder’s Office), shared how their company builds secure, scalable systems for digital identity and compliance. Their mantra was simple: “Compliance shouldn’t slow growth — it should secure it.”
Moments later, Shiera O’Brien, Founder and CEO of Prism, described her mission to bring clarity to organizational communication. “Technology can’t replace trust,” she said, “but it can amplify transparency.”
We also met Eva Reszka from Okta, who spoke about the future of identity security, and Yana Andreyeva and Harry Fitzgerald from Rippling, who explained how automation is making HR and IT not just efficient but invisible.
Scaling, Selling, and Staying Human
A recurring theme across SaaStock was that the most successful SaaS companies weren’t chasing growth — they were mastering alignment.
Shahin Ketabchi, VP of Sales & Ops at Lusha, broke it down simply: “Sales isn’t persuasion. It’s precision.”
He described how Lusha is scaling not by selling more data, but by refining how teams use it responsibly.
At another booth, George Follett, Managing Director at Ticket Tailor, and Jonny White, its CEO, shared their story of bootstrapping a profitable, purpose-driven ticketing platform. “We’re not chasing investors,” Jonny told us. “We’re chasing impact.”
Elia Goldenberg, Head of Business Development at Spendbase, walked us through their spend optimization tools — “helping companies save before they scale,” as he phrased it.
Jan Veldman of ElasticScale added another perspective: “Scalability isn’t about servers — it’s about mindset.”
In the legal and consulting space, Tom Jameson, Partner at CMS, and Peter Gilbert and Joshua Eltz from Buzz Outreach talked about how brand visibility starts with trust, not volume. “Buzz,” Peter joked, “is built, not bought.”
From marketing to growth, James Ince, Head of Product Marketing at Evergrowth, distilled it beautifully: “Good marketing tells your story. Great marketing makes your customer the hero.”
We also had inspiring chats with Archie Malhi and Cedric Andrews from Drata, who explained how their automated compliance solutions remove the anxiety from scaling. “Security is storytelling too,” Cedric said — and he was right.
At Taxually, Nick Edwards, Commercial Director for Enterprise, told us about simplifying international tax management for SaaS companies. The theme of frictionless finance resurfaced again — a thread running through many SaaStock conversations.
And then we met Thomas Smale and Max Alderman from FE International, the M&A firm that helps SaaS founders exit gracefully. Thomas’ advice was pure gold: “Don’t build to sell — build so well that selling becomes an option.”
From Startups to Scale Legends
We were equally inspired by founders building early-stage startups with grit and heart.
Adèle Coolens from Introw talked about the power of partnerships in early growth. Jan Šmejkal and Kristyna Bartova from ADDARIS showed us how AI and automation are redefining what it means to lead with strategy.
At the Airwallex booth, Dylan Dermody and Emma Beardmore represented a fintech powerhouse that’s rewriting how global transactions flow. Eoin Clayton from Maxio — formerly SaaSOptics — explained how their finance automation tools help SaaS leaders make faster, smarter decisions.
We caught up with George Bonser, VP EMEA at Drata, who spoke passionately about European compliance trends, and Emanuel Darlea, Sales Director at Yatta, who discussed the future of digital testing and collaborative commerce.
Later, we met Simon Herd, Co-Founder of Accoil, whose focus on renewable energy analytics tied back beautifully to SaaStock’s sustainability conversations.
Gihan Fernando, Head of Deployment at Upsolve AI, talked about how artificial intelligence is simplifying complex workflows, while Michael Fitzgerald, CEO of OnePageCRM, reminded us that sometimes simplicity is the best sophistication.
David Higginson of Adaptech shared his perspective on adaptive learning, Ellie Good from Oraizon spoke about predictive planning, and Roberth Gudliño from WOZTELL showcased conversational commerce in action.
Rounding out that incredible list were Piotr Babel and Vlad Shvets, Co-Founders of Qwery, who are redefining how data queries and insights flow across systems — and Eva Fayemi, CEO of Bond Agency & Kiflo, who left us inspired by her vision for brand collaboration and partnership ecosystems.
Each of these meetings reinforced the same truth: SaaStock isn’t a conference — it’s a mirror of where SaaS is headed.
Lessons from the Stage: Voices of SaaStock 2025
The speaker lineup this year was a masterclass in leadership and transformation.
Guy Podjarny of Tessl set the tone with a keynote about security and scalability, reminding founders that “speed is only safe when visibility scales with it.”
Then Manny Medina, Co-founder & CEO of Paid, challenged everyone to rethink growth in a world where customer trust is currency.
Nikola Mrksic of PolyAI and Alice Carlisle of Wiz shared insights on conversational AI and cloud security — proving that innovation happens where understanding meets urgency.
We were thrilled to listen to Máire O’Herlihy from OpenAI, who shared a behind-the-scenes view of generative AI adoption in Europe — “AI doesn’t replace creativity,” she said, “it multiplies it.”
Thomas Kinsella from Tines emphasized no-code automation as a weapon against operational fatigue, while Benoit Dubief from Anthropic explored responsible AI partnerships.
From the VC perspective, Justina Chung of Bessemer Venture Partners and Audrey Soussan of Ventech reminded founders that funding isn’t the goal — fit is.
Stan Massueras from ElevenLabs and Mindaugas Petrutis of Lovable talked about how storytelling is shaping the new frontier of AI marketing.
And Mariam Hakobyan of Softr, along with Hakob Astabatsyan of Synthflow AI, gave a live demonstration that simplicity is still SaaS’s greatest strength.
Nathan Latka, Founder & CEO of Founderpath, led an electrifying talk on alternative capital for bootstrapped founders. “Your business doesn’t need saving,” he said. “It needs structure.”
And Ryan Floyd of Storm Ventures followed with a deep-dive into resilience — “Every winter creates its next generation of spring founders.”
The day ended with Geraldine MacCarthy, CRO of Oyster, who embodied the spirit of SaaStock with one line: “The future of SaaS is global, inclusive, and human-first.”
We couldn’t have said it better.
Wisdom from the Stage: Leaders, Builders & Visionaries
SaaStock’s second day began with the kind of energy you can’t manufacture — it’s the result of hundreds of minds aligning around possibility. The keynote sessions were less about slides and statistics, and more about philosophy.
One of the most engaging talks came from Benoit Aguila, CFO of Typeform, who reminded everyone that form and function are equally sacred. “A good question,” he said, “creates more than an answer — it creates connection.” It was a fitting message for a conference built on conversation.
Chris Bell, Head of Product at Light, expanded on the relationship between product simplicity and market clarity. “Every feature has a cost,” he warned, “and that cost is often attention.”
Sam Jacobs, Founder & CEO of Pavilion, brought warmth and wit to his session on community-led growth. “You can’t automate belonging,” he said — a truth that resonated across the Napblog team, as we continue to build our own founder-focused communities.
Then came Dan Hobbs, Co-founder & CEO of Protex AI, and Mark Brosnan, Co-founder of Getvisibility, two leaders redefining what trust means in a digital-first era. Their panels on security, visibility, and compliance drew crowds eager to navigate AI’s new moral frontier.
Sarah Finegan, Associate Partner at Antler, and Marc Rougier, Managing Partner at Elaia, shared perspectives from the venture world — focusing on founders who build with both conviction and conscience. “Venture capital,” Sarah said, “is no longer about unicorns; it’s about endurance.”
Christian Jessen, CFO at Formalize, spoke on governance and transparency, while Luis Batalha, Co-founder & CPO of Amplemarket, energized the audience with his belief that automation is empathy at scale. “We don’t automate to remove people,” he said. “We automate to give people back their time.”
Innovation as Connection
The next day, we had the pleasure of attending sessions led by Leon Rees from AWS, Massimo Arrigoni of Beefree, and Jiri Manas, CTO & COO at Keboola — each offering a different lens on scale.
Leon spoke about strategic alignment in enterprise-scale cloud solutions. “The future belongs to those who orchestrate, not isolate,” he said — a message that echoed through the SaaStock halls.
Massimo from Beefree made creativity sound mechanical — and that’s a compliment. “Automation isn’t artless,” he said. “It’s art accelerated.”
Meanwhile, Jiri Manas discussed how Keboola helps teams bridge data silos, and his operational wisdom was priceless: “No data tool replaces judgment — it amplifies it.”
Kieran Flanagan, AI & GTM Leader at HubSpot, lit up the stage with a passionate talk about AI’s role in the marketing flywheel. “The best marketing isn’t predictive,” he argued. “It’s perceptive.”
Then Markus Zirn, CSO at Workato, followed with a pragmatic take on workflow integration: “In 2025, companies that connect systems faster will outpace those that connect people slower.”
Nicola Anderson, Co-founder of The CMO Circle, drew nods across the crowd with her take on marketing leadership. “Modern CMOs don’t just own growth,” she said. “They own truth.”
At the venture capital panel, Will Prendergast, Partner at Frontline Ventures, and Sean Mullaney, Founder & CEO of Seapoint, emphasized mentorship over money. Sean said it best: “The best funding you can get is from someone who’s walked your path.”
Stories of Resilience
The Napblog team was particularly moved by stories of resilience — founders who built not out of hype, but from hard-won conviction.
Joe Hyrkin, former CEO of Issuu, reflected on leadership through cycles of disruption. “The hardest thing isn’t change,” he said. “It’s staying curious after you’ve succeeded.”
Ben Murray, known as The SaaS CFO, transformed spreadsheets into storytelling as he walked through financial strategies for founders who bootstrapped their way to sustainability.
In another session, Laura Kightlinger, a respected CS leader and advisor, discussed compassion in leadership. “The best leaders make others feel seen,” she said — a sentiment that could have been SaaStock’s tagline.
Joaquim Lecha, Co-founder & CRO of Supersonik, spoke about rapid experimentation in growth, while Jonny White from Ticket Tailor returned to the stage, this time sharing his perspective as both a founder and operator. “Sustainability isn’t slow growth,” he reminded the audience. “It’s smart growth.”
Zara Ryan, Senior Investment Associate at BlackFin Capital Partners, and Robin van Lieshout, Co-founder of inSided, both touched on customer retention and advocacy. Robin’s line summed it up perfectly: “Communities don’t scale — they deepen.”
We then attended a fireside chat with Munya Hoto, CSO of Scalewise, who spoke about the balance between process and instinct in scaling operations. “A perfect playbook,” he said, “kills improvisation. Leave room for surprise.”
Rich Bolton from Octopus Ventures added an investor’s perspective: “We don’t just back founders — we back philosophies.” That perspective was refreshing and deeply aligned with Napblog’s ethos.
Diane Wiredu, Founder & CEO of Lion Words, brought the conversation back to authenticity. Her talk, “Language with a Soul,” reminded us that storytelling is not a marketing function — it’s a survival instinct.
Building Passion, Purpose, and Products
By day three, the atmosphere had shifted from discovery to connection. The SaaStock community was no longer a crowd — it was a constellation.
Matthias Bellmann, Founder & CEO of Passion.io, embodied that spirit with his keynote. “Creators are the new enterprises,” he said. “We build software that amplifies them.” His words captured SaaStock’s heartbeat — empowering small teams to make a global impact.
Philip W. Braddock, Head of Atlassian for Startups, highlighted how collaboration tools are driving startup ecosystems forward. “Every product begins with a team,” he said. “We just make teamwork less painful.”
Guillaume Lussato, Associate Director of M&A Origination at saas.group, explored SaaS consolidation — not as a financial maneuver but as a community evolution. “Acquisition isn’t the end,” he said. “It’s the start of shared wisdom.”
Okan Inaltay, Director at ComCap, and Uthish Ranjan, Partner at Octopus Ventures, emphasized capital with conscience — investing in long-term thinkers, not short-term metrics.
The crowd favorite, Firaas Rashid, Founder & CEO of Hook, gave a talk about customer engagement in the age of automation. “Attention is the new loyalty,” he said — a phrase that’s already pinned on the Napblog whiteboard.
From fintech to startup banking, Donatella Callegaris, Managing Director at BBVA Spark, showcased how banks are evolving into growth partners for SaaS companies. Her talk bridged worlds: traditional finance meeting modern innovation.
Alan Taylor, COO of Maxio, shared powerful stories about SaaS founders scaling responsibly through data discipline, while Laura Joris, CFO of Teamleader, echoed the same: “Profitability isn’t a trend — it’s a principle.”
Cliona Jordan, Early Stage Startup Lead at Google Cloud, inspired early-stage founders with her passion for access and inclusion: “Cloud isn’t about computing,” she said. “It’s about community.”
In a quieter corner talk, Craig Brown, Founder of Troubadour, reminded us that creativity thrives where structure ends. “Stories aren’t content,” he smiled. “They’re connectors.”
Eoin Feely, Associate Director at Deel, discussed global employment trends, while James Gill, Co-founder & CEO of EcoSend, shared his journey building sustainable email infrastructure. His message: “The greenest code is the one you don’t send.”
Eva Egg, Co-founder & CEO of Scripe, and Cien Solon, Co-founder of LaunchLemonade, closed the event’s final startup showcase. They represented the next generation — fearless, collaborative, and full of optimism.
And finally, Stephen Cummins, Founder of Appselekt, tied it all together: “SaaS isn’t software as a service,” he said. “It’s soul as a system.”
The entire room erupted in applause.
The Napblog Reflection: What We Learned
Leaving SaaStock Europe 2025, we didn’t just return with notes and business cards — we returned with clarity.
We learned that:
- Innovation begins with empathy. Every great product we saw began as someone’s pain point.
- Community is the new capital. The most valuable asset in SaaS isn’t funding — it’s friendship.
- AI is not replacing creativity — it’s revealing it. Every founder we met used AI to make human work more human.
- Bootstrapping is back. Profitability is becoming the new prestige.
- Purpose will outlast performance. In the end, every sustainable company we admired was built around meaning, not metrics.
As one speaker said, “The best SaaS products don’t just scale users — they scale understanding.”
That line captured what SaaStock truly meant to Napblog.
As the final day of SaaStock Europe 2025 wound down, the lights dimmed over the expo hall, but the energy in the air didn’t fade — it evolved. Conversations became collaborations. Pitches turned into partnerships. And what began as a conference started to feel like something deeper: a movement.
For the Napblog Team, this wasn’t just another event on the calendar. It was a moment of alignment — a realization that the entire SaaS world, from early founders to enterprise veterans, is writing the same story from different corners of the map.
People Before Platforms
The real magic of SaaStock wasn’t in the demos or decks — it was in the dialogue.
We found ourselves in circles where ideas flowed more freely than coffee, surrounded by people who were generous with their time, experience, and advice. Every handshake carried a sense of possibility. Every smile felt like the start of something new.
When Florian Mayer (CNS Acoustics) spoke about precision in sound and engineering, we heard more than a product pitch — we heard a philosophy: measure, refine, resonate.
When Luca Migliorini (Launchpad from Pegasystems) described how startups are building faster with low-code tools, it felt like a metaphor for life: simplify the process, amplify the purpose.
Nicholas Rooney (GoCardless) reminded us that “trust is the currency of scale.”
Damian Kielbasa (Salesforge) showed how automation can serve empathy.
Oliver Gottlieb (Labforward) turned scientific process into digital poetry.
Adam Clarke (Roamlesscom) made global connectivity feel personal.
These weren’t vendors. They were visionaries.
The Power of Presence
Our team attended back-to-back sessions, but the real learning happened between them — during hallway conversations, late-night discussions, and unexpected introductions.
Meeting Tracy Scott (XEYEX Ltd), we discussed how AI in imaging can reveal what the human eye overlooks — a reminder that innovation often lies in perception.
With Ruben Westmeijer (Brand Agency x Kliffs), we talked about how brand partnerships are now built on shared values, not shared logos.
And Grant Cardwell (Xenon LUX) inspired us to think about design as both an art and a discipline — a thread that runs through every startup we admire.
From Joe Allen (Launched) building launch systems for founders, to Ofri Cohen (Lusha) scaling ethical data, to Guillaume Huynh-Ba (Synodal.ai) blending human and machine insight — each story added another color to the SaaStock canvas.
By the time we met Alexander Lynnyk (Invisly) and Donald & Daniel Smyth (Tendril), we realized how much depth existed behind each badge. These were people building bridges between imagination and implementation.
Connecting the Dots
As we reflected on hundreds of conversations — from Marco Lufen (Mendix) explaining enterprise low-code to Ovi Anca (Reditus) redefining partnership revenue — a single truth emerged: SaaS isn’t a product model; it’s a philosophy of connection.
Whether it was Nathan David and Justin Son (Design Huddle) rethinking design collaboration, Steven Johnson (Keboola) talking about unified data ops, or Ruben Hernandez (Damson Cloud) helping companies work smarter with cloud tools — everyone was solving the same challenge: how to connect better.
And connection took many forms:
- Kim Foster (ReelFlow) focused on customer flow.
- Macaulay McGrath (Deel) focused on global teams.
- Kelly Walters (G2) focused on authentic reputation.
- Max Edwards (airstride) focused on experience design.
- Tarek Hassan (Jump Start Journey) focused on early founder support.
- Chris Nelson (HumanVoice) focused on making machines feel human.
They weren’t just building tools — they were building bridges.
The Heart of the Ecosystem
It’s easy to think of SaaStock as an ocean of logos and slogans — but standing in that crowd, we saw something else entirely: a living ecosystem.
Richa Dayal (Akamai) grounded us in security.
Abhishek Janardhanan & Karthik Rambhatla (SOCLY.io) grounded us in compliance.
Shiera O’Brien (Prism) grounded us in clarity.
Eva Reszka (Okta) grounded us in trust.
Yana Andreyeva & Harry Fitzgerald (Rippling) grounded us in efficiency.
Together, they showed us that SaaS is no longer about software — it’s about systems that sustain people.
The same spirit carried through to Ticket Tailor, where George Follett and Jonny White embodied transparency and fairness; to Spendbase, where Elia Goldenberg talked about fiscal focus; and to ElasticScale, where Jan Veldman spoke about cloud elasticity as an act of liberation, not limitation.
From Buzz Outreach to Evergrowth, from Drata to Taxually, every company we encountered was a part of a bigger story — a collective effort to make business simpler, safer, and smarter.
SaaStock Themes That Will Shape 2026
Walking out of SaaStock, five major themes stayed with us — ideas that every founder, marketer, and maker should carry forward:
- AI needs ethics more than algorithms.
From Anthropic to OpenAI, we heard again and again that human oversight is AI’s greatest innovation. - Bootstrapping is a badge of honor.
Founders like Jonny White (Ticket Tailor) and Thomas Smale (FE International) reminded us that slow, steady, profitable growth is the quiet revolution. - Community beats competition.
From Sam Jacobs (Pavilion) to Diane Wiredu (Lion Words), leaders are proving that connection is the new moat. - Sustainability matters — in code, in culture, in capital.
Talks by James Gill (EcoSend) and Ben Murray (The SaaS CFO) made it clear that healthy businesses build healthy ecosystems. - Purpose is the new performance.
Whether it’s Laura Joris (Teamleader) prioritizing profitability or Cliona Jordan (Google Cloud) advocating accessibility, we saw founders aligning metrics with meaning.
The Human Thread
Perhaps the greatest lesson from SaaStock Europe 2025 came from a moment offstage.
We were standing near the entrance, watching attendees greet old friends and new collaborators, and one of our team whispered, “This is why SaaS works — because people still care.”
That simple sentence captured it all.
Because behind every platform like Keboola, every marketplace like G2, every accelerator like Antler, and every CRM like OnePage, there’s still someone who wakes up trying to make life a little easier for someone else.
That’s what unites startups like Passion.io with giants like HubSpot. It’s what links fintech pioneers like Airwallex with AI builders like Softr and Synthflow AI.
It’s what makes the SaaS community so powerful — not the speed of its code, but the sincerity of its creators.
Napblog’s Takeaway
At Napblog, we left Dublin with notebooks full of quotes, screenshots full of slides, and hearts full of gratitude.
But what stayed with us most wasn’t the technology — it was the tone.
The tone of optimism.
The tone of collaboration.
The tone of people who believe that better software can build a better world.
We learned from the quiet thinkers like Michael Fitzgerald (OnePageCRM) and David Higginson (Adaptech), who reminded us that progress doesn’t have to shout.
We were moved by bold innovators like Vlad Shvets (Qwery) and Eva Fayemi (Bond Agency & Kiflo), who are reimagining connection in creative ways.
And we were inspired by every speaker who gave more than knowledge — they gave hope.
The Future Is Collective
As SaaStock 2025 ended, the Napblog team stood together outside the venue.
The air was cool, and the banners were being taken down, but in that quiet moment we felt something profound: this wasn’t the end of an event — it was the beginning of an era.
An era where technology and humanity are no longer separate lanes, but one shared path.
An era where startups become storytellers, and stories become startups.
An era where collaboration is the true competitive advantage.
SaaStock Europe 2025 showed us that SaaS is not just “Software as a Service” — it’s Spirit as a System.
It’s a living network of people who dare to imagine something better, build it, and then share it with the world.
And Napblog is proud to be part of that network.
Thank You, SaaStock
To everyone we met — founders, investors, dreamers, and doers — thank you for sharing your time, your lessons, and your laughter.
To every company that opened its booth, every speaker who opened their heart, and every attendee who opened a new connection — you reminded us why we do what we do.
Here’s to all of you:
To Florian, Luca, Nicholas, Damian, Oliver, Adam, Tracy, Ruben, Shaun, Grant, Joe, Michael, Ofri, Guillaume, Daniel, Alexander, Donald, Marco, Ovi, Nathan, Justin, Alex, Steven, Tom, Steve, Kim, Macaulay, Kelly, Max, Tarek, Chris, Richa, Abhishek, Karthik, Shiera, Eva, Yana, Harry, Shahin, George, Jonny, Elia, Jan, Peter, Joshua, James, Archie, Cedric, Nick, Thomas, Max, Adèle, Jan, Kristyna, Dylan, Emma, Eoin, George, Emanuel, Simon, Gihan, Michael, David, Ellie, Roberth, Piotr, Vlad, and Eva again — thank you for being part of this incredible journey.
You didn’t just attend SaaStock Europe 2025.
You defined it.
In Closing
When people look back at SaaStock Europe 2025, they’ll remember the AI demos, the data insights, the deal-making.
But we’ll remember the human moments — the laughter in the lounge, the handshake that turned into collaboration, the idea that became a shared mission.
The future of SaaS is not built in code.
It’s built in conversation.
And as Napblog continues to grow, that will remain our guiding truth:
Great technology starts with great storytelling — and the best stories start with people.
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